Birthday Reflections in Fiber: a Journal Quilt

     Birthdays keep happening. I wanted to make a journal quilt as an extra for a friend's celebration (perhaps for people to sign the back or to hold greetings in an envelope attached to the back). I Googled "quilt birthday cakes" Images and blogs, and found many quilts and quilted cakes. One complicated piece at Threads of Conversation tempted me. I tried to paper piece it without a pattern. I made the top backwards and sewed the pedestal on upside down twice and gave up. My proportions were so bad I had to add a frame.
      I decided to free-motion machine quilt with a multi-colored Superior thread and 90/14 needle and to bring the backing of cherries around to the front to form the edge or binding.It would help to slow down to plan!

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       I stitched  some quotations* I had found for fabric fortune cookies should I decide to take those as a non-caloric addition to the party. So why were these quilting failures so much fun? Practice does not make perfect!.  Why would one want to quilt when people's eyes glaze over when you talk about it or your work is not perfect? Clueless here.
      Often I make quilts for people and then want to keep them. Aren't they fortunate! I may add "For LinLin1 on one side of the lower pedestal and "love LinLin2" on the other side. The whacky construction mirrors the whackiness of additional years. By the way, I have a real present for her.

*The older the fiddler, the sweeter the tune.(English proverb)
   Age, like distance lends a double charm. (Oliver Wendell Holmes)
    Youth is a gift of nature, but age is a work of art. (Garson Kanin)

Weaving Thanksgiving: a journal quilt

     For November, our 12" x 12" journal quilt group entertained the theme "Thanksgiving." To the last meeting we each brought small pieces of fabric to be distributed to everyone. These fabric pieces were to be incorporated into our block.
     Nothing came to me except the notion of baskets of blessings for which I am grateful. Celeste at our last meeting showed how she had taken strips of fabric and woven them into a quilt and I thought that was the only thing to do.

      I cut the strips using my new shape cutter that I picked up at the Quilters' Gathering in Nashua NH where I took Hannah who was evacuated from her home in NJ because of the latest storm. She LOVED the quilt show. Note the weaving behind Hannah!

      I wove the strips as one would make a lattice on a pie. I did this directly on the batting, took it to the machine to sew with no pins or spray glue and, surprisingly, it held together.Maybe not on the edges, so I cut them off neatly and took the border fabric and placed it on the back, big enough in size to wrap to the front to overlap strips of batting to be zigzagged to the the woven area. While weaving I thought of all the different personalities, some rough edges of grateful Thanksgiving gatherings with multiple personalities and the mixing of families. It is a cheerful journal quilt that I thought would never happen
      Click to enlarge the photos.

click on that turkey

I just added, a week later, the silhouette, in beads, of a turkey roasted.

Bambi, the Unexpected Gift: a journal quilt

   Bambi was a very influential movie in my life and I wanted the children to view it. Many said it was too scary; but my grandchildren loved the movie and wanted to see it repeatedly. Every night we kept them during the move to another state, they shouted eagerly: "BAMBI, BAMBI, BAMBI," when I asked what bedtime movie they wanted to watch.

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      Although the children did not appear anxious over the recent move and on the drive to their new home started asking 15 minutes out of town how long it would take to get there, the icing on the packed snacks was that when Joe drove into the new driveway four hours later, David, 2, spotted the statue of a deer on the neighbor's lawn and hollered out, "BAMBI!"
      As as the day went on, Joe looked out the window to see an antlered deer in the woods across the street; and by the time he rounded up the children to view it, a doe appeared. The animals remained there until eventually a car drove by to spook them. What a gift for the children on the arrival in their new home, one that made the grandmother quite thrilled, necessitating a journal quilt for this special occasion of gratitude.
      I found a fabric that looked like the deer in the movie. I made the white ribbon by fusing Wonder Under to the back of white fabric. On the Wonder Under, I drew the bow and ribbons freehand, cut them out and ironed them, fusing to the deer fabric. I quilted by using a blanket stitch on my sewing machine around the ribbon and a free motion funny grass stitch between the deer. I cut the quilted block to an exact 12 x 12 inches but then imperfected it when adding the iron-on hem binding and zig sag stitch to secure.

Material Girls Adventure: a journal quilt

     In late June, my friend Ann and I headed west to the Material Girls Quilt Guild show in Leominster, Central Massachusetts.  We took off the day for culinary pleasures and art. Certainly, Jessica's works at that show were a major draw. We started at a top diner, did the show in depth, and stopped for a seafood lunch and baskets of farm strawberries on the way home.  I couldn't ignore this outing when there is a strawberry challenge quilt to be made for the Journal Quilt Connection 12" x 12" group! (see last week's strawberry blog)

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     But sometimes things don't work out! I wanted a basket weave pattern (such as I found at the fabulous  Quilter's Cache/Marcia Hohn), alternating the yellows with the reds); but I didn't have enough basket yellow.  I thought I would have a learning experience this afternoon and gamble on two prints of no contrast. I learned my lesson :*{ I did a basket weave and I used some strawberries albeit accompanied by kiwis. I alternated the strawberries with cars and put a simplified strawberry pattern on the back and drew it around the sides for a binding. Let me tell you, the back looks better than the front. Why the cars? We drove and drove and drove! all over the place, having a good time looking for quilt stores, inspired by the fabulous show where we saw great talent and picked up inspirational books and fabrics. Such sweet memories make me fond of this troubled little journal quilt!

