Playing with Paper
This week and for all of last week, I've had at least one child home sick with the flu. It hasn't left much time for creativity and yesterday, I lost my patience. Fortunately, just my youngest was at home and though she wasn't feeling great, she was up for some activity. It was such a warm sunny day, I insisted we spend time outside. We had a lot of fun creating paper sun prints with a variety of objects. It definitely makes me want to try the same technique with fabric.
Then last night, after everyone was in bed, I spent some time ripping up homework papers and newspaper. I decided to try to make paper fabric, as described by Kelli Nina Perkins in the May/June 2009 issue of Cloth, Paper Scissors. I've used gel medium before to adhere paper to muslin, but not watered down glue as Kelli suggests. It took longer than I expected, but perhaps because I was being very specific with what I was laying down; I wanted to have a dark, medium and light sheet. When I created the light sheet, I forgot a lesson from my journal quilting last year; receipts turn black with heat. Since you're supposed to iron the fabric paper when it's dry, I now have black splotches where the receipts were adhered. Oops.
I also didn't do too well in the beginning with smoothing things out; my fabric dried really bumpy on the back. By the end of the night, I was much better at the technique. I created a random collage with the left over glue; it lies flat and I'm surprised at how much I like it.
This morning, I sketched a bit while my youngest tried ironing. (She wants to make a baby quilt for her pregnant teacher.) I'm wondering if I can use the paper fabric I created to make this hand, based on my father-in-law's sometime arthritic hand. I'm going to try, though I'm a bit concerned it might be too complex. It also may not work because I'm not sure I have the proportions right, either. I may have to experiment with one of my simpler hand drawings. I'll keep you posted.
Then last night, after everyone was in bed, I spent some time ripping up homework papers and newspaper. I decided to try to make paper fabric, as described by Kelli Nina Perkins in the May/June 2009 issue of Cloth, Paper Scissors. I've used gel medium before to adhere paper to muslin, but not watered down glue as Kelli suggests. It took longer than I expected, but perhaps because I was being very specific with what I was laying down; I wanted to have a dark, medium and light sheet. When I created the light sheet, I forgot a lesson from my journal quilting last year; receipts turn black with heat. Since you're supposed to iron the fabric paper when it's dry, I now have black splotches where the receipts were adhered. Oops.
I also didn't do too well in the beginning with smoothing things out; my fabric dried really bumpy on the back. By the end of the night, I was much better at the technique. I created a random collage with the left over glue; it lies flat and I'm surprised at how much I like it.
This morning, I sketched a bit while my youngest tried ironing. (She wants to make a baby quilt for her pregnant teacher.) I'm wondering if I can use the paper fabric I created to make this hand, based on my father-in-law's sometime arthritic hand. I'm going to try, though I'm a bit concerned it might be too complex. It also may not work because I'm not sure I have the proportions right, either. I may have to experiment with one of my simpler hand drawings. I'll keep you posted.
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