This heart is a part of a bigger art project. More pictures about that you can see at
Heart hanging tutorial .
I used DMC's Water Soluble Canvas. The canvas feels plastic and a bit sticky. It reminded me of plastic canvas -this just is thinner and more flexible. Because I used it on a piece of felt fabric; instead of
tacking it on by stitching I used just two pins. I placed the pins on
the edges so that the holes they make won't damage the heart shaped area
at all.
This is my own free stitching design. Which means I had no pattern -just the idea.
Fasten the canvas by tacking it with large stitches around the area or use pins. No matter which way you use make sure the stitched area stays free. It gets easier when few stitches are done.
Stitch the design as planned. If you use pins you can remove them when you can be sure the canvas stays on there where wanted. If you have used stitches to tack the canvas remove the stitches when the design is finished. This is only because the pins can hurt your fingers so it's resonable to remove them as soon as possible.
Cut the extra canvas away. Be careful not to damage your work. That would be a shame after hours of stitching.
Use 40-50 Celsius degrees soapy water. Make sure there's enough water. The work needs to be soak for about 5-10 minutes. Time to time stir it gently. The fabric feels slimy when you touch it. At the end the canvas mets and dissapears. You need to rinse the work with plenty of hot water to get the soap and remindings of the canvas slime away. Hot water doesn't need to be so hot that it burns your hands.
To get the extra water out don't twist the fabric. Place it on a towel on a flat surface (floor for example). Fold the towel so that it is under and on the fabric (the work is hidden between the folds). Press the towel gently everywhere so that the towel absorbs the extra water away.
Hang the work to dry. When it is dry you can keep on working and make it to become what you desired it to be.
