One Year Ends and A New One Begins

This year was different than previous years in that I branched out from quilt making only into the making of scrappy, eclectic, and sometimes themed journals.  

On the quilt making front, with Little Man’s help, I also made four new stuffie quilts for Pikachu, Meri, Tygee, and Penguin while two previously finished table topper size quilts became stuffie quilts for BearBear and Foxy.

I completed a total of twelve quilt tops (several started in previous years), not counting the stuffie quilts (Smaragdine, Gnomeville, Brumous, Coddiwomple, Awesome Colors, the Ottoman quilt, Razzle Dazzle, Spoondrift, Caim, B.O.B., Macnas, and Pretty in Pink).

I quilted and finished thirteen quilts, again not counting the stuffie quilts (Gone Dotty, Awesome Colors, the Ottoman quilt, Bon Mot, a wall quilt for May/June, Rident, Ohana, Spots and Dots, Pretty in Pink, Concatenation, and three Happy Birthday wall quilts).  

There are two work-in-progress quilt tops right now – Dumpster Diving 12-Confetti, and my Bramble Blooms QAL project.

There are also fifteen project boxes in the closet with a mix of partially cut or fully cut quilt top fabrics and fabric pulls with plans for future cutting.  Time will tell how many of these make it to the finish line (I make no promises on any of them).

On the journal making front, I finished a surprising eighteen projects.

There are four work-in-progress projects right now and two journals that need binding (one involves a Coptic binding and I’m procrastinating since that is a new-to-me more complicated technique).

There are also three pending project boxes for a textile/sewing/quilting journal, a tea-themed journal, and a series of eclectic ROYGBIV glue books.  No rush on any of them since the box contents will sit and wait until I’m ready to tackle them. 

All in all, it has been a creatively satisfying year.

* * *

Looking ahead to 2024, I’ll let the following poem speak:

"Why do we start a new year, with promises to improve?

Who began this tradition of never-ending pressure?

I say, the end of a year, should be filled with congratulation, for all we survived. 

And I say a new year should start with promises to be kinder to ourselves, to understand better just how much we bear, as humans on this exhausting treadmill of life.

And if we are to promise more, let’s pledge to rest, before our bodies force us. 

Let’s pledge to stop, and drink in life as it happens.

Let’s pledge to strip away a layer of perfection to reveal the flawed and wondrous humanity we truly are inside.

Why start another year, gifted to us on this earth, with demands on our already over-strained humanity. 

When we could be learning to accept, that we were always supposed to be imperfect.

And actually, that is where the beauty lives.

And if we can only find that beauty, we would also find peace.

Everything else is all just a part of it.

Let it be so."

Donna Ashworth

Quiltdivajulie

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p.s.  you can read more about any of the listed quilt tops or finishes by clicking on the two "finish" labels at the end of this post and scrolling through the tagged posts.

Final Finishes of 2023

Brumous is finished.

64" x 64"

Created using the Happy Stripes pattern from Quilty Love.

Quilted with all over liberated spirals using Glide thread in German Granit.

Here is the pieced backing which used up the rest of the wintery gnome fabrics.

I also used up quite a few of the leftover 2.5" strips in the scrappy binding.

And here it is on the kitchen table.

Khaki season is here, hence the brown yard (the grass will green again, but not until spring).

Here's a closer look so you can enjoy the quilted texture.

Gnomeville, our new January dining room wall quilt, is also finished.

24" wide x 36" long.

(no outdoor photos for either one since it has been wet and cold)

And, unsurprisingly, there were leftover pieces and parts from the two projects.

At this point, they're sewed together into a long slab that will become a runner.

The top, back, batting, and binding strips are ready to go, but FMQ and finishing will not happen until next year.

* * *

I'll be back on Sunday with my end-of-the year recap.

Quiltdivajulie

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"We all need to get the balance right between action and reflection.  With so many distractions, it is easy to forget to pause and take stock."

Queen Elizabeth II

Winter Solstice and Slow Stitching

My slow stitched waiting room journal is finished.

The twelve pages (three signatures) each feature No. 5 Perle cotton stitching.

I used a three-hole pamphlet stitch to secure the signatures into the book's original fabric cover (instead of machine stitching as it came to me from the maker).

By working on this a little at a time (no more than an hour), my hands didn't bother me too much for which I'm grateful.

I especially like that I was able to include some bits from the stash that have personal meaning, like this from a junior bridesmaid dress I wore when I was 13.

Some of the stitching is closer together.

Some of the pages feature completely random designs.

Others are more symmetrical.

Others feature scraps of fabric.

This page and the next had a piece of white lace across the double page spread.

I removed the white lace because (1) it looked too new, and (2) I wanted to emphasize the unbroken lines of vertical stitching.

The final page with subtle color differences that show best in sunlight.

And hooray for the fact that tomorrow and each day after will have a bit more daylight and that much less darkness.  

Quiltdivajulie

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"Winter reminds us that everyone and everything needs some quiet time."

Katrina Mayer

Monday Update

Little Man spent Friday with us since there was an in-service day at his school while Mommy and Daddy had to go to work.

