JOURNAL QUILTS 2013
2013 Theme: Software Sorties – exploring & using software as part of the design or realisation process.
JANUARY JQ: GRUEL
My apartment, originally the men’s dining room and chapel of the Thame Union Workhouse, built in 1836, triggered thoughts of the food served there in comparison with my own diet. Dickens helped give gruel a bad name but when correct portions were served gruel was nutritious and not very different from my own porridge!
My photo of the dietary requirements was manipulated in Paintshop Pro, to create selections, highlight colour and remove unwanted elements. It was printed on a cotton organza inject fabric sheet from Crafty. Other text was created in Word, printed on paper, which was then coloured with acrylic paint and sealed with acrylic wax. The outlined dish, was machine stitched from the back over a drawing of my own oatmeal bowl. Stitching on the front was enhanced with a Sharpie laundry marker.
My photo of the dietary requirements was manipulated in Paintshop Pro, to create selections, highlight colour and remove unwanted elements. It was printed on a cotton organza inject fabric sheet from Crafty. Other text was created in Word, printed on paper, which was then coloured with acrylic paint and sealed with acrylic wax. The outlined dish, was machine stitched from the back over a drawing of my own oatmeal bowl. Stitching on the front was enhanced with a Sharpie laundry marker.
Orange scrim & hand stitching was included to provided linkage between the disparate parts. Quilt edges were painted with acrylic then zig-zagged.
The elements were assembled on a background, which had been painted then smeared with oatmeal in Golden Matt Medium.
So far the oatmeal is staying put and hasn’t gone mouldy! It did make machine stitching adventurous, but a 110 needle coped.
The elements were assembled on a background, which had been painted then smeared with oatmeal in Golden Matt Medium.
So far the oatmeal is staying put and hasn’t gone mouldy! It did make machine stitching adventurous, but a 110 needle coped.
The text at the top of the weekly menu reads:
Dietary for able bodied men and women
Contemporary documents suggest Thame Union Workhouse had 93 inmates in 1881 including 11 children under 9 years and that the recipe for gruel was:
For one adult inmate at breakfast:
3 ounces Oatmeal
1½ pints Water
¾ ounce Treacle (optional)
pinch salt
Boil water in a pan then slowly add oatmeal, stirring until mixed in. Simmer for about 20 minutes until thick. Add salt and stir in treacle if using.
Dietary for able bodied men and women
Contemporary documents suggest Thame Union Workhouse had 93 inmates in 1881 including 11 children under 9 years and that the recipe for gruel was:
For one adult inmate at breakfast:
3 ounces Oatmeal
1½ pints Water
¾ ounce Treacle (optional)
pinch salt
Boil water in a pan then slowly add oatmeal, stirring until mixed in. Simmer for about 20 minutes until thick. Add salt and stir in treacle if using.
FEBRUARY JQ: A MONOTONOUS REGIME
This follows on from January’s 'Gruel' and attempts to convey the monotony of a workhouse breakfast by using a repeated motif.
The bowls were digitised in Bernina software, stitched out with an embroidery unit then outlined with free motion quilting. A section of my dietary board photograph was selected in Paintshop Pro, printed onto silk mousseline* then hand stitched to the surface. Text continuing from January was printed on paper, painted with acrylic and sealed with acrylic wax as before.
The background is printed with the plan of the workhouse dining room layered with a swirl of oatmeal manipulated in Paintshop Pro, but my attempt to be subtle has rendered it virtually invisible!
The bowls were digitised in Bernina software, stitched out with an embroidery unit then outlined with free motion quilting. A section of my dietary board photograph was selected in Paintshop Pro, printed onto silk mousseline* then hand stitched to the surface. Text continuing from January was printed on paper, painted with acrylic and sealed with acrylic wax as before.
The background is printed with the plan of the workhouse dining room layered with a swirl of oatmeal manipulated in Paintshop Pro, but my attempt to be subtle has rendered it virtually invisible!
