Saturday, May 3, 2014

CHAINS, REBAR, SCREWS =ART?


Yes, these items can be used to make great fabric.
You just have to rust them with some vinegar, salt and water.  
Then they need to be wrapped tight and let set until 
you get the amount of rust that you desired.
This type of rusting gives you unexpected results.
The last post showed a more controlled type of rusting.

On the right side of this piece of fabric you can see
the results of wrapping the fabric around the
large chain in the first picture.
The other rusted spots are the result of placing
other rusted items on the fabric as well as some
of the rust that has fallen off the metal objects.
What can one do with this?
In the past I have dyed the fabric a georgeous 
turquoise and made it into small purses.
Unfortunately, they were given away before being photographed.
Sometimes you can see pictures in the rusted areas 
( like looking at pictures in clouds) and enhance them
with stitching.
But, I think that the most fun is in the doing.
I love to experiment with different surface designs
to see what can be created.
The one thing that it is important to understand
when using rusted fabric is that it is not archival.
The rusting could continue slowly over time.
I hope that you have enjoyed our little adventure into
rusting fabric.
THE "EARTH" WITHOUT ART IS JUST "EH."  unknown
gjeneve@gmail.com