April's Tart Kit

This month, the kit gives us a chance to experiment with a textile tool and melt synthetic fabrics. There are several things that can be done with the tool and the photos below will illustrate them. Be careful with the tool, watch the fumes, and use a piece of glass as your work surface.

First of all, you can carve with the tool. One example is to layer polyester bits onto a piece of wool, cover it with a piece of organza, stitch and melt away the top layer or layers.

Another way to use the tool is to stitch a motif onto a piece of Kunin felt layered with one or more layers of organza and other synthetic fabric. Melt away either the positive or negative space to leave holes as in cutwork.

Use the textile to cut through the layers of synthetic fabric to make appliques that can be bonded or melted to another synthetic background with the tool. Make little pillows filled with confetti, etc.

Without melting through the fabric, "stitch" layers of organza together. Use as a background or as an applique or insert into a larger piece.

Because the edges melt together when you cut through two layers of organza, you can made little bags, or pleats as shown below.

And last but not least, use the textile tool to mark the Kunin felt with geometric lines and shapes.