The text on this quilt reads, at the top:
Dietary for able bodied men and women
then below:
If correct portions served
Dietary for able bodied men and women
then below:
If correct portions served
Orange couching and crosses help unify the design, add interest and linkage with the earlier Journal Quilt.
The crosses also reference the wrong portions that were often served, usually less than the statutory 1½ pints.
*I don't know what this is.
The crosses also reference the wrong portions that were often served, usually less than the statutory 1½ pints.
*I don't know what this is.
MARCH JQ: WINTER’S DREGS (Shown mounted for inclusion in an exhibition)
After a dismal winter I’d hoped the first day of spring would herald a change. It didn’t so I chose to give the ‘winter’s dregs’ (from Hardy’s 'Darkling Thrush') a makeover in summery colours.
After such a dismal winter
The first day of spring brought
A glimmer of promise.
Two motifs were digitised in Bernina software, one with the freehand drawing tool and the other by manually digitising. They were stitched out over organza on to a commercial fabric background previously painted and printed. It already contained stitched flowery embroidery, which helped unify the designs that were essentially plonked on. Text was cut from newspaper and overlaid with black FuseFX – a bit too much.
Once a backing was added the piece was machine quilted, beaded and bound with fused and stitched ribbon.
Free motion quilting would have been quicker but I enjoy playing with the software and have already reused one tweaked design.
After such a dismal winter
The first day of spring brought
A glimmer of promise.
Two motifs were digitised in Bernina software, one with the freehand drawing tool and the other by manually digitising. They were stitched out over organza on to a commercial fabric background previously painted and printed. It already contained stitched flowery embroidery, which helped unify the designs that were essentially plonked on. Text was cut from newspaper and overlaid with black FuseFX – a bit too much.
Once a backing was added the piece was machine quilted, beaded and bound with fused and stitched ribbon.
Free motion quilting would have been quicker but I enjoy playing with the software and have already reused one tweaked design.
APRIL JQ: PATIO
Lurking in my Journal Quilt basket from last year was a collection of mixed media samples from an enjoyable Wendy Cotterill Festival of Quilts class. I thought it time to use them somehow.
A few were arranged on card, photographed, manipulated in Paintshop Pro then printed on to fabric. Further stitching, couching and applique added after layering using mixed media including buttons and beads. Hand and machine stitched. Net binding.
The design made me think of patios – hard landscaping & containers contrasting with organic forms so I added the text.
Although it’s quite bitty I do like it and might try this approach again. My workspace ended up very bitty too…
A few were arranged on card, photographed, manipulated in Paintshop Pro then printed on to fabric. Further stitching, couching and applique added after layering using mixed media including buttons and beads. Hand and machine stitched. Net binding.
The design made me think of patios – hard landscaping & containers contrasting with organic forms so I added the text.
Although it’s quite bitty I do like it and might try this approach again. My workspace ended up very bitty too…
MAY JQ: OVER THE HILL
Exploring the quilt programme built into Bernina Artista Embroidery software I learned how to create a block, add embroidery and applique.
The block was printed greyscale onto A4 paper. Inks, medium, scraps of paper, acrylic wax and a little glitter were applied. Everything was bonded to thin Vilene and acrylic felt to stabilise. A backing was added and minimal machine quilting. Net binding.
Text:
Late in the day
Over the hill
the sun sets
The block was printed greyscale onto A4 paper. Inks, medium, scraps of paper, acrylic wax and a little glitter were applied. Everything was bonded to thin Vilene and acrylic felt to stabilise. A backing was added and minimal machine quilting. Net binding.
Text:
Late in the day
Over the hill
the sun sets
JUNE JQ: SEVENTH AGE
Design developed from May for a Horizons sampling. Text created in Bernina software and Word. Bonded applique with free motion quilting. Satin stitch edge.
The quotation is from Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like it’:
“All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
………………….Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.”
The quotation is from Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like it’:
“All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
………………….Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.”
