Can We Talk???

This appears to be my weekend to catch up on friendship group projects, and since one can't have too many groups of quilter friends, I have plenty of projects. Today is the fused and inked block (yet to be satin stitched) made using a pattern titled "Let's Talk!" by Custom Creations. This block is one of 9 depicting vintage and retro phones. This pattern is designed for fused applique, so indeed the overall phone structure is a fused batik chosen from the stash of a recently lost to heaven member. I thought this would be a way to include our dear Maria in the piece.

I chose to use my transparent inks to shadow the phone set itself and "draw' in the curly phone cord. I would not want to applique that puppy. I know how, but WHY would one spend hours when inking takes minutes. Yes... to those embellishers that are thinking, why didn't she couch a fiber yarn or the like. I have used such a method and it often is just the ticket, but this time, I wanted this finished sooner than later. The couching foot and machine that fits it are at my studio down off the mountain. I am curled up at home today. Late springtime in mountains are quite beautiful and I'm enjoying being tucked in mother natures arms today.

I know this method will look fine when quilted. This curly phone ink alternative only worked because the background is such a light value. Since the inks are transparent, a choice of a dark background fabric would have likely called for the many hour applique method lest an opaque paint was used instead. I'm not a fan of opaque paints tho as they stiffen the fabric surface while inks... do not!