This sixth and last evaluation submit beneath, is about utilizing sheer materials: netting, tulle, and different semi-transparent materials. I typically use these close to the tip of the collage course of so as to add extra element or a spot of shade or splash of one thing shiny—you’ll be able to see a few of these materials being auditioned within the fish photograph above. I simply love working with these translucent and ornamental materials and assume you’ll, too. An opportunity to play with (and acquire!) one other kind of cloth!
After a brief and candy break from educating cloth collage over the vacations, my schedule is heating up once more. Subsequent week begins our five-day January 2025 Dwell On-line Class, then three weeks from at present begins my Fantastical Fish Comply with-Alongside Zoom class. In preparation for that Fish Comply with-Alongside (or some other 2025 class or only a recent cloth collage begin to the brand new 12 months), we’ve been publishing this evaluation of the fundamentals of the material collage approach. Beforehand we coated selecting cloth, making a palette for material collage, gluing, working in sequence, and backgrounds.
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The Fantastical Fish Comply with Alongside in February, will use a fish sample (of your personal design or one which you’ll select from my assortment) with a 2025 give attention to “mixing”—one in every of my most requested about abilities—the method of utilizing the colours, values, and prints in materials to merge one into one other, typically to create the phantasm of kind, with highlights and shadows.
The Bugs and Butterflies Comply with Alongside in June and July (additionally your personal design or primarily based on my patterns), will give attention to butterflies and the right way to method the flowing and colourful shapes of their fascinating wings. Study what to search for in your materials and the right way to work with their printed designs to create motion and kind—letting the material do a lot of the be just right for you.
Use the hyperlinks beneath to register for these four-week courses, held every Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. japanese time.
Within the meantime, particularly if you’re new to cloth collage, it could be useful to evaluation the fundamentals by means of all six of our Cloth Collage Overview collection of posts (see hyperlinks above) masking the material collage approach earlier than these courses start.
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February 6, 13, 20, 27, 2025 — 7 pm, Jap Time
Fantastical Cloth Collage Fish Zoom Comply with-Alongside
REGISTER HERE
Value: $78
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July 24, 31, August 7, 14, 2025 — 7 pm, Jap Time
Fascinating Cloth Collage Bugs and Butterflies Zoom Comply with-Alongside
REGISTER HERE
Value: $78
Additional Susan Carlson Studying Assets: Susan Carlson Quilts web site, patterns, weblog (basically), YouTube movies, Spiral eWorkshop, Patreon, and our February Fantastical Fish and Summertime’s Fascinating Bugs and Butterfly Work-Alongs
Utilizing Sheer, Netting, and different Semi-Clear Materials
First printed January 7, 2017.
It isn’t at all times clear to those that haven’t seen my work in individual how a lot netting, tulle and different semi-transparent cloth I exploit in my quilts. For simplicity’s sake I’m going to name all of them sheers (although sheer is a kind of material itself).
I exploit these materials close to the tip—or last draft—of my piecing so as to add a last layer of element. They’re one of many final issues I think about, clearly, as a result of they’re clear and should be positioned on prime of different cloth—such because the collaged picture.
Sheers serve a number of functions. I exploit them to create highlights and shadows. They can be utilized to easy the transition between materials. And so they add visible curiosity, some glitz, when wanted. In different phrases, they modify, with out fully overpowering, the look of the material beneath. The impact will be delicate or it may be putting.
Netting, lace, organza, chiffon, tulle (additionally referred to as bridal phantasm)—I exploit all of it. I’ve actually dozens of them in several colours, prints, weights. They are usually polyester, which is normally fairly cheap, making them doubly arduous to withstand.
And—shock, shock—I favor to make use of sheers which have a print in them. Plain netting is okay, however why use it when there are such a lot of with scrumptious prints to select from that may assist outline kind or add curiosity. I’m particularly keen on flocked netting or netting studded with glitter.
Many individuals who noticed “Crocodylus Smylus” in Houston on the Worldwide Quilt Pageant remarked that they hadn’t identified how a lot “bling” I had utilized in creating her. It’s arduous to see besides in individual as many images don’t choose it up. Most of it was added utilizing glitter-studded netting.
