MORE FAUX CHENILLE - AND A CONNECTION TO THE PAST

My husband and I visited an architectural salvage company recently who sell wonderful treasures from old rural homes: doors, shutters, spindles, windows, doorknobs, lighting, hardware, and much, much more, and keeping these items out of landfill. As I was seduced by the atmosphere in the barn and shop, I found 2 items I was compelled to purchase for use in an art piece.

One was the frame-like part of a vintage floor grate, measuring roughly 18" x 25, and the other a section of backplate for an old fashioned doorknob.

Once home, I got busy choosing colours from my stash of used textiles that would complement the floor grate frame and the door hardware, with the intention of sewing and slashing the layers of fabric to create a faux chenille look.

My vision was to put the doorknob backplate in the middle as the feature, with the slashed fabric lines radiating out from there, symbolizing stepping through a doorway to the unknown, to some connection to the past. The grate frame would be used as, well, a frame for the art. But after finishing the sewing and attaching the backplate, I felt something was missing. I added a few light green button-like beads, a few sequins, yet still needed something. Playing with other colours, twisting fabrics to add texture didn't yield any answers. I then put this project aside until the answer presented itself.

A week or so  later I was with a friend practicing free motion sewing, and was experimenting with sandwiching and sewing silk sari threads between 2 layers of water soluble film, forming small circles which I planned to fashion into small bowls.

On a whim I placed a completed circle on my doorway piece. It was exactly the right look! The circle complements the curves of the hardware and plays off the green buttons. Deciding that 4 more circles of various sizes would complete the piece, I quickly sewed them up using a granite stitch over the sari threads and water soluble film, rinsed them to dissolve the film, and voila, this piece was almost done. Once the circles were dried, I could then stitch them on and touch up other areas to reveal more of the hidden fabrics and colours.

Aha moments such as these don't happen often, but it was just the discovery I needed to finish this work. The sewing of the fabrics and circles may represent a nurturing side, an energy, a connection to others in my life, and the fabric layers the depths of our selves. I've realized that the timeframe for making this has been around the anniversary of my mother's passing. Perhaps my Doorway is a connection to her and to my past. This creation was meant to be I think.

RECYCLING FABRIC AND OLD TEXTILES INTO FAUX CHENILLE

I have a stash of old fabrics and thrift store textiles I've collected over the years, not sure what they would be used for but knowing they would get used up one day. I'm pleased to say I've now discovered the purpose for all these gems: a technique known as "faux chenille", also called "fabric slashing". 

I first tried this technique about two months ago and made 6 cushion covers (see photo below) (the first 2 were test pieces) with a 7th that I framed instead. And I'm now working on 3 different pictures using this same technique. 

Faux chenille includes several layers of fabrics stitched together, then cut between the stitched lines with sharp scissors. But it's the friction of machine washing and drying the sewn & cut fabrics that creates the frayed fabric edges, giving it a chenille-type look. The first time I washed the bundles was a bit nerve racking, but I was thrilled with the result. And it's a great way to recycle fabric scraps and old clothing and textiles. 

I'm learning the different looks that can be achieved based on the various fabric types, and the importance of colour choices - high contrast is most effective for this technique. I thought the spotted fabric shown at right would be great as a top layer, complemented by layers of pink, green and blue, however these latter colours overshadowed the spotted fabric, dulling what had been a fun piece of fabric. But this was part of the learning process, and a reminder to keep colour theory top of mind.

The orange piece below turned out spectacular, with some red, black and blue layers peeking through. As the top layer was from an old orange blouse with delicate embroidery and sequins, which did survive the washing process, I decided it would look best framed and for long-term protection.

Sewing line after line spaced about 1/2" apart and without a guide is great practice for one's spatial vision, and one's machine sewing skills too. Of course the distances don't have to be exact, and some variation adds interest to the overall piece. 

After completing all these cushion covers, I had decided to try making some pictures using this technique.

I chose this photo of a hosta leaf from my garden. After studying the colours in the picture, I selected several fabrics in shades of greens, blue-green and some fushia and purple to add to the edges, then carefully planned out the layers. The stitching and cutting were the easy part, following the veins of the leaf. 

