Barrel Cacti from White Velour

This post will show you another example of using non-traditional fabric in a fiber art piece. In this case I have used a white, stretchy velour fabric for the barrel cacti shown in the foreground.





I wanted this piece to cause the viewer to touch it, so fabrics with nap, shininess and texture appealed to me. I had some white velour in my stash so I gave it a try for the barrel cacti. It is a knit and it stretches. A stretchy fabric can be troublesome, but if you put a stabilizer on the back of it, it is manageable. I used a light weight interfacing for the stabilizer.







 Once stabilized the shapes are cut out and easy to use. The white was a little bit transparent so I added a fabric behind each cacti to make it opaque. It is hard to see, but I used a blue disappearing pen to mark the quilting lines on the cacti.






 Once they are arranged correctly, I stitch them to the background using free-motion quilting stitches. Some beads on the crown of the plant add a finishing touch.

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