JOURNAL QUILTS 2016
2016 Theme: 8 x 10 inches.
Jan-April to include an area not less than ½ inch square PURPLE
May-Aug to include an area not less than ½ inch square GREEN
Sept-Dec to include an area not less than ½ inch square ORANGE
JANUARY JQ: SUPERHERO
Helping a granddaughter make a superhero cloak inspired this idea. It collages leftovers from the Bernina Pictogram project including several poorly printed Transfer Artist papers & embroidered motifs.
Granddaughters' dad is a superhero in many ways as are many fathers. The outcome made me think of Superdad taking a stage bow before an audience.
I like playing with bits that might otherwise be binned.
Granddaughters' dad is a superhero in many ways as are many fathers. The outcome made me think of Superdad taking a stage bow before an audience.
I like playing with bits that might otherwise be binned.
FEBRUARY JQ: PURPLE HEART
A warm-up piece of cloth with a trapunto heart already stitched was extended with further FMQ to include hearts. It is February after all.
Purple velvet bonded to highlight one motif. Other hearts would have benefited from stuffing too. Twisted Perle cottons provide a frame. Good to practise Mactavishing.
I didn’t make the connection with the US military medal until I’d finished.
Purple velvet bonded to highlight one motif. Other hearts would have benefited from stuffing too. Twisted Perle cottons provide a frame. Good to practise Mactavishing.
I didn’t make the connection with the US military medal until I’d finished.
MARCH JQ: ANEMONES
A pretty bunch of anemones inspired this but it didn’t go as expected. I sketched them roughly with transfer crayons on paper. As they didn’t iron onto fabric well I thought I might embroider within the faint outlines. Having failed to add sufficient stabiliser they distorted a lot so I cut them out and appliqued them to a ground on which I’d bonded and stitched the paper sketches.
If it hadn’t been a journal quilt, where I carry on regardless, I should have given up at the first hurdle!
If it hadn’t been a journal quilt, where I carry on regardless, I should have given up at the first hurdle!
APRIL JQ: HAVEN
The news was full of the Panama Papers* disclosures so I’d been thinking about tax havens. This is my version of one.
The £-palms are cut from newspaper articles on the subject. They are inked, acrylic-waxed and bonded to a previously mono-printed piece of fabric. The whole was quilted and bagged out before applying the motifs.
*The Panama Papers are 11.5 million leaked documents published in April 2016 that detail financial and attorney–client information for more than 214,488 offshore entities. They were taken from a Panamanian offshore law firm and compiled with other similar leaks into a searchable database.
The £-palms are cut from newspaper articles on the subject. They are inked, acrylic-waxed and bonded to a previously mono-printed piece of fabric. The whole was quilted and bagged out before applying the motifs.
*The Panama Papers are 11.5 million leaked documents published in April 2016 that detail financial and attorney–client information for more than 214,488 offshore entities. They were taken from a Panamanian offshore law firm and compiled with other similar leaks into a searchable database.
MAY JQ: ENGLISH BLUEBELL
The arching habit and curled up petals of one English Bluebell are as lovely to me as the sight of massed bluebells under beech trees.
Here it is painted then outlined with free motion stitching. This overlaid design fought a bit with the already quilted base, which I had chosen for the curve it contained. Edges zig-zagged. Title stitched over green dyed organdie. The background (already pieced jointly with Lizzy Taylor in a 2013 Contemporary Quilt series of Suitcase Collections WS* exercise on design using only black/white/fabrics) was free motion quilted randomly as the mood took me. It was then painted with Gesso & paint to knock back the overwhelming strong patterning and bring out the texture of the quilting.
The result was cut in 4 for this set of journal quilts. I knew I’d use up this piece of fabric eventually!
*I don't know what WS stands for here.
Here it is painted then outlined with free motion stitching. This overlaid design fought a bit with the already quilted base, which I had chosen for the curve it contained. Edges zig-zagged. Title stitched over green dyed organdie. The background (already pieced jointly with Lizzy Taylor in a 2013 Contemporary Quilt series of Suitcase Collections WS* exercise on design using only black/white/fabrics) was free motion quilted randomly as the mood took me. It was then painted with Gesso & paint to knock back the overwhelming strong patterning and bring out the texture of the quilting.
The result was cut in 4 for this set of journal quilts. I knew I’d use up this piece of fabric eventually!
*I don't know what WS stands for here.
JUNE JQ: IRIS
My irises failed to flower well this year so I created some here instead using an old drawing for the design.
Organdie motifs were raw edge appliqued to the base (see May) then additional stitching added.
Organdie motifs were raw edge appliqued to the base (see May) then additional stitching added.
JULY JQ: GREEN RIPPLE
On another quilted base (see May) I used the patterning to guide the design. It featured a circle, which I painted green to fit the brief. Dyed organdie held down by green couched yarn was added to accentuate the circle and create ripples. Further red organdie echoing the quilting was added for balance. The piece seemed to need a more defined edge so I zig-zagged over yarn for a more contained, framed effect.
AUGUST JQ: INTO THE ARBOUR
I liked the patterning on this base (see May). It suggested garden structure and scenery to me and I didn’t want to cover it up. I merely zig-zagged the edges and added a little more paint.
There’s not much contrast but I like the overall effect of painting on a quilted surface.
There’s not much contrast but I like the overall effect of painting on a quilted surface.
SEPTEMBER JG: SMOCK FLOWERS
Sampling of digitised flower motifs on a furnishing remnant using various stitches and sizes. Motifs inspired by agricultural workers’ smocks. Colour added with Inktense pencils. It spread further than intended because I over wetted the fabric. I thought about knocking this back by applying paint over the surrounding hand quilting but decided I quite liked the aura after all. Added beading. Edges zigzagged over cord.
OCTOBER JQ: LEAF DANCE
Playing with digitised leaf motifs in Bernina software created the design. I wanted to make it look less static so free motion quilted around with swirls, adding in snippets of orange fabric. The raw edges are sealed with acrylic paint.
NOVEMBER JQ: FALL
My response to the Trump victory in the US.
Background is pieced leftovers stamped with found leaves. The appliqued leaf uses a newspaper photograph of Trump kissing a ‘Women’ placard. It was coated with acrylic wax then bonded on. Once bagged out the veins and ‘fall’ text were stitched through the quilt.
Background is pieced leftovers stamped with found leaves. The appliqued leaf uses a newspaper photograph of Trump kissing a ‘Women’ placard. It was coated with acrylic wax then bonded on. Once bagged out the veins and ‘fall’ text were stitched through the quilt.
DECEMBER JQ: FREEZE
It was very cold at times this month & with Christmas looming I felt like creating a snowy scene.
It was fun stitching down scraps of different fabric and lace, varying the width/spacing/angle of stitch as I went. The sky includes Angelina moon, netting and hand stitching. It was bagged out & a few lines of quilting added. Only when I’d finished did I remember I was supposed to add orange, so I overlaid sheer at the bottom.
When is something finished? I wondered about adding motifs but settled in the end to add bead letters spelling MELT and THAW to suggest further meaning.
It was fun stitching down scraps of different fabric and lace, varying the width/spacing/angle of stitch as I went. The sky includes Angelina moon, netting and hand stitching. It was bagged out & a few lines of quilting added. Only when I’d finished did I remember I was supposed to add orange, so I overlaid sheer at the bottom.
When is something finished? I wondered about adding motifs but settled in the end to add bead letters spelling MELT and THAW to suggest further meaning.
