Trying out some new toys

I have spent the last couple of days working on things for Christmas. I'm not sure how to feature them on my blog when the recipients may be reading this, so I will try not to give away any secrets.

I am always one to see a new technique on Simply Quilts or in a magazine, buy all the necessary tools and supplies, and then let them sit for a while before ever breaking them out of the package. Such was the case when I saw Patricia Bolton of Quilting Arts Magazine on Simply Quilts. She was demonstrating how to make Artists Trading Cards in large numbers. The newer episodes of Simply Quilts have step-by-step tutorials, so I was able to find them on the website and print.

Yesterday I painted my fabric with lots of shiny Lumiere and Shiva paints, and even added a little foil. The foil adhered rather well to the thicker areas of paint.



The next step was to adhere a fusible web to the back of the fabric. After that, you cut it up into shapes and adhere to a felt base. I used green felt since this will be for a Christmas ornament. Then, add lots of other delicious goodies on top, like shiny threads and Angelina fibers. Add a little Bo-Nash powder sprinkled over all.

After your painted fabric shapes are adhered to the felt and you have added the goodies, place a piece of sheer fabric over the top, and free-motion quilt with a shiny thread. The directions call for a chiffon scarf, but I used a piece of silvery organza.

Then, the part that was new: I got out my never-used heat gun and proceeded to melt away some of the organza. You will reveal the shiny stuff lurking underneath.

I drew a simple Christmas tree shape and cut it out. Then I either just zig-zagged around the edge, or stitched down a shiny trim on the outside of the tree. Add a hanger and voila!

The heat gun thing was a revelation in that you are producing some noxious fumes when you melt your sheer fabric. Stinko! I held my breath and had the fan on. If you hold the heat gun in one place too long, you get holes in the felt base. This would be a good project to do on the screen porch. But it was cool watching the organza shrivel up!

In retrospect, I wish I had used a more sheer cover fabric, because I think that some of my shiny paints and fibers are still hidden under the sheer fabric. But this was a really fun process!