Rust Easy.......

I've had a few questions privately lately regarding the rust process and its points, so i thought i'd post a mini-tute.

First of all, there could be no easier way to add colour and design to fabric! Beyond common sense and sanitary precautions, there are no dangerous chemicals to use.  No measuring, no additives, no need for "setting" colour and everytime, the results are unique. (Note here--there *are* ways to do this *with* chemicals, but why???? I'm sure there are adherents and fans of this method, but they perhaps can add their two cents as comments or a linking post---Sue K???)

The list of supplies is SO extensive with this easy method-------water, vinegar, a bucket, metal bits, preferably already rusted or starting to, fabric. I'm sure you can find all these *somewhere* :} Of course, you could always order the Giant Economy Size Can'O'Agua from me personally........... 

My bucket  probably holds about 4 gallons worth of water ---the only consideration about size is to have enough room for the liquid, fabric and metal. All i do though is make sure that everything is submersed.

Fabric can be cotton or synthetic, though different synthetics will give different results regarding penetration. Don't ask me, experiment. You can also use silk, BUT it will age faster, weaken the fibers more and probably deteriorate faster. I don't know about wool, but try. Protein fibers are more damaged by this process than cellulose or synthetic. There are no archival records for the length of time any of these fabrics will last, as though rust has always been around, we don't have historical data to review as to longevity of the finished piece, now that we are deliberately putting rust on! _{(Remember when Mom was horrified if she got rusty clothespin marks on the sheets or Dad's shorts?)} Obviously then, if you are concerned about heirloom quality or leaving your mark for history, don't plan on using these fabrics for something that will end up in a museum in a hundred years :}

Vinegar, any vinegar. I don't measure, just eyeball, probably adding one third of this form of acid to two thirds of water. It's cheap, you can't screw it up with too much or too little, though rusting times will vary then. 

Rusty Bits, or RB's as i call em, are found everywhere. Pick pieces up on your walks, clean out the toolshed, hit the garage sales, go to garages and ask, go to the junkyard/scrapyard. If anything has dirt or grease, just scrub with a stiff bristle brush, unless you want those elements added to the mix, which might be interesting, actually :} WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER! Disinfect any cuts or scrapes! If you are really concerned with safety issues, get a tetanus booster. Look for interesting shapes, pieces with holes, chunks that have dimension. If there are holes, you can also sew them on to things :}

Make sure your fabric is clean, washed to remove any finishes. You can roll it with the rusted pieces haphazard in it, lay it out and place them then fold deliberately, mush all the bits and fabric together, tie them in or just huck em in the bucket with the fabric for a wabisabi hopeitworks look. You're the designer. Try all the methods. Don't poke, move and handle the fabric, let it do its thing. You can leave it for a day or a week or a month. Take it out of the bucket and let it sit until it naturally dries---you need some oxidization from air as well to get the truly spectacular results. When it looks ripe, rinse and rinse and rinse and rinse it out.

I left my bucket outside in the sun for 2 days, covered with plastic and a weight. Even though MIL dumped it, not knowing what it was, i still got lovely colouration and patterning. Now i'm going to try the piece again with RB's deliberately tied in, almost a shobori/tie dye method, hoping to get some defined striations and veining.

If you think you can replicate certain ideas, not strictly imitating cause it ain't gonna happen, keep notes on fabric type, duration, where you put the pieces, the method (hucked in, tied, folded in) from the beginning. 

I posted pics of the first dunking in this entry, and i'll add shots of the second dunk when done.

Update on Wed, July 16, 2008 at 12:10PM by arlee

IMPORTANT!!!!!

Making Fabric ATCs and Postcards, arlee style

If you have never made one of these before, or even if you have, here's the method i use. It saves fiddling with tiny bits that slide around on the machine and makes for easier edge finishes. You can print or email this entry to a friend too--just click on the right button at the bottom of the entry :} And credit where credit due, please, is all i ask.

1. I save bits that are very small, adding them to what i call 'the Component Box". They are generally samples in a technique, off cuts from projects, extras i have made or special scraps; all are fabric or paper. I chose these for this tute: a piece of prequilted fabric paper, a soluble threadwork motif and a piece of hand painted fabric:

 

2. I attached the painted fabric to the prequlted fabric paper and stitched the outine of the ATC. ATCs are 2 and 1/2 by 3 and 1/2 inches, about business card size. Notice NO TRIMMING SHAPE YET. 

 

3. Then i attached the cilia piece with a few beads. I recommend doing any embellishing before you go any further than creating the top layer. Also keep things that protrude away from the edges so it will go under a machine needle in one of the next few steps. 

 

4. The prequilted piece i used was already pretty stiff, so i can skip the step that i usually do of laying the front on a larger scrap of batting. There is also the backing fabric (beige) there as well in this photo--notice still no trimming of the edges. The batting and the backing i cut a bit bigger than the atc so i can see that everything has coverage.

 

5. I stitch around the shape now on all three layers (if you have batting), but i leave one short edge open.

 

6. NOW you can trim the edges evenly:

 

7. I add a piece of cardstock for firmness. I use ceral boxes! Cut it slightly smaller so that it slides in easily between the batting and backing.  Round the corners too so they don't catch on any stitching inside. If your card has any printing make sure it's against the batting, as it may show through the backing :}

 

8. Take it back to the machine, go over the short open edge to close and then zigzag around the edges a couple of times. You can do better coverage with several passes, or leave it slightly more "organic" as i do :} You can also add novelty edgings at this point.

