Tutorial: Make Fabric Cloth

Precious.DianaTrout

Fabric Paper (paper cloth) rocks. It is a simple technique that yields a material with all of the fabulousity of paper: you can draw, paint, cut. The stuff retains all of the flexibility and strength of cloth. You can stitch away with no worries of compromising the integrity. Handstitching works as well and the more you handle the fabric cloth, the softer it becomes. 

FabricPaper.Longstitch.DianaTrout

There has been plenty of tutorials and articles published on papercloth but I thought I'd throw my own 2 cents into the pile. You can find videos, magazine articles (Cloth Paper Scissors), Beryl Taylor's, Making Paper from Cloth, a DVD from Interweave. I am using papercloth for covers in my upcoming series of online bookbinding classes and I wanted you to have the information!

I love the top piece here where the tissue tore and rumpled. 

On  to the tutorial! Here is the YouTube video and PDF for you. Below the vid is the text from the PDF if you just want to read. Enjoy!

Download Fabric Paper Tutorial.DianaTrout

and the text from the PDF:

The Fabric:

Muslin or other very lightweight cloth; patterned or plain (lightweight quilting cottons can be used)

The Papers: 

Any lightweight papers can be used: tissue papers (colored, white, printed, old sewing patterns)
Paper napkins (separated into the single ply); Mulberry papers or other lightweight Japanese papers; Lightweight book pages

Plastic trashbag for workspace
Acrylic paints, 
Any kind of pva glue, mod podge, acrylic matt medium. Mix some water into the glue to make it the consistency of milk. The glue should run easily off your brush. *NOTE: Lori W. noted (in the comments) that Elmer's glue does not work well. Thanks, Lori!
water, large brush (should be soft), Rag

The Method:

Cut your cloth to size. I am using approximately 12” x 18”
Spread out your trashbag to protect your surface
Use smaller pieces of plastic cut 3-4” larger than the cloth you will be making (trashbag cut, acrylic sheets, freezer wrap)

Lay the muslin on your plastic or freezer wrap.

Generously brush it with glue. Begin laying the papers on top of it. Brush more glue on the paper as you go along. Use the brush gently so that you don’t tear or dislodge the paper.

You can layer as much as you’d like, collage fashion, as long as you continually brush it with glue. Move the smaller piece aside to dry and continue making fabric paper!

When thoroughly dry - and this can take a while - gently peel the paper off of the plastic.Some glues may produce a shiny surface. It just depends how much water you put into the glue mix. You can stitch (machine or hand) on this paper. You will notice that with handling the Fabric Paper will become softer and more pliable.If your paper is coming loose from the cloth, sew, sew, sew to keep the layers together!

Comments

[Sue]

thank you! thank you! thank you! this looks so easy...i will have to do this. i made a couple of homemade journals last year...but they look sort of sad! now I know how to make them POP!!

[Diane]

Beryl Taylor
http://www.clothpaperscissors.com/media/p/323.aspx

[Jan]

Diana, this is great! Why did you use the paste in the mixture? Would it work the same without the paste?

[Diana Trout]

Sorry if that was confusing, Jan. I used the paste/glue mix because it was on hand :). The point being that you can use any glue mixed with water. Just make sure that you get that milky consistency.

[Diana Trout]

Thank you, Beryl! I will put the link into my post! I looked all over the internet for that DVD!

[Diana Trout]

Blog revised, Twittered and Facebook, Beryl! Looks like a great DVD. I will get it!

[Laurie]

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

[~*~ Patty]

Thank you very much Diana really fun watching you play :)
oxo

[Cynthia]

Thanks for that, Diana. I know you showed us how to make this paper cloth in Italy and I loved it then but I appreciate having this video as a reminder. And I LOVE the addition of the paint colour!!

[Laurie Hunt]

Hi Diana. I think you have mentioned this on your blog in the past, but I looked around and couldn't seem to find it, when do your bookbinding classes start? Also, you referenced a "series" of classes, and I only thought it was one class maybe you can elaborate or if I did see it, direct me back to where it was. I really hope that I didn't make this up or overlook it somewhere on your home page! Thanks.

[Jane]

It started with your paper fabric tutorial ... and then it went on ... and on ... and on :) I couldn´t stop watching the rest of your videos. So inspiring, Diana! Now I know what to do the rest of the day ;) Thank you!

[Lori W]

Um - would like to say that Elmer's or School Glue does NOT work that well. I've used it and no matter what the ratio to water I come out with hard fabric paper. The other tacky glues all seem to work REALLY well. Diana I love doing this and thank you for the motivation and simple run through of instructions. Lori W at Art Camp for Women.

[Cassie]

Thanks for this tutorial! I love watching you work, I have your book--Journal Spilling--which changed the way I journal. But to see you in action! Wow! I can't wait to get started. Thanks for giving us all permission (again and again!) to make messes and have fun.

