Today's post is about my work theme, which is leaves and nature, but it could also be about my Tangled Textiles challenge theme, which is look up.
I have been working on this piece.
Which is about looking up through the trees at the sun.
Whilst it fits 'Look up', it is not, however, the correct size, as I made it to go in one of my secondhand store finds.
It is a wrought iron fire screen. you can't see it here, but the whole piece is very transparent and I like the effect. I have decided to not put a backing on it, but as you can see, it does need some weight, so I am thinking along the lines of a beaded fringe on the bottom and some couched yarn around the edge.
however, as you can see I still have a bit to do.
To begin with, I layered organza from pale yellow through to deep blue and added a sun in a metallic fabric. These were layered on light lutradur and then I free machined circular lines, expanding from the sun and changing to the blue shade.
Next I used some patterned chiffon in orange and brown tones to make the branches and free machined them down, adding a few free machined lines for twigs.
I started adding leaves which had been cut out of organza, chiffon and satin with a soldering iron, and of course I ran out of leaves.
So today I am making a new batch of leaves to add.
Here you can see I am set up to start making the leaves. I keep the soldering iron in an upturned terracotta pot, which keeps it safe. The fabric is hooped to help with burning. I find keeping the fabric taut helps to make the lines easier to cut in the synthetic as it melts.
Here is a set just cut. Basically I just draw a leaf with the soldering iron. It helps to draw slowly, if you go too fast, the fabric can tend to move.
Here is a batch of cut leaves ready to go. This technique also seals the edges of the fabric.
And this is what is left of the fabric - swiss cheese. I am sure I will find something creative to do with it!
Next, I free machined the leaves onto the branches.
Basically, I do it in two motions, which involve a bit of backtracking.
Above left is the basic outline of a leaf In the second picture, I go up the centre of the leaf. Then in the third picture, I come back down, drawing the veins as I go.
Here I am a bit further along.
And with all the leaves added. At this point, I decided the sun needed a bit more colour, so I just free motion scribbled a bit with a variegated yellow and orange. And here is the final piece (before the edge treatment)
I am pretty pleased with the way this one came out. I like to do leaves like this because they are dimensional and have a lovely texture.
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here to go in the draw to win the fat quarters.
Make something wonderful and have a great time doing it!
