Coffee Filters as handmade fabric

Photo © Lucia Matzger.

Lucy Matzger and her friends and family save coffee filters to be used in two and three dimensional works of art.

The kimona, "Cafradice" shown is typical of her work.

The oils from the coffee permeate the filters and give it the unusual discolorations. The filters have been carefully dried, the grounds dispensed with, after which they are cleaned, ironed and worked in various manners.

Xeroxing, sewing, stapling, and stamping are some of the ways to embellish the filters before forming them in different shapes. Durability is obtained by coating each filter on both sides with a mixture of polymer media and umber. The threads are used to tie the filters to the work after the piece has been glued together.

A working artist since 1980, her work has been featured in:
Surface Design Journal, Winter/2002; Cover and article.
"Textile Plus", no. 182 December/02; portfolio.
"Fiberarts", Nov./Dec. 2002; review.

Comments

[Sandra]

Beautiful use of coffee filters - really, really like this work! Could we talk about this on Fiber Femmes e-mag? The site is www.fiberfemmes.com.

Thanks,

Sandra

[teresa]

Dear god, don't give me any ideas. Too late...this will have to be worked into a doll costume someday...