Pallas Athena free-hand machine embroidery or why I don't like tear away interfacing

I'm a dork.  A nerd. And that's OK.  I tell you this because for some reason I think it's dorky nerdy that I decided to put an image of Athena under the poetic raven I did.  Why? If you know the poem then you know the raven came in Poe's chamber and rest upon a bust of Pallas (aka Athena).  I decided to put her on the shirt via machine embroidery since I already had the foot.


This is what a machine embroidery foot looks like. They should cost you about $11 bucks if you don't have one.

I was going to try and do this image, but I couldn't get it to translate to embroidery...

Then I found something that would work better...

I traced the image onto that tear away interfacing I used in the sparrows.  I put it on top of the t-shirt since I didn't want to do the image and have the actual stitching that showed be the understitching.  I pinned the interfacing to the shirt since I couldn't get my embroidery hoop to cooperate with my sewing machine.  I sat down, took a deep breath, and began. Ugh.
I started it trying to stay closest to the lines as possible. I wanted it to be all proper. I learned sometimes you have to throw proper out the damn window and go with the flow. Here's what happened...

You can see where I tried to draw the other Athena. I used tailor's chalk so it came out in the wash. I trimmed the interfacing close to the stitching to make it easier to tear away.

This was all done in a continuous stitch...

Athena's gorgon shield

All in all I like how it came out. Then I tore away the interfacing.  Make sure you have muscles and patience for this crap. It cause a lot of the stitches to loosen and get all wonky. I tried wetting it to see if it would be easier. Not no, but hell no. It's like a product of Poseidon, the water made it stronger, the rat bastard. Even putting it through the washer and dryer didn't work. Poop.
My advice is if you use this stuff, make sure you only use it on the backside of what you are working on. NEVER put it to the front. Pain in the ass!