PCB begins

I had planned to take yesterday evening off after I delivered the quilts but I guess art doesn't play by normal work rules. I drew up the master drawing for the front of the PCB quilt 'See Sound'. All the positive comments for the nudes has got me thinking about my next nude. I spent several hours playing last night and I think I have 2 more planned, but you will have to wait a while for images. I think I'm going to do a female sitting with her knees up as my next one.

I also spent a long time talking to an old friend, who is now writing graphic novels. In the course of the conversation I was reminded that I was planning to make a quilt inspired by the art of Frank Miller. So obviously I had to go and look through my books for ideas. He does some great illustrations of rain. Specifically he has done a bridge. The rain and the bridge are left the white of the page and everything else is filled in with black. I think this idea would work well in fabric so now I have to start looking for either a bridge or a very ornate building.

I've been very pleased with my progress today (especially after a very late night last night). I've drawn up the master drawing for the back of the PCB, and I remembered to write on it before I forgot which way round it went. I've also managed to put all the tracks on the back and quilt it. The tracks are made out of some amazing fabric that Doug at Patchwork Corner found for me. It looks both dark green and coppery, depending on how the light catches it. Even better it can be ironed on a cotton setting. Fantastic, I am kinda prone to forgetting I shouldn't iron some fabrics.

The tracks are held down with steam a seam 2 lite. I've run out of the spray fusible I usually use, which I think has worked to my advantage. I think the spray would have come through the fabric. Also the extra weight it adds will work in my favour on this piece. I want to make the quilts as rigid as possible (whilst keeping them as textiles) so they won't sag when I add the components. To help with this the I am making the front and back as separate quilts and joining the at the end. Each has the outer face with the design on, a layer of wadding and a layer of pelmet vilene. It also seems to be stopping the satin stitch from distorting the face fabric.

Tomorrow I will try and work on the front of the PCB. The marking are only 3mm wide so I don't think I will be able to use bias tape for them which is what I had planned. I am going to try just quilting the details on using the satin stitch I used to outline the tracks. Hopefully the vilene will keep it all flat and strong. If it doesn't want to play I can always start making the blobs of solder to finish off the back side.