After baking peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bars with Dee Dah, he asked about making a quilt for his penguin stuffy (gifted by Mommy to Daddy years ago when they first started dating).

So . . . a bit of leftover Dr. Seuss coinage became the base.  And since the penguin likes red, this stripe was an obvious choice for the border, sashing strip, and binding.

Here's the four patch back (he couldn't decide which red/white he liked best so I offered this compromise which he happily accepted).

16.5" x 19"

I decided to use this thread for Inglenook.

And I'll use this one for Gnomeville and Brumous.

* * *

Despite all my positive/wishful thinking, the knee/leg is not getting better enough so I have an appointment with my ortho doc tomorrow.  

In the meantime, I've spent quite a bit of time working on my slow stitch journal.  

Only two final sections to stitch before I can re-assemble the book.

Quiltdivajulie

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"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them."

Eeyore (A.A. Milne)

More Camp Sefton Quilts

Little Man's two newest stuffies now have their very own quilts.

Bear Bear the Christmas puppy has a quilt made from Vicki Welsh's hand dyes that were leftover after I pieced Jibberish in 2016-2017.

Foxy the red panda has a quilt made with the extra parts from Luminous ca. 2018-2019.

(both little quilts had been used as table toppers - but now they have found a higher purpose by cuddling with stuffies)

The funny part is that LM kept trying to figure out how I could sew the two small quilts together so both stuffies could be wrapped up together.

Instead I made him a quick sleeping pouch with this fabric on the outside and a bold Kaffe print on the inside.

"This is even better than their quilts!" was his reaction when I shared it with him as he was watching an episode of Bluey.

This morning the kids sent us a family selfie taken after boarding their flight to spend the long weekend DIL's parents.  

I'm pretty sure I can see Foxy's foot under the tablet in LM's lap . . .

* * *

Once again - this is WHY we make quilts (of all sizes).

Quiltdivajulie

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"Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude."

A.A. Milne in Winnie the Pooh

A Garden of Collage - the Finish

When it came time to finalize the cover for A Garden of Collage, despite repeated checking of measurements, the cover was not tall enough to stitch the end pockets . . . so I simply glued the quilted fabric cover to the binder's cover.

Here is a side view - clearly the journal is now too fat to close like the original book did.

Here's a photo of the inside cover and first page - you'll need to double click to enlarge it.

The card in the pocket contains the inspiration source and provenance of the original binder.

The following series of photos are SOME of the interior pages.

I was delighted to find several vintage seed packets to include.

And, of course, there are multiple quotes throughout the many pages.

Do any of you remember fold-a-notes from the Current company?

They make marvelous tuck in items.

Some of younger son's leftover parchment paper was trimmed to make "crinkly" pages.

Most of the pages are "full size" but a few are smaller to add interest.

If you supersize the photo, I hope you can read the definition on the left hand page.

I've loved dandelions since I was young (although my parents tried very hard to convince me they were weeds).

The thick, vintage bird cards also made wonderful items to tuck into rescued envelopes.

* * *

The more I play with journal-making, the more parallels I find with my quilting journey.

Even when I'm given complete instructions, I have a hard time following them (as in I don't want to make something that looks just like the teacher's).

I definitely prefer scrappy over the too-coordinated "kits" that are so commonly available.

Nann mentioned in a response to a comment that this process was like "curating scraps for a quilt" and I couldn't agree more.

And while I love the inspiration of virtual classes, I think I'm at my limit for adding any more new ones.  I have enough to last well into next year and, like my quilting adventures, by then I'll be solidly off on my own path.

From now until the end of the year, my goal is to focus on stitching and quilting and let the paper stash rest for a bit.  I may dabble with some of the rolodex cards if the urge strikes, but my sewing machine and Max are calling to me.

Quiltdivajulie

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"Art is something that makes you breathe with a different kind of happiness."

Anni Albers

My Sister's Journal - Delivered

Her birthday journal was delivered Tuesday and she is over the moon happy with it.

She was delighted with the number of "intriguing" things - like this page with a stamp from Rwanda featuring a Norman Rockwell Santa Claus and a quality control slip from an at-home COVID test.

I found all of my Queen Elizabeth stamps and added them to this page from an old stamp catalog.

Everyone in her family is a huge fan of Charlie Brown . . . and the snaps came from the stash of our mom.

I even managed to tuck in a few bits of fabric (right page) - something I want to do much more of going forward.

She said she loved all the empowering words . . .

Didn't we all grow up eating Animal Crackers?

Another quote she especially liked.

The paper towel was used to soak up excess water in the pans after Little Man and I painted with water colors one day.

Turns out paper towel works well in journals!

I used this random water color note from who knows where and added a quote inside - Don't make things more complicated than they need to be (she and I are famous for doing that).

And here's a top view of the finished journal.

* * *

I was so worried about gifting one of my randomly eclectic journals,  but after her reactions, I feel much better about gifting another one someday in the future.

Quiltdivajulie

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"The artist vocation is to send light into the human heart."

George Sand