JOURNAL QUILTS 2011
JANUARY JQ: DOVE
Various dove Christmas cards gave ideas for this quilt. A present of Jane Dunnewold’s Art Cloth with a section on making interfacing-net stencils (with a bird motif example!) suggested a method.
Old velvet curtain coloured and printed with Indian ink. Bird stencilled with fabric paint. Free motion quilting. Net scrolls and buttons hand stitched on. Edges zig-zagged over cord.
Old velvet curtain coloured and printed with Indian ink. Bird stencilled with fabric paint. Free motion quilting. Net scrolls and buttons hand stitched on. Edges zig-zagged over cord.
FEBRUARY JQ: HEARTBEAT
I’m using some old cotton velvet curtains to play around with this year.
A heart for February was digitised in Bernina software and stitched onto net using an embroidery unit. It was appliquéd to the background with hand stitching and beads. Background velvet was overlaid with polyester sheer and stitched with a heartbeat design from the reverse using perle cotton in the bobbin. Spaces were filled with free motion quilting from the front. Parts of the organza were cut away to reveal velvet. Edging is net bound.
A heart for February was digitised in Bernina software and stitched onto net using an embroidery unit. It was appliquéd to the background with hand stitching and beads. Background velvet was overlaid with polyester sheer and stitched with a heartbeat design from the reverse using perle cotton in the bobbin. Spaces were filled with free motion quilting from the front. Parts of the organza were cut away to reveal velvet. Edging is net bound.
MARCH JQ: AVOIDING RICKETS
Sitting in the morning sunlight I was reminded of a recent news item about the recurrence of rickets.
Cotton velvet was overlaid with polyester sheer and my sun design fmq-ed on top. A heat gun blasted the polyester away from the circles but left it around the denser stitching. Circles were foiled using bondaweb and hotspots. Some hand stitching with Razzle Dazzle thread. Zigzag edging.
Cotton velvet was overlaid with polyester sheer and my sun design fmq-ed on top. A heat gun blasted the polyester away from the circles but left it around the denser stitching. Circles were foiled using bondaweb and hotspots. Some hand stitching with Razzle Dazzle thread. Zigzag edging.
APRIL JQ: DAISY DREAMING
Watching the garden look magnificent this month I was minded of the late summer flowers we will miss if our planned move goes ahead*.
Daisies printed with a stamp constructed from old lollipop and match sticks. Motifs outlined with free stitching. Sequins added. Net bound edges. So far my journal quilts this year lack enough contrast – or maybe I’m just doing subtle!
*This refers to our ‘downsizing’ house move (see October below)
Daisies printed with a stamp constructed from old lollipop and match sticks. Motifs outlined with free stitching. Sequins added. Net bound edges. So far my journal quilts this year lack enough contrast – or maybe I’m just doing subtle!
*This refers to our ‘downsizing’ house move (see October below)
MAY JQ: TILE
Inspired by a floor tile in the chapel at Claydon House. The fleur-de-lys motif was outlined from the reverse through all the layers with the top velvet layer then cut away. I was largely following instructions from a 1913 Singer ‘Instructions for Art Embroidery’.
What was I thinking? It was impossible to get a good outline cutting away thick velvet and I’ve been covered in bits for days!
Background is dyed viscose. Motif outlines couched (badly) with Razzle Dazzle thread. Corded edging.
It isn’t really finished as other elements were contemplated to integrate the design, but I ran out of time and the will to live with this Journal Quilt.
What was I thinking? It was impossible to get a good outline cutting away thick velvet and I’ve been covered in bits for days!
Background is dyed viscose. Motif outlines couched (badly) with Razzle Dazzle thread. Corded edging.
It isn’t really finished as other elements were contemplated to integrate the design, but I ran out of time and the will to live with this Journal Quilt.
JUNE JQ: NO FLOWERS OR CARDS
Inspired by the demise of the cheque guarantee card this month.
I’m still playing around with the properties of some old cotton velvet curtain.
Tombstone design created in Bernina software. I tried to emboss the RIP letters by depressing surrounding velvet with automated machine embroidery. It worked to some extent. Although I’d closed up the lace-fill stitching it was not enough to prevent the velvet pile sticking through.
I wish I had laid on a coloured sheer first which would have made the tombstones less wishy-washy too. I needed to add soluble stabiliser under the inscriptions, but didn’t discover this until I’d tried so that one is lumpy where I overstitched. Applied scrim, free motion quilting, some with zig-zag, and couched yarn round the edge.
Text: RIP 30 June 2011 Aged 46 companion to cheque book
I’m still playing around with the properties of some old cotton velvet curtain.
Tombstone design created in Bernina software. I tried to emboss the RIP letters by depressing surrounding velvet with automated machine embroidery. It worked to some extent. Although I’d closed up the lace-fill stitching it was not enough to prevent the velvet pile sticking through.
I wish I had laid on a coloured sheer first which would have made the tombstones less wishy-washy too. I needed to add soluble stabiliser under the inscriptions, but didn’t discover this until I’d tried so that one is lumpy where I overstitched. Applied scrim, free motion quilting, some with zig-zag, and couched yarn round the edge.
Text: RIP 30 June 2011 Aged 46 companion to cheque book
JULY JQ: FLUX
Trying to express my current state of mind about an impending house move I drew freely onto the velvet with Inktense blocks and Fabrico markers. I love the vibrancy of the colour. Free Motion Quilted from the reverse with Razzle Dazzle thread. Finished with a traditional ½ inch continuous binding because I was demonstrating one at a local quilt group – not the best plan with velvet!!
