FAQ’s

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions and my answers that I have written in email or posted here on Curiosities808. Check back frequently for any additions!

Iron On Transfer Questions:

Q:”Can you do more than one transfer per inking?”

A: Usually, I can get 3-5 transfers per inking.

Q: “What are you tracing the design onto to make the transfer?”

A: I trace my designs right onto regular old printing paper straight from my printer. Easy peasy and inexpensive. lol

Tinting Fabric with Crayon Questions:

Q: “I tried coloring on a felt square but it all washed out – possibly because it was an acrylic felt square from Wal-Mart?”

A: I have used these same acrylic felt squares to do the tint with crayon technique. So far, I have NOT had any crayon wash out. I’m not sure what the differences could be to make one incident wash out and one not wash out.

Q: “What kind of crayons do you use?”

A: I have used regular Crayola Crayons. NOT the washable, NOT the fabric crayon-just the plain old regular crayons.

Q: “What kind of paper did you use to sandwich when ironing?”

A: I use regular old printing paper straight from my printer. Again, easy peasy and inexpensive. lol

General Questions:

Q: “Why are you doing your embroideries on felt?”

A: Well…Hmmm…

I have other pieces that are NOT on felt. They are on canvas or muslin though, so far.

Let me back up a bit.

I only started embroidering in March. I’ve done many, many, many fine arts ‘other things’…like
watercolor painting, woodworking, jewelry making, metalsmith work…etc. You name it, I do it.
Each has a ‘school’ of thought of ‘use only the best material’ vs. ‘just get it done on whatever’.

So, like each school of thought, so does ’embroidery’.

I first was influenced into embroidery by Inspirations magazine. Filled with top end fabrics, silk threads, exquisite, fine fabrics. Then, I was inspired by Mary Corbet of Needle N Thread with all her versatile mediums of choice. She has a variety of tools and materials that she uses, especially since she teaches children to embroider during her summers.

Mary is my inspiration to blog. She reaches out beyond the achievable to
bring embroidery in video to those who simply can’t read a ‘how to book’ and grasp a stitch. Some people simply cannot just read a manual and learn.

Then I learned of Craftster.org and saw the ‘hip, young’ crowd that gathers there to embroider.

It got me thinking…one of the reasons the hip crowd does not blend with the ‘traditional’ crowd is simply put to resources. So, to meet these two in the middle, I thought that by blogging about embroidery, while stitching on easily attainable, relatively inexpensive fabric, with easily attainable threads, the generations that are interested in reviving embroidery will be attracted to it as well as those in the vintage, upper realm. Those that are already using finer fabrics can see the designs and techniques and surely can transpose them to their fabrics. Those that cannot see that can be involved with embroidery and still leave ‘sewing’ behind if it
hinders them.

Does that make sense?

Also, I’ve shed the idea that anything has to last ‘forever’. Nothing lasts forever. It has been my past experience to witness many crafters worry so over the durability and quality of a piece that it takes precedence over the actual ‘creativity’ of the project. In other words, the
project became tedious. A slave to a standard at the expense of enjoyment. Not only was
that counterproductive to the experience, but detrimental to the idea of gifting it out.
No one receiving the gift feels at ease to actually USE the thing after it is complete.

I don’t want my creative projects to be ‘under glass’ or ‘untouchable’.
Embroidery is about textile, texture; the sensation of touching and feeling.
That is what makes it different from other art forms. It has tactile appeal.
The piece must be handled or it loses it’s best quality.

By showing that I am not afraid to use felt, I am willing to create a design, enjoy the process of
creating it and when I am done with it, I am not afraid to use it and enjoy it while it lasts. When
it has fulfilled it’s lifetime, so be it. I will have enjoyed it while it was ‘alive’, so to speak.

It’s a hard lesson in life to learn. Things are temporary. Enjoy them to the fullest while they
are still around.
smiles,
alicia in Hawaii (who also lost EVERYTHING in Hurricane Katrina!)
Q: “Would you maybe like to write a tutorial for us at crafttutorials?”

A: I am still thinking about this. The site is http://www.crafttutorials.net.