Lavinia Stamps Fairies on Fabric.

Hi Blogbuddies finished this at last, not that I haven't enjoyed making it more a matter of knowing when to stop lol!
These downloadable designs are so inspiring, you can quilt on them, add hand or machine embroidery, embellish with beads, buttons and sequins etc., use them in patchwork, alter the colours with an art program or just leave them as they are.
I felt a bit guilty at first embellishing them as the designs are so gorgeous on their own.
None the less here is the finished project and I hope you like it.

I make no apologies for this being a rather long posting, this was a fairly lengthy project but I hope you think it is worth it.

These are the downloads (Lavinia Stamps) as they are when printed and the printing media.

 

I began by tacking the coloured organza on the back and applying machine stitching around sections of the design and cutting away some of the printed fabric to reveal the colours below.

 

 Next I inserted wadding into the face section by opening the back slightly and then started the embroidery and embellishments.

 

 This shows the early stages of the surface embellishment.

 
Now for the border.

Used cotton calico for the background and sprayed it using Deka Silk dye. I will not apologise for the messy jars, you can see they are well used.
I like to use a diffuser for spraying as it gives a better finish but other methods will work too.
Allow this to dry and iron to ensure the dye is set.
I don't really worry too much about the fastness of the dye as this type of product will not be washed.
I also cut out a paper arch which will be used later.

 

Next I used Distress Inks and Big and Juicy to stamp a sunburst stamp (Lavinia Stamps) over the sprayed fabric.

For the following process I used polyester fabrics (net and organza) as they melt easily.

 

On the sample piece below you can see that I have layered these up using the calico as the backing, as this will not melt, the net and organza can be layered in whatever order you wish.

 

 

Machine stitch using whatever design you prefer. I made a curved grid pattern.

 

Then comes the exciting bit or scary depending on how you look at it.

It is a good idea to work in a well ventilated room for this, just to be on the safe side.

Be brave and start the heat gun, the fabric will start to melt very quickly so keep an eye on what is happening.

I use the scissors to stop the fabric moving about rather than burn your fingers.

And there you have it, fabulous texture!!!
You can melt this as much or as little as you wish, I wanted to be able to see the stamped detail beneath.

 

When this has cooled you can pull it back into shape which will separate even more of the fabrics, don't worry.

When the fabric is back into shape and flat this is the effect you can expect to see.

 

Next, I sprayed some lace, whatever you have is great.

These are the inks I used.

 

 

Gather the lace and tack everything together in the centre of the fabric in an arch shape.

I used the paper arch template as a guide.

When that is complete, cut away the centre leaving a small seam allowance. You will need to cut little notches into the seam allowance to help it turn over.

 

Once you have turned the calico inside, tack the edge and machine it to keep it in place.

 I then used Treasure Silver and rubbed this over the fabric but you could add other stitch work to this if wished.

 

Ensure that the lace is at the front ready for the next stage.

 

And now for the final stages.

I caught the lace down with small french knots and then lined the back with calico and edge stitched it to keep it nice and flat.

If you want a more ridged finish to the hanging you can insert thin board inside before completing the lining.

I don't tend to press the finished work as it can flatten it but that's up to you.

I have sewn a brass ring onto the back so that it can be hung on the wall.

 

 

And here is a closeup of the finished design.

 

 

I do hope you like it and that it will inspire you to visit Lavinia Stamps and maybe invest in the downloads.

Although I have used these on fabric they can be printed onto anything that will go into your printer.

What about acetate, now there's an idea for a future project.

 

Bye for now, wishing you lots of creative moments,

Angela x