JULY JQ: RED ONION
Most pieced background fabric printed from Word, photos having been manipulated in Paintshop Pro. Stitched surface onion digitised from own drawing in Bernina Artista software. Added colouring from Inktense blocks/pens. Couched binding.
It looks better up the other way, but then the recipe* is upside down!
*Onion Soup
12 oz onions, finely sliced
1-2 cloves of garlic
Olive oil/better for frying
1½ pt stock
Black pepper to season
Sherry (optional)
1. Fry onions and garlic slowly until browned and sweet
2. Pour on stock
3. Add seasoning
4. Bring to boil & simmer for 30-40 minutes
Add splash of sherry before serving
It looks better up the other way, but then the recipe* is upside down!
*Onion Soup
12 oz onions, finely sliced
1-2 cloves of garlic
Olive oil/better for frying
1½ pt stock
Black pepper to season
Sherry (optional)
1. Fry onions and garlic slowly until browned and sweet
2. Pour on stock
3. Add seasoning
4. Bring to boil & simmer for 30-40 minutes
Add splash of sherry before serving
AUGUST JQ: Know Your Onions
Mono printed background stitched with digitised onion names then fabric paint applied. The onion motifs were digitised from a drawing in Bernina software and stitched over painted abaca tissue with parts torn away. Some Markal and big hand stitching added. Machine couched edge. Not the most pleasing of designs – it looked better in my head - but heigh ho, it’s done!
Note: Ros made another quilt on this topic that she exhibited in 2019 (see the Other Small Quilts page).
Note: Ros made another quilt on this topic that she exhibited in 2019 (see the Other Small Quilts page).
SEPTEMBER JQ: FADING SUMMER
I used the Art Studio app for iPad to manipulate a photo and add text. Image printed onto a furnishing sample using Transfer Artist Paper with Inktense additions to make up the size. Free motion quilting, some couching, beading and beaded edge.
OCTOBER JQ: BLAZING AUTUMN
I started with a photo of the wonderful herbaceous border at Waterperry Gardens. It was manipulated in Art Studio and transferred to fabric using Transfer Artist Paper. Inktense blocks added colour to the surrounds to make up the size. Free motion zig-zag outline of flower motif. Couched ribbon added. Probably simpler to paint the background! Considered filling the petals to create more contrast but had run out of steam on this Journal Quilt.
NOVEMBER JQ: OAKUM
Used leftovers from Contemporary Quilt’s latest suitcase quilt project. I wondered if they could be assembled into a new composition. Some elements are images or text manipulated in Paintshop Pro/Word and printed on paper or inkjet fabric. The hands were free motion quilted over net and soluble then stitched to the quilt. I should have quilted the entire ground before collaging things. Quilting after bonding made it harder to line up things again!
Note: Oakum is a preparation of tarred fibres that was used to seal gaps, for example in the joints of timbers in wooden seagoing vessels. Picking apart oakum was one of the types of work given to workhouse inmates.
Note: Oakum is a preparation of tarred fibres that was used to seal gaps, for example in the joints of timbers in wooden seagoing vessels. Picking apart oakum was one of the types of work given to workhouse inmates.
DECEMBER JQ: FESTIVE TREES
Part of a quilt had been photographed, manipulated in Paintshop Pro then printed onto fabric for another project. Leftovers were bonded to white cotton and machine quilted to create a base layer for this journal quilt. Surface triangles are slips made from scraps of painted lutradur trapped between sheers & free motion quilted in a hoop. Hand stitching and beaded stars added. Edge zig-zagged over cord.
THE OLD WORKHOUSE
Our move to an apartment in the old Thame Union Workhouse provided a stimulus to Ros’s imagination. She was particularly fond of some of the year’s journal quilts.. She created a wall hanging out of an alternative version of ‘Oakum’:
She also put together a composite of three workhouse themed journal quilts to make another wall hanging (which as I write is displayed in the apartment):
And she made a collage of all 12 journal quilts from the year:
