A year and a half ago Cheryl Prater and Debbi Crane asked my sister Deb and I to make a mixed media apron for the book they were writing, Mixed Mania. Since Deb lives in Maine and I live in Chicago, I started the apron and then mailed it to her for embellishing and finishing.I was not sure what I was going to do, I just knew it needed to incorporate paper and fabric, so I pulled out the gel medium some images printed on paper, a sewing pattern, a phone book page and tore them up and glued them to some white fabric with the gel medium. I painted the fabric and paper images with textile paint then grabbed a sharpie marker and drew some branches and flowers. I took out the white pearl Lumiere paint and painted around the flowers and branches and added a few more details with a black pen.
I cut some paper leaves and used gel medium to glue them to the painted fabric. I stitched around the flowers, leaves and branches then sewed the fabric into an apron shape adding blue rick rack trim.
Then I mailed it to my sister.
Deb added birds cut from fabric, paper butterflies and eggs, french knots on the flowers, stitched details on the leaves and white on white swirling stamped designs.
It was a really fun project to do, and it was the inspiration for the technique I have used in many other projects like these.
Oh my gosh - what a gorgeous little apron. Will the gel medium hold up in the wash, or was it just a temporary "fix" to hold down whilest you sewed the pieces down?
ReplyDeleteThis is more of a decorative piece, considering how much paper ended up on it. If the apron was stopped at the level of the first photo, it would hold up to being wiped down with a wet cloth, but not a wash in the machine.
ReplyDeleteLovely and comes with a great story as well!
ReplyDeleteAhhh I re-read the post and see now the paper butterflies! Washing - not good!
ReplyDeleteBeautifully unique. Love the rickrack, which gives a nice retro touch.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what you could create on the vinyl you can press to fabric...???
ReplyDeleteI looked back and forth between your and Deb's steps, and I must admit that the white on white stamping has added something to it. But when I look at your part, it looks great! {though, admittedly, a little under done by what I see of your work}
Gah! I love the apron too much. Ay ay ay!
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