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January
The reason: Late last
year I began dabbling with a new technique, and these journal pages
seem a good opportunity re-visit it.
The process:
The shapes are "designed" in free motion quilting through all three
layers. Then a photocopy is made of the design. Selected shapes are
cut from the photocopy, reversed, and then traced onto fusible web.
The web is fused onto fabric, then the piece is fused to the quilt.
More quilting holds the shape down. A channel of "blank space" is
left surrounding each piece for the beads.
The result:
The technique is fun and I do want to
try it again. While finishing this quilt, further experimentation
resulted in a fun, four-color binding. I think I’ll use this
"un-mitered" binding for all the journal quilts — I like the lack of
hand work, and how quickly it goes!
February
The reason:
I’ve been teaching a series of
African-inspired classes. This thread-painted zebra was left over
from a demonstration, and he’s just the right size for a journal
page.
The process:
Oops... well, he wasn’t exactly the
right size. I had to nudge his hind legs in and bend his neck to
make him fit, but it turned out okay. I enjoyed arranging the little
shapes on the top and bottom, but was amazed at how really small
this size is! I’m going to have to work with a blank piece of paper
next to me next month, so I don’t end up cutting away so much of my
design.
The result:
I was thrilled to discover that this little quilt was chosen for a
Quilts, Inc. brochure -- cool!
March
The reason:
My son, Andrew, was the inspiration for
my journal page this month...
The process:
I’ve always been squeamish about drawing with a pencil or brush, but
the needle of my machine has never been scary to me. So, I decided
to do a portrait of Andrew with my machine. Using his most recent
school picture as a guide, I "sketched" with my needle, using a
free-motion satin stitch and changing thread colors as I went. After
the basic sketch was done, I layered and quilted, again changing
color and adding dimension.
The result:
It's nice to know that it's possible to "sketch" with my needle.
It’s good to stretch, I guess, and I certainly did go outside of my
comfort zone. I like the idea, and I may re-visit it on a larger
scale another time. . .
April
The reason: A freakish heat wave earlier this month caused
my garden to go through an early growth spurt, so this page will be
about growth and beauty. Early this month my sons’ jujitsu teacher
gave me some bound chintz samples. "Here," he said in his tough
ex-cop-from-the-Bronx voice, "I found these in my garbage. You make
quilts, right?"
The process.
Inspired by Gary’s garbage treasures, I found the perfect background
in my scrap bin, cut stems and the leaves from the chintz solids,
and placed them on the background one by one. The piece was covered
with tulle, and quilted with opal metallic thread.
The result:
I’ve been wanting to try this technique since learning it in a
class with Natasha Kempers-Cullen at QBL a few years ago, but it
never seemed appropriate until now. Maybe I’ll make a larger version
someday.
May
The reason:
It’s getting very near the end of the month, and still I haven’t had
a burst of inspiration, so it’s time to "just do it." I decided to
rummage through the scrap bin and see what happens.
The process:
Earlier this month, I’d noticed that I seem to have a fondness for
"round things" — they often show up in my quilts. So, I cut some
"round things," and then cut little wedges, creating cute pop
flowers. I added blue centers and did a little machine embroidery.
The result:
It was great fun to do free-motion blanket stitching again, and the
echo quilting looks a lot better than I thought it would. But, the
very best thing about this month’s journal is the binding! It’s
fused onto the back instead of stitched by hand --so quick and easy
to do, and looks so neat! I’ll probably never do binding any other
way again.
June
The reason:
Earlier this month I took a drawing
class with some friends. I learned some valuable lessons about
drawing . . . but . . . I really didn’t like getting my hands dirty
(charcoal can be really tough to get out from under your
fingernails) so I decided to give the pears a try in fabric!
The process:
A still life should be formal, right? So I chose an
old-fashioned print for the background, and some of beautiful gold
fabrics for the pears. No new techniques this month — just a "plain
old" appliqué little quilt!
The result:
I resisted the impulse to add more to the top of the image, and now
I’m sorry. But all in all, I had much, much more fun with my fabric
pears than I did with my charcoal ones!
July
The reason:
I’ve been putting off doing a
challenge based on the song "Tomato, tomahto." I thought that this
journal project might be a good way for me to try out a tomato idea.
The process:
Wow, this little page just seemed to make itself. I think I was
just along for the ride. When I stood in front of my fabric shelves
to choose a background color, this glorious yellow came tumbling
out, as if of its own accord. I’m glad I gave in, ‘cause I love it!
It’s all about color, design and form, and the quilting line.
The result:
I’m happy with this cheerful little journal page. So happy, in
fact, that my larger version for the "Tomato-tomahto" challenge will
be very, very similar. I hope it goes as smoothly and turns out so
well!
August
The reason: My
garden was more amazing this year than it has ever been before. The
only thing that absolutely won’t flourish there, despite my best
attempts, are Echinacea. So, here there are, in my journal pages,
where they can be as glorious as my imagination can make them.
The process:
I decided to use tulle again, and
they give the beautiful pink flowers a glow and sheen that the sun
gives to real ones. The quilting was done very simply, with a
walking foot. There's not a speck of free-motion work on this entire
quilt! Amazing!
The result:
This pretty little quilt isn't a
great work of art, but it IS proof that I can make a quilt that
doesn't have even a bit of free-motion work in it!
September
The reason:
What a crazy month this has been. I was so sure I’d never be able to
get ready for Quilt Market in time!
The process: It seemed that the perfect page for this insane
month was a crazy log cabin block. I had little time to work on
anything but the business, so I used a sample block I'd made for a
chapter about skewed blocks in a Rodale book, adding logs to make it
large enough. A little spiral quilting, and it was done!
The result: What can I say -- even this blurry photo is a
testament to the state I was in. Preparing for market drained me of
my energy and my creativity. You've heard the phrase "I'm a lover,
not a fighter"? Well, I'm an artist, not a businesswoman. This
little quilt perfectly represents that crazy time!
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