Bubblicious

Having some fun with my bubble theme. Here is how all four shears read on the background fabric. From left to right: white, grey, lavendar and maroon.

I'm using Steam-a-Seam lite on the sheers. I've discovered that, particularly on synthetics like these, its tackiness isn't always enough to hold it in place until the fusing process. I get around this by applying a little heat while the backing paper is still attached. Then I can trace and cut without worrying that the fusible will pop off and it doesn't effect the tackiness of the exposed side. Here you can see I am drawing random-sized circles to fit these odd sizes of fusible. That circle template is so great to work with for this sort of thing because the sizes (which are many) change so incrementally. Just slide the template around until the right size circle appears.

The circles are not perfect - even using the trick of moving the fabric rather than the scissors, I failed to follow the lines perfectly, but I don't think it's a big deal. I found the cutting to be almost meditative so that when I got to the arranging, I wasn't so uptight about it. Yes, Virginia, I am having fun playing with my bubbles, and am pleased with how things are coming along. The painters tape, by the way, is a guide to keep the design within what I think the finished dimension will be. If this goes well, I may try it again with the same fabric in a larger size.