Journal Quilt

This Journal Quilt for www.3creativestudios.com started as a piece for their Technique of the month. The flower is a tracing from a photo I took and is done on the machine using bobbin work and a metallic heavy thread. The quilting is done from the right side with a variegated rayon thread. The binding is a batik and has beads attached where it meets the piece. The scanner took off 3 of the edges but you can see the bottom area.

I couldn't resist showing this. The leaf is from a house Begonia and has designs I want to work with, so I scanned it before throwing it out. On the plant the leaves are green. The feather is about 2 inches long and one I found in the front yard. It looks like someone took a paint brush to the tip-wonder what kind of bird it's from.

I'm going to Portland's Art and Soul this week and have classes through next Monday, so I'll be back after that to show things I've learned. I commute but that adds a lot of time to my day-45 minutes each way unless there is traffic. It should be great fun.

Quilt

This is a small quilt about 20 by 20 inches. The green "print" is actually fabric I made by putting scraps and threads between layers of water soluble fabrics and then machine stitching heavily to make sure it was all secure and wouldn't fall apart when I cut it up.

I wanted to see if I could use this type of fabric for piecing. IT WORKS! Then to use it, I made a 4 patch and bordered it. The machine quilting follows and extends the piecing lines.

You might be out a little time and supplies when you experiment, but even if it doesn't work, you learn. If it does work, you have a new technique to use.

Dyeing

All of these fabrics were off white to begin with. I decided to try some tea dyeing. Using two generic tea bags, in a two cup measure I made one cup of tea as strong as possible. Then I jammed all the fabric pieces in it and left it for several hours before rinsing.

I'm not sure where the gray comes from, but it is always interesting to see the surprises that happen. Since the fabrics were scraps, I can't be sure of the fiber content, but I thought the gray one was silk. I love to experiment.

Journal Quilt

Another one for www.3creativestudios.com  I would never have thought that I could manage a Journal quilt every week, but it's been a good challenge.

This one started with a felt base then had fabris felted into it with the Embellishing machine. Next came Machine quilting with rayon thread. I painted lace to go on it with acrylic paints.

Here's the back. The circles and the rayon thread created a whip stitch that I quite like.

Quilt

The Fiberaction reveal was yesterday. See the button on the right to check out the other pieces.  The word this time was Texture.

I had fused painted lace to a piece of cotton and then layered it with a green hand dyed cotton.  Slashing and rejoining created the wonky checkerboard. The sequins that decorate the green areas are hand sewn down with a spiderweb stitch that is just the base part of the stitch. It looked too blank, so I stitched around each by hand using the chain stitch. 

 I have  found that the big sequins work well for doing Shisha type stitching, because they are lighter in weight than mirrors and come in lots of colors. Also, if you want to change the size or shape, you can cut them with a scissors.-not your good sewing ones please.

Here is a detail. It's been great fun being in this group and trying to come up with pieces to fit a word/idea.

Gifts

Look what was in my mailbox when I came home today! Beautiful hand dyed fabrics from Sue http://suebleiweiss.com/blog/  And the wonderful buttons she made this summer. How did she know I needed something good to happen? It really made my day and made up for all that's happened.

I've had (to put it politely)a challenging couple of weeks.

I know exactly what I'm going to do with the buttons. I've been wanting to make some purses-perfect closures as well as inspiration in the patterns.

Journal Quilt

Another Journal quilt for the  www.3creativestudios.com challenge.

On the strip pieced fabrics I stitched circles of machine decorative stitches-the ones you get tons of, get excited about, and then wonder what to do with.  Then I cut out sections and pieced them into an African fabric. The edging is zigzagged yarn.  It's machine quilted to echo the insets.

Quilt

I kept a decorative tin next to the TV watching area with Ultrasuede, thread, and big sequins in it and stitched, if I "watched" any TV. It ususally puts me to sleep unless I keep busy. It's amazing how much you can get done this way.

I often use the big sequin instead of mirrors to do a form of Shisha, because the weight is less. They also come in lots of colors.

The background is velvet and the threads Perle Cotton and Embroidery floss. It is machine quilted.

Projects

Some years ago I became the family caregiver going where necessary to take care of whomever needed it. I'm not a nurse, trained as a teacher, but nothing bothers me about dealing with illness or injury when that is needed. One time I was stuck without my hand work-emergencies don't give you any warning!

It was a good lesson to always have something ready, so here is a case that I bought from a cosmetic section of the store. It has lots of divisions and pockets for things. I prepare crazy quilt blocks to put in along with the threads, scissors, and needles in a case. Another handy thing to have is a small sketchbook for thoughts and ideas as well as something to write with.

This needs to be a project without a deadline and only worked on in other places like doctors' offices or the hospital. It's worked well, and I have a stack of completed blocks-a great stress buster.

I couldn't resist leaning over the upstairs railing and taking a photo of the Begonia we have on the wood stove. The leaves are larger than my hand span. Not sure where I'll put it once we need to use the stove. It also shows the wooden stamp collection I have. There are more in a basket too. They get moved in the winter, so they don't get harmed by the heat of the stove.

Here is the September Journal quilt for www.beadjournalproject.com  The background is pieced and has a metallic ribbon on it. The seams are hand stitched and beaded.

Gifts

Imagine my surprise when the mail carrier left a box for me yesterday from my Daughter-in-law's mother. We have travelled together and exchanged things before, but I certainly didn't expect anything. She lives in San Diego and is the best antique, estate, and garage saler I've ever met.

The pin she said reminded her of me and is perfect. She found it on ebay. I'll wear it to the guild meeting which is on using old linens in our work. It will be on a jacket that is decorated with crochet motifs she also sent me.

These yarns were also in the box and perfect for the felted backgrounds I've been making recently. The green is so soft and will edge the journal quilts. It made my day.