This is a fun little project suitable for teens and adults. You will basically be “doodling or sketching” with needle and thread over magazine images. Magazines are a favorite art supply of mine. I tend to keep a collection of various types of magazines on hand as I use them in my art frequently. For this project I love using “W” magazine because it is a bit larger than most magazines, but really any will do.
You will need:
- Magazines
- Muslin or other inexpensive woven fabric (solid colors are best)
- Spray adhesive
- Embroidery floss
- Embroidery needle
- Scissors
Process:
Choose an image from a magazine that you wish to use. Tear it out. I like to back my images with cloth to stabilize it a bit prior to sewing. To do this use a spray adhesive like this one from Krylon (any brand is fine). Next take a piece of muslin or other woven fabric and cut it to the size of your magazine image. Spray the back of the image with the spray adhesive and then apply the fabric. Be sure to smooth out any wrinkles. You can trim away any excess from the edges for a cleaner look. Once the adhesive is fully dry you are ready to sew!
Sewing on paper can be a bit challenging but the fabric backing will help keep it from tearing. Don’t worry if it wrinkles as you go. Mine did! You can always iron it when you are finished for a smoother look. To stitch you can really be as basic or as fancy as you wish. I love this book “Doodle Stitching” by Aimee Ray. It has great directions for easy stitch patterns.
You can also look up stitching tutorials online. There are a ton of great tutorials on YouTube. You may wish to sketch you idea out first so that you have a guide to follow. I do on some but it can also be fun to just see how it unfolds. The choice is yours. Basically you are going to just draw with the needle and thread. Have fun and be as creative as you want. There is no wrong way to do this.
The more you embroider the paper the more wrinkles you will likely get. I think this an sometimes add to the finished project, but if you wish to iron them out you can. Just place a piece of fabric over the image so that the iron is not right on the paper. I use a medium/low temp to iron these as well. I hope you have fun playing with these as much as I do! The possibilities are limitless. I would love to hear about your experiences with this project, feel free to leave a comment.
Happy Creating,
Jennifer MacIsaac 