Journal Quilts Completed

The final Journal Quilts have now been added to the CQGB website.

September - September Ice

This one used some fabric that I dyed using ice cubes - a great method if you ever want to try it and so easy with great strong colours as a result.   I over printed some of the fabric with a Thermofax screen I had from the time I did Creative Sketchbooks a few years ago.  Starting with a stack of three squares of fabric, I made random cuts and then played around with the pieces until I got a pleasing result.  I left the printed panels quilt free and just machine quilted the plain pieces.

For the final four quilts, a button or buttons had to be included.  I decided to buy the buttons first and let them inspire the quilt so a the Knitting and Stitching Show at Ally Pally last October I made my purchases.

October - Do you have some picture postcards?

The button has not come out very clearly in this photo as it is glazed ceramic.  It has the words POST CARD and a post office date stamp on it, hence the use of postcards in this quilt.    I scanned the images and printed them on to fabric and then made a college of the images.  The machine quilting was quite simple so the images were kept plain.

November - Grand Prismatic Springs

 The stripy buttons reminded my of one of my friend Brian's photos of Grand Prismatic Springs in Yellowstone Park.   My intention was always to do some pieces using this as inspiration, so this quilt is really a try out for further work.   The fabric was some I dyed myself and the photograph was printed on to hand made paper.   The machine quilting is in various colours taken from the photo. 

December - Riot of Rust

 This beautiful copper heart shaped button was purchased from Dale Rollerson at Thread Studio when she was at the Knitting and Stitching Show last October.  Determined to get at least one more rust piece done, I was inspired by Alisa Burke's book Sew Wild and felt it challenged me to become much freer.   The end result is freer for me but still does not have that totally random, "tatty" look that Alisa's do.  I'll try again though and maybe will get there.

January - Log Cabin was always my favourite block

To be honest, I was at a complete loss as to what to do for this final quilt.  It was more about getting it done and out of the way than being totally creative!  When in doubt, go back to what you love best and in my case it is usually log cabin.   I used some of the ice cube dyed fabric again and over printed some with the flower design to echo the flowers in the button.  I then started with a more random log cabin, cutting each round so it was slightly skewed.  The block then got more traditional.   The reverse of the quilt was also printed with the same flower block, the outlines of which I used to machine quilt a flower design.

I have loved the challenge of making these Journal Quilts and will no doubt be signing up for the coming year.