8.17.11

This may be a case of putting the cart before the horse but I started on my quilt label for the vintage sheet quilt (which is being sent off to the quilter today!).  

I had an embroidery epiphany last night.  I found this cute design from Michelle of Scissor Quirk and downloaded it.  Then I started monkeying around with it.  I just wanted the outer design element so I popped it into Photoshop Elements and erased the center design.  

My plan was to just print it off and trace it on to my embroidery fabric (the image is black and white).  Then I got to thinking it sure would be nice to just print it directly onto the fabric.

I'm sure everyone already knows you can iron your fabric onto a 8 1/2 x 11 inch sheet of freezer paper and run it through your inkjet printer. But then I would have the issue of having the design rather permanently in black on my fabric.  I adjusted the color so the black lines were pale grey, figuring they would hide better under my thread colors.

Then the epiphany – why not just print it in the colors I intended to embroider?  That way if anything shows through it wouldn't be as obvious.  Plus it is a good guide for color placement.

I used the color replacement tool in Photoshop Elements and changed each line into the color I was planning on using to embroider.   I also added my name, date and location in the center.  

I don't know how the inks will hold up to washing so before I sew it on to my quilt I have a test one to wash.  

I think the tedious part of embroidering is the transferring of the design.  I love that I can just print it directly onto my fabric.  Of course the size of the project is limited but I don't tend to embroider large pieces anyway.  

(The design is rather hard to see in these pictures -click on the image to see it larger)