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04 January 2022
Four of our talented members, Christine, Jacky, Julia and Sian gave demonstrations on how to create backgrounds using various techniques. The members spent the afternoon viewing these demonstrations by spending 30 minutes at each table. The demonstrations were all very interesting and inspiring, with lots of useful hints and tips passed on by the demonstrators.
Christine demonstrated the use of transfer paints, a specialist medium painted on paper and then transferred by heat using an iron on to cloth. We learned that the painted papers can produce quite different colours on the cloth. Therefore it may be a bit of a random process until experience is gained about which paints produce which colours. The papers can be used time and again until they finally fade. They can only be used to print on synthetic cloth.
Jacky demonstrated her love of paper by using a wetting and crumpling technique on image pages from quality paper magazines. This technique changes the quality of the paper and gives it texture. Once dried, it can be coloured with coloured wax (Treasure Gold) to pick out the crumpled edges. The “new” paper can be used for backgrounds, which can be embellished with stitch or beads or used in whatever way suits the project. Jacky showed us a necklace and books of studies of silver birch trees with paper backgrounds.
Julia demonstrated a technique to create silk paper using coloured silk threads and CMC paste. This technique allows a considered approach to creating a background as the colours chosen and the positioning of the silk threads is all controllable. Once laid down with paste on a paper background and allowed to dry, the silk paper can be peeled away to be used as a background in a project.
Sian demonstrated how to needle felt a snowdrop on to a felt background. Although felt can be bought, Sian has taken to using old wool coats and even materials felted in the washing machine. She showed how to mix colours of felt together to create subtler tones by carding (using dog grooming brushes!) or plucking the fibres with her fingers. She demonstrated how to attach the fibres to the background using a dry felting needle and how to create the shapes needed.
MW
Our January 2022 gallery
