This is red foil with star shaped holes over orange silk with yellow/gold thread. Still foiled, still gold stars, just some kind of reverse osmosis.

I have learned some things about foil.

1. it is very (very) shiny
2. it does not hold or carry details well, implying
3. it works better on large areas than small areas
4. it is only smooth when you don't want it to be (and conversely)
5. the surface is easily roughed up or removed
6. gluing it makes for random splotches rather than any kind of pattern
7. fusible web is tricky in small pieces
8. stitching over it is not productive although it can make for an interesting distressed look
9. don't be cheap with foil – one piece doesn't work over more than one ironing, so just plan on using it in a profligate fashion
10. I don't much like it

Having pushing it around for three weeks, and run out of gold, I think I am done with gold foil. I'll make gold stars on the rest of my red circles for January in other ways. 

In all my fussing about fusible web for foil, I totally forgot that I have six or seven different glues, any one of which might work also. So I did some controlled testing on scrap fabric, and liked the way this one came out. Also, lots of close reds (I think there are three different reds in there, so it shimmers in an interesting way). 

I’m much happier with this one. Although I did forget to edge it before I took its portrait. 

You can look away now, if you are not interested in the more technical aspects!

After yesterday’s issues I dug out a different fusible (Heat and Bond, vs. WonderUnder). It works at a lower temperature, is thicker and heavier, and seems to be working better. I am encouraged by the intensity of the tiny stars – that was not happening with WU. I prefer WU because I usually need to be able to sew through the stuck down fabrics. Heat and Bond heavy weight is not to be stitched through; it does serious damage to needles, and the Heat and Bond lightweight still leaves strange residues. But it is great for foil. 

Fourteen, and a very busy day. 

I had a horse, and a concert, and dinner with friends, and then I remembered I had a circle to make. 

I am remembering why I got so frustrated with foil. It does it not do what I want it to, and it doesn't do it in ways I cannot fix or work around. I don't mind unpreditability, in fact I like working with variegated threads and handpainted fabric. But this looks ugly to me, the edges aren't good, the fusible doesn't hold all the shape of the transfer, it isn't clean…  Two weeks into January, I am remembering why I didn't do much with it before.

And I need to decide how hard I want to push the foil issue – do I stick with it to the end of January, or do I declare this experiment over and go on to other gold stars? Because I still like the idea of counting up to the end of the month.