Hi Suzie! It sounds like your treated fabrics are doing what they should. They may, though, need to be treated in the future with a little more dilluted mixture of decoupage medium and water. Just for the record, I use a decoupage medium, called "Mod Podge" by Plaid. It is similar to white glue, but I have not experimented with anything else at the time. This gives your fabrics that paper-like quality--ideal for cutting accurate shapes. After your treated paper-like fabrics have dried, press them with an iron between two smooth lint-free pressing cloths to remove minor wrinkles, ripples, and creases. Set your iron to cotton, and only iron for a few seconds at a time. The fabrics should also lie a little flatter. Whatever you do, do not wash your treated fabrics. After you have cut your shapes from your fabrics, decoupage or glue them onto a primed canvas. Use an inexpensive gesso primer (helps the decoupaged fabric adhere to the canvas or similar backing) found at most craft stores. What are you gluing your fabrics onto? Try using the primer first. Your fabrics should adhere to the primer with no problems. You will also need to apply a few coats of a decoupage medium over the pieced fabrics once they have dried. I will talk you through this when you are ready. I am planning on doing a tutorial this fall. I will keep you posted on this.
"Garden Pond" (below) is a floorquilt that was easily made in just two weeks. It was inspired by my little pond, my kissing koi, and my curious cat, named Mip. Happy floorquilting!
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Hang in there--floorquilting with protective coatings is a new craft with new techniques. The construction of one certainly takes you for a walk on the lighter side of art quilting! The results, though, are well worth it--a personal, practical, and walkable work of art that will last for many years to come....
Originally Posted by
suziehammond
I tried a new experiment the other day. I wanted to make one of the 'floor quilts' as they sound fun and usable but really full of scope for creativity as well. So I started experimenting with the decoupage techniques, which is what you use for that. I have decoupaged in my day and so thought it would be just a put no brainer to do this kind of work.
This AM when I went into check my placemat sized experiment I found my glued fabric had not stuck to the base or most of my fabrics to each other. The fabric feels more like a stiff paper ribbon and has even curled up. So obviously what I thought was an Elmer's clone down here in South America is not. LOL I am sure I can find great ways of using this new product and it's results. There have certainly been times when I wanted to be able to add a lot of body and curl to a fabric I wanted to use as embellishment.
I am going to wash one piece to see if the results I have now hold up. But of course but I am hoping someone else has had some similar oddball results with various type of glues. If I add 4 more coats will I get a good flat fabric decoupage maybe?
Would love input about fabric and glue. BTW I have heard there is a new well illustrated book coming out on this soon and I think the lady Carolyn is on this board sometimes. I am hoping I do not have to wait for that though. Any experiences amongst you?