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.

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! 

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

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!

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!!!! 

What you need:

a large sheet of plastic----this is your "work area"

thin fabric like cheesecloth, scrim, thin cotton or polycotton----this is the "base" fabric; start with at least a couple chunks, two feet square is manageable and gives you a good size to work with during and after when you want to create something with it--- i used a crappy polycotton sleeze that was perfect for this and nothing else!

white glue----yes Elmer's type; you will water it down to about the consistency of cream--if it's more watery, don't worry; as long as there is a reasonable proportion of glue to water, things will stick! Mine was quite runny.

You'll need a cheap brush or two to "baste"  with and some for your paints too.

Bits and pieces, scraps, shreds of paper--tissue, newspaper, artpaper, whatever----threads, snips of fabric, feather bits---cut the main "spine" out----glitter, mica flakes, anything goes, but NOT anything that will be
lumpy---start a box with all this; there is nothing more frustrating than getting the gluey sheet ready and realizing the stuffs ya want on it are in the back of the closet behind the dryer under the stairs in the basement. Ask me.

Paints of some sort--liquid acrylic  like the cheap dollar store bottle type or your ^shudder  good fabric paints--i use a combination of both---these pieces are NOT going to be washed! Alternately you can use dyes.

Pieces of organza, sheers, cheesecloth or thin see through fabric for top layer.

Are you wearing your messyinthemudplayingwithfireanddirt clothes? Go put them on.

Water your glue down. Spread your plastic. Paint the plastic with an even layer of the glue. Lay your base fabric on the gluey plastic and squish it flat so the glue penetrates all of it. You can  baste  with more glue if needed. Don't worry about wrinkles, just gives more texture! Now start sprinkling or placing bits of thread and snips of fabric, torn and crumpled but flattened pieces of paper, feather shreds, what have you. You want some texture, but not big bumps or lumps. You also don't have to do this step if  you don't want, just add larger bits of fabric and paper and go to the next step. You could have worn gloves you know if things sticking to you bothers you......

You want colour other than the ones ya got? Start dripping, smearing, spraying, brushing your paints on----areas can touch, overlap, blend or not. Don't get really really thick; you want some pliabilty when it's done!  Sprinkle the glitter now if you want.

Take your top layer and lay over the whole. Squash it down; it's going to bleed through, things will slide a bit so don' t get neurotic about "control"--it's a spontaneous "blending" of the elements. Make it as flat as you can so it will adhere, but don't  make it steamroller flat !Leave the whole mess on the plastic and move it somewhere safe to dry. You don't want cat hair, cheerios, the tv remote or your DH's backside on it while it dries.

Now comes the hard part. Wait. Wait some more. Wait some more more. Let it dry at least 24 hours on the plastic sheet. Unless you have an area that's really warm and it dries faster. It mUST be BONEDRY before you work with it next! 

Ta Da!!!!!! It's dry! Take it in your studio now--cut it, make it into leaves or boxes or journal pages, stitch it, quilt it, bead it, bend it, burn it, add more layers of fabric, embroidery stitches, more paper-----make something from it! 

_{This is not a new technique. Faux Chenille is everywhere and there are a host of sites and projects, and lots of eyecandy to enjoy. This tutorial is merely one interpretation of the technique.}

CAVEAT: this technique assumes you know how to use a sewing machine and do basic quilting, couching and stitching. 

This "brand" evolved from boredom and needing to use a copper knit that had been sitting around impatiently for awhile!  While you don't have to use a knit, i found it an excellent way to get some texture that didn't fray all the way down to a few shreds and threads. :}  The piece should be about 8"x11", or two totalling that area. I used a polyester "satin" as the background.  You will also need a novelty yarn or cord or ribbon to couch with in one of the final steps.

For the purpose i intended it for,  i cut a base fabric about 10"x13". You can use the whole piece when done, or cut it into halves as i did, or whatever size your desired end is. I then cut 2 wonky pieces of the copper knit. They do not have to be "squared" or "regular edged"; one of the beauties of this is that you can use any shape. You can also do this  larger if you like or smaller; this is a good size though as it is manageable under the machine needle and useful enough when done.

I then stitched channels, using my presser foot as a guide for the narrowness. You want the lines to be reasonably close, but not so tight that you can't get scissors in to slice! The lines here don't have to be straight either--you can curve, zag, maze, or corner. You can also leave some areas more open and then cut holes in the piece. Now slice the channels open.

You'll note now that the knit is stretching out and distorting the base fabric. Don't sweat it; the whole piece will be trued when we are done. As long as the fabric is reasonably flat, some buckling will just add texture and depth. Things don't have to be symmetrical or "perfect" with this technique. It's an organic, spontaneous composition that happens as you work it. 

This is what the back looks like by the way. You can see some of the channels are not open ended; again the effect you want should guide you.

Sorry for the fuzziness but you can see the general look!

Now "brush" open some of the channels. The knit co-operated beautifully. 

