This wall hanging was the happy result of a great workshop that showed us how to layer and fuse various transparent materials cut into repeating organic shapes. Each workshop attendee got a package of neutral colored silks of various weights plus some red and pink silks, some of which already had fusible attached.
We each brought a 20 x 20 inch square of backing fabric, a yard of Wonder-Under (the fusible web), and inspirational pictures or objects.
Many of my fellow guild members brought leaves and flowers; I brought printouts of shells and sealife as well as scraps of other fabrics (blues, greens, browns).
Maggie passed out square of fusible batting and told us to layout the backing fabric, the fusible batting, then an arrangement of fabrics to form the background. I used many of the neutral white and tan silks from the class packet combined with blue, gray, brown, and silver scraps from my stash. Everyone then firmly ironed the "sandwich" so the fusible batting caused the top scrappy layer and the backing to bond to the batting.
In the next part, we decided on what designs to put on our background, inspired by the pictures, or actual objects we brought to class. We learned how to pout fusible web on to fabric, even very thin or delicate fabric like tulle and net.
Then, using the paper side of the fusible, we drew and cut out shapes, tried out various positions, then peeled the paper off the shape and fused it to the background. Maggie emphasized designing with sets of 3: the same or similar shape, repeated 3 times, in 3 different scales (small, medium, large).
After adding fusible web to blue and blue/green silk, I put in seaweed forms. Using Maggie's prepared red, black satin, and sheer black, I added coral and seashell forms. It was interesting to see the effect of layering sheer over solid, and layering sheer over sheer. I was able to start quilting mine toward the end of class.
I enjoyed the class and continued working on the piece the next day, adding the barracuda in the red coral, adding the white jellyfish at the upper left, and adding various embroidered shell designs throughout. I added a spiral of crystal beads to finish the piece.