Away We Go

View Original

The Process of Making Fabric Leaves

What are the leaves made of?

Two layers of cotton fabric. I am investigating the possibility of creating leaves from metal and other materials that would be able to withstand outdoor applications.

How you make them?

Using cotton quilting fabric, I “fuse” two layers together using interfacing. I then cut squares from this and send each fabric sandwich through a custom die cutter.

Where do you get the fabric?

Right now, from commercial producers. I have some ideas about dyeing my own fabric using natural elements (some I even grow myself), so stay tuned for future work.

Do you make them all yourself? Don’t you get bored?

Yes, I hand-create every single leaf. The process is meditative and it is my hope that people who view these works feel the same energy flow that I do when I’m making them. Leaf production is one of my favorite times, and I get to listen to podcasts, music and sometimes just the hum of my surroundings.