May with Jo Vandermey and Adventures with Lutrdur

Jo’s Intro.

I don’t remember how I found the “…and then they set it on fire” blog but when I saw the title I thought this group must be the spot to hang out! So for the past few years I have followed what everyone has been doing and playing with some of the techniques posted.

I describe myself as a “sewinggeek” because I love everything to do with sewing and I like science fiction too! I dabble in photography, love to read, spend time with my family, laugh at the antics of my pets and travel when we can.

Although my DD says I have tried just about every craft known, in truth there are a few that I have not got to yet. I have been sewing and doing needlework since a child. Some of my fondest memories are playing with the button box and pieces of fabric while my mom sewed at her Singer… For many years I sewed clothes for my kids, doll clothes, items for school bazaars, costumes for school plays and made several quilts.

I still love traditional quilting but branched into fiber art though the support and encouragement of a couple of friends who did pottery, spinning and weaving. We were “the find it finish it group” having dinner and to work on something creative. The support given by my friends to expand into something that was my own design combined with finding out about “art quilting” has opened my world to explore.

I had a small show at my local museum where I was guest artist of the month with my friend and potter Lisa Skog. She makes the most wonderful Raku Pottery. She designed some tiles for me and I make an art quilt and incorporated the tiles into the piece. Since then I joined in a group project of the Burlington

Fibre Arts group and we won jurors choice in the Tales Tales Exhibit that was held in 2013. It was quite an honour.

Meanwhile I feel that this is the year to dedicate myself to creating. So I volunteered to facilitate the month of May and explore the topic of Lutradur.

Beth asked me to ask a few friends to join me in sharing the techniques… So far I have asked a friend that I have got to know as on line. Elle who lives in Manitoba, Canada has a great blog! This past year I have enjoyed her adventures in mixed media and re doing some of the rooms in her house. I have asked her to share some information on herself and she wrote the following.

 “I'm a junior senior citizen who discovered, make that claimed, my 

artistic gene rather late in my natural life but early in my blogging life.  

I started as a traditional quilter.  Then I discovered mixed media!   I 

wanted to understand and try all the various techniques!  Now I want to 

expand my expertise and develop my own artistic vision based on my first 

luv, fabric.

I can be found daily in the Coop and Saucer Playroom and most days on my 

blog,  ellendacoop .”

 I have a couple of other friends who will join in too and will introduce them as the time comes. I don’t claim to be an expert but hope to present some interesting techniques to use Lutradur in your art quilting and mixed media work. I look forward to you joining me, Elle, and all those who would like to play along or just watch as we explore what is Lutradur and what can you do with it…… and we may even set it on fire!

Introduction to Lutradur workshop and how I plan to do the month. 

How I got Interested in Lutradur

As a relatively new in the art quilt or mixed media world, sometimes I find it hard to focus on a particular area or technique because there are just so many cool things to do with fabric and supplies. We all collect magazines, books, DVDs on all kinds of techniques. We collect fabric, pens, paint, stamps and more. But sometimes we don’t get to using it.

Last year I agreed I would do a workshop for my fiber art group. I was intrigued with what could you actually do with Lutradur and why would you want to…. This forced me to actually do the work and experiment. I work best with deadlines.

I had Leslie Riley’s DVD from Interweave Press 

and her book Fabulous Fabric Art With Lutradur ( C &T publishing c. 2009 ISBN 978-1-57120-554-4)

 I also had some other information that I had seen on the web. With the supplies that I had on hand or could easily get I decided to do as many of the 27 techniques to do with Lutradur. I made a sample book with the things I tried. I did learn what I like to do and what techniques I didn’t like to do. And there are
a few that I would like to work with more. And some I didn’t have much luck with.

So what is Lutradur?

Lutradur is a 100% nonwoven translucent polyester from the “Pellon” corporation. It was originally created for furniture manufactures’ to cover the bottom underside of couches and chairs. The open lacy structures will absorb paint, ink, image transfers and more. Its polyester nature will shrink and lace with heat from a heat gun but also will flatten with a low temp iron.
It comes in a 70 gm and 100 gm weight in white and 70 gm weight in grey. It can be bought by the yard or in a mixed package with 5 sheets of each of the two weights in white. Not only can Lutradur be colored but it can be sewn with ease, embellished like fabric and constructed into shapes. According to the book Leslie suggests there are at least 27 ways to use Lutradur. But if you combine
techniques and use your knowledge you already have I am sure you could come up with more than 27 ways!
Here is a picture of my table as I was making small samples for my tests…

And here is one of my favorite ways to use Lutradur…

This is a printed picture of my grandfather and great aunt on the family farm. The picture was printed on a piece of muslin and a piece of Lutradur through my printer. It is hard to tell by the picture but when you stand back there is a bit of a 3-d effect. The rest of the hanging is the scene extended in fabric around the picture.

So in the month of May please join in with some of my friends and I in a virtual workshop. I will have the resources I found and some places where you can get some supplies if you want to follow along. I will act as your “virtual facilitator” where I will introduce some techniques and show you what I and my friends have tried. Then I hope you will join in and show us what you have created. We will brainstorm together and see if we can come up with more ways to use Lutradur!

 So get ready in May to colour, paint, stamp, print, sew, bead and maybe even set it on fire!

Jo Vandermey

www.thesewinggeek@blogspot.ca