A TECHNIQUE DRIVEN Blog dedicated to mastery of surface design techniques. First we dye, overdye, paint, stitch, resist, tie, fold, silk screen, stamp, thermofax, batik, bejewel, stretch, shrink, sprinkle, Smooch, fuse, slice, dice, AND then we set it on fire using a variety of heat tools.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

TYVEC

I had been saving Tyvec envelopes for YEARS (where were they now?) so I had everything we needed. We decided to use ProBrite fabric paints because of the mica which gives the hues a warm glow. We tried some experiments which didn't work but when we have perfected them, you'll be the first to know. 

These are the 6 pieces I painted and heated.



I was looking on YouTube trying to find some videos on Tyvec that didn't involve putting it on your house when I came across this one.




So I set off on a Tyvec bead making adventure. This is where I started.



I started by painting both sides of the Tyvec different colors




This is the sea mist green and chocolate bead with gold string.



This is the same material but rolled with the other (chocolate) color out



This is the long triangle of Tyvec painted on both sides and the slits along the edge.




Rolled on to a knitting needle and the end secured with a straight pin.



Very nice.



Thicker metallic threads



Another piece that is really wide.


Secured with a pin


OOO! Crunchy looking but actual quite soft



With beads. You can see the drop of Elmers I put on the knot to make sure it held.



What would a bead look like from a tiny piece of un-notched Tyvec look like?






Looks like it came from a horror movie - the bead from the Black Lagoon!

11 comments:

  1. Beautiful beads!

    Some time ago I played around with polyester organza strips wrapped around a knitting needle and shaped with a heat gun. I got gorgeous beads, but with a big caveat: you can't wear them on top of a delicate fabric, let alone knit, since the sharp edges would ruin everything but a sturdy linen or cotton. Eventually I retreated to stitched beads, although I love the look of the heat shaped stuff. Is there a way to soften the edges?

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  2. Ursula, These are pretty soft. I even cut them in half and stitched through them adding them to a piece I was working on. Give it a try with the white postal envelopes

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  3. Those beads are awesome! I've seen the heat melted tyvec before but never the beads. Thanks for sharing!

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  4. Fun experiments! Thanks for including the video - it demystified what to do with tyvek.

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  5. This is brilliant! I saw someone making these, but only got a verbal description and at the time had too much else in my head to remember how. SO, this really fits with my bead project. I will have to try it!
    Sandy in the UK

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  6. wow! Amazing! Are you rolling the tyvek and then heating it? I guess I need to look at the video.......

    glen: my favorite is the Black lagoon creature!

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  7. I really like the fringe that you cut onto the Tyvek, the melted curls add so much to the beads!

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  8. These are really awesome! I've done this in the past but not had such great results.

    You are wearing a respirator when you heat the Tyvek, right? I've read that it is extremely toxic when the fumes are inhaled.

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  9. These are really awesome! I've done this in the past but not had such great results.

    You are wearing a respirator when you heat the Tyvek, right? I've read that it is extremely toxic when the fumes are inhaled.

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