Take the piece back to your machine and stitch across the open channels ----you can go in any direction; you may need to be  brushing open again as you go if they don't stay. Again, if it wonks, don't worry! You can stitch over the open areas too, nobody says you can't! The first run i did this way i used a regular thread, but you could also use a discrete metallic as well if you like.

This is the result: 

Now you are going to couch some yarns or other fibrous bits around the edges to "anchor", again this is personal preference, try it without if you like! I used a metallicy knitting yarn here. Stitch around the edges freely with a zigzag over the yarn; i also "outlined" some of the larger holes as well. And again you can stitch right across the piece as well. No hard and fast rules!

See how woogly the whole is now? So what? It's your work.  And the back now looks like this:

Now we are going to add some more depth. This step can actually be done at the beginning as well,if you are confident enough of your handling abilities on a sandwich of fabrics! If not, lay the piece on a slightly larger rectangle of some sort of batting. And yes, that is NOT batting: i use whatever i have that will give some quilty depth: this time it was a piece of a horrible melon velour, squishy side up. _{(Why noT? Apparently i am not the only one to use this sort of thing either--the QA list had a big discussion about it--i thought i had re-invented the wheel, when it was just my "frugality" kicking in :})}

I randomly zigged and zagged some quilting lines around the edges and did a bit of outlining of the main piece. The back now:

Now square up as much as possible, the whole piece, trimming the excess off.

Fold in half and cut apart: 

I flipped them around, lined and stiffened a wee bit more and this is what they became:

_{("Spontaneous Combustion" bags)} 

Purse flaps on a fake swakara lamb messenger style bag! The textures and finishes of all the different fabrics created a lovely lush feeling.  Try this also as an insert, a patch, a piece for fabric collage, whatever you like!

If there is anything here that you don't "get", please let me know! It takes longer to write a tutorial than it does to do the steps and photograph them, so please ask questions or tell me what the problem is----it's only a good tutorial if you can use it!!! 

This was the initial inspiration for the snail, from a calendar page. This is only one small motif for the intended finished artquilt.

This is the line drawing. Simply trace the main features. I enlarged mine on an old Projectascope, but you could also blow it up on a photocopier. Or leave the image as is, depending on the scale you want. My finished size from the initial 1" picture was 5"x6".

 Now trace your design on a base fabric--i did mine on the *back*---if you do this, REMEMBER TO REVERSE THE IMAGE! On the front i pinned a piece of the main fabric, making a "sandwich", then stitched the main lines from the back. Trim the excess away at the front to delineate the shapes. This is what the back will look like:

Don't worry about it being perfect--this is only to anchor and delineate the image. This is the front:

 Now that the main fabric has been trimmed back, start layering small snips of sheers, tulles, or your other chosen fabrics. Layer the sheers unevenly as that's how you build the depth of colour and shading.  Some of these snips were barely fingernail width. When you have built up another base of tones that please you, lay a piece of sheer or tulle, depending on the opacity you want and how much "blending" you want, and pin the bits as much as possible to hold them in place.

Prepare your sewing machine by either lowering the feed dogs, covering them with the free motion face plate or, if you can do neither, use a business card sized piece of thin cardboard with a wide hole cut out and use that as a cover plate. You can use a darning foot, a specialized embroidery foot, or no foot--just remember to put the presser foot bar down REGARDLESS of the method you use--- you MUST have foot pressure, even without a foot. This is how the machine knows the process is engaged! Set your stitch length at zero. You don't need the latest fancydancy machine---even an old treadle can be used to do this technique. Hoop the piece or not, depending on your comfort level and experience. Sometimes i do, sometimes i can't be bothered. Sometimes you *have* to because the fabric is light.

Now stitch around the main areas again, this time "sealing" the edges of the main design lines. You are working on the front now. You can do this as simply or as heavily as you wish.

Choose another colour and start stitching to build up areas of colour and shading. In this piece, the main thread for anchoring was black; now i have switched to a deep purple. The threads are built up along the whorls of the shell. Don't worry about following the lines strictly at this point; you want to start building more areas and can colour outside the lines a bit!

 At this point, i have used black, deep purple, brown, beige, ocher and tan threads to build the stitching. I also decided to carefully cut away the backing fabric and leaving the layered sheers, rebacked those areas with another design fabric. I have also cut the tulle away from the black areas and have done more stitching on them to accent and to hold bits of sheer that were on those areas. The blue and teal threads were used as "highlights" to add some spark to the design.

  The secondary backing fabric was meander stitched to add a little more definition. As it was a knit, this also added more depth because of the stretchiness--it bubbled and puffed nicely for some dimension! This is what it looks like on the back now:

 Now the piece will be treated as a "mini pillow"--that is, i will sew a back to it, right sides facing, turn right side out and either hand or machine stitch with maybe *more* free motion to the larger background. This stitching will only be on the edges as i want to preserve the "puffosity" and dimension.

Stay tuned for the next stage!