JOURNAL QUILTS 2012
2012 quilts had colour requirements as detailed below.
January to April - Shades of Red
JANUARY JQ: BEADY EYE
Inspired by fabric in my ‘red drawer’ of previously dyed/printed fabrics. An interesting mark (monoprinted?) triggered this one so it was cut and framed log-cabin style then stitched/couched to enhance its eye-like appearance with beads and sequin added.
Sketches of the mark were enlarged on the computer to create the motifs which have been added using thick thread in the bobbin. Some hand stitching in places.
I quite liked the surreal atmosphere and loved playing about with the colours. Each having a scarlet or magenta dye element means they work together in my view.
Sketches of the mark were enlarged on the computer to create the motifs which have been added using thick thread in the bobbin. Some hand stitching in places.
I quite liked the surreal atmosphere and loved playing about with the colours. Each having a scarlet or magenta dye element means they work together in my view.
FEBRUARY JQ: SEEING RED
Again I was inspired by a mark on the material in my stash of dyed/printed/painted fabrics. This time I enhanced a landscape feel of the selected piece by adding horizontal strata to the edges. I also introduced some turquoise to pick up this colour in the central panel.
Motifs came from sketches of the mark and were machine quilted in two scales with an assortment of thread including Perle cotton in the bobbin. The smaller ones were stitched over net to make them stand out more.
I’ve really enjoyed playing with the fabrics intuitively, particularly the added texture of velvet.
Motifs came from sketches of the mark and were machine quilted in two scales with an assortment of thread including Perle cotton in the bobbin. The smaller ones were stitched over net to make them stand out more.
I’ve really enjoyed playing with the fabrics intuitively, particularly the added texture of velvet.
MARCH JQ: WATCHFUL PLANET
Continuing with the eye and landscape themes of the first two Journal Quilts I quilted the same motifs here on a randomly pieced background of dyed/printed fabric. It felt as if my all-seeing eyes and landscapes were emerging as a watchful planet, waiting to see what we would impose on it next. I added buttons to the ‘eyelashes’ to suggest vegetation as well as small eyes. All my edges are finished with a zig-zag after I’ve painted the cut edge with acrylic to seal and mask the wadding.
APRIL JQ: ANGRY OBSERVATION
Red is often associated with anger and here it was intended to expresses the planet’s (and my) feelings about despoilment.
Once again I’ve randomly pieced a background with fabric from the same stash and quilted eye motifs on the top. I drew the motifs on thin tracing paper or tearable stabiliser, stitched over the top and tore away afterwards.
This one was a bit of a rush and lacks the large bead I wanted for it because it’s gone missing! Perhaps it’s too painful to look sometimes.
Once again I’ve randomly pieced a background with fabric from the same stash and quilted eye motifs on the top. I drew the motifs on thin tracing paper or tearable stabiliser, stitched over the top and tore away afterwards.
This one was a bit of a rush and lacks the large bead I wanted for it because it’s gone missing! Perhaps it’s too painful to look sometimes.
May to August - Shades of Yellow
MAY JQ: YELLOWHAMMER 1
A yellowhammer swept across my cycle path one morning. The flash of yellow, brilliant against a dull day lifted my spirits.
Background created from hand-dyed scraps arranged and ironed, raw edged, over adhesive interfacing. Layered onto cotton wadding and backing it was free motion quilted with a fine 50/2 cotton in unplanned feathers to hold down.
My drawing of the bird on paper was straight stitched on top, the paper torn away then the outline zig-sagged over black perle cotton. Fabric marker was used to shade the branch and extend it over a fused binding.
I was quite pleased with the outcome although the background layering drifted a bit whilst machining, revealing the wadding in places because I hadn’t overlapped sufficiently.
Background created from hand-dyed scraps arranged and ironed, raw edged, over adhesive interfacing. Layered onto cotton wadding and backing it was free motion quilted with a fine 50/2 cotton in unplanned feathers to hold down.
My drawing of the bird on paper was straight stitched on top, the paper torn away then the outline zig-sagged over black perle cotton. Fabric marker was used to shade the branch and extend it over a fused binding.
