Textile experiments for atc numbers

1. I didn't use a 1 as it isn't an interesting enough shape. I thought for this atc project I would use exploratory techniques for paper and textiles that can be combined. I learned a great deal of experimental methods during my 12 years of Embroidery Guild workshops and welcomed the chance to play with them again. And having also recently received the 3 issues of Cloth Paper Scissors ( a wonderful new paper and textile fibrearts magazine I was keen to try out some new creative ideas . So for those people that got my Number atcs and are wondering what the hell they are--here's how I did them and I hope that you can use these ideas for future projects.

2. I used cosmetic face wipes Johnson Johnson( these are plentiful in our house, well in my daughters bedroom) They have good wet strength like the baby wipes, do not tear when dyed and have a soft fabricy feel. Along with white torn tissue and some Indian handmade fibrey paper for texture, I painted these with walnut ink, stencilling the no2 with darker a solution. When dry I layered them together, sprinkled on some copper and gold embossing powder, then took to my machine and stitched around the shape, free stitching was also added. I used my very useful Versa Tool to burn edges and holes, and stitched around these for texture

3. Pelmet Vilene is useful for fabric and paper, it takes paint well and is sturdy for anything you can sew onto it.
( For another technique using this material, see image transfers transfer paper for instructions how to make faux leather for a journal cover, great fun and lovely to machine into).
Brown kraft paper was crumpled up then fused onto the Vilene. This I dyed with walnut ink and black brusho watercolour powder to accentuated the crackle. Next I painted a piece of fusible webbing (Bondaweb/ Wonder Under ) with some acrylic paint/ Luna Lights. When dry, ironed it onto the brown paper. This was then zapped with the heat gun to produce interesting lacy texture. The 3 shape was a piece of the potpourri textile (see note 6 ) sewed round then trimmed.

4 Fabric paper. My memory was jogged when I read this technique in CPS, as we had done similar years ago in our EG workshops. I laid some muslin onto plastic sheet/freezer paper and covered it with a solution of 4/1 pva mixed with water. Various pieces of patterned/ printed tissues were randomly laid onto it, leaving spaces for the fabric to show through. I brushed a wash of walnut ink all over. When dry I cut the atc size and stencilled the no 4 shape with Luna Lights, and added some to other areas for more colour, then stitched around the shape. I think I was a bit heavy handed in this as I lost the effect of the collage patterns coming through--next time

5. I used some old dictionary pages ( with torn edges) to collage on various patterned tissues again, any printed/ patterned paper will do. When dry I brushed with walnut inks, stamping inks ochre/browns lightly to age and distress. Washed this with transparent artists acrylic glaze(art shops) mixed with some yellow acrylic paint. Building up the colours with Luna Lights paint (similar to Lumiere, but I happen to have the Luna) this gives a depth and can be scrumbled over for interesting transparent colours, with a hint of iridescences. The shape was stencilled with darker Luna and stitched around

6. Pelmet Vilene was dyed with Dyna Flow dyes, dry (I use my heat gun) . Lay onto this Bondaweb and fuse with iron, peel off backing. Lay onto this a potpourri of fabric scraps, sparkly sheers, netting, patterns, fibres, cover with backing/ parchment paper and iron down. ( I incorporated the no 6 shape which was stitched around. )This makes a nice texture, but additionally can be covered with a sheer chiffon scarf piece, and ironed down on top. This is then free machine stitched using metallic threads, a blast with the heat gun will melt some areas, allowing the colours below to show through. Some practise with this technique, will allow a wonderful textile fabric. I first discovered this method in Embroiders Guild workshops in the 80's led by the amazingly adventurous Jean Littlejohn, who pioneered very experimental techniques for creative embroidery, along with her friend Jan Beany.Double Trouble site They truly inspired my study of unusual materials and what could be done to them. Some more techniques they shared can be found here

7 Another idea I tried from CPS, Maggie Grey, was to use the Pelmet Vilene with fusible webbing ironed on then crinkled brown kraft paper ironed on top. This paper was painted with silk dyes, dry, then painted with fountain pen ink. A mix of bleach and water was sponged randomly. This gave me a subtle mottled rusty appearance, maybe if I used a stronger solution it would be more noticeable. For the 7 shape I had some fine copper mesh (Michaels US, Hobby Craft UK )which I heated on my ceramic hob, (cooker) high heat to turn the colour into lovely petrol shades, this happens fast so you have to watch how much you want, then run under cold water to fix. The shape was cut through the stencil and the sewed down using copper thread. It only broke a few times. The edges were burnt with the versa tool (soldering iron will do this as well, watch out for the fumes)