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Embellishing the Quilted Wall Art with Computer Graphics

Embellishing the Quilted Wall Art with Computer Graphics

by Nancy Devine

Follow the manufacturer's instructions to print graphics on inkjet fabric. Bond them using HeatNBond Lite Adhesive,then sew them after bonding.

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to print graphics on inkjet fabric. Bond them using HeatNBond Lite Adhesive,then sew them after bonding.

Now that the T-shirt top is free motion quilted, it’s time to embellish the quilted wall art with computer graphics. This can be as simple as adding a date, a quote, or even a photograph.

For my project, the T-shirt refers to a set of characters in Doctor Who called the weeping angels. They are truly frightening, but they also have a lot of fan art and quotes associated with them. So, I went on an Internet hunt and found a quote from the show when the angels first appeared, as well as a bit of copyright-free line art.

Copyright-free images can be found on several websites, but my favorite is The Graphics Fairy. There are hundreds of images there, and there’s a searchable database.

Iron on the images to the design. This little GO-IRON is the right size for these types of jobs because you can see around it. It heats up in a big way and creates a solid bond.

Iron on the images to the design. This little GO-IRON is the right size for these types of jobs because you can see around it. It heats up in a big way and creates a solid bond.

I created a file in my computer’s graphics program and played around with shapes, lines, effects and filters until I got what I wanted from these images. Then, I set my printer to “Best Quality” and did a practice print on regular paper. Once I was happy with that, I loaded the printer with a sheet of Inkjet Fabric. This paper-backed fabric has been treated to accept inkjet printing, and is colorfast. It’s fairly expensive, so if I have some extra room on the page, I add random graphics I might need for future projects, rather than waste space on the fabric sheet.

The printed fabric should be left alone for a few minutes to dry. Then use decorative edge scissors to cut out the design. Do this while the paper is still backing the fabric, since it’s almost impossible to do once you remove the paper.

Remove the paper and apply Heat N Bond Iron-On Adhesive to the wrong side of the design, following the manufacturer’s directions. I used the FEATHER LITE version, which can also be stitched through without gumming up the needle or adding extra stiffness. (I used Rasor’s Edge Utility Scissors scissors to cut the adhesive to fit the graphics. I didn’t want to cut paper with my good fabric shears). Once the graphics are ironed on, you can machine stitch them in place and/or use embroidery floss to add the embellishments I elected to do both.

Pick DMC EMBROIDERY FLOSS colors to enhance the graphic elements added to the quilt.

Pick DMC EMBROIDERY FLOSS colors to enhance the graphic elements added to the quilt.

To embellish around the graphic elements, I embroidered a line of running stitches all around the element in one color...

To embellish around the graphic elements, I embroidered a line of running stitches all around the element in one color…

... then weave a second color in and out of the running stitches.

… then weave a second color in and out of the running stitches.

Tomorrow, we’ll finish the T-shirt wall quilt, and use a power tool that’s not a sewing machine.

Aren’t you glad that embellishing the quilted wall art with computer graphics isn’t as hard as you might have thought?

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