Metallic Inchies & More Rusted Fabric

(Clockwise from top left - Diana Hess, Jenni Strachan, Sally Ambrose,
Charron Trainor, Kathryn Robertson & Kali Neel)

Yesterday's mail was wonderful again - I received (finally) my copy of the Nov/Dec Somerset Studio and the metallic inchies from the latest Inchie Swap coordinated by Kathryn Robertson. It was very hard to get a good photo of these inchies as the metallic bits are so reflective but I am sure you will get a good idea of how wonderful they are. Such variety and so many interesting ideas. They are going to look fantastic once they are all mounted and framed - a future project for when I have time to really fiddle around!

I also participated in the associated goodie swap bag and these are the contents of the terrific bag of fabrics, trims, sequins and bits and pieces that I received from Diana Hess. They will all be very useful and I especially love the fabrics - I love having lots of interesting bits and pieces of fabric.

Earlier this week I had a "serious" go at doing some more rusting of fabric. I was much more particular this time and wrapped the vinegary/salty package up in plastic , weighted it down and left it in the sun for several days. It may have helped that we have had absolutely stinking hot weather all week (in the high 30s or in the lands of Fahrenheit between 100 and 102). I used a lot of quite large rusted items including an old saw. This morning I unwrapped the package and I am really pleased with the results. All of the fabrics worked really well included sheers, cottons, silky synthetics etc. Some of them had been previously rusted so the additional rust has just made them so much more complex in the patterns/shapes that have developed. The first photo was taken as I unwrapped the fabrics.

This is the collection of metal bits I used this time.

This the fabrics on the line after they had been soaked and then washed. Gorgeous,hey?

This is a close up of a couple of the results.

And this is a picture of the rusty pieces I am planning on using next!! (Old metal bands from wooden cart wheels found in the outback by Joseph who thought I might like them!)

Metallic Fabric Inchies Finally Finished!

I think I may have mentioned (!!) that I joined another fabric inchie exchange! This one had a tight time turn-around and I have to post them by Monday so I have been furiously working on them this week whenever I had a chance. They are now all finished and I must remember next time just how time-consuming "small and fiddly" can be!!

These ones are copper Lumiere painted to fusible webbing which is then stamped with black ink and a text image (total waste of time as it doesn't show in the end result!), ironed to felt and free motioned stitched with copper thread. It is finished with a swirl shape added using copper dimensional paint.

These inchies are silver Lumiere painted to fusible webbing which is then sprayed with green Moon Shadow Mist and then ironed to felt. It has then been decoratively stitched and edged with silver thread. It is finished with dots of glue which have then been covered with silver holographic foil.

These ones are Halo Pink Gold Lumiere painted to fusible webbing which is then ironed to felt. It has then been decoratively stitched and edged with copper thread. It is finished with "S" shapes of glue which have then been covered with copper foil.


These inchies are a white organza fabric with gold metallic spots which has been fused to felt and then dyed with diluted walnut ink. They are then free motioned stitched with gold thread and finished with the addition of a large gold sequin star and small gold bead stitched on with gold threads (ends left visible).

These ones are copper Lumiere painted to fusible webbing which is then stamped with black ink and a text image (again a total waste of time as it doesn't show in the end result), ironed to felt and free motioned stitched with copper thread. It is finished with a small piece of copper mesh which has been heated to obtain colour variations and then sewn to the inchie with free motion stitching in copper metallic thread.

These inchies are purple and gold Lumiere painted to fusible webbing which is then ironed to black fabric and then fused to black Felt. The square is then border stitched with gold thread and has a small piece of purple panne velvet and a small gold washed stitched to the top with more gold thread.


These ones are made from a wonderful metallic fabric (bought from Lesley Riley as part of a gorgeous fabric scrap bundle at the March Fremantle Art Retreat) that has been fused to black felt. A squiggle of glue has then been covered with a deep ink foil.

These inchies are made from a cream and gold Christmas table cloth that I bought at a Trash & Treasure market some months ago. I have fused the fabric to felt, sprayed it with gold webbing spray and then edged and decoratively stitched it with gold thread.


The final set are more of the purple and gold Lumiere painted fusible web which has then been ironed to black fabric and then felt. I used a thick gold to add freehand patterning on top, edged the pieces with gold thread and then stitched on a large gold bead. The bead makes the scan very blurry!

The picture at the top is what they look like as a finished set. So now I post them and wait to see what the six sets look like that I will receive back from the exchange. Such fun!!

PS I am away for a few days with work so it will be Wednesday evening before I post again. I am feeling bad about missing this week's Gothic Arch challenge (because I set myself the goal of weekly participation) but I think I will still make one on this week's theme when I get back as I am creating a book for myself of all the weekly challenges!)