Bondaweb tutorial

Bondaweb technique
This is quite a complicated one, needs a bit of planning and gathering of materials but the finished pieces are worth it and make great journal/book covers.
You need
An old iron
Baking parchment (non stick paper)
Bondaweb, this is used for appliqué and mending fabric, it's a heat activated film of glue on backing paper, if you buy a yard you've got lots to practice with
Paper or material you can experiment with both
Material: silk or polyester or try all sorts, has to be dyed
Paper: I've used, and this is very good wait for it:- Baby wipes, I use them to clean rubberstamps, and are soft, thick, absorbent of dye/paint and can be sewn into. Wash first, while damp brush on some paints, I like Brusho watercolour powder as you mix to required strength and is cheap, acrylics watered down a bit, dyes, anything in harmonious colours let run and merge into each other, then dry. I've also tried nappy liners, which are excellent, as they also do not disintegrate with water. Filmy fabrics can be ironed onto soft iron on Vylene or for a thick piece Pelmet Vylene, dye/paint these
Embellishments: think about you colour scheme. Find small bits of shimmery/ glitzy/sheer/transparent/ fabrics, metallic threads/unusual yarns, cut up, glitter, sequins, tiny beads, fine wire, tissue paper, you get the picture.
Method
1 lay dyed, dried piece on non stick paper
2 cut out piece bondaweb slightly bigger than paper, lay glue side down, on top
3 Cover with more non-stick. Hot iron over whole piece, cool
4 Peel off backing paper gently, you might need to iron a bit more if not pulling away
5 Lay piece down again on NS paper. Sprinkle embellishments over in one layer.
6 Cover with NS paper and iron again with hot iron
7 Cool and take off paper
Some more things you can do with it
1 Iron over (NS to cover) fine chiffon, if acrylic, you can try melting it in places with a hot air gun, gently at first
2 Rub down fashion metallic film or laser print gold film. With a cool iron (try a small bit first as this need practice) quickly iron over (colour face up). You just want a hint of a sparkle here and there.
3 or try next technique
4 You can machine embroider with metallic threads all over it
This method takes a bit of experimenting to achieve subtlety but bondaweb has great potential for those wanting some exciting surfaces.

Painted Bondaweb
This can be used to cover the above to tone it down or added interest, or on more dyed paper/fabric
You need
Acrylic inks/paints, bright fluorescents/metallics can look good
Piece bondaweb
Method
1 Paint Bondaweb with runnyish paint, let run in rivulets, keep some areas not painted, dry
2 Iron over paper or fabric
3 Peel off backing
This stuff is reactivated when ironed (use non-stick paper over it) and you can sprinkle glitter or whatever on top and iron again.

Bondaweb sandwich
This technique is fun you could play for hours
You need
Oblong piece of Bondaweb
Same size piece of transparent fabric i.e. acrylic chiffon sort used for headscarves
Some fine pot-pourie or similar scraps
Method
1 Lay Bondaweb glue up on NS
2 One half sprinkle pot-pourrie, scraps filmy shiny fabric, or tissue (experiment)
3 Fold Bondaweb in half, cover with NS
4 Iron (hot) together, cool, peel off backing
5 Put between piece chiffon, iron
6 Gently melt chiffon so it goes lacy
It melts away where there are gaps. Interesting or what.
Sometimes I burn (Ive got a pyrography tool) round the edges leaving some bits dangling. You have to really use man made fibres for the melting bit.

Flower Petals and Bondaweb
This is a bit easier
You need
Bondaweb
Paper or filmy fabric same size
Selection of petals, small flowers or leaves
Method
1 Lay out fabric or paper, arrange petals etc over
2 Peel glue off Bondaweb, lay over petals
3 Cover with NS paper,
4 Hot iron all over
Take off paper, any not stuck just re-iron
Some flowers/petals do go dark some are better than others.If using on paper it might be a better idea to stick down pressed flowers
Hydrangeas stay good.
Gillian Allen