1. Begin with properly fired shelf cone 04 bisque.  Moisten a clean sponge and wipe bisque to remove any dust.
2. Cut a piece of freezer paper the size of the floral fabric.  Place your floral fabric right side down, then place your freezer paper on top of the fabric, shiny side down.  With your iron on the highest setting, iron the freezer paper enough to bond the paper to the material.
3. Cut out the Mother Hen and Baby Chick templates, and trace on to the freezer paper side of your floral fabric.  The directions your Mother Hen and Baby Chick face when you trace them onto the freezer paper, is the direction they will face on your finished piece.  Cut out the Mother Hen and Baby Chick using sharp scissors, to minimize fraying of edges.
4. Turn Mother Hen and Baby Chick pieces right (material) side up.  Using the appropriate sized brush(es), paint your design with colors similar to your pattern.  NOTE:  Because of the way the design transfers with this process, the top-most element of a layered design needs to be added first.  Our fabric has flowers made with layers of color; we painted the center of the flower first, layered the next color over the center, and so on.  Allow to dry.
5. Using a CB-604 #4 Soft Fan, apply smooth a layer of FN-001 White over the entire design just painted.  Be careful not to over brush, as it will smear the underlying design.  This coat needs to be nice and even, as it is rehydrating the color underneath.
6. While the top layer is still wet, carefully pick up each of the pieces, and place them face down on the cake plate.  Let the piece rest for a moment, then use your fingertips to press down on each of the pieces, starting from the center and working your way out.  This will press our air bubbles, and insure the paint has the maximum amount of contact with the bisque.  Remove the paper backing.
7. Using a CB-604 #4 Soft Fan, apply 2 coats of SC-55 Yella Bout It to the top of the cake plate, going over the chickens.
8. Place the lace over the piece, pulling and smoothing so there are no wrinkles.  Apply another coat of Yella Bout It to hold the lace in place.  Allow to dry.
9. Using a CB-604 #4 Soft Fan, apply 2 good coats of SC-1 Pink-A-Boo.  Before the color gets too dry, but is stiff enough to remain in place, remove the lace.
10. Using a dot tool, end of paint brush, or end of a pencil, dot the rim of the cake stand and the edge of the cake plate, with spots of all the colors used in the main design.
11. The chicken design on the cake plate should remain in place as long as possible, before removing the chickens.  Overnight is ideal.
12. Remove the Chicken patterns.
13. Using a CB-604 #4 Soft Fan, apply 1-2 coats of S-2101 Crystal Clear Brushing glaze to coat the area where the chickens were, the back of the cake plate, and the cake stand.  Allow to dry.
14. The plate and stand can be fired together as one piece (my preference), or fired as two separate pieces.
15. Stilt and fire to shelf cone 05/06.

Tips for choosing material:

Through tons of tests, I’ve put together a few tips for choosing material for transfer painting.  For this piece, we used a pattern called “Pocket Full of Posies” in the Once Upon a Time Collection by Alexander Henry Collection – we used the pink color way.  We then matched Stroke & Coat colors to the main elements of the design, excluding the background.  My recommendation is to pick a fabric in colors you like, and match those colors.  It’s easier to remember that the dark orange spot is SC-88 Tu Tu Tango, then to remember that you’ve changed every dark orange spot to SC-12 Moody Blue.

We use a neutral color for the background when we painted the chickens (FN-001 White), because any air spots or bubbles where paint doesn’t transfer are made apparent if you choose a colored background.  If you’re teaching a class and will be removing the fabric for the attendees (to allow additional dry time), it’s easier to have a neutral background.  If the piece is being painted for a display and can be touched up after the material is removed, substitute the FN-001White for any light color.

Abstract designs work best – think splashy rather than detailed.  Large-scale florals work very well for this technique.  Whatever fabric chosen make sure there is an interesting, somewhat crowded design.  Too much background, and the design is not going to translate.

Always Pre-Wash the material!  Most fabrics in the store have a coating on them that can repel the glazes.