Lovely Lutradur...

and yes, we really mean it! We brought it out originally on CD; now we have a softback 'real' book as well. We wrote this because we both love lutradur, and wanted to show how flexible and easy to use it is. We also wanted to show you how two artists can approach the same material in a completely different way, and get great effects. The book offers step by step information about colouring and using lutradur, as well as lots of projects which aim to inspire you to use this lovely cloth in a variety of different ways, and to experiment with it. I'm still finding lots of different ways to use Lutradur...who knows, maybe we need to write a follow up...

In the meantime, here's part of the introduction, explaining why we respectively love using Lutradur;

' Every textile artist has a dream material. When we compared notes, we found that we both wanted something similar, despite our differences in our approach to art. Dijanne's work is based on nature; Marion, on the other hand, works mainly in abstract. Dijanne is based in Australia, but was born in the Netherlands, Marion in England, but was born in Scotland. Our work does have some things in common, however; both of us use strong colours and are fascinated by texture and layer'.

So what was it that we had in common when it came to cloth? This dream material should be as easy to work with as cotton, as transparent as silk organza, and have a sheen like silk. Oh, and it shouldn't fray, and should tolerate high temperatures. After a bit of searching, we have finally found our dream material; its name is Lutradur.

So, why Lutradur? Well, for Marion, it is the see through nature of the cloth. The fibres are floated across each other in the manufacturing process, producing a material which is similar in texture to fibreglass, but without hte problems of shedding, etc, that fibreglass has. Even the heaviest weight of Lutradur has this see through nature, and it produces wonderful layered effects in work, that could previously only be obtained by working with silk sheers, which are expensive and difficult to work with.

For Dijanne, the lure of Lutradur is the ability to colour with brilliant, light fast colour, and to control the application of colour. Transparency and layering are also important factors, as is the material's ability to 'breathe' like natural materials. It has a seductive sheen and the texture when worked upon visually appears like felt, thereby adding richness. The material is remarkably sturdy and stable for sewing as Dijanne sews her work intensively bith by machine and hand. The material's tolerance for high temperatures makes it ideal for such things as foiling and controlled melting. However, it is the intensity of colour and the play of colour achieved with layering that appeals to Dijanne's sense of colourand contrast.

For both of us, though, it adds a dimension to our work that we truly enjoy. We hope you will, too. And we hope this book will inspire you to work with this wonderful material!'



In The UK? Click below to purchase; the price is £14 plus £3 postage and packing. SCROLL DOWN IF YOU ARE IN EUROPE OR THE US FOR YOUR DEDICATED BUTTON. Please contact me for a postage price if you are outwith these areas...thanks!

In Europe? Click below to purchase; the cost is 16 Euros with 6 Euros postage and packaging.




In the US? Click below to purchase; the cost is $23 plus $7 postage and packing