The Brave Robin: a July Journal Quilt

    April showers bring May flowers, but in July, Joe's watering plants encouraged a guest who likes to play in the sprinklers.

     A long weekend prompted Joe to purchase some more plants and to keep his earlier efforts alive. Every morn he waters the hanging gardens and other hopefuls; and every morning this skinny robin pads right up to be sprayed. Today Robin Redbreast brought a friend who was not so bold. The sparrows are equally interested to run through the rain but they keep their distance.

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   This is my fifth journal quilt on the theme of Beginnings...in this case, beginning the day. I found the bird print and the batik that looked like sprayed water at JoAnne's. I fused the square to the batik and then machine-blanket-quilted around three sides with a zigzag at the top. What to do for the hose, I wondered, late at night. I looked in a drawer and found some yellow piping which I first basted in place and then machine stitched. Next, I cut close to the stitching so I probably should find some fray stopper for greater security. For the hose nozzle, I again used three widths of zig zagging. I sew with gray thread and use Sharpie permanent markers to blend on both sides. For the binding I fused on strips of fabric and then secured with stitching.

     I probably should get out some of my bead drops to sprinkle over the piece for water. Where as I spend only two hours on my 8" x 8" journal quilts, these 12" x 12" pieces are bigger and seem more serious. I haven't decided how much time to spend on something due every fortnight.

Bloom where you are planted: a birthday journal quilt

Bloom where you are planted  12" x 12"

     Where did the year go. My daughter-in-law is already having another birthday and my bead group is having Nita's and my birthday this Thursday. But my birthday is next month. Summer plans confuse things. Luckily we had bought Beth a present in NYC this past weekend; and today I made a journal quilt in her honor. I remember Kathy's sending me a card, when we moved to London, that said "Bloom where you are planted!" and that was good for me.
     Not only is it Beth's birthday, but she is moving with my son and grandchildren away from the Boston area. But there is excitement ahead for them with new beginnings. I found a fabric about NYC and its rivers and bridges to cross...and I fused blooming flowers, appliqueing them with the sewing machine. I wanted to hand-embroider the title but chickened out to free-motion-quilt the words, my initials and the date.  I did quilt more, loosely sketching over the entire piece.  The backside of the quilt picks up on the pink roses and is wide enough to come back over the sides to be ironed and sewed as a binding. I ironed, pinned, and again used the sewing machine. Thinking Beth might want to hang it near a reading chair, I sewed little ribbon hooks on the back corners into which a dowel could be inserted. Also, I thought the children could ask questions about the items in the background. They have ridden in the carriage around Central Park and Daddy's new office is pictured. Click the photo to enlarge.

The Circus has come to town: a journal quilt

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         Every year, good friend and active Shriner Neal buys tickets to the circus and gifts us for the grandchildren. It is our duty to ride the elephants and horses, buy lots of cotton candy of which all the money goes to the Shriners' burn centers, and engage with other goodies, treats and rides for a super concern. This year I made a movie but forgot the journal quilt.

        I am far enough behind on journal quilts, I thought I would use the very first block which I made to teach myself patchwork quilting. Of course it would have helped to have read the instructions: I did not leave enough margin on the edges to sew to another. Sooo SEW! I thought I would use the elephant block to stand in for the circus journal, because I could not use it otherwise (no margins). Serendiptously, I see that the movie Water for Elephants is showing down the street. The reviews haven't been tops, but I liked what Ebert said. I read and enjoyed the book.  Of course, I am still disturbed by some elephant training videos I observed recently.

Worlds of Worry

    Sometimes I make journal quilts about phenomenon occurring in the world. Not only are extraordinary events happening in the world, one knows big changes in people's lives. There are the daily shocking newspaper reports as well as major alterations occurring in the lives of friends and family. Although we have many blessings and reasons to be thankful and to have faith, the worry in the world and neighborhoods is palpable. I thought I would say hello to WORRY in my journal quilt: time wasting, but around the clock worry. Hoping not to trivialize, I recommend several sites of worry quotations: Worry Quotes, Sayings about Anxiety, Worries, Worry quotes, Don't Worry, Be Happy Quotes  These are just a few of the sites you find when you Google "worry quotes."
    You asked about the fabrics: The black and white background I picked up at JoAnne's Fabric for use as hair on a portrait, but thought it chaotic enough as a backing for worry. I worked in the Text part of Comic Life software to write lots of "Worry" words and to distort them. I printed that graphic on an inkjet fabric "paper."The clock faces were from a Ben Franklin fabric of antique clocks which I thought were too baroque for this piece. So I cut out the clock faces, fused and stitched them on. I don't particularly like the white trim stitching, but I wanted more white and thought this seemed bursting chaos. A puff paint would be preferred, but I couldn't wait.

