Mystery Quilt for the Material Mavens Journal Quilt Reveal

The Keys in Hiding ~ Again!

     It’s an increasing MYSTERY where I have placed things! 

      In the midst of creating my first attempt at this mystery quilt, Que Sera Sera (below), the puzzle of children’s development, I needed a crystal ball and finally made one that doesn’t photograph as good as it looks. At the same time, I re-read Art and Fear, which gave me the nerve to paint the rabbit.  I Googled Alice’s rabbit, Images, and sketched a composite, however anatomically challenged he is.  I dove into my Lumiere textile paints and was surprised how slowly they built up compared with my other paints. I added a black permanent marker in spots. My background fabric awaited.

      To make the crystal ball, I traced a saucer onto freezer paper and ironed the freezer paper to fabric. I folded in the edges (Katie P-M suggests spray starch) and blind-stitched it. I opened the backing and added polyfill. It needed more. In my stash I found this sheer fabric that doesn’t fray. I cut it out and used a spray glue to the edges. Next, I began to quilt things to batting. I took silver embroidery floss to stitch around the globe, after inserting a felt key. I also used embroidery thread on the clock.I needed bubbles for thoughts. I first photographed the piece and added it to Comic Life software to test bubble shapes and colors. Then I cut out fabric onto which I had ironed Wonder Under and printed the thoughts with Fabrico, a permanent marker. The fabric for the backside was too small,  but I hastily glued it down and stitched over all with invisible thread to suggest the speed of the frantic rabbit. Perhaps some hands or fingers are needed to hover over the ball, but it’s late, it’s late!

        Neither is perfect, but I made so many mistakes and learned several new techniques.That is a special bonus of art journal quilting!

Fast Fabric Postcard: for Nancy

     Birthdays always sneak up on me. But I now have a method for the world's fastest fabric greeting card. I made this last night "watching" Henry Louis Gate's Finding Your Roots program on PBS. Maybe the birthday card will get to Nancy by May10th!

      Cut 3 pieces of fabric 4" x 6." One is the decorative top piece, the second in the sandwich is the batting for which I used felt. If you want to "quilt" the top piece to the batting, do it now. Then there is the back piece that must say "Postcard."

       For extra protection, sew these three pieces near the edge to secure them. I didn't. Cut and iron Wonder Under to two strips of fabric 1" x 6" and two strips 1" x  4". Fold these strips in half lengthwise and remove the backing of the WU.  Place these strips of fabric tight and flat along the edges of the fabric and iron them in place. Follow the instructions on the Wonder Under and cut the strips a little long to trim to fit. To secure the bonded fabric, I went around the edge of the card both to iron and add a decorative machine stitch. To quilt further, I stitched other stars from that same decorative stitch at different spots on the postcard. Click to enlarge photos.

        I then stamped Postcard to the backside and addressed the card with Fabrico pen which I heat set. (Here, addresses are covered with fabric scraps.) I pressed the stamp on carefully. It probably needs less postage since it is flat and the size of a postcard, but since I ask for hand-cancelling, I pay full letter price.
       
         P.S. Last week I Googled the National Geographic DNA Genographic project to get my kit and it arrived yesterday. Now to find time to gather my DNA to mail it in to find where in the world I came from thousands of years ago. Should be fun. On the 15th, Material Mavens reveal their "mystery" quilts and I will show the one I just finished at that time.