Tyvek
Many people ask us about working with Tyvek. Although in the same family as the tyvek found on the outside of houses, the tyvek paper used by fibre artists is not as heavy. Tyvek fabric also comes in a variety of weights, but a medium weight product is sufficient for most applications. We recommend applying color to both sides of the piece as the heat process will cause the tyvek to distort and shrink and you may prefer one side over the other.
The 3 Dimensional flowers shown in the first image were created with tyvek fabric. Painted with lumiere fabric paint, individual petals were attached to the wire forms with a large zigzag stitch. Prior to distressing with a heat gun we added some seed beads with a heat resistant thread. Careful use of a heat gun encouraged the lacy holes to develop in the leaf and petal shapes.
Tyvek fabric is soft and easy to manipulate. It can be cut into strips, woven, knotted, twisted and pleated. In the second image, two layers of tyvek fabric were painted with lumiere fabric paint and cut into random shapes with the slightly larger bronze piece under the teal colored top. After stitching the two together, the piece was distressed with a heat gun. Distressed and painted Kunin felt was used as a base prior to addition of the beadwork. Fabric is easy to sew by machine or hand and remains soft even after distortion by heat.
The third image is a closeup of a piece made by Susan. Here, she has distressed tyvek paper (painted with lumiere fabric paint) and prepared some tyvek beads. The addition of glass and seed beads along with decorative stitching on a velvet base completes this lovely collage.
A few words of caution: It is important to work in a well ventilated area when working with tyvek. Toxic fumes may be given off during the heating process. Many people have developed a sensitivity to the fumes after years of exposure. I have give myself a few days of severe headaches after being too lazy to move my burning to a location outside of the workroom! It is a good idea to keep notes as you will look at your samples later on and probably won't remember how you created each effect! This is not an exact science so be prepared for some surprises.
When applying heat with a heat gun, use kitchen tongs to hold the fabric or paper in place. These beads were made from triangular shapes of tyvek, rolled around a skewer or knitting needle. Start with the wide edge around the needle and roll towards the point. Apply heat using pliers or kitchen tongs to hold the tyvek in place (protecting the fingers from the heat)
You can also wrap the tyvek with wire or heat resistent thread prior to heating.
