Fabric paper samples

I did a batch of fabric paper samples the other day for a specific project I have in mind about leaves. 

For my first sample, I used the same paper scraps I have used before on a base of cotton, painted with diluted PVA.

Here is the paper layer finished, with the addition of a few yellow and green bits and some more PVA.

I added some gold leaf powder.

Tissue paper and another layerof PVA

Ipainted the tissue with diluted green and yellow paint.  I felt the yellow was a bit cool, so I added abit of orange.

After drying, this sample ended up like this.  I have kneaded this sample to soften it and add texture.

For the next sample, I used foil, the paper backed kind that lines cigarette packets.  I was given this several years ago by a factory worker when the factories here were closing down.  I like this foil, because it sticks well due to the paper backing.  You could also use the foil that is used to cover cake boards.

Here is the foil layeredon the fabric, with the PVA added.  Notice how the glue does not cover the foil because it is shiny.

Here it is after the tissue layer and the colour layer.  I used some red dye leftover from a dyeing session.  I like the way the dye concentrates around the crinkles in the tissue.

Here it is after drying and crinkling.  It is hard to see here, but the foil give it a translucent sheen at different angles.

It always pays to look at the back.  I loved the way the dye crept in at the edges of the foil.  I might have to use a piece of this backward just to use this lovely effect.

My next sample was using a decorative napkin.  This one in particular is very apt for a leaf theme, don't you think?

I only used a pale yellow wash over the tissue on this one.

Here's the final dried sample.

In this sample, I used leaves cut from pages of a home and garden magazine using a scrapbooking punch.

I used some red and yellow diluted paint over the tissue.

Here is the final sample.  I am sure I will make more of this one.

In the last sample, I used scrim,or cheesecloth instead of cotton.

Being obsessed with the colours of the leftover bits of the magazine pages and unable to throw them away, I overlapped them, leaving some holes.
I got very involved in the process and forgot to photograph, but I used the red dye again over the tissue paper.

But here is the final sample - and I like this too.  It's amazing what you can make with some rubbish!

All in all it was a very productive afternoon.  Now I just need to get on with my designs for the project.
For those in places other than Australia, PVA is wood glue, or white glue.

If you use scraps to experiment, you can sometimes end up with treasures.

Swaps again

Here are a couple of swaps I received recently.  They were actually from June, but with all the world postal problems recently, have just arrived.

This first one is a hand embroidered postcard from Stitchin Fingers.  The theme was "Sundaes"  This one has lots of different fabrics, including sparkly stuff - beautiful.

This one is from LisaLizaLou Designs June swap.  The theme was "Beetles" This one is very detailed and dimensional and has lots of bling! Love it.

Here are the steps I went through to produce a quick  ATC recently.

I used one of my quilting warm up/practice samples and cut out a piece for an ATC.  My template is cut to 2.5 by 3.5 with an extra 1/8 inch all around.

Here is the piece cut out.

I added a piece of  lilac coloured netting.

And a heart cut from a tyvek and plastic sample.

Some beads (sorry for the terrible photo)

Next I fused a piece of stiff interfacing to the back (cut to the correct size) and trimmed the excess off the front.

I actually rounded the corners when I trimmed and did some blanket stitch around the edge.
I wasn't really happy with the edge, I felt it needed a more solid frame, so I wove some purple and gold threads in and out of the blanket stitch, going around some stitches twice to create a french knot type effect.

And here it is completed.  This type of ATC (or you could change the size and make a postcard) is very quick and easy to make and uses only a few scraps and odd and ends.

A change is as good as a holiday-try something new every day.

Fibre film fabric - Journal cover

I am presently turning the samples from the last post into book covers.  Here's how I went about it.

This is one of the notebooks I am covering.  I have opened it out to make a pattern.

I have drawn around the opened journal and added extra for turn unders and a little extra for the spine.

The pattern.  I used this under my fibre fabric samples to make sure I made them large enough as well as to make the covers.

I have folded under the extra outside the pattern,

I have placed this on my lining fabric and used my ruler to cut an extra 1/4 inch all the way around.

Then placed it over the cover fabric, right sides together.

and sewed around using 1/4 seam (I have actually sewed more than this at the ends, as my cover fabric was a bit short.)

Leave an opening at one end so you can turn it inside out.

Trim the edges and crop the corners, making sure you don't cut through the stitching.

Turn inside out, then use something like a knitting needle to push out the corners and edges.  Press.

 Open out your book on top of the cover, lining up.

 Fold the excess at each end into the front and back covers, then close the book. Finger press the folds into place while the book is closed (otherwise, your cover will end up too tight)

Pin down the folds if required.  Stitch each fold down at the top and bottom.  This is best done by hand, as is most of the rest of the construction.  The cover is basically finished, but needs a bit of embellishment, I think.

I couched a piece of cord from the centre front to the centre back along the top of the cover.

And the bottom.  This creates ties for the cover.  We could leave it at that, but...

A little bit more couching with the cord and the addition of a button or bead add just a little style.  You could also add a motif to the front cover, or an ATC, but I like to put those on plainer covers, so they don't look overdone. 
Of course I still have quite a few left to make and they will all be different, so I will post those designs when I have finished all of them.
OOPs - For those of you who are very observant - yes, I did change samples half way through the photographs.  The earlier cover was made from fabric paper (which is why it was not quite long enough  - it was made before I bought the books), whilst the second half showed a cover made with one of the samples from my last post.

Don't just take time to create - make time!