Journal #1
This is my first memory journal and is in honor of my paternal grandmother.
My memories of her include – lots of family gatherings, her fear of snakes, her great cooking, making hollyhocks dolls, and playing in the big trees down by the creek at her house. She fed everyone from the folks at the church pot luck to the stray neighbor hood animals that showed up at her back door. She used to say “When I turn 80 I am going to make a pie every day and eat it.” The photo here is of her making Key Lime Pie on a family vacation to Florida over the Christmas Holidays in the early 80’s. Although she did not make a pie everyday once she turned 80, it is a fitting tribute to her.
I chose fabrics from the Kaye’s Kitchen Collection designed by Kaye England. They reminded me of the aprons my grandmother used to wear. I assembled the background and used my new ‘wave’ ruler to cut the vertical line to add some movement to the piece. The flowers are free-motion embroidery to represent the hollyhocks that grew up on the hill in her yard. The ones we made dolls of every summer when my sister and I would go and stay for a week. I have recently planted hollyhocks in my own yard. Echo quilting is used in various techniques to finish the background. The trim down the center was added to give a nice finish to the edge and add additional texture to the piece. The photo is printed directly on muslin – no special fabric or treatment – just plain old cheap muslin. I fused the photo to a scrap piece of fast2fuse in an effort to give it some dimension and added the rick-rack border. The raised photo technique needs some refining as it is not pronounced enough in my opinion. Button border was inspired by a journal in the book Creative Quilting: the Journal Quilt Project by Karey Patterson Bresenhan. This was done by machine after the backing was fused in place. I did a securing straight stitch around the edges before the buttons were sewn in place. BTW there are 135 buttons on this piece for those of you who are curious... Thank goodness for the button foot on my Bernina - the heart is hand sewn
My memories of her include – lots of family gatherings, her fear of snakes, her great cooking, making hollyhocks dolls, and playing in the big trees down by the creek at her house. She fed everyone from the folks at the church pot luck to the stray neighbor hood animals that showed up at her back door. She used to say “When I turn 80 I am going to make a pie every day and eat it.” The photo here is of her making Key Lime Pie on a family vacation to Florida over the Christmas Holidays in the early 80’s. Although she did not make a pie everyday once she turned 80, it is a fitting tribute to her.
I chose fabrics from the Kaye’s Kitchen Collection designed by Kaye England. They reminded me of the aprons my grandmother used to wear. I assembled the background and used my new ‘wave’ ruler to cut the vertical line to add some movement to the piece. The flowers are free-motion embroidery to represent the hollyhocks that grew up on the hill in her yard. The ones we made dolls of every summer when my sister and I would go and stay for a week. I have recently planted hollyhocks in my own yard. Echo quilting is used in various techniques to finish the background. The trim down the center was added to give a nice finish to the edge and add additional texture to the piece. The photo is printed directly on muslin – no special fabric or treatment – just plain old cheap muslin. I fused the photo to a scrap piece of fast2fuse in an effort to give it some dimension and added the rick-rack border. The raised photo technique needs some refining as it is not pronounced enough in my opinion. Button border was inspired by a journal in the book Creative Quilting: the Journal Quilt Project by Karey Patterson Bresenhan. This was done by machine after the backing was fused in place. I did a securing straight stitch around the edges before the buttons were sewn in place. BTW there are 135 buttons on this piece for those of you who are curious... Thank goodness for the button foot on my Bernina - the heart is hand sewn
Ruth Elizabeth (Horr) Borton
Born: July 29, 1900 in Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana
Married: September 14, 1922 at 605 South C Street, Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana to Gordon Alfred Borton
Death: July 14, 1993 at Worthington Christian Village, Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio
Born: July 29, 1900 in Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana
Married: September 14, 1922 at 605 South C Street, Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana to Gordon Alfred Borton
Death: July 14, 1993 at Worthington Christian Village, Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio
..........................................................................................................................................................................
Journal #2
I have been working on journals this year that are technique driven more so than theme driven and in that pursuit; I have a secondary goal of completing a journal quilt in each of the primary and secondary colors on the color wheel. Most of these are collage type journals. This journal quilt represents red. Red is not my color, nor something I am drawn to. And this journal is nothing like it started out to be. My original intent was for a collage type background and lots of stuff in red attached for interest, but that all changed when I pulled put a red triangle scrap from my red scrap bag and saw ‘flying geese’ down the center of the page. I fused a red on red print for the background and then found scraps in various degrees of red to cut my geese from. I used a fusible seam tape down the center of the page to hold the geese in place and then stitched the geese with red variegated thread. The center embellishment is a wrapped pipe cleaner. A technique described in the book Creative Embellishments: For Paper, Jewelry and Fabric, by Sherrill Kahn. I may never throw away a trimmed fabric selvage again. The wrapped pipe cleaner is couched in place with clear mono filament thread. The decorative yarn on either side is added for texture and balance. As this piece progressed my intent was to still add some of that red stuff for interest but when I found the hearts (cheap Christmas ornaments – purchased well past end of season several years ago) I knew the piece was complete. Although this would probably have been more appropriate for a February Journal in Honor of valentines day – I love this it and realize that I can like any color if it is put together in a pleasing arrangement
Unfortunately the photo on this one really does not do is justice. I will have to try again in better light and no flash.
..........................................................................................................................................................................
Saving the best for last - on my way out the back door this afternoon - I noticed a we had a natural mosquito repellent possibility lurking in our boston fern - now remember we live in suburbia - but somehow nature seems to find me....
Hi Baby - you are soooo cute - please come again soon and often...
2 comments:
Very nice, Pam!!
Your grandmother reminds me of my husband's grandmother. That could be her in that photo...
And I love the red journal page; simple but interesting.
Your tribute to your grandmother is just perfect; the photo, fabrics, stitched flowers and the buttons go together to make a very strong statement about her.
Your mosquite repellant photo is a gem!
Post a Comment