When I started the Journal Quilt challenge at www.3creativestudios.com I said I would do l a month which wasn't much of a challenge, since that was also what I was doing for the Bead Journal Project. Next thing I know, I'm pulling out samples from things I've tried over the years and putting them in Journal quilts. It's the perfect solution for saving the samples and organized some of them( I like to try things and experiment).

It's still hard to believe that this is number 52! It was a fun trip. Quilt group is today, so I'm bringing them, so everyone can choose one for their Christmas gift. We exchange hand crafted things---or candy. What could be better?

Journal Quilt

I cut a stencil from freezer paper and ironed it on turquoise fabric. Then I used small round labels and page reinforcers also as resists. Next came green paint. I hand stitched around the resulting shapes using hand dyed perle cotton and the back stitch and buttonhole stitch.

The result was the right size as a base for another journal quilt by adding the gold painted strips. It is machine quilted in those areas and edged with Chenille yarn using the zigzag stitch.

Journal Quilt

In a box of samples, I found this painted flower that I did sometime in the past. Machine embroidery brought out the colors more and added definition. It is machine echo quilted with a variegated rayon thread and edged with a fuzzy pink yarn.

Journal Quilt

The final Journal quilt for www.beadjournalproject.com It's hard to believe that another year is gone. This also works for the journal quilt a week for www.3creativestudios.com  I'll miss them now that they are going on to other things. The Bead group is going for another year at least. It's a lot of work to do this for people, and I appreciate the efforts of both groups.

Somehow December seems gray and silvery to me, so that's why I picked this color palette. I had the silver leaf trim in my stash having bought it on a trip with my friend. The beads are clear, so they are hard to see.

Journal Quilt

Another Journal Quilt for www.3creativestudios.com I find it hard to believe that the year is almost up, and I've made a Journal quilt for each week. Now--what do you do with 52 Journal quilts? My quilt group will each get to pick one as their Christmas present, but that still leaves 40 of them/39 of them. I gave one to my doctor this week for putting up with me. Any ideas?

This is another fused one using a print fabric with fish motifs. The leaves are freehand cut and machined in place. It is machine quilted and edged with a zigzag over yarn. When I do that type of edge, I go around two times at least so it looks full enough and covers the raw edge. A permanent fabric pen works to cover any batting still showing.

Journal Quilt

Years ago I made a stencil from a file folder in a class with Beth Jennedy. After cutting it and adding net to hold all the sections together, the piece is coated on both sides with acrylic paint to seal it. I save the cutouts and have the negative image as a stencil too.

This is a hand painted background cotton with Lumiere stenciled on it. Then I used Herringbone Stitch to cover the lines. Another hand pained fabric forms the binding.

Journal Quilt

Here's this week's Journal quilt for www.3creativestudios.com It was done on a very light hand painted cotton. I rarely do light and hadn't really used the piece. The appliques are all from the box of scraps with fusible on the back. It's machine quilted with yarn zigzagged to the edge.

Journal Quilt

Two more pieces of fabric from McIrishAnnie http://quilttilyouwilt.blogspot.com went into this Journal Quilt. It was a fun package full of treasures that she sent me.  Mother of Pearl buttons decorate the center panel. The edging is zigzagged yarn.

Journal Quilt

Another weekly Journal quilt for www.3creativestudios.com   This one uses some leaves that had fusible on the back. They are machine embroidered using a straight stitch then echo quilted. The edging is a Chenille yarn couched down.

Journal Quilt

MaIrish Annie http://quilttilyouwilt.blogspot.com sent me the center piece for this Journal quilt when we exchanged things. It is so pretty that it needed little else. I bordered it with painted fabric and edged it by zigzagging yarn to it.  The buttons are from my collection.

This is another Journal Quilt for www.3creativestudios.com  It's been a good exercise to do one a week and get a chance to experiment with some ideas.

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.

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.

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.

Journal Quilt

Today is Journal quilt day for the challenge for www.3creativestudios.com   This was a piece of white satin that I used transfer paints on to create the leaves. With transfer paints, you use fabrics with a high percentage of polyester. I painted papers with the paints, let them dry then laid real leaves on the fabric to act as a resist. After placing the painted papers on top, I ironed the piece to transfer the colors.

It is machine embroidered to make the leaves stand out-it was a faint print. I used a Pigma pen to make dots along the edges and the veins to add dimension. It's edged by zigzagging a yarn to the edge.

I'm glad Hurricane Irene is past for our friends on the east coast and hope it isn't too long before things are better. Every place seems to have challenges weatherwise, but I don't think I'd like to be in a Hurricane.  We are pretty lucky here on the West Coast of the US.

Journal Quilt

This week's Journal Quilt for www.3creativestudios.com is done on a commercial white on white print that I painted over. It's a fun thing to do with surprises when you see what the print does. Next came more of those Ultrasuede spirals I cut years ago. I love using Ultrasuede for applique, as you don't have to turn under the edges which was a problem for me. They are machine stitched with metallic. The machine quilting is in a variegated rayon and echos the spirals. The edges are finished by zigzagging a yarn to them.

Bead Journal Quilt

This Journal quilt does double duty. It is the August one for www.beadjournalquilt.com and the weekly journal quilt for www.3creativestudios.com  I love getting two for one.

The braid is one that a friend gave me in a box of trims she gave me to use. Crazy quilt is the technique with a pieced background, then the braid was sewn on by hand, hand stitching was next, and finally lots of beading.

Journal Quilt

Here's another Journal quilt for www.3creativestudios.com It's a little different. I've used paper I made, crumbled, then colored with ink pads--the white. The purple/blue is painted Lutradur and so is the triangles of orange The spirals are more of the leftover Ultrasuede-never throw anything out-attached with hand Chain stitch. The background has Seed Stitch by hand. Sequins and beads were also used.

I'm glad everyone like the Sunprints. They are easy to do but be sure to heat set the paints. Thanks to everyone who commented.

Journal Quilt

Here's this week's Journal Quilt for www.3creativestudios.com  It's very traditional which is unusual for me, but it uses three leaf blocks I had.

Journal Quilt

This week's addition to the Journal Quilt Challenge at www.3creativestudios.com  Again I used leftover blocks of hand dyed fabrics and did the vine by machine to quilt it.

I'm glad everyone liked the sunprints and thanks to those who commented. It's easy to do with Setacolor Transparent paints but must be the transparent ones.

Journal Quilt

This week's journal quilt for www.3creativestudios.com  It's a painted background with Ultrasuede shapes applied by machine and edged with Chenille yarn.