 |
Seein' it Through |
|
| C A R O L Z E N T G R A F | ||
Burnout fabrics for fabulous garments and accessories. |
||
Etching Time | Sample Patterns | Velvet Visions Sources |
Elegant burnout and cutwork fabrics are everywhere in today's fashion world. Designers are incorporating them into everything from elegant dresses to accessories. Now it's your turn to burn. Thanks to Fiber-Etch® Fabric Remover, from the Silkpaint® Corporation, it's easy to create burnout fabrics. To help you get started, we've even included two scarf designs created exclusively for Sew News readers by Michele Hester of Silkpaint.
Fiber-Etch® dissolves fabrics made of cellulose (plant) fibers, such as cotton, linen, rayon, Tencel® and ramie, offering a variety of decorative options. Create cutwork designs by applying the chemical to a 100% cellulosic fiber fabric. Burnout and etched effects can be achieved when the chemical is applied to fabrics that have fiber blends: cellulose fibers blended with wool, silk or synthetic fibers. Only the cellulose pile or threads are removed, leaving other fibers intact.
Sample photos courtesy of Dragon Threads' Fabric Etching: Creating Surface Texture & Design Using Fiber Etch.Determine whether you want to achieve a burnout or cutwork effect, then select the appropriate fabric. Keep in mind that fabrics with higher cellulose fiber content will have more fibers removed; the fabric construction also plays an important role. For example, fabric woven with rayon fibers in the weft and silk fibers in the warp will yield an etched design with the fibers left running in only one direction; this result is satisfactory and interesting for small design areas, but will appear as holes in larger areas. Fabrics with a low cellulosic fiber content will yield a very subtle design. Velvets with a silk backing and rayon pile produce a much more dramatic effect.
Note: Prewash fabrics to remove sizing and avoid fabrics with finishes. For best results, Hester recommends using artist-quality fabrics (see Sources). These fabrics, available in a range of fiber contents, are ready for dying and have no sizing or finishes. With the exception of one velvet style, the fabrics are available in white only and dye beautifully using a stove-top method and a household dye such as Rit®. As with all projects, test first! Etch a scrap of the project fabric before trying it on a finished garment.
Let the fun begin! Our featured scarf and sample techniques use freezer paper stencils, but options abound.
- Embroidered and painted borders. You can achieve gorgeous results for both cutwork and etching by embroidering a design outline with synthetic thread or outlining it with a fabric paint, then applying Fiber-Etch® within the outline. One of these techniques is necessary for fabric with a high cellulosic fiber content to prevent fraying. In Dragon Threads' book, Fabric Etching, artist and author Iris Lee offers many wonderful ideas for these and other creative techniques (see Sources).
- Stencils. Almost any design you draw or trace can be used for a freezer paper stencil. Remember the paper snowflakes you made as a child? The same folded paper technique was used for the featured scarf and sample patterns. It's a fun and easy way to create a personal design. Freezer paper stencils adhere securely when ironed to the fabric, preventing the Fiber-Etch® gel from seeping under the edges. Precut freezer paper shapes also are available from What's New and are ideal for creating borders or allover designs (see Sources).
To use a precut plastic stencil, spray the stencil with temporary adhesive and adhere it in place on the fabric right side, making sure all cutout edges are firmly attached. Or trace the stencil openings onto freezer paper and iron the paper to the fabric. If the design will be repeated, make certain the first treated area is dry before removing and repositioning the stencil. Note: Freezer paper may provide a more secure bond on some fabrics.
Ready to begin? Etch silk/rayon satin, silk/linen and silk/cotton fabrics using a freezer paper stencil as follows: Fold paper square as shown.
- Press the fabric flat.
- Draw a "snowflake style" or other stencil design onto the freezer paper's un-waxed side. To create a "snowflake style" design, fold a paper square into eighths
, then draw the design; for the featured scarves, trace the provided patterns onto the folded paper. Cut out and unfold. Flatten all foldlines. Also cut plain freezer paper strips, in the desired width for a border.
Position the border and design stencils shiny-side-down on the fabric. Use dry, medium heat and pressure to iron them in place
. Note: Too much heat may result in a permanent bond. Lightly press the wrong side. Make certain all edges are securely adhered to the fabric, especially at fold lines.
- Spread newspaper on your work surface. Pin the fabric, stencil-side-up to the newspaper. Squeeze a small amount of Fiber-Etch® gel into a small container. Use a synthetic-bristle paintbrush to apply an even layer of Fiber-Etch® to the open stencil areas. Unpin the fabric and place on dry newspaper. Remove any residual or "shiny" gel with tissues or a small terrycloth towel; blot the areas with light pressure. If left on the fabric, the chemical beads could burn holes into the fabric when activated. Use a hair dryer to reduce drying time, especially in areas with small details. Remove the stencil.
- To activate the gel, place the fabric and a small dry towel in a tumble dryer. Dry at a low temperature for 30 minutes, then check the fabric. When activated, the treated areas will be stiff and the fibers will break away when the fabric is folded on the crossgrain. If any design areas aren't completely activated, continue drying, checking periodically; don't allow the areas to turn brown or overheat as holes may burn in the silk. If the dryer hasn't activated the Fiber-Etch® after one hour, use a press cloth and iron on low heat, keeping the iron moving at all times, until all areas are activated.
- Rinse the fabric under warm running water, wearing rubber gloves if desired. If the solution comes in contact with your skin, wash it off with soap and water. Fiber-Etch® breaks down cellulosic fibers, and skin is protein, so the solution is not highly caustic. With a terrycloth scrap, gently rub the design in a circular motion until the cellulosic fibers are removed. For a convenient rinsing surface, cover a baking sheet with terrycloth, place the fabric on the sheet and hold it at an angle under running water.
- Dye the fabric if desired, following manufacturer's directions.
- Let the fabric partially air dry, then iron while damp, but not wet.
The etching technique is essentially the same for velvet, with a few additional considerations.
- Velvet's silk backing is very delicate; don't overheat it or leave the Fiber-Etch® on longer than necessary. Be sure to allow enough time to complete the project at one sitting.
- After putting the velvet in the dryer to activate the Fiber-Etch®, check it every few minutes. The pile will be stiff and easily scratch away when it's ready.
- Rub gently as you rinse the velvet under running water. Wash with liquid soap, roll in a towel to absorb the excess moisture, then dry in a tumble dryer.
Silkpaint Corporation contributed the featured etched scarves and Exotic Silks contributed the fabrics for burnout samples.
Fabric Etching: Creating Surface Texture & Design Using Fiber Etch, by Iris Lee. Available from Dragon Threads, Dept. SN, 410 Canyon Dr. North, Columbus, OH 43214. www.dragonthreads.com
Exotic Silks, available from Thai Silks! (800) 722-7455 or CA (800) 221-7455
www.thaisilks.com
Silkpaint Corp.
(800) 563-0074
www.silkpaint.com
What's New
www.whatsnewltd.com
 |
More Articles Past Issues |