Double indirect method of a motif: getting the motif ready

I learned the "Frosty" method of mosaic from Ilse and Wilma last fall at the workshop in Watsonville. It's a double indirect method, pretty much the same as using tile tape, except the Frosty can be peeled off before the thinset is set and the tiles can be repositioned if needed. I'm not going to detail the double indirect method, or how tile tape is used... Maybe another time but it's readily available information so I'm going to skip it here.

Getting the Frosty ready

One of my frustrations on the last table top was getting some of the motifs to look round enough. I did all of those with the direct method, where I laid out the pieces on paper first, then move them one by one to the mosaic. Anyone who's ever done this knows that the pieces never sit in the thinset they way they do on paper. Why? I'm going to suggest it's my lack of experience but I don't really know.

I thought I'd try a modified method of the Frosty method for them and see if they could be applied to the table top as sub-pieces, hoping this would help me keep things round. I've done it so far on 3 motifs and love it.

Tape to table, sticky side up,
start putting down glass.

I sized the Frosty to be a few inches larger than the motif on all edges so I can handle it easier when I apply it. I drew a circle the same size as the motif from the table onto the back of the frosty, then traced with my Sharpie so I could see it on the other side. I added some axis lines and marked the center. I didn't use a protractor, but I think I came pretty close to eighths.

I then flipped it over, removed the backing, and taped it sticky side up to my table. I added a center and some red squares and then drew in a few additional ideas.

All done and previewed on the table top!

 I kept cutting and placing glass. The stickiness of the Frosty holds the pieces in place while I work, but I'm still able to reposition or replace pieces. For example, I started with a black center, but didn't care for it, so swapped it for red before eventually settling on yellow (see below).

Once the motif was finished, I previewed it by laying it in it's place on the table top. Hypothetically I could make a whole bunch of motifs if they were all the same size, then place them as I saw fit.

I'll describe the steps to use thinset to adhere the pieces to the table in another post.

The black center was okay, but
not what I really wanted.

Next I tried a red center, meh.

Loving the yellow center.