Lutradur

Printing on Lutradur

Lutradur is an interesting spunbonded fiber, a 100% nonwoven polyester translucent web, that is a cross between fabric and paper. It has the strength of fabric with the body of paper. It will never fray or unravel. You can paint on it, fuse it, print on it, cut it, stencil on it, stitched, stamped and even melt it.. It comes in two weights, 70wt and a slightly heavier 100wt.


Lutradur - Claire
I have combined flowers that were pre-treated with gel medium and those that were not. The wise advice is to coat the sheet of Lutradur with a layer of gel medium before printing on it and that advice seems consistent with my results. The colors are brighter with the pretreatment than not. The sheets of Lutradur are backed either by a full Avery label sheet or freezer paper as a carrier through the printer. The flowers can be cut out with scissors for a clean-cut edge or can be cut with a heat tool which allows a more organic. uneven edge. Both look fine.

Claire

 

Lutradur - Sue

Sue made her bouquet of flowers by the above-mentioned techniques and arranged her flowers attractively in an oval frame.

 

Sue

Lutradur - Joyce

My first attempt using Lutradur was to print white dogwood blossoms. They came out very grey. An attempt to whiten them with paint taught me that water in the paint only loosened the print and made them even darker grey. I switched to the peachy blossoms I had printed, plus some leaves. The 3 lighter flowers did not have the gel medium applied to the Lutraur prior to printing, the 3 darker blossoms did. I stitched stems on the background fabric, cut out blossoms and small leaves with scissors, attached blossoms with beads and leaves with a few veins stitched to hold them on. Large leaves were cut out with a heat tool for a more organic look. Ribbon trim and copper beads and charms were added. Edged by machine in copper thread.

 

 

                                                                                 Joyce


Lutradur - Candy
I've decided Lutradur is not my thing! I worked and worked to get this just right, but it fought me all the way. The colors were a bit dim, so I touched them up with fabric paints. It still is a bit quirky , but it's done!
Note from Claire: Don't you love the woven basket and how the big flower goes off the quilt?!

                                                                                   Candy