I was quite pleased with the outcome although the background layering drifted a bit whilst machining, revealing the wadding in places because I hadn’t overlapped sufficiently.
JUNE JQ: YELLOWHAMMER 2
The yellowhammer’s song, a chiz-iz-iz-iz-iz-iz-zee sometimes referred to as ‘a little bit of bread and no cheese’, is often heard without seeing the bird.
I used the same drawing of a yellowhammer as in May, but with its beak open as if singing. It was stitched as before over a random piecing of scraps, this time overlaid with a lemon-yellow dyed cotton organdie using bondaweb to help keep it all together. A further layer of bondaweb was ironed on the reverse to help hold the stitching and facilitate further bonding once the design was cut into 1 inch tiles.
The tiles were arranged in an abstract design and bonded to yellow cotton. The whole was layered with cotton wadding and backing then quilted with a machine double buttonhole stitch to hold the tiles in place. The yellow fabric was taken to back and bonded down to finish the edges. The wording: ‘A little bit of bread and no cheese’ was written with marker pen.
Overlaying with cotton organdie leaves a much flatter finish. A lighter fusible may have lessened this. My one inch squares were a bit variable despite my best efforts!
I used the same drawing of a yellowhammer as in May, but with its beak open as if singing. It was stitched as before over a random piecing of scraps, this time overlaid with a lemon-yellow dyed cotton organdie using bondaweb to help keep it all together. A further layer of bondaweb was ironed on the reverse to help hold the stitching and facilitate further bonding once the design was cut into 1 inch tiles.
The tiles were arranged in an abstract design and bonded to yellow cotton. The whole was layered with cotton wadding and backing then quilted with a machine double buttonhole stitch to hold the tiles in place. The yellow fabric was taken to back and bonded down to finish the edges. The wording: ‘A little bit of bread and no cheese’ was written with marker pen.
Overlaying with cotton organdie leaves a much flatter finish. A lighter fusible may have lessened this. My one inch squares were a bit variable despite my best efforts!
JULY JQ: YELLOWHAMMER 3
The Chiltern escarpment, rising above the Oxfordshire plain, is a backdrop to the landscape I am rooted in. Here I’ve reduced it to a minimal setting for the flash of yellowhammer I saw in May against its dark presence.
This ‘flash’ is depicted with piped silk velvet. Machine quilted with additional beading and hand stitched Perle cotton. My dyed/marbled fabrics have a green tinge, but I know it takes only a drop of black to turn a yellow dye bath this colour! I’ve been taking a similar casual approach to my definition of hue throughout this year rather than going in for any measuring.
I’d wanted an abstract design but it was more obviously landscape than I intended.
This ‘flash’ is depicted with piped silk velvet. Machine quilted with additional beading and hand stitched Perle cotton. My dyed/marbled fabrics have a green tinge, but I know it takes only a drop of black to turn a yellow dye bath this colour! I’ve been taking a similar casual approach to my definition of hue throughout this year rather than going in for any measuring.
I’d wanted an abstract design but it was more obviously landscape than I intended.
AUGUST JQ: YELLOWHAMMER 4
I decided to try for a more abstract landscape than my July effort.
Scraps & snippets of dyed fabric, some already bonded, were arranged on yellow fabric together with a darker strip and cream ‘sky’. Straight line quilting held everything in place on the quilt sandwich. The words Yellow Amber, another name for yellowhammer, were computer printed on Tissutex then torn and bonded in places. The whole was overlaid with stranded-cotton hand stitching, largely avoiding the text.
I wasn’t sure if this stitching was necessary but had to do it ‘just to see’! I like the texture it creates as well as the more integrated subtle effect. The yellowness of this landscape is evocative of the rape fields where I saw the yellowhammer.
Edges were encased in partly bonded net then blanket stitched with Perle type cottons.
