I did it, I did it!!! I finally figured out how to cut fabric with my die cutter. Hooray! It’s been on my bucket list since March 2015.
The fabric appliqué is based upon a picture of my mother, taken by either my father or Aunt Anna, in about 1942. She was 19 at the time. It’s always been one of my favorites, so a natural choice for learning how to appliqué with the die cutter.
Thank you so much, Kris and Deb (Pixeladies,com) for providing the perfect Photoshop Elements lessons that enabled me to modify and then convert the photograph into a poster. And to the people on the Wearable Arts group (FaceBook) and the Silver Bullet Cutters Forum for your wonderful suggestions!
For now, I’m thinking the magical combination for working with cotton fabric is stiffening it with Terial Magic; using a light-weight, iron-on bonding product (e.g. Mistyfuse or Wonder Under); spraying temporary adhesive onto the mat (sacrilege, I’m sure, but it worked); lots of braying (and praying); and blue painters tape around the borders.
It’s not a perfect product. The mid-range greys don’t have enough variance, etc. BUT it’s personal proof that I can do it. And, that was my goal!!!
Hallelujah!
Ironically, I started this around Mother’s Day and have completed it just three weeks after Mom’s passing. I’m going to just frame and hang it as is, in my sewing room. I’m going to call it “The Gift of Time.” Mom’s presence in our lives was such a remarkable gift. Her passing has given us the gift of time that was otherwise spent at her bedside, or waiting for “the call.” We know she’s at peace now, which makes us at peace as well.