I have completed the 'Ohio Star' block from the pattern for my first ever patchwork quilt. I discovered several things from this experience:
1. I do not like using a rotary cutter. My ruler kept slipping on the fabric and so I knew that as my cutting was not accurate in the slightest, there was not a hope of my seams lining up, and so it proved to be.
2. The navy blue contrast material had a surprising amount of stretch in it, which was not helpful when I needed to cut squares diagonally to make half square triangles.
3. The pattern, although it says it is suitable for a beginner, in my view is a little more challenging than that as it requires quite a bit of rotary cutting (see point 1).
4. I shall stick to using pre-cuts or jelly rolls for future projects. (This will remove the issue of point 1).
5. I shall finish this project as it is a good learning experience, but it will not be perfect in any way. However, I will still be proud because I made it!
In other more positive news, I have been enjoying becoming re-acquainted with alcohol inks. I originally bought them when I was using polymer clay regularly, but since I got sidetracked into other crafts, they had been somewhat forgotten. I got some Yupo paper (a synthetic paper which the inks sit on the surface of) and some Lift ink, and off I went. It was exciting to see what the colours would do. I added some metallics into the mix as well. I loved the vibrancy of the colours. (Being alcohol, there are a few safety issues to be aware of - well ventilated room, wear gloves, don't breathe in the fumes and never put alcohol ink or blending solution in a mister to spray - it's flammable and there is resin in the solutions which could get into your lungs). However, all the precautions are more than worth it for the great results (in my opinion).
These closeups show the effect of the Lift ink, which is applied to a rubber stamp and stamped onto the alcohol ink, holding it on the ink for a few seconds. The ink lifts off the colour. You can then use the rubber stamp to print onto normal card, which transfers the image with those lovely colours.
The bleaching effect is more noticeable with darker or more intense colours. I will be doing much more with my alcohol inks now and using what I create in cards and mixed media projects.
