Fabric layers in place

Putting these layers together to look like a person can be a challenge unless you have a transparent template to use as a guide.  When I first started, I would place the fabric by eyeing it and then iron the pieces in place to set the adhesive.  But when it started to look like a Picasso, I'd panic and use the iron to heat the adhesive to soften it and then lift the fabric to reposition it.  That's just fine until it's moved so often that the adhesive slowly disappears and the edges of the fabric become frayed.  That's when I started using pins to hold them in place until I was happy with it.

I mount it on a large piece of 1" thick foam board covered in fabric so I can use pins to hold the pieces in place while I arrange them.  It helps to occasionally tape it to the wall and step away to get a broader view.

It's getting there, but still needs a little work.  

Jump forward to today and the fabric is in place.  I've started quilting but it still has a ways to go.  I went to my friend's house and she let me use her long arm quilting machine for the stippling on the background.  I'm sure there's a learning curve, but boy that thing has a life of it's own.  If I were doing a larger quilt I can see how that would be so handy, but for my smaller projects I'm so much more comfortable using my home sewing machine!

I'll show you how it looks when I'm done quilting it.