Next came the washing and drying, again a bit nerve racking but also with great anticipation. I could not have been more pleased with the result.

I embellished some of the edges with pink tulle, couched on yarn for vein lines, and handstitched some beads and sequins to represent water drops. 

I'm so inspired by what I've learned so far and with the potential for this technique. It lends itself very well to nature images, and I now have a list of pictures I want to create. I'm part way through one of a Japanese zen garden and another of moss. And perhaps there will be more lichens in my future too.

If you're interested in learning this technique, there are lots of great tutorials online. Just google "slashing fabric technique" or "faux chenille".

SAVE PAPER THIS HOLIDAY SEASON: IDEAS TO MAKE YOUR OWN GIFT TAGS AND WRAP

I was shocked when I learned how much paper we go through each year for gift giving at Christmas. Some gets recycled, but much of the Christmas wrap has foil that can't be recycled. Think about how much paper your household may use this holiday season, multiply that by the number of homes on your street, add in your neighbourhood, the city, the entire country. Hard to fathom isn't it. The experts say we send the equivalent of 100,000 elephants to landfill each year in gift bags, paper and ribbons. 

This year I thought I would try to reduce the amount of gift wrap & tags we'll use in our household. We have several of those reusable gift bags. And after being given some pretty Christmas fabric, I sewed up a few gift bags which I've added to what we already had. Other wrapping ideas include decorated or painted kraft paper, newspaper, maps, tea towels, scarves, bags made from old clothes. 

My sister cuts up old Christmas cards into unique gift tags. This year I gathered up torn Christmassy tissue paper, colourful scrap papers, old book paper and sheet music, and turned these into collaged gift tags. 

If you'd like to make your own collaged gift tags, I've included the instructions below. 

 You will need:

• a variety of pretty tissue papers and scrap papers in various colours. I chose mostly reds, but also some purples and blues and yellows to add interest. Tissue paper is great as it is transparent once adhered to the collage. 
• heavy paper or cardstock, or art paper (paper that can handle water-based media is best)
• gel medium (I use Liquitex matte medium) and brush
• cutting board and knife, or a gift tag punch, or a package of pre-cut plain shipping tags, hole puch
• iron
• parchment paper

Instructions:

1. Select a heavy background paper that can take a few layers of collage. Begin to lay out scraps of the papers and tissue, overlapping and placing them at random. Tear them, don't cut, to add interest. Don't spend a lot of thinking time on this as the papers will be cut out later into the gift tags.
   
2. Adhere each paper down with gel medium, adding gel to the right side of the paper as well. 
3. When dry, cut the pieces into gift tags in the size you wish, or with a tag-maker punch. I have this great punch I purchased years ago from Creative Memories which also punches a hole in the top to add ribbon or cording.
   
4. At this stage I like to add a coat of gel medium on the surface to ensure all the papers are sealed. Let dry.
5. For each collaged tag, cut out or punch one plain tag - this will get glued to the back of the collaged tag, providing an area for writing and adding strength, especially if you find your tags are curling.  
6. Add a coat of gel medium on the back of the collaged tags. Let dry. Make a small pencil mark on one side of the plain tags, add a coat of gel medium to the marked side, and let dry.
7. Carefully match up the back of a collaged tag with the marked side of a plain tag. Keeping the edges aligned, place between 2 sheets of parchment paper and iron on high heat for several seconds on both sides. The heat on the gel medium will fuse the 2 tags together into one solid tag, and eliminating any curling that may have occurred with lighter weight papers. Let the tag cool before handling.

Have fun with this - and I'd love to hear your ideas for reducing paper and making your own gift tags and wraps.

OCTOBER 21-27, 2019, WASTE REDUCTION WEEK IN CANADA

I recently wrote a blog post on repairing, recycling and altering worn out clothing and have since learned that Waste Reduction Week is October 21-27 in Canada. Glad to see that textiles is part of that upcoming week.

Each day has a different theme as pictured below, and a pile of information available on the Waste Reduction Week website: general news, the issues, solutions, and actions we can take for each daily topic.

The two I want to mention here are textiles (theme day is Tuesday, October 22) and plastics (Thursday, October 24).

More than 68 textile items are disposed of per person each year in the United States through recycling, donations, garbage and so on. That's a lot more than I realized and includes clothing, bedding, coats, shoes, and more. I was interested that some companies are taking the lead in converting discarded textiles into new fibres that can  then be made into new items. 

Here are a few additional suggestions from the Waste Reduction site that I had not included in my post, all great ideas:

• hold a swap with friends, family and colleagues
• search for DIY resources for altering and repurposing old textiles
• be conscientious about what you buy in the first place
• look to fashion companies that are recycling textile waste into new fibres

And on the topic of plastics, theme date Thursday, October 24, there must be more that we, as artists, can do to reduce or re-use plastics.

I know of some weavers, for example, who are reusing plastic bags in their tapestries, cutting up the bags into strips called "plarn". It adds a new dimension to their art. 

What other ways can we eliminate plastics in our artistic practices? I like to use old cereal bags as paint palettes and as a surface to glue on since paper and fabric don't stick to the cereal bag. And of course plastic containers can be  re-used as water tubs for brushes.

But these are only 2 ideas. What suggestions can you share? What messages can we send to manufacturers and suppliers of art materials to reduce the use of plastics?

Please share your thoughts and ideas on what we can do, not just during Waste Recycling Week, but all year long.

REPAIR, RECYCLE, ALTER - YOUR WORN OUT CLOTHING

Most of us are pretty good about donating clothing we no longer wear to thrift shops or rummage sales. But what about those items that cannot be re-sold, items that are damaged, torn or stained. After all thrift shops look for clothing to re-sell that is in good shape, clean, and odourless. 

Clothing that cannot be re-sold may be sent to places that repurpose them into rags or upholstery stuffing. Some will turn cotton into papers. Some gets sent overseas to be re-sold, and a small percentage does go into landfill. 

Before you get rid of your blemished, no longer perfect, in need of repair clothes, have you explored options to revamp, repair or make alterations? To extend the life of that favourite sweater or t-shirt? Here are some ideas to get the creative juices flowing:

• If the hole isn't too big it can be darned. I know, I know, that was something our grandmothers or mothers did. But, really, the tidiest of repair jobs means the item is wearable once again. There are plenty of videos available online.  Of course it may take a bit of practice at first, but it's worth the effort to save a favourite piece of clothing. . And if the clothing has several colours or tones of one colour, the darning stitches just blend right in. Can you spot the repair in this picture? With practice, my repairs will improve even more. It's just below the arm hole so is barely noticeable. Of course, if you don't want to try this yourself, there are plenty of tailors available who will do the repair for a minimal cost. 

• If after mending it shows up too much, adding some embroidery around the hole could do the trick.
• Larger holes or stains can be covered with something another fabric, something that is complementary. Sashiko  or Boro - from Japan - and Kantha - from India - are all about patching up clothes and other textiles with scraps of cloth and with embroidery techniques specific to these regions. It also helps to strengthen fabrics, extending their lives even further. And no one says they patched parts have to match, they can be very colourful and funky, nothing like those old iron-on patches we used to see. This concept of repairing embraces the concept of "wabi sabi" which is about see the beauty in the imperfections and impermanence.
• Old wool sweaters and blankets can be felted in your washer & dryer and cut into place mats or pot holders. Here are a few I've been working on. 

• In days gone by, fabric scraps were recycled into beautiful quilts or cushion covers or other memory keepsakes - is there one hidden in your linen closet that has been passed down through the generations? I do sometimes see quilts made today from collections of old t-shirts or shirts which make wonderful keepsakes, especially when we have difficulty discarding a quantity of items that still have meaning.
  
  
  
  Or perhaps the scraps could be used to cover a mirror frame, like this one, or collaged onto a canvas, to make a piece of art.
  
  
  
  
  

• Consider tie dyeing, bleach dyeing, sun printing, eco dyeing, fabric painting and more. This shirt was solid black, and after bleaching, turned this marvelous shade of brown. I used elastics to create the dark rings during the bleaching process.

Of course us fibre artists now look at old and damaged clothing in a whole new light, wondering if it can be altered or incorporated in some way into one of our projects. We collect fabrics for repurposing. If you also collect such materials, what suggestions do you have for altering or recycling?