Patti, your chocolate Jane looks brilliant, so yummy. I am so glad you 'got' the batting thing in the end. I had to trim mine because I didn't always cut an exact size of batting, just hacked it off the large bit I had. If you take the time to cut them nicely, and centre them, it works really well.
Thank you Kathy for stepping up and offering to 'run' things for AOTH. I vote for doing things in order, so that rows can be joined when completed, it really frustrated me that I couldn't do that with Jane until right near the end, though I appreciate Klue's reasoning for doing it the way she did.
In this case, I don't think that any are particularly harder than the others, so it won't matter.
I got my 10 yards of black ironed this morning, which is why I am sitting down with a well earned cuppa. Boy, I end up with arm ache, and back ache by the time I have done something like that, and I'm not sure that any colour came out of it anyway (Kona Black).
I have been giving it some thought about how to transfer the pattern to the background - anyone else been thinking about this? I have a light box, but doubt if that would work. So far, the only thing I can think of is to pin the pattern to the square and then machine through it in black thread. I feel pretty sure that I could eyeball most, if not all the applique bits, but I don't think I would get symmetrical loops etc. eyeballing the embroidery lines.
The black machine stitching would have to remain in place, but could be covered up by the applique, and I think the embroidery threads could go just to one side and they wouldn't show.
The only other idea I have had is to make paper templates of each element, then draw round them with light pencil (Sewline). Either way, it's an extra step.
Elle, I think you might have had the right idea by going with a cream background, but I wanted a change, I've never done a black one before and I love the idea of it making the designs pop. I even have my black batting now - that is another first for me.
Can you all tell that I am REALLY wanting to start??? LOL.