Other creations this month

I was a bit late with my Journal Quilt this month.  It was done within September but for the past few years I have been ahead of myself so I felt quite guilty that it wasn't done until the middle of the month.

This month I reached the "blue" month so decided to have something linked to the sea for the gelli printing.   I've made my own print blocks with polystyrene in the past so used this method to create some texture on the plate inspired by waves and using fabric paints, printed some of my dyed blue fabric.  I used two or three different shades of blue fabric paint but once again I found that you don't get the same definition as you do when using acrylic paint.  The results were good though for the task in hand.

For the Log Cabin part of the quilt, I've again used the Courthouse Steps as the basis of the design with a bit of a twist.   For three of the sides I used different shades of my own dyed blue fabric and then the gelli printed fabric for the fourth side and the binding.

For the quilting I used a stitch on my machine which gives the appearance of waves going up and down.

It's time for a change of season so my thoughts turned to ideas for an Autumn hoop for my mantelpiece display.   I love the colours of Autumn - I always think it is because I was an Autumn baby!- so I knew it had to be something to reflect the colours.

My choice was a simple maple leaf (another favourite, particularly at Autumn) and luckily I found just the pattern I needed on the internet.  I've gone back to cross stitch after many years absence and as I enjoyed it so much, I think there will be more.  So therapeutic!

The display in coming together but I want to add some sort of foliage in a vase so am still thinking about that.   The other hoop and owls are from a Craftpod box I did last year when I began my seasonal project.

The garland of Autumn leaves is another pattern from Attic24 which I made using the ends of yarn left over from her Woodland Blanket which I made earlier this year.

What I did with snow dyed fabric!

You may recall that earlier this year we were blessed with snow, the first time for some years and as a committed dyer, I did some snow dyeing.

At long last I've used the fabric I produced to make some mats and a tablecloth for our caravan.  The designs were simple so I could get them done quickly and out of the fabric from this year's dyeing I made mats for the table and coffee table.

These two used all the fabric I had so delving in to my stash I found some more fabric that I did some years ago using either snow or ice - I can't remember which!

The colours are much deeper than this year's batch so I don't know what I did that was different. 

For the tablecloth, I used a wooden block to print a leaf design using discharge paste.  I had intended to do this with the first two mats but I forgot to do it!

It was a great exercise as it showed me how different coloured dyes react - some of the squares only had a very feint print whereas others were very clear.   I haven't done much work with discharge paste but I was so pleased with this work that I'll definitely do more again soon.

Another month, another Journal Quilt

For my April Journal Quilt I reached orange and yellow on the colour wheel and although on the face of it there is a traditional look to it, I used a variety of widths for the strips and included some orange and yellow striped strips too.  The centre square is also from the striped fabric.

I used a hand made block for the gelli printing on some of the yellow strips, using string wrapped around a piece of card and using an orange fabric paint.

To finish I machine quilted in straight lines from top to bottom, again varying the distances between the lines to reflect the different widths of the strips.

March JQ

Moving on to Orange for my March Journal Quilt, this log cabin is more or less formal but with each colour only used on three sides.   Once again I used my own dyed fabric in various shades of orange, some printed with a Gelli plate using a map stencil. The results of this month's gelli-printing were better and using less of the fabric paint seemed to make a difference.  

The finished quilt was   machine quilted in a spiral pattern, working diagonally across each strip, and then bound with some of the map-printed fabric.

Another Year of Journal Quilts

I have again signed up for making a monthly Journal Quilt with Contemporary Quilters.  This year it has to be  7" x 9" landscape which I think is a lovely size to work with - not too big and not too small.

I have decided my quilts are going to be based on a log cabin block, hoping to push the boundaries a bit which I know for me is going to be a challenge as I love the formality of a traditional log cabin!  I'm also going to use my own dyed fabric which I will overprint using my gelli plate, again using new ideas as I go.  And finally I will be using the colour wheel as my palette, using each of the primary and secondary colours and then a combination of primary/secondary in between.

So starting in January I used a red palette and a more traditional block to start. The gelli printing wasn't as successful as I had hoped and found less is more in some cases.  I did a bit of foiling over the top to give it a bit of interest as it looked a bit flat. The piece of fabric I printed for the binding was more successful which considering this was just using up what was left on the gelli plate, maybe this is telling me something for next time.

Good starting point but looking forward to the next one.

Another quilt for Project Linus

Here is another quilt I've made for Project Linus.  This one uses black and white fabric with touches of red.   Earlier this year I read on the Project Linus website that they wanted black and white quilts for the Festival of Quilts this year so when I saw this fabric I knew I had to have it.  Sadly, it was not complete in time for FOQ but better late than never.

I used a simple rail fence pattern and then backed and bound it with red fabric.

I've just seen on their website that the theme for next year's FOQ is railfence so I guess I will be able to make one or two quilts using up my stash!

November Journal Quilt

This month's Journal Quilt was inspired yet again by cactus.

