Where Things Stand

When I stepped outside to put something in the trash can, I noticed this butterfly drinking water drops from the grass.  

It took about a dozen photos to finally get this one that showed the beautiful blue in his wings.

When the weather starts to cool down, I tend to get a "cold."  Happens almost every year (sigh).

With the uptick in Covid here, there, and elsewhere; I used one of our Covid tests as a precaution.

So far, so good.  

(I'll test again tomorrow just to be on the safe side)

I tried sewing a couple more rows onto Grandiose, but quickly realized my brain cells were not working very well (stupid cold).

So I switched gears and got the cardboard journal bound.  I wasn't crazy about the instructor's method so I went with my tried-and-true binder rings.

In the end, I had fun making this but I seriously doubt I'll make another cardboard journal.

And to clean up my work area, I used a lot of small scraps and made three no-sew paper snippet strips.  

I did use up a pile of scraps but the process generated even more mess (which was put into the trash can).

* * *

Fingers crossed I start feeling sharper and more energetic . . . I'll post again when I have something to share.

Quiltdivajulie

Bits and Pieces of Goodness

I'm happy to share that the set of four placemats made using leftovers from cutting rectangles for Grandiose are finished.

Here I've flipped one over so you can see the backing - part of the Needlestars line from Paula Nadlestern.  The colors couldn't be more perfect.

I'll get these off to Nann early next week.

(for those who have asked, Nann set herself a goal to make/have 250 placemats ready for donation early next year)

Week 10's prompt for Full Deck Challenge 3 is "vintage with brown splatter."

My shipping tags (instead of altered playing cards like Shana is creating) will not have splatter - I prefer sticking to small-scale collage and covering both sides of the tag.

This is the vintage tag's reverse side.

I'm storing/displaying these on a large binder ring, which is why I care that each tag looks finished no matter which angle it is viewed from.

Interestingly enough, I created some journal fodder tags a couple of weeks ago - notice the vintage parallel?

These are those fodder tag reverse sides.

And I made these little pieces using scraps from the larger tags.

Like my scrappy quilts, the leftovers are often the most fun to play with.

And despite the two rounds of snow and prolonged near-zero cold we've had, the daffodils have survived.

Glancing out the kitchen window and seeing these spots of color definitely makes me happy.

Quiltdivajulie

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"You normally have to be bashed about a bit by life to see the point of daffodils, sunsets, and nice uneventful days."  

Alain De Botton

ROYGBIV Series Complete

All eight of my ROYGBIV journals are assembled and "done" . . . subject to adding more found bits over time.

The photos below feature my final two journals - "warm neutrals" and "the blues."

Warm neutral cover.

Who else remembers taking typing class in high school?  

A fragment from one of my mother's Simplicity patterns and a vintage button card.

An old recipe and an old postcard with fabulous penmanship on the reverse side (the Kraft envelope is one my DIL used to send a card my way).

Lace fragment from my collegiate summer in Finland and one of my grandmother's crocheted doilies embellished with a vintage button.

Random bits of papers - graph, rice, map, magazine, tea-dyed learn-to-print, and vintage book.

I added flat lace trim to seven or eight of the pages - the color palette pretty much demanded it.

On to the "the blues" journal.

For some reason the juxtaposition of the underwater bookplate and the blue skies phrase tickled me.

Blueberries from a Pete the Cat book turned into a pocket for the Chihuly tag, a bit of scrapbook paper, and a magazine illustration.

A group of interestingly random pieces.

Two pockets  containing a vintage game card and the LOL postcard sent from Nann's stash.

I love including vintage seed packets in these journals.

* * *

Technically these eight volumes are more "glue book" than journal, but I'm not big on using the technically correct terminology (any more than I 'm a fan of popular genre or style labels for my quilts).

These books were originally the annual calendar journals I kept next to the sewing machine during my earlier years of quilt making.  Instead of letting them sit ignored while taking up valuable shelf space, I've given them new life as "altered books" . . . so I call them my ROYGBIV journals for the sake of simplicity.

This has been a super fun project that has allowed me to use a whole lot of little bits of all sorts.  Much better to use these little bits instead of accumulating and storing!

And, if you're interested in seeing the earlier volume reveal posts, just click on the ROYGBIV label below.

Quiltdivajulie

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"We can only connect the dots we collect . . . Your connections are the thread that you weave into the cloth that becomes your story that only you can tell."

Amanda Powell

Snippets - Finished

Last year I purchased Vol. 1 and 2 of these undated collage planners when Margarete was clearing out her stockpile.

There was a two-page spread for each week but since I use my phone's calendar program . . . 

I decided to give myself a 30-day challenge and loosely (sometimes very loosely) follow the suggested prompts.

As I worked through the 30 days, I cut off the lower portion of each completed page so only the collaged portion was left.

This is the cover embellished with a floral image cut from one of the Stampington magazines and a quote.

Inside the cover I added a library card pocket.  On the card (front shown here) I added details about the project.

On the reverse I added more information.

Turns out I've been using a "pure collage" approach without knowing it actually had a name.

Each collage bears that day's sequential number.

The images shown here are some of my favorites.

(this quote "life is too short to wait" is partially obscured by the watermark)

"Let it go" . . . 

"Stay Simple" became my working mantra - enough bits to make things interesting but not so many to make result look chaotic.

As I was swatching my paint pens, I tested them first on a plain sheet of paper. Several of them left puddles of "ink" so I used that sheet as "painted paper" for this background.

(honestly, there are a few of the remaining collages I don't love but that's okay)

After the journal was finished (and yes, I tore out the rest of the unused pages), I named the project SNIPPETS.

(scraps of fabric . . . scraps of paper . . . it's all good)

* * *

To see all the collages in order, please click HERE for the Snippets Google Photos album.

Quiltdivajulie

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"Inhale possibility.  Exhale creativity."

Laura Jaworski

Monday Miscellaney

Looking ahead, I die cut the 6" HSTs for my version of KF's Tussie Mussie quilt.

I'll get these sorted and paired so I can stitch a few in between the remaining seven blocks for DD12-Confetti.

I used some paper scraps to collage the fronts of a few note cards.  

These are the first four.  

Old book pages from thrifted books (in all sorts of languages), bits of sheet music, and a few map scraps make these fun to create and hopefully fun to look at for the recipients.

(also a not-too-intense after-dinner way to spend time in the studio)

There were a LOT of leftover end cuts and paired segments after finishing Abendrot and I've figured out a wonderful way to use them.

Friends of elder son's family (and ours) are expecting baby number two later this summer, so I shall turn the yellows plus some turquoise/teal yardage from the stash and leftover backing (tropical fabric) to make them a baby quilt.

(we gifted them Rainbow Charms for their first little boy)

And finally, I haven't shared the mid-February finish of the Green Journal in my ROYGBIV series - this is the front cover . . .

Pages from a thrifted children's book . . . 

SO many colors in a thrifted atlas . . . 

A gifted shirting block from Cherie (blog no longer active) . . . 

A postcard from Nann . . . 

(the missing first sentence of the quote was used on one of my green Rolodex cards)

And the back cover.

(Note - these ROYGBIV journals are created with plenty of empty space to add more bits and pieces over time)

P.S. - DH has tested positive for COVID so if I don’t post for a few extra days you will know why - especially since my computer is in the sunroom where he is staying.

Quiltdivajulie

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"The artist creates for the liberation of his soul.  It is his nature to create as it is the nature of water to run down the hill."

W. Somerset Maugham