[Janelle Marks]

I made some fabric cloth after watching your tutorial yesterday. It was a blast. I am looking forward to adding some stitching now and using it in a couple of projects.

[Wendy]

There we were, my grand-daughters and me, 6:00 a.m., in my bed, eating apples, drinking coffee (just me) and watching your video. Jeanne, the soon-to-be 8 year-old artist, was fascinated, she's a new fan and has been since she made a duct tape journal.

[Sharon W]

Diana........just back from Stamford Art is You. I missed you!!!! There were no bookbinding/bookmaking classes this year.....sigh. Hoping that 2013 will find you back there, or teaching "live" in some nearby venue. Love this video and plan to try it (just as soon as I unpack, catch up on mail/papers, get lots of sleep, etc etc etc.)

[QuinnCreative]

Oh what fun this is for paper scraps! Can't wait to try this! Thanks for the wonderful tutorial.

[Carolyn Dube]

Thank you for generously posting the technique! I love your style!

[Janelle Marks]

I wrote up my process and linked to your tutorial on my blog.

[deanna7trees]

i enjoyed your tutorial. thanks.

[Diana Trout]

Thanks for commenting, Deanna! It is a sloppy, rewarding process

[Diana Trout]

Hi Janelle, That is great! Could you send me the link? Thanks ...

[Janelle Marks]

I'm sorry that it took me so long to get the link to you. Here is the link to my blog post. http://janellescolorjourney.blogspot.com/2012/10/paper-cloth-journal.html

[sheila]

Hi Diana, I really hope that you are feeling better this week! I'm 56 too and I know all about those aches and pains. I did take up yoga a year ago though and that has helped enormously.
Thanks so much for the tutorial on fabric paper. I have Beryl Taylor's dvd but hadn't had a go until I saw yours. I used Tacky Glue watered down on one sheet and then Collage Pauge on another just to see how they differed. Both seemed to be a little 'tacky' on the underside. Is that usual? I used calico (muslin I think in the US) but perhaps could find a thicker version. Beryl uses wrapping paper in the video for one example and then covers it in a layer of tissue, sweetie papers on another and napkins on another so I've had a go with two of these (not the sweetie papers!). Can't wait for your online class on book binding!!

[Diana Trout]

Oh Janelle! I love your book and the papers you made. I hope my readers will take a look. The stamping was a great idea. Thank you!

[Amy Donohue]

That was fun to watch Nanny!! I think I could do that. It moist make a nice piece of art to hang too.

[ainelivia aka carol ann]

Hi Diana, have just this morning made some fabric cloth according to your recipe, and it's much easier than the last time I tried it, using undiluted fabric glue which turned out messy but it did work and I made some glittery hearts for my Christmas tree.

Like you I had too much paint, so I used a sponge cloth, which I first ran under the cold water tap, then squeezed it out, so instead of using a cloth to wipe, I laid the sponge down on the fabric gently and it lifted the surplus paint and didn't disturb the paper layout.

Thanks so much for sharing. Now I can't wait until it dries and I can use it to cover a notebook or art journal. any news on the bookbinding class? thanks again Carol Ann

[Diana Trout]

Yay! Thats a good idea, Amy. You could just create it as a collage. I always think of it as a base.

[Diana Trout]

Great idea with the sponge, Carol Ann! So glad the paper worked out for you. And YES! The Longstitch, 2 Ways is starting Nov 2. I just sent out my newsletter yesterday and put it up on the Workshops page. I will be blogging about it today or tomorrow with a link on the main page of the blog!.

[ainelivia aka carol ann]

Yippee, thanks Diana, will look out for those posts and check my email.... i will be signing up. hope you are feeling better. all the best

[Diana Trout]

Thanks, Carol Ann. I just posted it! :)

[Janelle Marks]

Thank you Diana. I love your tutorial.

[Diana Trout]

So glad you enjoyed it, Janelle! Its fun to make and work with. Thanks for your comment.

[www.easypaperrolls.com]

Using used paper is a way of recycling. Turning them into a new creation is as good as gold.

[margo]

Can you use mod podge?

[Diana Trout]

I’m sure Mod Podge would work fine. Let me know and I’ll pass it on, Margo.

[Sharon Eley]

I would like to make a flowing cape with matching hat and purse. Any suggestions on how to change the substrate? I usually paint on tissue paper, then try to attach it to a fabric substrate but Pellon isn't flowing. Any other suggestions?

[Sharon Eley]

I forgot to mention that I use dilute Goldens acrylic for painting tissue.

[Diana Trout]

Hi Sharon, I can’t really see using fabric paper for clothing. It just doesn’t flow. One of the GAC (golden mediums) is a textile medium and is very nice but if you want something to flow, I’d suggest a fabric. Good luck!

[Gina]

Thank you for the great tutorial, Diana!

Do you think you could use the fabric cloth as pages (signatures) inside a journal or would it be too sticky?