I started by curved piecing the background using my own dyed fabric.   Yellow spines were then bonded in rows and these were machine quilted, again in rows.

Sounds simple but there were many trials getting the size of the spines right!

The next and final quilt for the year is still undecided.   I have used up all the ideas I had in January with the exception of one that I just can't seem to get from my brain to fabric.  I'm trying to come up with an idea that combines all the designs and colours of the other eleven quilts but again nothing has so far come to fruition.

Stash Buster for Project Linus

One of my aims for this year was to use up fabric from my stash and make some quilts for Project Linus.  It's been a while since I've done one so I had to put it right.

I had a pack of nautical themed fat quarters which I thought would make a change as I don't make many quilts for little boys.   I got some blue fabric for the backing and binding which went well with the front.

Very pleased with the result.  Now must get round to phoning our local contact for Project Linus to pass on the quilts.

Quilt for Effy

I've had some projects on the go that are gifts so I have not been able to share them until the lucky people get them.

One was a quilt for a friend of mine for her third daughter.  I have made quilts for her sisters so I thought it only right that she should have one too.   I bought the fabric some months ago and chose a unicorn print not realising that the eldest two girls loved unicorns too.

Well Baby Effy has now arrived and received her quilt so I can share it with the world!

I wanted to use half square triangles and much against my usual 'everything must be straight and symmetrical' I decided to off set the centre.   Really enjoyed making this and will no doubt be doing similar again.

July Journal Quilt

Finally had a chance to post my July Journal Quilt on the Contemporary Quilters Yahoo Group so I can now share it with the world.

Once again I have been inspired by Phoenix Canariensis, a common tree in Gran Canaria and one that we saw everyday on our walk to the beach.   Looking up into the tree you could see the newly forming leaf spikes silhouetted against the blue sky and it was this image which inspired me.

My original plan was to foundation piece but after having a go I gave up!  Never been a fan of that particular method and when I have done it, the results have been somewhat hit and miss so I think that is it now - never again!

Instead, I drew the image on to the background fabric and used Inktense Pencils to colour in before 'painting' it with water.  I haven't used this method before so I'm pleased with the results, apart from a little bit of bleeding.  

I free machine quilted in some areas with a variegated thread to give some texture and then quilted around the leaf shapes to finish.

I wish the background fabric had had a bit more colour bit apart from that, I'm pleased with the finished quilt.

Distracted by rust again!

Things seem to be conspiring to send me down the rust route again!

The first was a workshop on WOW (Workshop on the Web) which used rusting powder, something I have never used before having gone down the rusting pieces of metal route instead.   Having tried the powder I will never use rusting pieces of metal again!

I tried out an idea I have of using words with rust, playing with the juxtaposition of words like "FOREVER" AND "ALWAYS" together with rust.  Bit mad but it is still in the development stage.

To try out the method, I cut the words RUST from freezer paper and ironed them to the fabric.  After a douse of water/white vinegar mix, a quick sprinkle with the powder and, hey presto, a couple of hours later the rusting was complete.   The fabric then needed to be washed and soaked in sodium bicarbonate to neutralise the rusting process. 

I was delighted with the result!

I did that a few weeks ago and since then I've been back to the rusty wall which inspired a series of work a few years ago and once again I found myself thinking about a new piece of rusty work. 

I've now added some seed stitching in rusty coloured thread, some cream French knots and some beads.

I'm going to use the panel in a quilted hanging using squares of different rusty coloured fabrics, including some coloured with the rusting powder.   I have worked in this way before and feel drawn to it once again.

Quilt top

I've got several creative projects on the go at the moment, one of which is a quilt top using Makower Fantasy.  It has unicorns and rainbows so I'm sure the little girl I have in mind for it will love it.

So far it is just a quilt top but hopefully soon it will be he finished quilt.

Pink Quilt for Linus

Please to say my second project of the year is complete!

This time I have used the pink fabric from my stash, together with a couple of fat quarters I bought to match, to make a quilt for Project Linus.   It's a simple design of 6" squares but I appliqued some hearts on the plain fabric using some left over bits of the other fabric.   

I'm never sure how to quilt and usually end up quilting in the ditch.  This time I did some free hand random swirls, avoiding the squares with the hearts.  Can't say I'm ecstatic about the results and will no doubt resort to 'in the ditch' for the next quilt but it looks good and hopefully will eventually bring some joy and comfort for the child that receives it.

Apologies for the photo but I'm struggling to find a good place to photograph larger items in my new house.  Any suggestions would be welcome.

New Year - New Me?

I'm not even going to review the targets I made for 2016 as it will be far too negative!

My only target for 2017 will be to create more consistently, however small.

I have begun this by looking at what fabric I already have and how I can use it up.   I spent some productive time yesterday, ably assisted by my grand daughter Hope, cutting squares of some pink and blue fabric left from some quilts I made for some new arrivals.  I now have a list of a few extra FQs I need to turn these squares into quilts that will be destined for Project Linus.  I also found some log cabin blocks made from some Tim Holtz fabric I bought (I think in Hobbycraft) and which didn't get any further.  I will also get some more fabric to go with the blocks to create yet another quilt for Project Linus.