Scraps & snippets of dyed fabric, some already bonded, were arranged on yellow fabric together with a darker strip and cream ‘sky’. Straight line quilting held everything in place on the quilt sandwich. The words Yellow Amber, another name for yellowhammer, were computer printed on Tissutex then torn and bonded in places. The whole was overlaid with stranded-cotton hand stitching, largely avoiding the text.
I wasn’t sure if this stitching was necessary but had to do it ‘just to see’! I like the texture it creates as well as the more integrated subtle effect. The yellowness of this landscape is evocative of the rape fields where I saw the yellowhammer.
Edges were encased in partly bonded net then blanket stitched with Perle type cottons.
September to December - Shades of Blue
SEPTEMBER JQ: BLUE KANDINSKY
Started in an enjoyable Festival of Quilts class with Alicia Merrett based on Kandinsky’s work, Thought I might get ahead by concentrating on blue fabrics for a series of Journal Quilts!
Shapes were fused to the background. Zig-zag finish to quilt edge.
Although I liked playing around with this I became increasingly dissatisfied with the small fiddly nature of my design and wished I’d been bolder. Despite the colour limitation and filling the journal quilt with machine and hand stitching it still feels more like a Kandinsky/Alicia quilt than mine so I don’t think it will become a series.
Shapes were fused to the background. Zig-zag finish to quilt edge.
Although I liked playing around with this I became increasingly dissatisfied with the small fiddly nature of my design and wished I’d been bolder. Despite the colour limitation and filling the journal quilt with machine and hand stitching it still feels more like a Kandinsky/Alicia quilt than mine so I don’t think it will become a series.
OCTOBER JQ: BLUE iPad 1
My very first iPad scribble using Brushes 1.2.2 app was taken into Paintshop Pro and played around with.
Various results were printed onto two inket sheets (from Crafty Computer Papers) then machined quilted along the dividing lines with double buttonhole stitch. Zig-zag edging over gimp.
I really enjoyed playing around with the image and rediscovering what the software can do. The journal quilt needs something on top, but I ran out time.
Various results were printed onto two inket sheets (from Crafty Computer Papers) then machined quilted along the dividing lines with double buttonhole stitch. Zig-zag edging over gimp.
I really enjoyed playing around with the image and rediscovering what the software can do. The journal quilt needs something on top, but I ran out time.
NOVEMBER JQ: BLUE iPad 2
Following on from feeling the October journal quilt was incomplete I started to think about what I could have layered on the top. I had been looking at teasels for an online class at Quilters United with Elizabeth Barton so thought about using ideas developed from my drawings.
The background is a paper print sample left over from October, sealed with acrylic wax, bonded to felt and backed with fabric. Teasels were painted on with acrylic fabric paint then outlined with machine quilting. Hand stitching with viscose embroidery thread was added to the teasel heads. The text was written on with silver pen then painted over, I hand backstitched around the first letters of each word but left the rest to remind me of the different effect. Edges were painted with acrylic paint to seal then machine blanket-stitched.
I much prefer this more layered look, and like the hand stitching that overlaps the painted seed heads but feel there should be more contrast in the overall design.
The background is a paper print sample left over from October, sealed with acrylic wax, bonded to felt and backed with fabric. Teasels were painted on with acrylic fabric paint then outlined with machine quilting. Hand stitching with viscose embroidery thread was added to the teasel heads. The text was written on with silver pen then painted over, I hand backstitched around the first letters of each word but left the rest to remind me of the different effect. Edges were painted with acrylic paint to seal then machine blanket-stitched.
I much prefer this more layered look, and like the hand stitching that overlaps the painted seed heads but feel there should be more contrast in the overall design.
DECEMBER JQ: BLUE iPad 3
As in the last Journal Quilt I used a sample paper printout from October for the background but crumpled it before applying acrylic wax. The couched and stitched design, using Gimp, knitting yarn and Perle cotton, came from observation of teasel stems and seeds. Some acrylic paint with pearlescent medium was added to create more contrast and focus. Edges sealed with acrylic paint then machine blanket-stitched.
I enjoyed doing a more abstract pattern after last month’s realistic design.
I enjoyed doing a more abstract pattern after last month’s realistic design.
