Oooh, it's so pretty

One of the best things about fiber arts right now is all the new materials and techniques that are out there. I'm constantly seeing things that I want to try and incorporate into my quilts.

One of the things I've wanted to try for a while is Angelina film and fiber. I've seen it mentioned frequently, and thought it sounded intriguing. So this week when I was ordering some other items, I ordered a couple of samples of Angelina, so I could try it out.

It came in Thursday and I had to try it out right away. First test was how to heat it to bond it. I've seen suggestions to iron or hold it over a candle, but finally decided to use my tiny seam pressing iron.

First I just tried arranging it a few ways, a very light net of the fibers, then a little collage of film topped with bits of lace and thread and fibers, then created a little frame of crochet thread for a piece of film, then tried heating the film over a stamp.

I learned a bit from those experiments, including not to heat the film too much, and how to handle the materials. I also was amazed at how pretty it is, though the colors and shine are not easy to catch with the camera.

My first little use of it was to add to a couple of pieces I have in progress. Both are lighthouses, and needed a little something to add some spark. I stitched down a little piece of orange Angelina film over the light portion of the lighthouse, then heated it for dimension and sparkle. On one of the pieces I did the same for the sun in the background. Very simple, but it adds just the right touch.

I've also been playing a bit more with thread painted appliques. For the last pieces I did, the dogwood petals and palm leaves, I layered three layers of fabric with MistyFuse between them. But I've wanted to try with one layer of fabric and a layer of felt, so I pulled out some white felt from my stash and tried it out.

For these beach balls I discovered it's really important to stitch a little in each section, coming back to fill in more heavily. Otherwise you get a lot of distortion, as in the bigger ball. After finishing the stitching, I'm painting the edges to seal the threads, then will cut out and satin stitch the edges, then applique them on to larger pieces.

Lots to do today, so more later.