Super Joe to the Rescue: a journal quilt

   Usually I make an 8" x 8" journal quilt a week, in a couple of hours; but given all the recent exciting events, of Bill's traveling and accepting a position in NYC and the grandchildren's moving away, I have fallen behind. One reason was I simply could not think of a way to capture the idea of Joe's taking care of the three grandchildren in extraordinary situations.

    I thought of Juggler Joe and had them pose...but nothing came to mind that I could do in a couple of hours. Finally, I decided to portray Joe as Superman, answering many calls from the parents, rushing to their home. I found some fabric to do the job. You can click to enlarge.

Friday Fun: back to painting

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   Yesterday I got my eyelid stitches out (too much sun as a child);  and today I decided to make a journal quilt with myself as pirate. I had to paint myself on fabric, but I haven't depicted myself in a long time, I am so easily distracted and excited by contemporary happenings in the quilt world.

    With a fresh eye, I realized if you paint yourself, looking in a mirror, your fabric should be at the same angle as the mirror, on an easel or equivalent. My canvas was on the table so I looked as if I had mumps. Using Lumiere acrylic jpaints, I grabbed the opague white to mix in with the other colors to narrow my face but I still look like a chipmunk. Also, I hopelessly bouffant my hair. I started out w a Sharpie Rub a Dub pen and sketched on the fabric a couple of noses and lips and chins. They may show through in the future. I have made so many self portraits in the past, I was not humble enough to make preliminary sketches and it shows.  In the end, I was so glad to be rid of the patch, I left it off! And I had a lot of fun painting, regardless the results!
     Now off to make the quilt, maybe with a patch that lifts up.

Snowing, sewing, stuffing: back to Journal Quilts

   At beading the other day at my house, we remarked that the snow, which fell, and fell again, and then fell some more, was throwing people not "just a little bit off-kilter. We were making silly mistakes. Our alignment was skewed in performing.  Not important things, but we are a bit exhausted from it all, even if we aren't overwhelmed. I have gotten behind on journal quilts (apologies), but there is great pleasure in feeding those birds and sewing Valentines to distribute!

    This is a lazy journal quilt and it took fewer that the usual two hours to create. I took a photo of the early snow on our house and printed it on an EQ Printables fabric sheet, let it dry for 15 minutes and then rinsed it, as instructed, for 10 minutes to get rid of excess ink. I put it on the radiator to dry, layered it with batting and a 10'' square of muslin for the back. After trimming the print, I fused it with Wonder Under to 10" square of a snowy calming light green. Next, I "quilted." I may use the tales of my being discombobulated by the snow in other journal quilts which I try to make once a week and need to double up on.

      P.S. The fabric I printed on could be used for your grandchildren's faces on little stuffed dolls or other projects where you want a thread count so fine that texture is not apparent. You can make your own inkjet printable fabric as well. Just Google.

Feed the Birds: a journal quilt

     The snow falls, night and day, but birds are abundant. The bushes by my front porch are filled with puffed up feathered friends. The bushes look like snow cones; and birds are under the snow canopy, chirping in chorus for food.
      My grandchildren painted a birdhouse for Mother's Day and gave me a bag of seeds. I am not informed about bird needs. However, when I wondered why these sparrows and chickadees didn't fly south and I could not imagine where they were getting food, I started sprinkling my seeds on one side of the front porch. Surely my comfort food of seeds and bread crumbs couldn't hurt.

       Nancy, bird guru and beader, said that some of these birds have evolved to extend their world, staying in the cold north to feed on berries and seeds they have cached. But with all this covering of snow it is good to supplement. Chrissy has a heated bird bath. I have tried to take the birds' photos but they are wary of predators, my dog and family's watching through the window.

       I will sew on some yellow and gold seed beads for these fabric feathered creatures in my journal quilt, and then get some real seeds and bread to feed those sparrows, chickadees and blue birds. I read the little ones need more than the larger birds when it is so cold.

After the Plague: a journal quilt

  The 18th through the 20th of December was a fine early Christmas celebration at our house. The day afterwards, despite having gotten the flu shot (I try to be first in line, I am such a believer), I came down with a non-bacterial bug that lasted 2 1/2 weeks. Along with that enervating problem, bronchitis, I had pills for some minor double skin surgery and wounds to heal. I don't suppose I thought it was "the end," but when I finally got well, I was so overcome with gratitude that the entire world was Spring again. I loved and appreciated breathing, walking and looking...just being alive, often what is so easy to take for granted. Thus, I sewed in the journal quilt, the black shade's being lifted on the short dark window of my life...a special memorable incident!