 

And voila! The front:

 

And the back, with the information: title, number and edition number, signature, and URL:

 

I use the same process for postcards, finding that layers that are bigger than the finished piece are so much easier to deal with! 

Update on Wed, February 6, 2008 at 3:01PM by arlee

This tutorial was written in response to Susan Lenz's Cybre Fybre atc trade.

 cyber fyber exhibiton atcs

and her postcards as well:

 cyber fyber exhibition postcards

How to cover a button

A lot of us take for granted that we all know how to do textiley things, or change things so they are our own take; sometimes we forget the new people who don't necessarily have access to either a teacher or classes of any sort, or a decent shop.
I've written a mini tute on covering buttons, kind of a re-inventing the wheel thing, but i bet i'm not the only one who has forgotten "the old ways"--it's delightful to take something you've let fade away and renew the process or results! It isn't here in the tutes section, because i'd have to re-write the whole thing and put photos in again, so you'll just have to visit the entry on my "main" page here:

http://arleebarr.squarespace.com/designjournal/2008/1/9/sometimes-the-obvious-isnt-until-it-is.html

Making faces, part two

Ready for the next, most exciting part?

Draw faces now with the fine marker. Don't worry about perfection--these aren't mechanically produced and you don't want them cookie cutter same. Again, leave some of them blank for future use if you want!

 

For the sake of demonstration and to save space, i'm going to concentrate on the green face in the upper left corner. 

With the tip of your finest brush, add dabs of white to the eyes. Don't worry if it goes over the lines, as long as it's not extreme.

 

Now WITHOUT CLEANING YOUR BRUSH, load the tip again with a dark colour. Dot it in the middle; it will blur and blend a wee bit--don't mix it up!

 

Do the same again with a lighter colour in the same family:

 

 Now a dot of black(make sure these are both on the same side of the eyes or you'll get a crosseyed effect) You can also add a TINY dit of white again for a highlight:

 Clean your brush now. (Start another sopcloth :}) Lips next, small amount of the darkest colour:

 

Second colour, WITHOUT cleaning your brush--blend lightly, don't mix!

 

Clean your brush again. Now take your fine marker and do the teeniest bits of touch up where necessary, and to lightly delineate the iris.

 

You can also use your thicker marker to accent more heavily if needed. Use a light, careful, steady hand!

Paint some hair now, or draw on with the markers. This one got metallic green, russet and gold, "combed" through with a pin in squiggles:

 

She looks rather "Pan" ish! (By the way, this face is only 2x3 inches)

Now wasn't that easy??? Email me some of your efforts--i'd love to see them. And if i've made any mistakes or you need clarification, let me know too! 

And a PS--these don't have to just go on dolls---put em on ATC's, postcards, clothing, bags, etc--BUT CREDIT ME!

Making faces, part one

As many of you know, there are a plethora of doll sites now and lots of eye candy to look at for inspiration. There are some wonderful "lessons" in magazines as varied as Cloth/Paper/Scissors and Quilting Arts to Belle Armoire and all the other craft mags, on line and IRL. The hardest part often is making the object *yours*, especially if you have a limited budget, or if you don't have access to the "technology" or the "specialized" supplies. Painting faces to create your own touch is easy. Really. Really!!!!! Here's an easy tutorial with a minimum of supplies and costs. You can personalize to your heart's content. When you're done, you'll have a "library" of faces to work with later!

Read the instructions all the way through first! Then assemble your supplies. For the basepainting, you can use cheap acrylic, or do as i do----i bought a "mistint" in a neutral colour from a chainstore--a blued greywhite that cost me 7 bucks for 925 ml (almost a litre, i'm Canadian!)--it's a semi gloss latex housepaint! You also need an assortment of other colours--i use dollar store acylics and name brand fabric paints. Find 2 black markers, one a fine point, one slightly larger--i used Sharpie permanents. Cheap tiny brushes--dollar store again, and one slightly larger, say a half inch. A piece of cloth, something with a smooth finish--poly/cotton or pure cotton, same difference.Don't use the "good" fabrics--you're covering them with paint and nobody cares if it's silk or a vintage piece underneath!If you have already been painting things, use the groundcloth/sopcloth you've been wiping your brushes on--*no-one* else is going to have that "pattern"! I start with a chunk big enough that i'm not constantly leaning on wet paint. An iron and a presscloth. Clothes you don't mind wiping your hands on. Patience.

Okay. Start by painting with the base paint, circles, ovals, squares, heck whatever shape ya want. I do a dozen at a time depending on the size of fabric i'm using. If you are using a sopcloth, you may find colours bleeding through--let them!!!!

Lather it on--not so thick that it's globby and messy, but thick enough that you can now go to step two and paint on top of the wet basepaint with your colours. Blend, blend, blend--or don't, as you like.

 

Note, you are using TEENY globs of the colour to create the "skintones". And they don't have to be "real" skintones, either; allow yourself to use your flavourite colours! You can then on top while still wet, *lightly* highlight areas of eyes, nose or mouths--or not. No hard rules here!

While all the paint is still wet, though getting tacky, use the point of a pen or needle to draw features in---don't worry about perfection, don't do all of them, leave several as "blanks". You're building your library, remember? You might want to do something totally different down the road. 

 

(The lines you have drawn will also make it easier to use the markers in defined areas; i have found though that once the paints are dry, most markers will draw smoothly on top. TEST first if you're not sure!!!) 

Let this dry completely now. That's where the patience comes in. 

Note--you could also do this whole process on a commercially printed fabric, leaving room for the rest of the figure. Leaving out the step of the base coat *might* allow some of the patern to come through---TEST again. 

Part Two next!!!!