What is the technique?

By definition, thermoplastic refers to the quality of a fiber whose molecular structure breaks down and becomes fluid at a certain temperature, making it possible to reshape the fabric by pleating, molding or crushing. The fabric is ‘fixed’ on cooling and cannot be altered unless heated to a temperature greater than the one at which it was reshaped.

Polyester belongs to the group of Synthetic Fibers. A synthetic fabric is thermoplastic, that is, it can be transformed through heat into new configurations, which on cooling are completely stable.

What are the relevant materials needed for the technique?

• Polyester Organza
• Objects as molds – glass, wood, certain plastics, Yupo Paper etc
  (must be able to retain shape under prolonged period of boiling)
• Rubber bands
• Aluminium Foil
• Pot ( must not be reused for cooking)
• Stove (gas or electric)

How to achieve the technique?

1. Prepare the piece of organza and using rubber bands, tie the objects onto the fabric. For Yupo Paper, sandwich the organza between two piece of Yupo Paper folded into the same origami design and secure it with rubber bands.
2. When step 1 is finish, wrap the whole fabric in aluminum foil.
   (to retain heat while heating and also prevent the objects from out as there is a high chance the rubber bands will break under prolonged boiling)*Note* step 3 must be done outdoor OR under proper ventilation as the gas from boiling is poisonous.
3. Prepare a pot filled with boiling water.
4. Place the fabric wrapped in aluminium foil into the boiling water, making sure the water is enough to cover the fabric.
5. Cover the pot and boil for 45~75minutes(might differ depending on the fabric used), making sure to check back once in a while that the water do not dry up.
6. After boiling is done, remove the fabric from the pot and let cool.
7. When it cooled to a temperature that is safe for touching, remove the aluminium foil, rubber bands and mold from the fabric. Be careful not to stretch the fabric too much while it is still hot, to prevent changing the form.
   *If fabric did not shape as desired, put it back to continue boiling*
8. Let the fabric hang dry.

What are the uses and applications of the technique?

This technique could be used to make special texture/designed fabric, as cushion cover, bags, accessories, etc.

Photos

Organza

Objects being wrapped in organza

Wrapping in aluminium foil before boiling, using rubber bands to indicate who it belongs to

The organza shine beautifully unde light

Origami design for yupo paper

Important notes

Own personal reflections

I find this technique very fun as it allows fabric to become a certain shape, yet still retaining the soft quality of a fabric. This add a lot of quality to the 3-dimensionality of a piece of fabric.

Also, due to the nature of thermoplastic, this method could be redone multiple time to achieve desired effect as thermoplastic changes shape under heat. It allow a great deal of possibilities through altering the time of boiling, the organisation/placement of the mold, the type of fabric used, and the number of times it is boiled.