Playing with Rust

It's just not everyday that I thank my husband for all the junk that he manages to collect around here. Not that I am not a collector too. As you who quilt all know, the piles just start to grow without our knowledge. I guess the same is true for the guys, but don't let anyone hear me admit that.



In the array of junk that is laying around our place I found an old rusted out tray. I am sure there was a perfectly good reason for keeping it, but until now, I had no clue what it might have been. One of those "BING" moments hit and I knew just what to do. I'll rust some fabric. I know all of you have jumped out of bed at one time or another and thought today is the day to get rust spots on my fabric. Especially since those who have to deal with rust in water take such great precautions to keep it off the clothes we wash. Ok, so I am one of the few idiots out there!!! But just let me tell you, it is great fun, and you end up with some pretty amazing fabric when it's over.

You've heard of the pro-verbial "Bucket of Bolts". Around my part of the world it refers to a car that needs fixed more than it drives. For me personally though, it means just what it says!


Aren't ya all just so jealous!!! :-) :-)

You just might be though, when you see what I came up with in all the playing. After mixing a little salt, vinegar and water together, I put in my fabric and then layed it out on the tray, and also wrapped some of the old nuts and bolts up and let them simmer for a few days. The hardest part of the entire process is waiting to see just what you come up with when your done. I was pleasantly surprised with all the pieces, but my favorite was the fabric that layed in the tray. Lots of rust on it, and the front and back were so markedly different, that it opens a lot of doors for playing with it, in projects.






You can see that wrapping bolts up give quite a nice texture to the fabrics.

Word to the wise though, you need to be careful of leaving the fabric in the brine for too long, or you get little holes in it. If you look close at this photo, you will see what I mean. Guess this piece is going to have to have something appliqued over the top of the holes. I like to refer to that as Quilters camo, don't ya know!