Journal Quilts 2015 no 3

The finished journal is above.  As you see, I do not bother about binding my squares.  For me, there are a bout experimenting and playing, and not about whether or not I can make a binding.  They have, in the past and will in the future form an important reference for me.

So, here's what I did

I started with a piece of batting and some furnishing fabric

Some green chiffon

A piece of felt, and a piece of painted baby wipe.  Now, in the beginning, these were circles which I had cut with my die cutter ages ago, but I decided I liked leaves better.  I spent a bit of time thinking about the backing fabric and whether i should now change it.

I took a piece of scrap fabric and used a black marker to turn the circles into leaves.   Hmm, that gave me an idea.

 I used some free motion embroidery scribble to do the same on my journal.

As you can see, as usual, I got quite involved and forgot to take photos!  but above all the free motion is finished and the extra bits are added.

And here it is done, with a lot of hand running stitch added.
I have another one waiting in the wings as well!


Happy creating!

Journal Quilts 2015 no 2

This isn't really no 2 but no 3, because no 2 is still in process, Ah, well.
I had seen an article about needle felting stitching into a background and decided to have
a go.

I started with a piece of batting with some fibres felted into it.

I started doing some stitching into it with wool.

And here it is after a long time needlefelting by machine and three broken needles!

The difference is only very slight.  Perhaps I should have left the french knots until after, so as not to break my needles, and then the petals might have felted in a bit better.
So this Journal quilt was a bit of a failure, but of course I learned a few things and that is what it is all about!



Happy Creating!

A long time between stops

It has, indeed, been a very long time between posts.  For many reasons. I have been busy on Instagram and facebook with a few challenge groups, but also, we have been renovating and for months, my studio has been packed away!  But my textile work has been languishing, although i have been doing a lot of hand work.

So, to infuse a bit of interest for me i have begun making journal quilts again.  Hopefully playing in this way will get me back on track!

I now keep my journal quilts in a book, so they are easy to look up and refer to

The quilts are 5" (five inches) square

 They are just about playing with materials and tecchniques.

And here is my first new one!

This one  made from a base of gold organza needlefelted onto some batting, then I have added some scraps of sheers, organza, chiffon and netting and stitched around them free motion.  I also added a piece of dyed batting which i attached with free motion pebbles.  I felt that the focus needed to be floral, so i added a free motion sketch of some basic flowers.  I finally finished off with some beads and running stitch.

Considering how long it is since i sat at my machine, I am pleased with this one.  Let's hope that it is the first of many, hopefully weeky journal quilts!