Blue Glue Resist - Part I

After my post last night, I decided to try out the glue gel resist technique described by Cynthia St. Charles in her article in the February / March 2009 issue of Quilting Arts magazine. It seemed quick and easy, so I grabbed a piece of muslin and started a simple doodle of a flower. This morning, I started to fill it in with paint. Here's what I've learned so far:

1) I think it's tough to create complex or close designs all at once with this technique. Last night, the center of my flower was filled with a honeycomb of circles. This morning, many of the circles had run together. Next time I think I'll start with bigger circles, let them dry, and keep making things smaller, allowing time between doodles for the glue to dry.

2) The glue in the flower center wasn't dry this morning, more than 12 hours after I'd done the original doodle. I suppose it's because the circles ran together. Cynthia notes she leaves her pieces to dry overnight, so I was surprised mine was still wet to the touch.

3) My hand was tired out after I doodle. Logically, I should have started with something smaller. I don't think you need to squeeze hard either for the glue to come out. I eased up as I went along and was still able to create a nice line.

4) When you're finished with your design, be sure to go back and check for "broken" lines. I moved too quickly in some spots and didn't have a line. You may want your sections to bleed together, so double-checking isn't necessary. However, I didn't want any bleeding, so I went back in and filled in the gaps.

5) Beware fuzz, pet hair, stray threads when you do this. I thought my surface was clean, but the canvas told a different story this morning! I had a few pieces of thread from the edge of the muslin stuck in the glue, along with some of my own hair. Oops.

6) Lettering was easier than I thought. I may change my mind, however, when I see the end result!

I'm letting the piece dry now; I'd like to heat set it tonight and remove the resist in the next day or two. I'll keep you posted.

Comments

Judy Alexander said…
Thanks for the lessons. I really want to try this but haven't gotten around to it yet.
this looks interesting! i look forward to your results!