Trash to Treasure . . .

"Untitled" is 17" x 10"

Here’s a couple of pieces that use recycled wrappers. I’ve read quite a bit about using ©Tyvek in fiber art. I’ve been experimenting for some time with it. I love the results of this light weight version that are thrown away every day as wrappers.

Untitled is painted wrappers, that are layered. I then printed directly on the sheet with my ink jet printed. After stitching over the printed lines, I got out my trusty heat gun and had at it. I like how layers of color interm

ix. The feel of the finished piece is almost like a leather.
What do you think?

The second piece using wrappers, Overseas, was sold through the Fiber Art for a Cause. In fact, all three of the little quilts I donated were sold! Virginia Speigel and her gang raised a total of $190,000 over seven years with this project. What an impact they have made!

The painted, fused, stitched and distressed wrappers make up the fabric’ of the sea. Don’t be shy about leaving your comments. I’d love to hear from you. Can you guess where the wrappers came from?

Hot Textiles…What a Book!

Steve bought me this great book for me a month or so ago (an early Christmas present).  Hot Textiles by Kim Thittachai is a phenomenal exploration in the use of your heat gun to create works of art in textiles.

Here is a recently created work, Remnants, that used Thittachai’s technique of painted fusible web distressed with heat.  The background fabric is a hand dyed and burnt out silk.

Remnants ©Ann Flaherty 2008

For another experiment, Blaze, I used the inside of a Fedex envelope.  Painted with water based red and yellow paints, I then blasted it with my heat gun creating a dimensional synthetic cloth that can be easily stitched.

If you are not up for making your grandmother’s quilt, and love to experiment with the use of alternative items in

Blaze ©Ann Flaherty 2008

your work , such as Tyvek, vegetable mesh, synthetics, paints, dyes, seeds and so much more, Hot Textiles provides understandable instructions that beg you to try more.  Here are a set of skills that you can incorporate in other techniques.  Buy this book and set a play date soon!

One caution:  because of the use of heat on a variety of materials, you will need a well ventilated area.

Art…Art…I want you

Watch this heart warming ode to the artist from Tonya Davis with song written by Andrea Dorfman.  Is this how the artist in you feels?

Have fun creating art while learning about the cultures of your community with Cultural Cloth.