Wednesday, November 28, 2007

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!



2 comments:

Vicki W said...

Those are great ornaments!

Lindah said...

Hi,Jeanne!
I am a new visitor to your blog, having clicked your link on Vicki's sidebar. I'm enjoying reading through your blogs. --Such beautiful work! Inspiring!
Also, I just finished a delightful tour of your autumn webshots. Having lived in and raised our family in VA for 30 years, and with children and grands still in VA and NC, those photos really twanged my heartstrings! We are in CA now, caring for elderly family, but someday...someday my dream is to return to the land I call home. --And squeeze those grandbabies! :-)
I don't have a blog, but I wanted to say hello and thank you for posting those wonderful photos.
Blessings,
Linda H