I don’t use sheers in all my items. I’m pondering particularly of “Dixie Dingo Dreaming,” the portrait of my canine Pippin, by which I used no sheers in any respect. I had a pair causes for abstaining. First, I had made it my aim to make use of solely Aboriginal-themed (cotton print) materials—to suit with the “dingo” Australian theme. Second, I used no glitzy supplies as a result of Pippin wasn’t a glitzy kind of canine. She was a extra of a roll-in-dead-fish kind of canine.
However, “Golden Temple of the Good Ladies” has a good quantity of sparkle. They’re all ladies, they’re our princesses, so including sparkle appeared like a pure factor to do.
An Instance
As I mentioned earlier, I principally use sheers in 4 methods. I’ve already demonstrated within the above video how I used glitz in Stevie the crocodile, so I’ll use one other quilt, “Polka Dodo,” to point out examples of the opposite 3 ways sheers can be utilized—although glitz was positively an enormous a part of his look.
So as to add glitz- So as to add highlights
- So as to add shadows
- To melt or mix materials
First the quilt:
There’s a whole lot of dimensionality to “Polka Dodo.” No less than there’s a whole lot of dimensionality to the completed piece. Check out the quilt earlier than any sheers had been utilized.
Now take a look at his head after I used sheers so as to add highlights with some white noticed netting. By the best way, I set myself the problem of utilizing solely polka dotted materials—together with the sheers—in “Polka Dodo.”
Take a look at the sunshine sheers on the neck, head and cheek. Using mild sheers helps to carry that a part of the picture ahead. I additionally used it on his again, as if the sunshine had been shining from above. Discover that a lot of the sheer shouldn’t be easy netting, however is iridescent or metallic polka dots. The identical is true of the shadow on the decrease jaw and neck. These black polka dots are literally black flocked netting.
Let’s transfer on to utilizing sheers for shadows in different elements of the quilt.
The shadow below his toes is a profitable and easy use of sheer cloth. A medium weight netting embedded with tiny polka dots overlays the world defining Dodo’s shadow, shading the underlaying cloth, identical to a shadow would in real-life. It’s troublesome to see however there may be additionally a darkish sheer below his floofy tail and round his wing. In each circumstances, making a shadow helped to outline these physique elements and produce them visually ahead.
Lastly, and maybe least apparent is using sheers to mix. Take a look at the white polka-dotted sheer on prime of the wing.
To my thoughts, the wing was too difficult earlier than. Fascinating because it was, all these particular person items of material competed for consideration with each other. I wanted to unify them by some means so the viewer noticed “wing” earlier than they noticed “curly blue and pink feathers.” The white noticed sheer overlaying the wing helps to decrease the distinction between the feathers. It blends them collectively to intensify the stubby wing form. (It additionally lightened the general shade of the wing, bringing it ahead and serving to to separate it visually from the physique.)
How To
In school, once we get to the stage of including sheers, my college students don’t know the right way to proceed. How is it completed? Do you actually simply carry on utilizing glue?
Sure.
It takes a bit of finesse however glue will get the job completed. Reduce the sheer simply as you’ll minimize any cloth for material collage, to the precise form you need it. Somewhat than making use of the glue to the sheer, put just a few dabs (not a glop or line) of glue on the material you wish to adhere the sheer to. Then smear the glue along with your finger till you’ll be able to now not see it. At that time, the glue remains to be cheesy sufficient to stay the sheer to it. When making use of sheers, I inform my college students to make use of a consciously lighter contact with the glue.
Then, after all, your quilting will maintain the sheers—and all of your materials—in place.
No Discrimination
I hope this submit drives dwelling the truth that any cloth can be utilized for material collage. Some could also be extra helpful than others, however your creativeness shouldn’t be restricted by believing you could solely use cottons or solely use opaque materials. There are not any guidelines, which will be unsettling at first. Maintain at it. You’ll get used to it.