Silk Paper

Making silk paper is fun and so inspiring.
The resulting "paper is so beautiful by itself and brimming with possibilities for future works. Using the silk paper in another work is the real joy!

Silk Paper Making is a web site with clear instructions and ides for using silk paper.

There are also two books with great instructions for making your silk paper and ideas for using the silk paper.
Silk 'Paper' Creations for the Fibre Artist by Judith Pinnell
Handmade Silk Paper by Kath Russon

Silk hankies (rovings) used as the basis for silk apaper are available at Quilting Arts store. You can buy pre-dyed colorful hankies or white silk hankie and dye as desired. for my silk hankie. I used white and dyed with some Procion dye and others with Fiber Reactive Procion Dyes.

MATERIALS:
Silk hankies
Fabric scraps, threads, yarns

A) For silk paper alone or future paper works
Textile or matte medium
lightweight netting or screen
paint bushes, wide & stiff or a spray bottle

B) For future felting or needle felting work
Liquid or spray starch
Parchment paper

INSTRUCTIONS:
A) For silk paper alone or future paper works
Lay netting or screen in a tray or on plastic sheeting.
Separate a single silk hankie form group.
Stretch out silk fiber by pulling from the top to bottom or side to side to desired finished size.
Lay hankie on netting or screen.
Add randomly or in a pattern fabric scraps, threads, yarns, wool or silk rovings.
Place another stretched silk hankie over trapped goodies.
Cover with another piece of netting or screen.
Mix a tiny amount of detergent with a cup of water, paint over the silk layers completely soaking throughout. Blot lightly.
Paint or spray textile or matte medium (diluted 1:1 with water) over the silk layers. Blot dry. Let air dry. When completely dry, carefully peel off netting or screen.
Iron silk paper on medium setting, protecting with parchment paper or pressing cloth.

B) For future felting or needle felting work
Lay out plastic sheeting or parchment paper.
Separate a single silk hankie form group.
Stretch out silk fiber by pulling from the top to bottom or side to side to desired finished size.
Lay hankie on plastic sheeting or parchment paper.
Add randomly or in a pattern fabric scraps, threads, yarns (wool or silk rovings. Place another stretched silk hankie over trapped goodies.
Cover with another piece of plastic sheeting or parchment paper.
Spray liquid starch or spray starch over the silk layers. Soaking thoroughly by pressing down with hands on silk to aide in saturation
Let air dry. When completely dry, carefully peel off plastic sheeting or parchment paper.
Iron silk paper on medium setting, protecting with parchment paper or pressing cloth. You can felt the silk paper to wool rovings or pin felt onto pre-felted hankies, using traditional felting methods. You can frame the silk paper or adhere silk paper to another paper background using spay adhesive or a fusible medium.

Attaching silk paper to wool
I wanted to felt my silk paper to pre-felted hankies, using traditional felting methods. Unfortunately, I had none and could not wait for an order to arrive. I did however have some wool fabric that felted itself in the wash. traditional felting did not work so I decided to fuse the silk paper to the "wool felt" and also onto a separate piece of cotton batting I used Misty Fuse and an iron . Iron on silk setting with parchment paper to protect iron from sticking to Misty Fuse. Let cool. If you used fabric or matte medium to bind the silk paper, you now have a fused felted piece to use as desired! If you used starch to bind the silk paper, wash away the starch with hot water and dish detergent and rinsed again with hot water. Let the piece air dry. Iron again protecting the piece with parchment paper. You can leave edges raw, cut edges even and/or edge with decorative stitching.

Voila! You have a new fused felted piece to use as the creative muse leads you!