Silk hankies are produced from silk cocoons and Margaret showed us how, by soaking the cocoons and then pulling out the fibres to fit around a frame. Weavers then spin yarn from these hankies but we used then to make silk paper. We layered several thin hankies, sometimes trapping fibres and other elements eg dried leaves and seed heads. Using dilute PVA as an adhesive allowed us to produce a useable 'paper' that we then made handmade books and needle cases from. Margaret also uses these new fabrics as the basis for Free Machine Embroidery.
This is the result when you use several different coloured hankies. This example has pieces of blue lace trapped inside it. They have attractive edges and we used these to effect as can be seen in the pictures of needlecases produced
The pink example has lace trapped inside the layers of paper, it was then embellished with hand stitching.
These are examples of members books and needle cases the top and bottom ones are silk paper and the two outside ones are from silk rods.
For some reason Blogger has uploaded these pictures upside down!!!
These are the hearts produced by separating silk rods and bondawebbing them to felt from which hearts were cut, decorated and stitched. The decoration ranged form lace, buttons, embroidery, ribbons and 3D butterflies. Some of the members utilised their card making skills.
These brooches are made from the leftover pieces of the silk rods and the silk paper
