The Making of Jack- The Pattern

  The pattern for Jack was made very much in the same way you would make any applique pattern. To make an applique pattern you have to flip the picture before you trace the pattern onto fusible web.

Here is a link that explains making applique patterns using fusible web:Fusible Web Products and How to Use Them

The easy thing to do is to flip your picture horizontally in a Photoshop program.  If you don’t have a photo shop program then you can bring it into a Microsoft Word program using the picture tools to flip it.  Also, you  can make your picture larger or smaller before you print it.  Before you begin to flip or move your your picture in Microsoft Word make sure you format your picture.  I usually choose in front of text.  If you don't format the picture first, you will find it harder to manipulate the picture within the Microsoft Word document.

 

Here are  two links to help you invert/flip your pictures:

eHow Tutorial on How to Invert Images in Adobe Photoshop 7
Rotate or flip a picture, shape, or WordArt in Word 2007

  

Of course, I can't do it the easy way; maybe someday my brain will allow it.  I printed the picture as I wanted it to look in the finished product. 

Then, I   placed the tracing paper over the picture . 

Next, the challenging part began; choosing the major shapes that would make Jack.

After I drew the shapes, I numbered them according to the fabric that would be chosen for that shape.  For Jack, I choose black and white, then five gradient shades of gray.   I placed my fabric beside my tracing of Jack beginning with the black material, shades of gray from the darkest to the lightest, to white.  I numbered the shades of gray; 1 being the darkest shade to 5 being the lightest shade.

I turned the tracing of Jack over and traced it onto the fusible web.  I used Pellon Wonder-Under®, because I found it easy to use a pencil to trace and erase the shapes on the backing.   As a novice, I did a lot of erasing.   Before, I began to applique, I found it helpful to trace the outline of Jack and some of the major white and light gray shapes on the background material to help with the placement of the fabric shapes.

Here is a link for Pellon products:  Pellon Fusible Webs & Adhesives

I preferred  to keep my edges raw; I just liked the look without stitching on the edges.  I used the free motion stippling stitch as a filler for my quilt because I wanted to keep the attention on the applique of Jack and not on the stitches.

Here is a link for a free tutorial on free motion stippling: Free Motion Quilting: Stippling and MicroStippling

Looking a Jack with a critical eye, I wished I had put some shading in the areas of where the bottoms of the pillows meet the background and where Jack's legs meet the background.   The shadows would have given his portrait a little more dimension.  Also, I wonder, if I should have done more with the background.  Maybe, making the bottom third a darker shade of blue.  I wanted a simple background, but I think I shouldn't have made  it so plain.