March marks the end of the first quarter of the year ... have your projects been getting done? or are you procrastinating or dawdling and simply enjoying life?

Silk Fusion Bowls

Tracy put her own art projects on hold once she started a family, but eventually her husband encouraged her to pick it back up. She was introduced to unique silk fusion techniques after reading about it in a magazine. In this project, she makes decorative bowls out of silk fusion, a form of paper made from silk.

Materials:

2 window screens
silk tops (unspun silk fibers)
silk dyes (instant or heat-set)
water
dish soap
2 wide flat brushes
sumi brush
fabric stiffener
flame-retardant spray
bowls
paper towels
wine bottle or other tall item
plastic wrap
plastic drop cloth
sea sponge
metallic paints
bead needle
thread
beads for embellishing

Steps:

1. Lay out one piece of screen and then begin laying pieces of silk on the screen in one direction (gently pulling short pieces). Layer another in the opposite direction. Cover with second piece of screen.

2. Cover your bowl form with plastic wrap and place upside down on wine bottle or other item to keep the bowl off the table.

3. Wet the fibers on front and back with wide flat brush using dish soap mixed into a bowl of water. Press with palm of hands to saturate both sides. Mop up any excess water with paper towels.

4. Apply dyes in any creative fashion to both front and back of piece. Mop up any excess with paper towels.

5. Pour fabric stiffener into a small bowl and dilute slightly with water to make it easier to brush on. Use a different flat wide brush and apply to both sides of the piece. Directly press with paper towels on both sides to soak up excess moisture.

6. Spray both sides with flame retardant spray. Gently peel off top screen and set aside.

7. Starting with one corner of the paper, peel off of the screen. Pick up with both hands and place on plastic-covered bowl. This is where you have to eyeball it! If necessary, make adjustments so that it is even. Manipulate the sides until the shape is pleasing to you. Allow to dry overnight.

8. Carefully pull bowl from out of the paper bowl. Enjoy as-is, embellish with metallic paints, or sew on beads in a decorative fashion.

Close up of fused silk - stunning!!

Tracey also makes a gorgeous range of jewellery based on her favourite subjects, petroglyphs, and has  a series of silk scarves on the same theme:



Tracy doesn't have her own website, preferring to be featured on the pages of the galleries who represent her.

How to Make Silk Paper

   

   

3.Creating Silk 'Paper'

(also known as Silk Fusion)

by Nancy Ballesteros

Perth, Australia

This is by far the most comprehensive page I've found! Click here to visit Nancy's page of instructions. 

   

Visit Traci's site for more info on these delicious silk paper-covered journals.


   

Handbag made with silk fusion:





   

Treenway Silks has a lot of info on silk fusion, and they sell everything you need [if you're in North America or wish to buy from them].

Here are some delightful little silk fusion boxes and other gorgeous goodies:





The Treenway gallery page has some other really cool things like this chicken!




click here to view more silk items!

BOOK : Silk 'Paper' Creations

for the Fibre Artist

If you are searching for rich color and texture in your work and delight in the excitement of handling pure silk fibres, this beautifully illustrated book, Silk 'Paper' Creations by Judith Pinnell, shows the way. There are detailed instructions for working with the different types of silk fibre, and full descriptions enabling the creation of hangings, motifs to be attached to other fabrics, and moulded shapes that include bowls, vases and masks.

Silk 'paper' is a medium that can be used in almost any aspect of fibre art. Silk is lustrous, slightly transparent, and has a beautiful light to it. Silk is easy to dye - there is nothing quite so exciting as a medium for color.

Since the publication of Take Silk, Judith Pinnell's first book, which explored the use of tussah silk tops in making silk 'paper', lustrous bombyx silk tops and silk throwster waste have become available as mediums for fibre art. these recent additions are featured in Silk 'Paper' Creations for the Fibre Artist along with a number of innovative approaches that extend the use of silk 'paper' to new heights. Newcomers to silk 'paper' will take up the challenge to create. Those already smitten will find additional avenues to explore.

Until next time ... ciao ciao!