Fabric Elements – Peltex and Lutradur

An introduction may be necessary for Peltex and Lutradur. These are two materials that a lot of scrapbookers, quilters and sewists don’t have a personal relationship with – and you should! Once you use them in your mixed media art, you’ll find more ways to be creative with them. We have them packaged together, two 8” x 10” sheets of Peltex (black and a white) and an 8” x 20” piece of Lutradur.

Peltex is a very stiff material that makes a stabilizer for purses and bags and dimensional art. It can be sewed through and is flexible, but still goes back into shape after some manipulating. Project ideas are artist trading cards, post cards, or shaped bowls. Julie Fei-Fan Balzer created a fabulous fabric vase for the Creative Challenge starting with Peltex.

Peltex makes the perfect foundation for a postcard. Create word ‘panels’ to layer onto mixed media, giving you time to check placement before you commit.

Lutradur is a strong base medium, a cross between fabric and paper, even though it looks delicate. It can be painted and collaged, put through a printer, sewn and cut without fraying. Use it in layering – glue, fuse or sew it to anything. It doesn’t rip or warp, so even heat processes can be used, if you like the distressed look.

Use it as a base for a bracelet, as Rebekah does in the Techniques book. Here’s a works in progress and a finished bangle. The texture was created using Sizzix Fabi and embossing plate. Yes, Lutradur with fabric can be embossed – a little metallic paint and the result is amazing.

Experimenting and finding new ways to use fabric with Fabric Elements is going to continue through October. I hope you’re inspired to try something new!