After transferring printed images from magazines, using fusible web, I got to wondering if my own drawing, done with ink on paper would transfer as well, so I made a little drawing on tracing paper, using a permanent marker.
I layered the drawing, a piece of fusible and my fabric and fused with a hot iron, then I wet the paper and removed it as I had done with magazine paper. I was pleased to find that the tracing paper came off more easily than the magazine paper.
Wow! The ink transferred really well! The only down side was the haze the fusible left on the surface. With nothing to lose, I used the heat gun to remelt the fusible, which kind of beaded up and became fairly transparent. Much better!
It also made the transferred ink a bit "distressed"—an interesting texture that I don't mind at all.
Then—since the ink transfer turned out so well—I wondered what adding some other media would do.
I did a simple leaf drawing on tracing paper, then added color with pastel pencils.
Then layered with fusible and fabric, ironed and removed the paper.
I like this result as well. It was a mistake to cut the fusible to shape. It definitely changes the color of the background fabric, but I will know, if I do this again, to cover the entire background with fusible.
So, you might ask why not just apply the ink and pastel directly to the fabric and skip the transfer process? Well, mainly because the results look different. I have used both ink and pastels directly on fabric and you get a less crisp look. The ink and pastels are softer-edged applied directly, also, the pastels, when applied directly to fabric, need to be sealed with clear medium, which changes their chalky texture. So—different technique, different look.
I'm not sure when or why I would use these techniques, but they are good to know about. One more thing to know is that these seem very durable. The fusible really makes the image waterproof and firmly adhered.
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Does it change the hand of the fabric much? You're using cotton right? I bet linen would work too. Might be interesting on a jacket. Like a jean jacket with more small panels. Could you do one and throw it in the wash for me and let me know what happens? LOL just kidding. I read your posts at work and can't go home to answer my own questions. Argh!
ReplyDeleteI'm loving this series of small pieces you're sharing. I've done the ink-transfer-with-fusible before, but only with chiffon or organza over the top- which really can dull the colors. I never would have though to leave the fusible just up and I love the idea of using the heat gun to melt it back. so cool! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting, what fusable
ReplyDeleteare you using? I think I would like to try this with Misty Fuse, although I am not sure if I would actually use this method because I am sure I would forget it was there and hit it with an iron.
Why not draw directly onto the fusible web with paper backing and skip the tracing paper? Just an idea. Thanks for sharing your experiments.
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