Play Day with Friends

Rhonda, Lynette and I got together at Lynette's house for a play day today. We were going to use the transfer paints that were left over from a workshop with Sandra Meech about 3 years ago! Would the paints still be OK?
We couldn't find any instructions from the workshop so were trying to rely on our collective memories and other books we had read. Anyway there was painted paper left over from the workshop and we used whatever was to hand.
So here we have a selection of painted paper drying before we can use it:

some painted paper with salt crystals:

Here is my material (polyester sateen) with some mesh for design, and the crumpled transfer painted tissue:

End result:

It is hard to tell what the paint will be and the hue. We found that different papers released paint differently and some could be re-used more than others. It also depended on how hot and how long the iron was in contact with the paper.
This one, for example was used on satin, vilene and lutradur:

The painted paper is the darkest sheet in the photo.
So not only did we have various painted fabrics, Lynette and Rhonda have papers to use for journaling and card making.
Lynette has a giveaway over on her blog. A small book she has made with her decorated papers (she is so clever!). Actually so is Rhonda! And I learn so much from both of their work.
Ahh! 3 days of fun!
Hope the sun was shining at your place today!

Committee Play Day

Rose City Quilters committee members had a play-day today. We could make something for a special surprise or just play, so here are some photos of playing happening:

Barb is sorting colours for her jacket

Wendy has a basket full of treasures, what is she up to?

The weather wasn't very good for working outside - so I decided to do something other than painting.
I have 'made' fabric from sandwiching (with Misty Fuse) pattern tissue and organza, plus previously painted florists' 'paper' onto kunin felt.

Cut out the shapes, used the  soldering iron around the edges to make it more organic, then couched threads and stitched.

You can see the pattern tissue underneath. This is stitched with rayon

Main veins are couched silk threads, other stitching is with variegated cotton thread

 My piece is coming together OK.

S.I.X. Have a Play Day

Well, we have all been very busy, but had promised ourselves a play day and also to sort out our next group challenge. Fortunately it was a warm afternoon without too much wind, so we could dry our things outside - also we needed plenty of ventilation for what we were working with. In the USA you would use Citra Solv, here in NZ we have found that D-Limonene (from a cleaning supplies store) does the same thing. Some of us tried different magazines, but, believe me National Geographic has the BEST results.

Sue used plenty of liquid!

This one I had plastic wrap over the top

Sue used lots of cleaning fluid and lost some colour from her pages, but the effects were very dramatic. Cheryl found ghost pictures of people appearing from the reverse of the page or the opposite - so cool! You have to use gloves otherwise your fingers get covered in printers ink - which does come off, but stays under the nails for longer.
I think that next time I will halve the magazine first and have a look at the pages deciding which ones to fold, cover with plastic wrap, etc. Working with damp gloves it was quite difficult to separate pages, especially when you needed to tear them out and lay them out to dry. But a GREAT afternoon.
Now to using the pages - some will end up being scanned and printed on to fabric - who needs to buy when you can make your own - even over-printing!