Next up in the Untangled Threads Stitchbook is the Tyvek box. I had mixed feelings as I opened this box and saw that the paints/inks needed were not included this time. We had just taken all our old tins of emulsion paint to the tip for re-cycling as we did not want to move with them, and all my crafty paints and inks were packed away in boxes. I put the box away. We moved. I still had no emulsion paints but after a great deal of thought realised I had enough of rather limited other substances- I could make do.
So Tyvek is the material- paper and fabric that protective white suits are made of , used in crime scenes, and it turns out if you heat it with an iron it bubbles.
First task was to cut out the tyvek paper and fabric into four pieces then colour it, mop up the surplus, leave to dry overnight then heat beneath two sheets of greaseproof paper with an iron set to low.
Nothing happened- I increased the heat to medium, nothing happened.
I increased the heat and and added water to the iron for steam, and hey up it began to bubble at last.

So next task create a sample and stitch

And at this point I started to fall in love with the stuff. My mind just drifted away as I slowly stitched, pictures began to form in my mind, I could see rivers and sea, and pebbles, and then other sensations occured, I could feel the stones beneath my feet and the cool of a moorland stream. Honestly it was quite a blissful experience.

For the second sample we were given another larger sheet of paper tyvek which was thicker and needed a craft heating tool- I have one, but instead of greaseproof paper you need teflon sheets- I don’t have any and am pretty unclear what the stuff is- again none included in the box.
I looked at the first samples I’d made and the fabric and thread provided in the box and decided to go with what I had already as one of the fabrics was rather lovely with gold flowers. I reckoned I could cut a bit of a flower shape. I couldn’t as it happens.

But I pinned it in place and began to stitch, going with the fabric, relaxing into it, and once again a dreamy trance like state overcame me. No cool streams this time, nor even flowers, but heat, intense heat.

and fire, a volcano, I kept going.

and I think I have finished. I ended up really enjoying this box, and maybe one day if I need bubbles adding to an embroidery I will know what to use.
