Fabric bookmaking workshop – first attempts!!

This day-long workshop by Carol Stow introduced us to lots of techniques (stencilling or stamping onto cloth, transferring images using an inkjet printer, burning, overlaying) and materials (‘Polyshrink’, ‘Tyvek’, ‘Model Magic’, etc). We were encouraged to try them all, whether we thought we would like the end results or not – what an opportunity! It was assumed we could all stitch, so the more technical methods that were new to many of us took priority. My first attempts are unfinished, but have given me courage to try new ideas and materials in the future.
“Flowers” page
The fabric was dyed with fruit tea! Motifs were then stamped on, pressed flowers were stuck on, and appliqués were created using shapes burnt out of fabric with a soldering iron and using “Polyshrink” (a film which shrinks on heating with a hot air gun). The final page should be waxed (repeatedly rolled with a household candle and ironed under newspaper) to integrate all the motifs and make them less vulnerable.

“Autumn” page
The fabric was dyed with normal tea. The leaf motifs were stamped on, then the wording was layered on with fabric shapes burnt out using a soldering iron. A leaf motif was created using a modelling medium called “Model Magic” (feels like putty and dries out on contact with air). This can be embellished with paints, gilding, beads, etc, and can be stitched to the background. The final page should be waxed (see above).

Hilary Fish, Dec 2006.

These 3 pages are Barbara's, worked on quite a lot more since, using stamping, felt tip pens, craft vilene, puff paint, beads, cellophane, couched threads and acrylic paint.