TECHNIQUE CRAFTS 🌸
–USING A GRID:
The traditional method of enlargement involves using a grid. To begin use low-tack masking tape to secure tracing paper over the original design. Draw a square or rectangle onto
the tracing paper, enclosing the image, use a ruler to divide up the square or rectangle into rows of equally spaced vertical and horizontal lines. Complex designs should have lines
about 1cm apart, simpler ones can have lines 4cm apart. Now draw a square or rectangle to match your required design size and draw a grid to correspond with the one you have
just draw a grid to correspond with the one you have just drawn over the image, you can now begin to re-create the original image by redrawing it, square bu square, at the required
scale.
–TRANSFER ONTO OIL:
To emboss foil, simply take the original tracing and secure it to the foil surface. Rest the foil on kitchen paper, use the embossing tool or an old ballpoint pen has run out of ink to press
down on the tracing, embossing the metal below, use the same technique on the back of the foil to produce a raised effect.
–TRANSFER A MOTIF ONTO MIRROR OR CERAMIC:
Trace the motif onto tracing paper, then turn the tracing over and redraw on the wrong side using a china graph pencil. A china graph produces a waxy line that adheres well to shiny
surfaces , which makes it deal for transferring designs to coloured glass, mirrored glass or ceramic. China graphs are prone to blunt quickly but it doesn’t matter if the lines are thick
and heavy. Use masking tape to secure the tracing right side up onto the surface. Carefully redraw with a sharp pencil to transfer the image.
–TRACING A MOTIF ONTO GLASS AND ACETATE:
Roughly cut out the motif and tape it to the underside of the acetate or glass with masking tape. it is helpful to rest glass ware on a few sheets of kitchen towel for protection and to stop
curved objects from rolling. The image will now show through the clear surface and you can simply trace along the lines with glass outliner or paint directly onto the surfaces.
–TRANSFER A MOTIF ONTO CURVED ITEMS:
can be transferred onto rounded items but will need to be adapted to fit the curves. First trace the motif, redrawing it on the underside (use a
china graphs pencil if the container is ceramic), make cuts in the template from the edges towards the centre, lay the motif against the surface so that the cuts slightly overlap or spread
ope, depending on whether the surface is concave or convex, tape the motif in place with masking tape and transfer the design as before.
–MAKING A TEMPLATE FOR A STRAIGHT – SIDED CONTAINER:
If you wish to apply a continuous motif such as a border to straight-sided container, make a template of the container first, to do this, slip a piece of tracing paper into a transparent
glass container or around and opaque glass or ceramic container or around and opaque glass or ceramic container. Lay the paper smoothly against the surface and tape in place
with masking tape, mark the upper edge of the container with a pencil, now mark the position of the overlapping ends of the paper or mark each side of the handle on a mug, cup or
jug. Remove tracing and join the overlap marks,
–MAKING A TEMPLATE FOR A PLATE:
Cut a square of tracing paper slightly larger than the diameter of the plate, make a straight cut from one edge to the centre of the paper, place the paper one cut edge across the rim
roughly cut out a circle from the centre of the paper to help it tie flat, smooth the paper around the rim and tape in place, overlapping the cut edges, mark the position of the overlap on
the paper. Turn the plate over and draw around the circumference onto the underside of the tracing paper. Remove the paper, the measure the depth of the plate rim and mark it on the
paper by measuring in from the circumference, join the marks with a curved line.
–TRANSFERRING A MOTIF ONTO FABRIC:
If fabric is lightweight and pale in colour, it may be possible to trace motif. If the fabric is dark or thick, it may help to use a light box.
Place the motif under the fabric on the surface of the light box as the light shines up through the motif and fabric you should be able to see and design lines, ready for tracing.
-TRANSFERRING A MOTIF ONTO A KNITTING CHART:
Use a knitting-chart paper rather than ordinary graph paper to chart a knitting design. Transfer the motif straight onto the knitting graph paper, each square on the graph paper represent
a stitch, make sure that you are happy with the number of squares in the motif, as this dictates the number of stitches in your design and ultimately the design size, fill in the applicable
squares on the chart using appropriate coloured pens or pencils.
–TRANSFERRING A MOTIF ONTO NEEDLEPOINT CANVAS AND CROSS STITCH FABRIC:
Transfer the motif straight onto graph paper,each square on the graph paper represents a square of canvas mesh for Aida cross stitch coloured pencils or pens, you may want to make
half stitches where the motif outline runs through a box, mark the centre of the design along a vertical and horizontal line and mark the centre of the fabric lengthways with tacking
stitches.
–TO TRANSFER THE MOTIF DIRECTLY ONTO CANVAS OR FABRIC:
With an open-weave canvas or pale fabric, it is possible to trace the design directly onto the canvas or fabric, first mark a small cross centrally on the motif and on the material, on a
light box place the material on top of the motif, aligning the crosses, tape in position and trace the image with a waterproof pen, alternatively use dressmaker’s carbon paper as explained in transferring a motif onto fabric, opposite.
–MAKING A STENCIL:
Take a piece of tracing paper over the motif to be adapted into a stencil, redraw the image, thickening the lines and creating “bridges” between the sections to be cut out.
You may find it helpful to shade in the areas to be cut out, lay a piece of carbon paper, ink side down, on a stencil sheet, place the tracing on top, right side up and tape in place, redraw
the design to transfer it to the stencil sheet. Finally, lay the stencil sheet on a cutting mat and carefully cut out the stencil with a craft knife, always drawing the sharp edge of the blade
away from you.
Amadriadi 