Let There Be Light

I was prepping my tea towel and thought I would share my "technique" for transferring a pattern. I was given really thin tissue paper type "stuff" and a pink leaded pencil from my mom in a bag of embroidery patterns. I thought it was not connected and I think I may have thrown it out. Joni later told me that was transfer paper and pencil to transfer the designs. Too late. I had planned to order more and Joni gave me the website, but I keep forgetting. Soooo, what to do when you have a pattern that is not an iron on? The web is full of free patterns (just google free embroidery patterns) and I just love the vintage ones. Who can resist vegetables dancing with each other?? A light box would work wonderfully, but I do not own one and can not bring myself to put out the money...so I made my own. Everyone has a window and daylight, and these make a good "lightbox" unless you are Gudrun! She has no daylight. Well you can still make a light box. I use my florescent desk lamp. You can purchase a florescent light from Wal Mart for 5 or 6 bucks. Then you just need a clear rubbermaid plastic type container of some sort. It has to big enough to fit over the light. I use one of the drawers from the school bins. Just put the light under the bin, bulb up, and place your pattern on the bin. Then put your tea towel (or other fabric to be marked) over the pattern being careful of placement... Here is a picture of the tea towel over the pattern without the lightbox.

Now here it is with the lightbox.

Now you would flip the pattern upside down so the lettering was right, but I really wanted the green pepper to the right of the tomato, so I flipped it after tracing the veggies. Viola!!! Done in a matter of minutes. I use the blue marker that washes out with water.

I also ran to the fabric store today and picked my fabrics for the 4 Season Swap piece. This wallhanging is to represent winter, without giving a holiday/Christmas feel. I chose colors COMPLETELY out of my box. Fall was so easy for me. This was difficult. I hope my swap partner likes it. It feels cold/wintery to me. Here is a closer look at the navy. It actually has bits of the same color blue in it. I have the pattern picked out and I will tell you it contains 9 patches, fence rails, and 1/2 square triangles along with some embroidery. I plan to get the top done this weekend and maybe even the stitchery (there is not much). I will then hand quilt it and send it to it's new home.

Well I am off to put the fabric in the washer and the towel in the hoop.

Oh, and pop over to Copperswife to tell her happy birthday. She has no internet as she was hit by that terrible California storm. Her daughter hacked her blog and when she gets back up, she will have some birthday wishes!!!