Fiber Arts by Judi Wellnitz

Fire on the Mountain

I decided to experiment with puckering fabric by shrinking craft foam today. Sounds strange, eh? Sew News magazine had an article about fabric bowls that were made this way. The easiest way to explain what I did is to show you.

Step 1 - I drew a little landscape on some craft foam and used 505 temporary adhesive to attach some white fabric to the foam. Then I free-motion embroidered the outline of the landscape. That just means sewing with the feed dogs down.

Step 2 - Use Dye-na-flow fabric paints to color it in. I wet it down pretty good first so the colors would run into each other. Kind of looks like something a grade schooler would do! LOL.
Fire on the Mountain

Step 3 - The fun part! Pre-heated the oven to 300 degrees, put the picture face down on a piece of foil on a cookie sheet, and baked it for about 2 minutes. It curled up pretty good. Took it out and flattened it. You can see that the fabric puckered pretty well on the green. It didn't pucker as much as I hoped in the other areas though. I wonder if that's because of the fabric or because my sewing was too dense. Will have to experiment further.
Click to enlarge

Step 4 - Finish it up with more free motion embroidery and some beading. Put a back on it and finished the edges. Oh - guess I forgot to say that this is a postcard. I'm calling it Fire on the Mountain. I would like to send it to the big quilt show at Houston to be sold in a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. My favorite aunt just got diagnosed with breast cancer and this is dedicated to her. Would you pay $30 for this?
Click to enlarge

Posted by judi at August 15, 2005 5:11 PM

Comments

Love it Judi you are such a clever lady...love seeing the new stuff you are working on keep it up

Posted by: di at August 16, 2005 3:50 AM

The foam your using is that the stuff people buy for their kids to create with or is it a more professional type stuff? I like your landscape and yes I'd pay 30 for it. But if it's for chariety especailly breast cancer you may be able to get more as that's a subject near and dear to many people. my mom dies form breast cancer 14 years ago.

Posted by: Maryellen at August 16, 2005 5:20 AM

Yes, I used the craft foam that you buy for your kids! Although I have been told that there is a better quality foam called SoftSculpt.

Posted by: Judi at August 16, 2005 8:23 AM

What size did you start out with? Did it shrink? would you put something on the back of it to make a fabric postcard? Are you tired of me asking questions yet?
VBG,
Kathy

Posted by: Kathy White at August 16, 2005 11:12 PM

Really cool, I have the magazine this technique is in but haven't treid it, might have to now!

Posted by: Sandra Corson-walker at August 17, 2005 12:58 AM

How awesomely beautiful. my mom just died of esophygial cancer in
april & yes i would pay $30 or more for this. i quilt but this is a
pretty cool way to do small quilted projects. thanks for the
instructions too. now i have to try it for myself"

Posted by: Shirley at August 17, 2005 6:32 PM

To answer Kathy's question .. it did shrink but only by about 1/2 inch - my starting piece was much bigger than the finished piece. You can tell if you look at the photos - the bottom 'wave' of grass got completely cut off. I put fabric on the back to complete the postcard but it is rather flimsy. Maybe cardstock would have been better.

Posted by: Judi at August 17, 2005 6:34 PM

I can't wait to try this. For me it is a personal touch quilted pocket on a purse. My hobby is making purses. Thank you.

Posted by: Ruth Anne at September 12, 2007 4:13 PM

Art Dolls

Fire on the Mountain