I thought it would be a good idea to post all the links for the silk paper how-to… after all, we’ve gone from this:

 To this:

In a few weeks!

Step one: making the silk paper.
Step two: adding layers of paint.
Step three: making cartoons to help visualize the completed work.
Step four: painting the canvas background.
Step five: embroidering the canvas.
Step six: attaching the silk paper to the canvas.
Step seven: free-motion embroidering the silk paper.
Step eight: playing with the background colors.
Step nine: quilting the fabric background.
The final step – gallery mounting the entire piece.

So there you go – all the links, now go and be …read more

I’m down to the last few steps for creating & mounting the silk paper. In the last post, I had shown some options for different quilting stitches that I was thinking about using on the background fabric. I’ve decided that going with the simple green stitching was the best option.
I’ve sewn the canvas onto the quilted background, using straight stitching on the edges and just tacking down the top and bottom. I want to gallery mount the quilted fabric onto canvas, but I think it’s easier to show you how, rather than try to explain it …read more

It’s time to make a decision on the background color – I was still looking at different colors in the last post.  I’ve made a choice, and I’m going with this one for the background:

I’m going to make a quilted background, so the next step is to cut out the batting (I’m using Warm & Natural cotton batting) and the two pieces of fabric to “sandwich” the batting.
I cut the fabric & batting approximately 4 inches wider than the finished dimensions of the piece, enough so I can stretch it onto a canvas.  I’m using spray glue to lightly baste …read more

I’ve decided that I want to mount the canvas onto a piece of cotton, before it’s stretched onto stretcher bars (or cheat, and just use a pre-stretched canvas from an art store) But what color to use for the background?
I quite like the way it looks on black – it’s clean, simple and doesn’t add any extra clutter:

But how about red? I pulled out my trusty photo editing software and started playing.

I think the red is a little too much – it’s overwhelming everything else… green perhaps?

I’m still not thrilled with it – but there’s purple in …read more

Is the glue completely dried (if not, don’t try to sew it – you’ll end up with a big, gummy mess)?   If it is, you can start to embroider!
I want a loose, free line of embroidery, so I’m not marking anything onto the surface of the silk paper.  I do know where I want to embroider though – using a graphic design program can be a great way to help you plan out where you want to stitch.
I’m using plain black sewing machine thread for this piece, with a free-motion foot and dropped feed dogs:

I’m essentially making the same black …read more

Do you still like the way your canvas background looks? I like how this one works with the painted silk paper:

I’m going to baste the silk paper onto the canvas using some good quality fabric glue (I’m a big fan of The Ultimate) You don’t have to glue the silk down, but I find it’s easier to have it mounted on the canvas before I start embroidering it.
 
Make sure to only put glue on the thicker parts of the paper – like this:
 

If you put glue on the thinner layers of the silk, it will do funny …read more

Hello my lovely Tangled Thread readers – I hope you had a wonderful weekend & Mother’s Day
Ah, back to the silk paper… In my last post, I showed you how I was using wax crayons and fabric paint to color a background to mount the paper on.  I’ve now embroidered on the canvas using two colors of variegated rayon machine embroidery thread:

I’ve used different floral motifs and the red thread to enhance the red & pink stripes.   I used a simple zig-zag stitch and yellow thread to enhance the thinner yellow stripes.
Now, you could sew the paper …read more

 Time to work on the background!
I’m using standard artist’s canvas as the foundation layer for the background.  You can also use cotton fabric & quilt batting, or even work directly onto a stretched canvas.  Play around and see what you like best.
I show you the sketch I’m using to create the background in my last post.   Here’s how I’m translating my sketch into the finished piece:

 I’ve started off by marking out the edges of the background.  I’d recommend using chalk or erasable fabric markers if the edge will be visible.  I then used standard wax crayons to draw soft …read more

When we last worked with our silk paper, it was still drying on a piece of mesh screen… have you peeled it off?
Now what do you do with it?
I’m going to attach mine to a piece of quilted canvas, and then stretch it onto a wooden stretcher (the way paintings are hung)   Now, that’s easy to say – but do I really know what I want to do?
It’s time to get out your sketch book!
Sketching and making “cartoons” can help you to visualize exactly what you want to create.  In my case, I’m going to have narrow strips of …read more

So how’s the silk paper looking? The last post ended with letting the paper dry overnight – it’s time to check it and see if it’s dry enough to peel off the screen. If it’s dry enough, the edges will feel firm and “crispy”. Unfortunately, my paper is still mushy, so I’m going to leave it on the screen for another day. If the paper is too soft when you try and take it off the screen, it can deform, pull apart or do other nasty things!
Here’s how the paint looks after sitting overnight:

You can see …read more