Last week I got myself organised to start a piece of canvaswork which had been buzzing around in my head for some time.   A birthday gift of a collection of different threads begged to be used for canvaswork, so I began by colouring a canvas with some painted bondaweb which I tore into shapes that were laid down in a sort of landscape. The pack was called Pastel Seas so I suppose it's more of a Seascape.  I added some additional perle cottons from my own thread stash.   Work is underway but here it what it looked like when ready to start.

I also have another pack called Moorland that I think will become Freeform Crochet.  But I must get all the above finished first!

Happy New Year to everyone.

Hello Again!

I'm rather embarrassed about the length of time since my last post.  Started off with the excuse that we moved to Dorset but that was now over three months ago so I'll just move on.......

We have settled well in our new house and as it was brand new, we were able to move in without any further work.   We have had the garden to do so that has taken some time recently but as it is quite small, I can't use that as an excuse.   I got my workroom sorted quickly too and the best thing is I have my own room so no more having to clear away when the grandchildren come to stay.

It's not massive but I managed to get all my things in and with less space, I have to keep it tidy. So far, so good!

My only regret is that my large Perspex table that I used with my Bernina is too big for the desk so at the moment I have had to resort to the small extension table that came with the machine.  I have seen that Cotton Patch do a similar one (a lot cheaper than the Bernina one!) but I am having trouble deciding which size to get.

I have been busy with a few projects......

... the first one was a quilt for a friend's new baby boy.   We are caravan neighbours so I went for a seaside theme.   Baby Paul has now arrived and Mum and Dad loved the quilt.

 

 

I have also decided to have another go at selling online, this time giving Etsy a go.  I will start with some of the items I already have ready and will also include some of my framed textile art.  I've also planned to make some mounted arrangements of inchies, something I have done in the past as part of my themes on rust and maps.   For these new ones I am going to have colour themes but choose colours that can relate to occasions and anniversaries.  So far I've done purple (just because I like it!), red (Ruby Anniversary) and white/silver (Weddings and Silver Anniversary); will go on to gold next.

 

For each set I started by creating a felt base on my Embellisher, incorporating various fabrics and fibres including organza, scrim, netting and silk.  I then added beads, buttons, sequins, ribbon, lace or hand stitches before finishing the edge with buttonhole stitch.

 

 

 

I have also done some work in my sketchbook, but not as much as I wanted to.    The first two pages are based on some of the many photos I have taken of beach huts we've seen since we moved.  I've included photos, some gelli plate printed deli paper, some stitched applique and some hand stitching.   I found the colours particularly inspired these pages.

 

 

 

The second page uses car park tickets as the background which I printed with the gelli plate, adding some cut lettering to finish.

 



 



 

Hopefully there won't be a long wait until my next post.

 

 



Seen From Above - The Village

Last month I gave you a preview of my latest creation which is now finished so can be revealed.

 

 

Made from my own dyed fabric, this is a pieced quilted hanging with the centre of the panel reflecting the layout of the roads in the village which I live.   I had to make a few adjustments so I didn't have too many corners meeting.   This panel was then hand quilted with lines of running stitch in toning perle cotton.  I used the shape of each piece when deciding which direction to quilt.

 

The top and bottom borders were printed with a stencil made from freezer paper.  The two left hand shapes - an oak tree and an anvil - are the symbols on the village sign; the centre house is the outline of my own house; and the two right hand trees reflect the woods that border the village.   These two panels were then quilted with seed stitch using random dyed perle cotton.

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

Two small quilts

I'm making the most of the free time I have before the Christmas rush arrives!

I've recently signed up for DMTV and have been inspired by some of the videos I have watched.   If you have never seen or heard of these excellent videos, have a look at Design Matters website which is run by the very talented Linda and Laura Kemshall.

I have long been an admirer of their work and inspired by their use of quilting which is often much more dense that I would ever do!   I also love the printed fabrics that Laura sells under Fingerprint Fabrics.  I have purchased some in the past at FOQ and have recently bought a couple of pieces of map fabrics for using in my "Seen From Above" series.

One of the videos I was inspired by was about using your own printing blocks to create first papers and then fabrics to use in collage.

So using the map fabric - an old map of London - and some simple stamp made with foam blocks, I created two collages in my sketchbook which I then translated into small quilts using my own dyed fabrics which I had printed.   The use of a rectangle for the stamps was to reflect the buildings which would be seen on a map of a different scale.  

On the first one I quilted around the rectangles and then bit the bullet and did some much more dense free quilting on the map area.  I left a couple of areas unquilted for variety.   As with my earlier quilt in this series, I quilted the title of the quilt on the right side which I intend to do with all my creations in this series.



Seen From Above - Suburbs I

     

For the second one, I again quilted around the rectangles first and then machine quilted vertical lines over the map areas.



Seen From Above - Suburbs II

     

Each quilt measures about 12" x 16".