A Day in the Studio

Horror-Scope today (feel free to follow it if you're a Leo): 

You'll accomplish more now if you can focus on just one thing at a time. You have a wide range of talents and interests, but cashing in requires concentrating on what you value most. Mastering a single skill means that you don't have time for distractions. Remember, today precision counts more than anything else.

Ominous. It is a major snowstorm out there so today I have no excuse to put off making some decisions about the quilt (if indeed that's what it is!) once and for all. So, here is where I am before I start:

The issues are that the transfers onto linen are very stiff and heavy. I have managed to de-plasticize them with my secret methods, but I cannot applique them down as I had intended. I can raw edge applique with the machine but that may cut the transfer edges and I know it will look crappy. I have spray mounted them to the linen backing as sort of 'place holders' until I figure it out.  And I think this may be the answer-  my stash of Fabric-Tac is so old that it will barely flow but I managed to get a bead of glue around each edge and it seems to be holding, at least temporarily until I can get some stitching in there.

I fused down all the sand and surf lines, piece o' cake because I left it on the wall and extention-corded the iron over to do it on the wall.  This thing does not transport easily!
As I glued and fused each area down I trimmed off all the excess fabric around the pools, added more fish and did a little modification to some of them.  Secret is that the fish are mostly leaves I added eyes to-  now they look like koi.  Some are dead koi, but that's what happens to fishes in the sun...tut tut tut.
For the border fabric I found remnants of an old bathrobe I had years ago, and it has a watery look, it's actually moire in dusty gray-blue and is perfect.  And I had a perfect amount for a 3" border.  Good thing because I hate piecing things together to make do.

When I was at the consignment shop right before I left Jupiter, I found a huge (and I mean H*U*G*E) vest made of silk yoyos, so naturally I bought it for something shy of $15.  I made a very long and wide shawl that will be more wearable than the vest-to-my-knees, and have both fronts left over.  They got flipped onto my sewing table and looked like barnicles-  so that's what the rest of them are-  and I am sticking them all around the 'pools'- see below, before the glue solution was upon us.

I have also started adding the beetles, leftovers from a previous quilt printed onto linen when my printer still printed(!)  Good thing I have enough of them, about 30.

So, here is what I ended up with after working all day-  bet you can't tell the difference but believe me, I have made giant strides because I followed my horoscope and concentrated on One Thing.  

Tomorrow will be a bust because I am headed up to Ipswich, whether if is storming or not, laden with casseroles and soups and corn muffins and lasagna and brownies with HAZELNUTS for the beseiged new parents of Ms Hazel herself.