[wpg]
I’ve been working on some experiments with textures using sequins and bondaweb. I am quite pleased with how they have turned out. Some better than others though. I think it depends on the fabrics, fine silk and net seem to work better than textured fabrics with lots of stitching on them already although several layers of bondaweb can help. As does pressing down really really hard with the iron! I made the mistake of using some kind of tracing paper or greaseproof to cover the sample before I ironed it and the whole thing got stuck down and didn’t come off easily. I wasn’t sure whether to pull the backing paper off while the whole thing was really hot or to let it cool down. I think letting it cool down is the best option as when the bondaweb is still fluid the sequins don’t stay still. The large sequins look good when sewn on with machine stitching (I took care to choose a stitch type that wasn’t too intense so they didn’t get cut right through) and then they melt quite effectively when the bondweb is ironed on top and more sequins added. And they work the other way round too with small sequins underneath. I like the way the sequins melt into each other and form a new surface and some of them turn matt. I think I will be using this technique a whole lot more in the future, it means I can cover larger areas with sequins very quickly which beats sewing them on that’s for sure! But perhaps there is a danger that they might fall off a bit and the fabric goes much crispier so it makes it harder to sew into afterwards – probably worth the pay off though.
