The Art of Silk Fusion Project 2310-2 by Tamara Leberer Sponsored by Bernina of America, Equilter.Com, Treenway Silks, Sew Steady, Dharma Trading Co

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Quilting Arts TV series 2300 The Art of Silk Fusion project 2310-2 by Tamara Leberer Sponsored by Bernina of America, eQuilter.com, Treenway Silks, Sew Steady, Dharma Trading Co.

Host Susan Brubaker Knapp and quilt artist Tamara Leberer

Materials discovered silk fusion when I was Directions • Silk roving, undyed and a selection of searching for new and interesting colors (I used Treenway Silk.) Itextiles to use in my art quilts. My Prepare the base • Recycled silk thread world all but exploded after discovering • Angelina® fibers it! 1. Cover the work surface with a • Textile medium (I used Jo Sonja’s® Silk fusion is a fabric made from silk plastic drop cloth. textile medium.) fibers. It is vibrant, bright, and luscious 2. Cut 2 pieces of fiberglass screen. The • 2 Fiberglass screens (Available at your to stitch. It offers a rich, luxurious shine screens should be at least 2" larger local hardware store.) and intense colors while preserving a on all sides than the final desired • Plastic cup soft supple tactile experience. As an piece of silk fusion. • Dish soap (I used Dawn® dish artist, working with a fabric you create detergent.) from raw fibers is incredibly rewarding. 3. Pull off (don’t cut) a section of silk • Paint brush (I used a cheap utility Silk fusion can be used alone or roving, 8"–12" long. Hold your brush.) combine it with your favorite fabrics hands 8"–12" apart. Separating a • Plastic drop cloth or old shower and textiles. Each piece is exciting and section of silk fibers should feel curtain original. It is the perfect material for smooth. The silk should slide • Towels for cleanup fusible work and machine appliqué through your fingers. Now separate • Teflon® pressing sheet or parchment because it does not fray when cut. It can this section into 3 or 4 workable paper be quilted, manipulated, and molded segments about the diameter of a into bows and vases. The surface can pencil. be stenciled, painted, stamped, beaded, 4. Holding a segment of fibers in and used in collage, jewelry, and book your right hand, place 1 end of the covers. It also provides a fantastic segment down on the top of the drawing surface for inks, oil pastels, and screen. Use 2 or 3 fingers or the acrylic paints. palm of your other hand to hold This article will show you how easy this end of the fibers against the the process is by demonstrating how to screen, and gently pull the fibers make a beautiful abstract landscape. horizontally across the screen. A

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small wisp of silk fiber (a small part Tips for Working When the top is thoroughly wet, of the hank in your primary hand) with Silk Roving turn the sandwich over and repeat will be left on the screen. Continue the wetting process on the bottom this process moving down the It is not strictly necessary to apply screen. The screen and silk sandwich screen, slightly overlapping fibers as layers perpendicularly—they can be will darken and become very flat you go. This should create a column applied at any angle you desire—but with no air pockets when the water of fibers about 18" long. your piece will hold together better if has soaked through. the direction of the fibers alternates. 5. Create a second column of fiber 3. Blot excess water from the sandwich alongside the first, overlapping by Any air movement from a fan or a with a sponge or towel. Rub a finger 1". Continue adding columns of breeze (not to mention pets and briskly along the surface of the sandwich. If fiber until the piece is about 10" walking family members) can cause the a bead of water forms, there is still wide. The screen should be barely fibers to fly away. Keep all fans off and too much water on the silk, blot visible beneath the silk. doors/windows closed during the first until no beads form but the silk still steps. seems saturated. Add layers of silk Silk fibers are a poor conductor of electricity and are susceptible to static Apply textile medium 1. Select the colors of silk roving you cling. Keep a dryer sheet close by to rub want to use. Lay the fibers at right 1. Measure approximately 2–3 ounces static off of your hands and clothing. angles to the un-dyed layer. Cover of textile medium into a cup. Pour the entire piece again in the same approximately half of the medium manner as before, this time dividing directly on top of the screen and 3. Place the second piece of fiberglass the piece in thirds with different spread it evenly and thoroughly onto screen over all the silk fibers, colors (if desired). I used Vesuvius the wetted silk with a paintbrush. It creating a sandwich. The top screen Bay, Sunset, and Duck Creek in the should create an even, milky look. will help hold the silk in place for sample shown. Apply firm pressure with the brush the next steps. to encourage the adhesive to move Tip: Do not let the long segments of fiber Wet the silk through all layers of silk. fall from your hand and drag across the 2. Turn the sandwich over and apply first layer of silk when placing subsequent 1. Add mild soap to warm water at a the rest of the textile medium in the layers of silk fiber. Hold excess silk ratio of approximately 1 quarter-size same manner. securely in your hand. dollop of soap to 1 cup of water. Liquid hand soap or dish soap both 3. Leave the sandwich to sit for 2. Add other decorative fibers such as work fine. Wet the silk by pouring 5–10 minutes, allowing the textile silk sari threads and Angelina fibers. the soap and water solution over the medium to soak through all the screen and then moving the liquid fibers. around with a paintbrush to evenly wet the fibers. The fibers must be 4. Blot excess textile medium with a thoroughly wet. Since silk naturally sponge or towel with light pressure. repels water, soap is necessary as a Rub a finger along the surface of surfactant, helping the fibers accept the sandwich. If a bead of liquid the water and, later, textile medium. forms, there is still too much textile medium on the silk. 2. Apply pressure to the wet screen with the brush to ensure water penetrates all layers of the silk.

5. Create a small area of selvedge by completely dry, it will be difficult to will you do with your piece? To lightly pushing 1" of the loose edges separate it from the screen and the complete this landscape, I pinned into a thicker roll or handle. fiber layers will pull apart. Dried it to a black felt background, free- silk fusion is amazingly strong and motion quilted it to my heart’s content, 6. Lay the sandwich flat to dry. Turn you can apply quite a bit of pressure and couched down some vibrant the piece as it is drying. Drying pulling it from the screen. Start from embellishments—silk sari ribbon and times vary according to the thickness the selvedge edge you created as a yarn as well as scraps of fabric and of the piece and humidity; expect handle. cotton/wool yarns. 8–10 hours of drying time. Note: After about 3 uses, I usually throw Note: Do not dry the piece in direct my screens away and start with fresh, tamaraleberer.com sunlight, as it is destructive to silk. clean screens as they get stickier with each use. Release the silk Resources 2. Set the textile medium. Press the 1. Freeing a piece of silk fusion from Silk Roving, Recycled Silk Thread, fusion piece on the silk setting of an the screen is a magical moment! La Sonja Textile Medium iron. Always use a pressing sheet or When the sandwich is completely treenwaysilks.com parchment paper to prevent sticking. dry, slowly peel the screens away, Silk Fusion 1 at a time. If the piece is not Now that you have a piece of silk tamaraleberer.com fusion, the fun has just begun! What

Examples of silk roving