Constructing a Portrait Quilt--Part Four

My latest work on this quilt was fusing and tweaking.  I made a serious mistake not to adhere the fusible (I like Misty Fuse the best) to the various fabrics before cutting out the patterns.  The steps ought to have been:

1.  Cut out the freezer paper pattern and adhere to appropriate fabric by ironing the shiny side down of the right side of the fabric.

2.  Rough-cut out the fabric with the freezer paper still attached around the pattern, not too closely.  Place a like-sized piece of Misty Fuse on top of the ironing board, which has been protected with parchment paper.  (I like to pin my parchment paper down on the board with straight pins.)  Take the rough cuts and place them on top of the fusible.  Cover with another piece of parchment and iron.  Don't leave the iron on too long, or the fusible will melt, but leave it long enough so that it adheres to the fabric.  Checking and experimenting is the name of the game here.  [Parchment paper is a wonderful product and does a great job protecting the ironing board and as a press cloth.  If you do get fusible on your iron, Rowenta has a great sole-plate cleaning product that really works.]

3.  Let this cool and then cut out around the edges of the freezer paper pattern.  Remove the pattern and keep it, if you think you'll make this quilt again.  At this point, I always put the applique up on my design wall.

4.  Now the appliques have fusible on their wrong side, and they are all ready to fuse, eventually, to the background.

I went about this backwards, and so had to adhere the Misty Fuse to the already-cut-out fabric appliques.  Then I had to cut carefully around all edges, making sure that no fusible stuck out along the edges.

Why didn't I do this the way I was taught to do it?  Well, I think I was too eager to begin and didn't realize that it was going to be much more tedious the way I did it this time!

I worked a lot on the boys' hair and like each one better now.  Of course, pieces such as each boy's hair, their clothing, etc.--all this had to have the Misty Fuse ironed on.  Next time I'll do it the right way!  Here are the new and improved "coifs" of the boys!

Dawsons hair

Malcolm's

Locke's