Recently, guilloche is gaining popularity. This is a new and quite interesting type of needlework. Carved elements from the fabric decorate the collars, hem and cuffs of dresses. Guilloche is a technique of burning on fabric, which is an artistic carving that allows not only to decorate clothes and interior spaces, but also to follow fashion trends.
Needlework history
Guilloche was recognized as a type of creativity in the middle of the 20th century. The author's method of burning through fabric appeared only in the 80s of the last century. Its creator was Zinaida Kotenkova, a Russian needlewoman living in Rybinsk.
The secret of the technique lies in the use of a special tool for burning out when cutting out patterns on fabric or gluing pieces of cloth to create an applique.
The innovation of the creative idea of Zinaida was confirmed in 1990 by copyright. The efforts of this woman contributed to the popularization of guilloche. There are a lot of patterns of burning on fabric. With their help, you can create various products: napkins, tablecloths, jewelry, accessories, clothing items.
Tools
The guilloche technique is based on working with hot appliances - heaters or cutters. For those who are just starting to work in this direction, a soldering iron with a thin tip is enough.
Openwork guilloche (burning on fabric) requires the use of a device with which to make patterns on wood. Be sure to have a set of nozzles with wide, thin and rounded tips that allow you to create patterns of varying complexity.
It is advisable to choose torches with voltage regulation. This will allow you to work with fabrics of different thicknesses. Reduced stress also makes it possible not only to cut out patterns, but also to fuse the material to create applications and mosaics.
The torch needle can be sharpened with ordinary sandpaper. In addition to a special device, schemes, tweezers, scissors, glue, small accessories and stencils are necessary for guilloche (burning through the fabric).
Do not forget about safety, as the technique of burning is associated with high temperatures. The hot parts of the tool must not come in contact with bare skin, nails and hair.
Needlework materials
A feature of guilloche is that all work is performed only on synthetic fabrics. They do not burn, but melt. This allows you to accurately cut and stick pieces of matter.
The following fabrics are most often used in needlework:
- Nylon. The material is suitable both for the base and for the manufacture of individual elements. This group of tissues includes tricotin, synthetic satin, krimplen, dense corrugated brocade.
- Kapron tapes. The wide color palette of the material allows you to create intricate patterns using the guilloche technique. Fabric burning patterns and vibrant details help make aesthetic tint transitions.
It is acceptable to use lurex, artificial silk, nylon, chiffon, artificial velvet in guilloche.
Before starting work, the material properties are checked. To do this, it is enough to set fire to a small piece to understand whether it is burning or melting, whether traces of soot and burning remain on it.
In addition to the basic ones, additional working materials may be required. For example, patterns for guilloche (burning on fabric) can be applied to foil or cardboard. Finished work is often decorated with embroidery, beads, buttons, beads and other decorative elements.
Instrument Classification
The selection of tools for needlework is large. The main thing is to determine for what purpose it is required: to work professionally or try a new technique.
| Soldering iron | Suitable for burning, but you need to sharpen the tip so that it looks like a needle and facilitates work. The sting is not suitable for working with fabric, because it will constantly stick to it, which will complicate the process. |
| Temperature control knob | The best option, suitable for most needlewomen. The range of work is greatly increased, allowing you to work with different materials. |
| Fabric burner | The device is designed to work with a cloth and pasted with a protective material that protects hands from overheating. Unfortunately, it is equipped with only one needle that cannot be replaced. The lack of a temperature change function is another drawback. |
| Interchangeable nozzle burner | A set of nozzles allows you to create different patterns and lines of different thicknesses. A failed nozzle can be ordered on the Internet so as not to buy the whole set again. |
Tool Selection Criteria
Simple appliances without additional settings and nozzles are the cheapest. They are great for beginners. Professionals are better off choosing tools with different attachments and power settings. They can work with materials that differ in texture and density.
Do not forget that cheap tools will not last long, will not work at a high level.
Fabric masterpieces
Allows you to create original and very beautiful decor items guilloche technique. Burning curtains on the fabric are airy, unusually delicate. There are several techniques for this needlework, each of which helps to make unusual paintings, napkins, wraps, bedspreads and other items.
Guilloche seems like a time-consuming hobby, but in reality it is far from it. Working with a miniature soldering iron allows you to relax and enjoy the process.
Master Class
Consider how paintings are created using the guilloche technique. Patterns of burning on fabric are drawn on paper. We also need a piece of synthetic fabric of the desired color and size, glass and a lamp. A step-by-step master class will teach you how to create a picture of fabric flaps glued to the main material. You need to perform the following actions:
- The picture is printed on a piece of paper. The outline of the image must be surrounded by a bold line.
- The glass is positioned so that under it you can place a lamp for illumination. For example, glass can be put on two books, and under it put a lamp or a lantern.
- Pick the materials to create the picture. It is better to use light fabric as the basis - elements of bright shades look better on it.
- A sheet with a printed pattern is placed on the backlit glass. Above it is laid a fabric from which small details will be cut. The heated cutter carefully outlines the contours of the drawing, which allows you to cut out the picture elements in this way.
- It is desirable to cut every detail without taking your hands off the fabric.
- Details are laid out in the field of view so that there is free space between them. The base fabric is fixed on the stencil with sewing pins and illuminated by a lamp.
- The first parts are glued, which will be overlapped on top by other elements. The sheet is applied to the base, after which the parts are connected to each other by quick movements of the cutter along the edge, resembling stitches.
- After gluing all the leaves go to the petals of the flowers created using the guilloche technique. In the pattern of burning through the fabric, they should be clearly visible. Too small elements are better not to draw. Hold the tip of the soldering iron for a long time in one place is not worth it. This can lead to the appearance of a hole both on the part itself and on the base fabric.
- The implementation of the internal circuit is started after attaching to the base of all parts. Along the internal lines of the drawing are fast and sharp movements of the soldering iron, leaving small holes.
- Finishing the product is completed by cutting the contour. It can be both flat and openwork.
Leather guilloche
One of the varieties of this craft is leather processing. Unlike creating collars and curtains, burning on the skin causes a drawing on it, rather than making holes.
This technique requires some practice, so it’s advisable to get your hand on unnecessary scraps so as not to spoil the finished product.
How to burn on the skin
The process is carried out in the same way as guilloche along the fabric (burning openwork bando, for example).
This curtain decor element can also be made of leather. In this case, you need to choose a material color such that the bando fits into the design idea. Please note that this element of the lambrequin should be openwork, so the skin will have to be burned through. Only an experienced craftswoman can create such items. For beginners, it is best to practice with tissues or perform guilloché on the skin, as described above.
Initially, an object is selected on which the drawing will be applied, and a suitable image for creating a stencil. For the first experiment, an old product is suitable, which is not a pity to spoil. Contrast pattern is desirable to burn on light skin. On it, plant elements will look best. It is better not to resort to geometric shapes. The selected pattern is transferred to paper or tracing paper.
The stencil image is transferred to the skin with neat, thin strokes. To do this, you can use a thick needle or pin. The drawing is burned out by the device already along the lines drawn on the base without taking off the hand.