Text: Turbulence, Flux, Unrest
Text: Turbulence, Flux, Unrest
AUGUST JQ: CELEBRATIONS, HOLIDAY, FESTIVAL
Family celebrations and a holiday against the backdrop of Brighton beach, plus the wonderful Towersey folk festival carried me through August.
With everything in store this had to be a minimal quilt. Inktense blocks for colour on the cotton velvet again. Letters cut from newspaper trapped under polyester sheer. Little machine stitching and hand quilting. Edges wrapped in polyester sheer and zig-zagged down. I think it expresses the calmness I felt during these events.
Text: Celebrations, Holiday, Festival
With everything in store this had to be a minimal quilt. Inktense blocks for colour on the cotton velvet again. Letters cut from newspaper trapped under polyester sheer. Little machine stitching and hand quilting. Edges wrapped in polyester sheer and zig-zagged down. I think it expresses the calmness I felt during these events.
Text: Celebrations, Holiday, Festival
SEPTEMBER JQ: TIED KNOT
A trip to Belgium to celebrate a marriage sparked off this quilt.
This time I used Inktense blocks to print with by rubbing them randomly across the block then printing onto wet fabric.
I wanted a murky fuzzy overlapping look for the velvet but it’s possible to get a clear print on tightly woven fabric and control the intensity to some extent. I like the lacy look it gives to the buildings.
With more materials to hand I might have added handstitching and embellishments.
Names were printed on silk organza then handstitched to backing. Edge was zig-zagged over cord.
Text: Clare, Anders (the names of the happy couple)
This time I used Inktense blocks to print with by rubbing them randomly across the block then printing onto wet fabric.
I wanted a murky fuzzy overlapping look for the velvet but it’s possible to get a clear print on tightly woven fabric and control the intensity to some extent. I like the lacy look it gives to the buildings.
With more materials to hand I might have added handstitching and embellishments.
Names were printed on silk organza then handstitched to backing. Edge was zig-zagged over cord.
Text: Clare, Anders (the names of the happy couple)
OCTOBER JQ: 20TH OCTOBER - COMPLETION
20th October was the day we completed on the purchase of our apartment. This happy personal event, set against troubled world events and the death of Colonel Gaddafi*, made me think of endings and beginnings on both individual and world fronts.
The recycled cotton velvet background is printed with the prime minister’s statement on the death of Gaddafi using Transfer Artist Paper. There was supposed to be an image of our apartment but this did not transfer well and left only blotches. I added to these with paint then covered the lot with rainbow synthetic to add more colour interest, trapping a few bits of additional sheer. Machine quilted to hold in place then lettering added with Fabrico pens and foil. Three buttons were place for balance and I thought they aptly referenced the domestic front. The other stands in for the letter O. Edging is zig-zagged over cord.
Text: Completion, Closure, Ending - overlying news of Gaddafi'e death.
*Ruler of Libya following a military coup d’etat in 1969 until his assassination in 2011.
The recycled cotton velvet background is printed with the prime minister’s statement on the death of Gaddafi using Transfer Artist Paper. There was supposed to be an image of our apartment but this did not transfer well and left only blotches. I added to these with paint then covered the lot with rainbow synthetic to add more colour interest, trapping a few bits of additional sheer. Machine quilted to hold in place then lettering added with Fabrico pens and foil. Three buttons were place for balance and I thought they aptly referenced the domestic front. The other stands in for the letter O. Edging is zig-zagged over cord.
Text: Completion, Closure, Ending - overlying news of Gaddafi'e death.
*Ruler of Libya following a military coup d’etat in 1969 until his assassination in 2011.
NOVEMBER JQ: LOOKING THROUGH
This journal quilt tries to express looking ahead past the clutter of removal boxes and items we need still to get rid of.
The background is a failed attempt to use Transfer Artist Paper on cotton velvet (needing more ink than I’d allowed for). It looked landscape-like so I enhanced this by adding torn strips from the used transfer paper before machine quilting in vertical lines. Button strips from discarded shirt fronts are stitched roughly to the backing with various embroidery yarns together with an assortment of old buttons then outlined quilted.
I found this strangely therapeutic and hard to stop adding in more thread. Cut edges were painted with acrylic then blanket stitched by hand.
The background is a failed attempt to use Transfer Artist Paper on cotton velvet (needing more ink than I’d allowed for). It looked landscape-like so I enhanced this by adding torn strips from the used transfer paper before machine quilting in vertical lines. Button strips from discarded shirt fronts are stitched roughly to the backing with various embroidery yarns together with an assortment of old buttons then outlined quilted.
I found this strangely therapeutic and hard to stop adding in more thread. Cut edges were painted with acrylic then blanket stitched by hand.
DECEMBER JQ: RED-NOSED
My daughter made a reindeer with a button nose by for her work ‘loo roll’ challenge. A photograph of this was an opportunity to play around with effects in the photo editing software Paintshop Pro.
Four images of the reindeer were printed on Inkjet Fabric Sheets. These were bonded to the velvet ground (coloured with Indian ink) and hand quilted around. Foiled edges were added to make the images stand out better. The reindeer noses were too small for any red buttons I have so they were foiled instead and buttons stitched across the centre. Edges were encased in net then zig-zagged.
Four images of the reindeer were printed on Inkjet Fabric Sheets. These were bonded to the velvet ground (coloured with Indian ink) and hand quilted around. Foiled edges were added to make the images stand out better. The reindeer noses were too small for any red buttons I have so they were foiled instead and buttons stitched across the centre. Edges were encased in net then zig-zagged.
