Week 44

I have wanted to try this method for a while. The wall hanging I have seen have several long strips sewn together then cut in strips. Then stiched similar to the pattern here. This was an easy way for me to try the pattern. This is fleece with stripes. I cut the fleece, moving them down or up one color and zigzaged. Not as easy as I thought because the fleece stretches. Also, the second strip from the left was moved down one color too many. Anyway, the effect is the same. May try this for real one day. This sample is certainly not my best work but glad I tried it.

Journal block 44

This is a paper cut out of a butterfly fused on black fabric which was cut a bit bigger than the paper and fused on off white fabric. Layered with flannel backing fabric and shadow stitched.

Journal block 43

Four 3 1/4 inch squares with ribbon tied in a knot and sewn to the edges. An after thought was that it probably look better sewn across the two of corners of each block on the diagonal.

Journal block 42

Black fabric cut out and fused on blue background fabric.

Journal block 41

Word of the month, Fall, black fabric sprayed with bleach then the leaves were fused on.

Journal block 40

Oops on making yo-yo's turned into a flower.

Journal block 39. Two squares of fabric, the back piece is 3 " the top is 5 1/2 ", the larger square is folded in the middle on each side to fit the smaller square.

Week 43

The center is the remnants of a project that just didn't work for me in the past. The borders are upholstery fabric left over from cushions on my kitchen chairs. Is this recycling??

Week 42

This is novelty fabric stitched on fleece type batting using various hem stitches.Love the happy colors. Happy Halloween!!

Week 41

The word for the month of Oct. is FALL.
I used two leaves I picked up on vacation last year. I placed the leaves on black cotton blend fabric and misted with bleach. I left the solution on the fabric for approximately 5 minutes then removed the leaves and rinsed. The gold leaf is one of the originals and the other is fused. I did not stitch the fabric as this was more of test in relief dying than sewing.

Week 40

The pinwheel was made from triangles sewed on paper Triangles on a Roll. This is good stuff. You can sew many triangles in very little time. I would hate to go back to the old way of making triangles.
The center is a yoyo. Note, cut the circle about twice as big as you want the finished yoyo.

Week 39

Free motion outline on novelty fabric.

Week 38

The brown bison is fused on black then cutting the black close to the brown, leaving just enough to make an outline. Then fused on background fabric. This would be good when appliqueing busy fabrics.
Free motion echo quilting using two layers of flannel and the batting.

Week 37

I was on vacation during most of last month so am way behind on my weekly journal blocks.  The word of the month for Sept was TREE and since I was in Wyoming and Montana it was the perfect word for me.  This picture is one I took in Yellowstone Park. I printed it on 100% cotton treated with bubble jet. There are special considerations to printing on fabric. This was fused on freezer paper and printed on an HP bottom load printer. Took a couple of tries to keep the paper from jamming.  I free motion quilted with invisible thread using flannel for the batting. 





The picture of the dog is from a previous journal using the same process.  The picture of the two women (my mother and her sister) was printed on poly chiffon. I did not want to quilt on the faces as the chiffon shifts and I was concerned with distortion. A do over would be to start the quilting closer to the middle and work out as there was some puckering in the center.  Notice the pink streaks on the picture. I think this was caused by steam from the iron. So if ironing the printed fabric it would be a good idea to use a dry iron.

Journaling with My Sister

When my sister first told me about the journal blocks, sewing was not the first thing that came to mind. My sewing experience has more need to than want to. But I must say it has been a fun experience using a variety of mediums, learning new skills, doing our word journals which is always very interesting and the best part of it is the common interest we now share.