Friday 11 July 2014

My boys pixelation is nearly there

Oh what a job... I am pulling my hair out.... How frustrating and what a mess.
Here is the mess with trying to get all the paper off the back of the fabric....

This is what the back is looking like.
I do not recommend doing it this way. If you use too much glue it is very hard to get the paper off.
If you don't use enough, all the 1/2" squares fall off.
What a nightmare...... 

This is what the back of the work looks like after about 6 hours work at trying to get the paper off.
I tried peeling it, ironing it and peeling while warm, a little bit of spray to soften the paper. All was very difficult and none seemed to work better than the other. I still had a lot of paper residue on the back of the fabric....

Off to the workshop I went. A little disheartened that I had done something wrong.
All was good as I was no different to anyone else there. We had been emailing each other the day before, all offering suggestions and support.  We have basted the top onto any wadding you like then put a backing on. I used calico. Now we had to choose a colour to sew with. A general colour that matched the whole picture. We weren't to change colours as we went. We also used a stretch stitch zig zag.. It was coming together very well. There was a lot of stitching to be done. First one direction and then to go the other way.

Because I usually but the cones of thread and this machine doesn't hold them I have a thread holder stand that sits at the back of the machine. BUT, I have lent this to my friends because I don't use this machine very often. I needed this special stitch for the quilting so I had to use the old beauty. 
A simple suggestion was given so I could still use my cone instead of a reel of thread. No need for a stand, only a coffee cup and an inch cut from a straw.

Notice the coffee cup with the cone sitting in it. This machine doesn't have space for a cone to be properly fed into the machine. By putting a piece of drinking straw taped to the top/lid of the machine and threading the cotton through it and then threading the machine as usual I am still able to use the cone without any trouble. No need to carry a stand with me anymore. The cost of the cone is far cheaper for me as I use a lot of the same colour.
A good tip for any one.

Back to my pixelation. I still have a lot of sewing to do......








4 comments:

Gina said...

I'm sorry you are having problems getting the paper off. Don't get disheartened though as this is a wonderful memorial and the work will be worth it. Great tip about the straw. I use a cone but the thread still seems to float above on the top of my machine. I might stick a piece of straw on it as another guide. xxx

Anonymous said...

Hi Jo what a great idea,thankyou for sharing ,that paper sounds a pain,but it will look awesome once you are finished.xx

Ellen said...

So sorry you were having so much trouble removing the paper. Would a soak in some warm water and air dry help?

Thanks for the great tip about using a cone with a piece of plastic straw - that is a great solution.

elliek said...

What a hassle with the papers but you will get there. Great tip for the cone use and I can't wait to see the finish as it will be awesome