T1-MMT-P1-p3-e2 Using a heat gun – third session

For my third session I choses two focus points – a quick test of a range of materials, and some experimentation with colour in fabrics.

Sample p1-65. The gridded foil shelf liner.

Sample p1-65 Before

Sample p1-65 After

After heating the shiny side

Sample p1-66. The same gridded foil shelf liner.

Sample p1-66 Before

Before, on the reverse side.

Sample p1-66 After

Sample p1-66 After – detail

Sample p1-66 After – reverse of reverse

After heating the reverse side. The plastic backing dissolved, giving a distressed effect, and a textured foil material that isn’t super shiny. The front (or reverse of the reverse) has a potentially useful unstructured grid effect. The material is quite strong and I think would survive stitching. A useful result.

Sample p1-67. Polyester fill

Sample p1-67 Before

Sample p1-67 After

Sample p1-67 After – detail

At first it seemed to be dissolving away like fairy floss, but it ended with a deep texture effect.

Sample p1-68. Thick acrylic felt, leftover from a sound-reduction project.

Sample p1-68 Before

Sample p1-68 After

The effect is more apparent to the touch than the sight. I would like to try printing off this.

Sample p1-69. Non-slip liner.

Sample p1-69

No photo of after – there was no apparent reaction at first. I put the heat up, but could see fumes so stopped working with it.

Sample p1-70. Some thin acrylic felt, two colours, layers partially overlapped.

Sample p1-70 Before

Sample p1-70 After

The melting them together idea went nowhere. Treated separately I got some nice distressing of the surface plus variation in colour. It could make a good concealing/revealing layer. Alternatively the mottling could help texture an area.

Sample p1-71. Polyester satin

Sample p1-71 Before

It took a lot of heating to get this moving.

Sample p1-71 After

Some nice texture, and it really breaks up the shine to give a much more interesting – and less cheap – look.
It still doesn’t feel nice for hand-sewing – if you spend a lot of time handling a material you want it to feel good. However it should be fine for machine stitching.
It could be effective to combine this texture with colour from disperse dyes.

Sample p1-72. Synthetic velvet.
A small sample – I only brought one piece out with me, and I want to try heating from both sides. First the front (textured) side.

Sample p1-72 Before

Sample p1-72 After

Very hard to get moving, de-lustred, hard and nasty where it shrunk most.

Sample p1-73. Synthetic velvet.
I’m very not keen, but going ahead with the plan. This time heating from the knit side.

Sample p1-73 Before

Sample p1-73 After – knit side

Sample p1-73 After – pile side

A much quicker response to the heat. The result is not so hard and plasticky, except where the edges rolled a bit. The lustre is still there, and because it is now dimpled it is not as harsh a shine as the original fabric.

Sample p1-74. A light, synthetic silver lamé thing.

Sample p1-74 Before

Sample p1-74 During

Sample p1-74 After

Sample p1-74 Backlit

A nice textured and disstressed look. The fabric is a bit crunchy and fragile, so would probably be a pain to work with.

Sample p1-75. Pink synthetic crystal organza.

Sample p1-75 Before

Sample p1-75 During

Sample p1-75 After

Sample p1-75 Backlit

Some interesting texture. It’s lost some shine, which I consider a good thing. It provides some variation in colour and transparency which could be useful. Ridiculously coloured rocks???

Sample p1-76. Pink and blue synthetic organza.
I want to try colour mixing, also whether I can get the two fabrics to join at all. I’ve used the kinetic sand for at least a little control – the pink on its own was very flighty.

Sample p1-76 Before

Sample p1-76 After

Sample p1-76 Layers separated

The fabrics didn’t bond at all, but they fit together with related shaping, which could be useful.

What I’m really attracted by is the protection and shaping given by the sand.

Sample p1-77. Purple synthetic organza.
Areas covered by sand. Is this too detailed for the reserving effect to work?

Sample p1-77 Before

Sample p1-77 After

Sample p1-77 Sand removed

Either that was a different kind of material, or the weight of sand and amount of material available for shrinking was the wrong mix.

Sample p1-78 Green synthetic organza.
A simpler set of sand shapes, and lots of spare material available.

Sample p1-78 Before

Sample p1-78 After

Sample p1-78 Sand removed

That worked better.
I think this technique could be useful.

T1-MMT-P1-p3-e2 Using a heat gun – third session
Textiles 1 – Mixed Media for Textiles
Part 1: Surface Distortion
Project 3: Heating and fusing
Exercise 2: Using a heat gun