Tyvek is a wonderful medium that looks like paper but is actually a plastic. You can dye it, paint it, wash it and distort it by heat which is probably the thing it is most remarkable for. I wouldn’t expect this to last on a top that will be thrown in the washing machine repetitively, by hey you can try!

For these leaves you will need -

Tyvek (the light weight grade)

Lumiere paint in red/gold

Assorted colour pencils

Metallic thread that won’t melt (i used madeira brand)

Sponge/scourer or cork (to pin in)

teflon sheet (applique mat) or non stick baking paper

Heat gun

Scissors

1. For the leaves above I’ve painted the tyvek ( you can buy this through unique stitching in canberra or the thread studio in perth) with Lumiere paint in red/gold. I’ve used it thinly in some areas to get more red and thicker in others to get more gold. Lumiere has a range of metallic and pearlescent colours but my favourite are the ‘halo’ colours that change from one to the other depending on the direction of light. They look a little like a shot silk.

2. Once dry flip and paint the other side.

3. I wanted some areas to be redder / browner so I’ve coloured some parts with coloured pencil to get a range of autumn shades.

4. On the sewing machine i’ve freemachined the leaf stem and veins with gold thread. You have to use one that won’t melt with heat. I found best effect came with the heat gun when I sewed the outside shape as well. Most of my stitching has a couple of layers, so if the tyvek melted back the stitching itself would be interlocked on the other layer.

5. Cut around the leaves with scissors, just outside your line of stitching. It doesn’t matter if you leave a little extra - the tyvek shrinks back into the stitching - areas with more stitching will have less distortion and be the last to dissipate. Areas with no stitching will be the first to bubble and disappear.  See fig 1

6. I set up a scourer sponge (I didn’t have any cork!) on my hot plates (which some brainy person made out of heat resistant glass in my place - but you could also put a glass chopping board or similar down as a work surface and obviously don’t choose somewhere that heat will negatively effect! Lay a thick teflon mat or a couple of layers of baking paper over the sponge - this gives a place for you to pin your leaf onto (so it doesn’t blow away) and the teflon seems to help reflect heat back as well as protecting your surfaces a little.

5. Lay the leaf you want to heat zap on top and pin into the sponge (see fig 2). Where you place pins can be as simple as one in the centre or alternatively on edges you don’t want to shrink back. The leaf to the right started off being a gum leaf shape but was pinned along the edge to get this look. Wherever a pin is makes a ‘point’.

6. Heat gun from at least 10cm away, I started quite tentatively and gradually came in closer - aim at areas you want to have maximum distortion and watch carefully. The difference between a beautiful semi worn leaf and a little blob of melted plastic is only a few seconds. Don’t ask me how I know....

7. Allow to cool! (again don’t ask me how I know this!). I used some tools meant for use with a soldering iron to help hold down pieces or pull them out (as you can still mold a little while hot) but you could also use long metal tweezers or tongs or even small screwdrivers. Just make sure not to hold anything with a metal handle while you are directing the heat gun as heat will travel to your hand quickly. I found using it after the heat gun was turned off was enough in most cases.

8. Da dah! some very twisted worn leaves. Of course if you prefer how they looked before heat gunning you don’t even need to do the rest. I found the lumiere pain gave me a wonderful surprise in that the gold mica powder didn’t vanish as the tivek disappeared, instead the powder granules seemed to travel back to the current edge - giving the very worn away pieces a gold leaf type effect.

I’d love to hear what you think and see any thing you come up with from the ideas in this tutorial.