C&T Publishing Blog » Inspiration

Add interest to quilts with Ultra-Light Lutradur

Tristan Gallagher — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:10:39 +0000

When we put a call out to our Creative Troupe to put their ideas and talent to a new product, the results always amaze us. The following collection of art quilts, show a variety of ways to use Ultra-Light Lutradur^®. Some take advantage of the translucent quality while others make use of heat effects, paintablilty, etc. All approaches produced awesome effects. The above quilt by Creative Troupe member and author Marie Johansen shows the effects of printing directly onto Lutradur and layering it over commercial silk. Beautiful!

In Green Windows, Angela Huddart sews the Lutadur layer on top, quilts over it and then heat cuts alternating squares to remove the Lutradur. This shows the layering and gives the quilt variety in texture.

Deb Kolar approached her Summer Sky art quilt by painting the Ultra-Light Lutradurlayers first, tearing them into clouds and sun shapes, then thread painting for final effect.

In In the Arbor by Melinda Cornish, she draws, then paint fills her floral image onto Lutradur. After thread painting she loosely heat melts the Lutradur all over. Added bling with beadwork offers the final touch.

Tropical Sea Postcard by Susan Slesinger has a painted and layered Lutradur background creating a home for fish.

View more Lutadur designs by the Creative Troupe on our Flickr Page.

Ruffled Lutradur Embellishments

Sue Astroth — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 14:31:16 +0000

When I was working on the over-the-top top hat project last Halloween, I played with some Lutradur^® to see if I could make some embellishments. I had heard about the material before, but never had the chance to “play” with any.

I checked out Lesley Riley’s book Fabulous Fabric Art with Lutradur and was amazed at what she created using the flexible material. Wow—it really was easy to cut, and even more fun to melt! I had a vision of something three-dimensional and was able to create a ruffle with just a little preparation. Here is how I did it….

First, cut a 3” strip of Lutradur.
Then sew a gathering stitch down the middle of the strip (I used blue here just so you could see the stitching).
Tie the threads in a knot on one end of the Lutradur to hold the soon-to-be gathers in place.
From the other end of the strip, start gathering up the material.
To hold the gathers in place on this end, I placed a pin and wrapped the thread around it in a figure 8 pattern. Now for the fun part…..
Using a heat or embossing tool, start heating the gathered Lutradur. BE patient….It takes a few minutes for the material to start melting. For better control over the results, move the heat tool back and forth, stopping and starting the tool till you have the result you want.

If you want a longer ruffle, overlap the ends of your sheets of Lutradur by 1/2″ – 1″ as you are sewing your gathering stitch.

Since I was just creating a sample of how to create a ruffle for this blog post, the sewing machine gathering stitch worked just fine. If I was going to create a very long ruffle, I would probably create my gathering stitches by stitching a long zig-zag stitch over a very strong cord so it would not break as I was manipulating the Lutradur into the ruffle I wanted.

Now that you have finished your ruffle, you can paint the piece or add other embellishments, beads or pearls for a little extra wow!

Now that Ultra-Light Lutradur is available, I’d love to see it used for this technique. Lacy ruffles sound sublime!

Everyday Inspiration

Diane Pedersen — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 14:21:51 +0000

A creative life is filled with challenges and rewards, puzzles and curiosities. This ongoing series of poems attempts to express the “Aha”s and “What if”s, the deep ponderings and casual observations of an inquiring mind trying to make sense of reality. May it serve, for you, as a bit of “Everyday Inspiration” along your own creative path.

Never

Underestimate

The power

Of making

Something

Easier—

The result

Will be

Joyful satisfaction

And

Lack of resistance

Towards

Doing it

Again!

Everyday Inspiration

Diane Pedersen — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 14:43:50 +0000

We do—

What we

Make time

For.

Are you

Making time

For the most important

Things

In your

Life?

August Creative Troupe Round Up

Alyice Edrich — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:59:23 +0000

After checking out our Creative Troupe’s blogs this month, I can’t help but think about getting a jumpstart on Christmas! Here are just some of the really fun projects I found to help you jumpstart your own creative muse.

Stefanie Girard is a whiz with a crochet needle and sewing machine, don’t you think? This little kitty is named Jane Doe and she loves to be in the kitchen.

In her post, Stefanie shares the online tutorial for creating the crocheted cat, and the book that inspired the apron. Get a headstart on your Christmas shopping by creating this pet for the cat lover in your life.

Metal embossing anyone? Marie Johansen shares her struggles with creating an embossed metal accent along with her recommendations for three books that are sure to help you create something just as lovely.

Did Disney’s latest rendition of Alice In Wonderland spark a new interest (or rekindle an old one) in the beloved fairytale? Then you are going to fall in love with Melinda Cornish’s latest creation! She created an absolutely stunning apron with vibrant colors and whimsical fun—and it’s all based on the story of Alice in Wonderland.

Lorraine, of Love Of Collage, shares how you can create a cute gift by de-stashing your studio. This gorgeous wooden frame is created completely out of the stash she had on hand. And the image in the center? That’s her work, too! It’s a photo of her felted landscape.

Gabriella Delworth creates a Multi-colored Crystal Bib Necklace “on the cheap”! Not only is this necklace stunning and perfect for a night out on the town, but it is truly simple and quick to make! I can just see myself whipping up a dozen or so of these beauties for my long-distant friends and relatives this holiday season. What about you?

These are just a few of the amazing projects our Creative Troupe members have been creating.

Have you joined the Creative Troupe yet? It’s free. It’s fun. And it only takes a moment to sign up!

Click here for all the details about Creative Troupe membership. Then check out the Creative Troupe’s blog links here for a little more artsy inspiration.

Everyday Inspiration

Diane Pedersen — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 14:55:50 +0000

We all have

Different ways

Of expressing

Our creativity—

And my arena

Of precision

Is different

From yours.

Where I am

Random may be

In loving the

Torn edge

Or the dust

On furniture—

Yours might be

In a wrinkle

Or a brushstroke—

Who knows

What is better?

Why should we judge—?

They are both

Good!

Everyday Inspiration

Diane Pedersen — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 14:46:17 +0000

Daily life

Is a dance,

A rhythm.

Perhaps

By the time

You die

(If you’re lucky)

You’ve learned

The footwork…

Everyday Inspiration

Diane Pedersen — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 14:32:17 +0000

The crickets

Are riotous—

I can

Smell the

Star Thistle

Drying

On the parched

Hills—

End of Summer

And everything

Need a

Drink.

Everyday Inspiration

Diane Pedersen — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 14:27:17 +0000

When

You can’t be

Charming

And wonderful—

Be civil.

Everyday Inspiration

Diane Pedersen — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 15:09:17 +0000

Art is

About the

Process

Of self discovery

Than it is

About

Making something

Beautiful.

We create

Because we have to—

It feeds

Our Soul.