Chapter 8 Applying paper to a woven fabric grid

Lastly I dipped this coarse metal mesh through which I had woven stranded cotton. I probably needed more thread but it looks more interesting in real life than the photo!

I used plastic canvas mesh to make strips of paper to surround a piece of drawn threadwork.

I used a strip of the plant fibre as a base and then laid partial sheets of paper over the edges to create a framed mesh.

Next I lay a metal mesh on the cloth and a piece of soft metallic mesh cloth. I spooned on pulp and laid a sheet of paper over the mesh. The soft cloth worked very well but the metal mesh cut through the paper as it dried. So I added a layer of plant fibre ( I think it is) to the back and that strengthened it. I will show a picture of this backing.

I dipped these plastic fruit bag meshes of different thicknesses straight into the pulp. When they dried I cut two off the frames. I used leftover pulp so it was still rather thin.

These are some of the grids which I prepared.

Chapter 4 Making paper

I used cookie cutters to create shapes and I couldn't do the intricate shapemaking withs uch fine pulp so I shall try again.

The last method I found the easiest using overlapping partially formed sheets.

I made paper with to colours using spooned pulp or with a turkey baster. I found this hard as the underlying pulp seemed to move as I put the new on.

I made a T shape using a cardboard template.

Next I tried dyeing pulp but as there was some delay before doing this I forgot to consult my notes and made all the paper too thin. I used marine violet and a mixture of golden yellow and ultramarine procion dyes. I must have left the pulp in the dye for too short a time because the paper is so washed out. I painted small pieces with the original dyes to show what I started out with.

I trapped rayon waste fibres between sheets but that didn't work well. You can see the fibres where I cut away the top layer. Lastly I embossed two sheets - one with Plastic mesh and the other with upholstery braid. I don't think the paper was thick enough so I am going to have another go with the fringing and embossing later.

Next I tried embedding and laminating petals and leaves but I didn't like the wat they bleed colour as they dry. It may be better to try dry inserts. I also tried adding extra pieces of green tissue to one and laminated a letter G cut from a magazine.

First of all I tore up white printer paper to male the pulp and added green tissue paper. I didn't realise the effect would be so diluted so I think you can hardly see the green. I varied the thickness of the paper from the equivalent of one handful of soaked paper to the vat to three.

Collage

I have done a couple of collages - they need stitch but are still wet. I have used parts of the embroidered drawn threadwork.

Chapter 10 Book ideas

I looked at a few possible methods of creating books. I stuck to rectangular shapes in the samples but these could easily be triangles, semicircles etc.

Chapter 7 Alternative grids

Here are my samples. I was not able to melt nylon, lacking a suitable heat source so I used loose weave fabrics instead in the last sample.