George Weil Blog & FAQs

Felt can be built in many ways using wool fibres as the base. However it is important to make sure that you are using the correct quality of wool fibres. Too coarse a fibre slows felting as fibre below 56's Bradford count (learn more about wool fibres) will not felt easily. Lustrous, fine fibres felt quickly and reduce the time for working the desi

A popular method of making stencils for screen printing is to use the Diazo Photo Emulsion. The screen is prepared with the photo emulsion and a negative printed on acetate is placed on the screen before it is exposed to a bright light source (find out more about Diazo Photo Emulsion). Here is a useful excerpt about emulsion exposure from Ruth Brow

A screen is coated with photo sensitive emulsion and allowed to dry. The stencil is made by placing a "film positive" (i.e. your design printed onto a transparency, or hand drawn onto draftfilm/polydraw using plumtree opaque) on the treated screen, which is then exposed to UV light. Where the light is blocked, which will be your design, the emulsio

You can use Deka L dyes on all natural fabrics including cotton, linen, silk, wool and viscose, although they are not suitable for use on synthetic fabrics. Results from dyeing are dependent on the amount of powder in the dye bath, the fibre content of the fabric, the length of dyeing time and the temperature of the dye bath. Other factors, such as

Creating Cyanotypes The Cyanotype Chemicals Pack contains 100g Potassium Ferricyanide and 200g Ferric Ammonium Citrate. The chemical names sound alarming but are fairly common place. They have no significant adverse effects on us or the environment. The main iron salt, ferric ammonium citrate, is used as a food additive while the other, potassium f

These highly textured, robust papers were made using cotton linters on an A6 Mould and Deckle, (a 250g pack will make approximately 50 A6 sheets). Linters contain partially beaten cotton fibres which are formed into dry sheets that resemble blotting paper. Natural dyes were added to the pulp bath to add texture and interest. Simply prepare the pul

The cotton material for Batik work requires a good finish, needs to be reasonably pliable and be able to accept the resist in order to prevent dye penetration. The Bleached Cotton, the Javanese Primissima and the Javanese Prima all meet this requirement. We recommend both the Primissima and Prima material for more detailed Batik work and fabric pai

Woven Silk Fibres A further variation on the silk papermaking method. Ruth Edwards has taken lengths of dyed and undyed silk fibres and woven them prior to applying the CMC paste. Silk Sea This design, by Alison Bate, has been created using hand-dyed silk fibres and CMC paste by following the silk papermaking method. Other fibres such as cotton or

The Sloshy Lokta paper used for this paper bag is handmade in Nepal. It is a light-weight natural lokta based paper that has different coloured pulps ‘sloshed’ over its surface, leaving a trail of intermingled colours. The potential for stitch, book covers and card craft is unlimited. These lovely little bags are so easy to make! We found this

There are a huge range of artists rubbers and erasers available on the market today. Each eraser has unique qualities to suit different situations and art styles. Here is a short overview of some of the types of eraser and brands we stock here at George Weil. Natural Rubber Erasers The Daler Rowney Mystic Eraser is made from India rubber, harvested

with Sue Heaser This pretty jewellery is made using slices from the Millefiori flower cane and slices from the Leaf cane. Materials and Tools You will need a flower cane reduced to about 13mm diameter, a leaf cane reduced to about 13mm diameter, a slicer blade, a darning needle or needle tool, silver wire - 20 gauge (0.8mm), 10 jump rings, a toggle

with Sue Heaser A simple leaf polymer clay cane will set off your millefiori flowers to perfection. This delightful bracelet was made by threading wire through millefiori flower slices and linking them with wire that has been threaded through leaf shaped cane slices. To make a soft leaf green from bright green clay, simply add a little brown or bla

with Sue Heaser Flower canes are easy to create from polymer clay and make beautiful jewellery. You will need the following materials and tools: Polymer clay: ¼ block each of white, violet and black. Small quantity of golden yellow Roller or pasta machine Slicer blade Step 1 Make a blend using the white and violet clay. Roll the blend thinner int

Silk dyes will produce more vibrant colour results than iron fix silk paints. The dyes penetrate the fibres and are locked within the fabric through the steaming process, ensuring greater wash and light fastness. The results of this process far outweigh any inconvenience as the silk remains supple while silk paints tend to leave a residue on the su

Formosul or Formasol is the active component of Discharge Paste. Discharge Paste is used for removing areas of colour from dyed natural fabrics such as cotton, silk and viscose. Please note that some Procion MX fibre reactive dyes do not discharge and some give a simple colour change. It is therefore wise to test fabrics before starting a project o

A mordant is required if the colour from natural dyes is to remain wash fast. Materials can be pre-soaked in a mordant and left damp prior to dyeing. The mordants can also be added to the dye bath while the dye is being simmered. Mordanting materials before and after dyeing with natural dyes will add extra fastness. Dyeing without Chemicals The qua

Imagination is all you need, along with findings from around the home plus many of the materials from this web site. Newspaper and wall paper paste make excellent papier mâché as does paper pulp combined with CMC (Methyl Cellulose) paste or Silk Paper Medium. This Newclay Dragon was made by 11 year old Liam Farlow Newclay is a nylon reinforced mo

These lovely Christmas Crackers were made using papers available from this web site. The cracker on top and the one in the foreground are made from Metallic Papers which are available from most stationers, while the cracker behind was made with Banana tissue paper which is highlighted by bold husks of banana fibre. Alternatively, the Marble with Go

A stunning gift wrap idea that you just wouldn't want to tear apart! Top Present Wrap parcel with Metallic Paper Take another piece and fold it to half the width of the package, place over first layer and secure Take a strip of Silk Gauze Paper crinkle it lengthways and place over second layer Pinch ends, secure and fan out. Cut-out a Christmas Tre

You can paint bags, canvas shoes , t-shirts and more using fabric paints and the following technique. If you're fed up with High Street fashions and can't find the colours or styles you want, this is a fun way of customising items to create a unique and personal look. If you would like to paint your own bag, this canvas shopper can be ordered from