Decisions, Decisions...

The wedding antependium has been pieced and ready for quilting for a few days but I have been pondering my options on how to proceed.  Silk is a different animal than cotton and needs special treatment.  Using scraps of the white dupioni, I tested several different markers and left them overnight.  The purple air soluble was as bright the next day as when it was applied which is very odd.   It took a fair bit of soaking in warm water to remove the blue water soluble one, and even a bit of scrubbing for the Crayola washable marker to disappear.  The FriXXion leaves a distinct white mark which in this case is not horrible as it is a white fabric but even so I hesitate to use it...just in case.  I've decided in my typical fools-rush-in fashion that I will free hand the quilting and not mark anything.  I drew out my spaces full sized and doodled a simple design which I think I can do. 

I *think* if I eyeball the curve and make the feathers fit an imaginary boundary it will be ok.  Humility quilting for sure...A piece of masking tape across the centre point will give a temporary line to follow for the first straight line which the edge of the presser foot can then echo for the cross-hatching. Last evening was spent practicing the design on the full sized pattern.  Thankfully, I quilt better than I draw as my fingers no longer hold a pen well.  Polly watched jealously all the attention that paper was commanding.

Naturally, when I laid it on the floor to take a picture she saw her opportunity to claim it as hers.

The actual piece is hanging up out of Polly's reach or I am sure she would have that too...

(Blogger turned the picture sideways so you'll have to tip your head over to see it correctly!)  Some collective finger-crossing would be appreciated for the quilting because it cannot be ripped out successfully if it doesn't work.  I would have to start the piece over from scratch.  Oh, my...