FABRIC JOURNAL(S) VOL 2a & 2b

 

Here is my soft cover for 

the "Roxy's Journal of Stitchery Vol 2(a)"--

This will be the Christmas part

of this 2-prompt per month  (!!!) journey...

[I love this Jason Yenter old print...

I knew I saved it for something]

;))))))

and

Here is the inside 

A lovely old Japanese print --

long in my stash...

Here is my base page for the 

inside front cover above

I hope to embroider my name

and the date on the lower 

plaid portion in gold...--

or perhaps white...

and to bead around my prancing 

reindeer....

and add some lacey bits, too...

That is my plan.

*******************

The 2nd part of this challenge

(given on the 3rd Wed. of each month)

is a "Winter Theme"

which I will do in a hard cover

and on a smaller scale--

I know I can't keep up 

with this  schedule.

👽👾👹

So

I have split mine into

two parts for ease of

working; 

and if I don't like or

cannot figure out what

 to do for one, I can 

switch to the other...

Vol2a= (Christmas-- softcover)&

  Vol2b =Winter-- hardcover).

I need, over the weekend to 

prepare my base pages

and figure out the first

base for the Winter Volume 2b.

The prompts for the first page

will begin this coming

Wednesday, July 6th

and the 2nd on on July 20th.

**********************

Two per month seems like an 

awful lot to me.

I am a slow stitcher, 

so, I plan to work at my own

pace and to 

ENJOY 

this journey...

*********************

Tomorrow I get my haircut and 

for those of you who asked

Yes, Tom was able to install

a new faucet for us

YAY!!

Hugs, Julierose,

La Blageuse

(Stitching-away-euse) 

HEXAGONIA JOURNEYING, et al

 

I am continuing on my Hexagon 

path--a few each day...

But midstream from making

rosette after rosette---

I decided to make another table topper

like this one

in the Kismet colors

for the Autumn

and Winter months:

↷↷↷↷

this one is Spring

and on the reverse below

is Summer

↧↧↧

I think this one is my favorite

table topper of all the ones

I've made...

so.....

that being said....

I have started the center

chain of hexies --

25 of them--

as shown here

on the right laying

across my little sewing 

box...

:)))

This group will be Autumnal 

colors....

 *************************

I have begun my tea dying process

for more fabric journal

fabrics...

The little pieces of fabric are layered and

then rolled into and tied into

little bundles to

soak up that extra strong tea...

As you can see they have

already begun to absorb the

color through osmosis...

and....

I have hung a few bits over

the sides of my dish as

they will turn really dark, chocolate

brown...

so yummy!!

😋😍

They will stay in place for

2 weeks until all the liquid

has been taken up and 

they have begun to dry...

I will not unwrap them until

they are just about  dry...

I will return to show you the results

when they are ready...

💗💚💜

******************************

All last weekend and up to

today I have been working on

my stacks of fabric to de-stash.

Above is the last of them.  

I have FOUR BIG bags-full 

to donate to Goodwill...

And, strangely enough

👽💁

I STILL have a lot of fabrics

to play with....

{who knew???}

I took all all of the fabrics I

knew I'd never use --or that

have been there forever and are

no longer attracting me [and

closed my eyes] and put 

them in a basket...

Lots of hemming and hawing 

going on here, let me tell you!!

THEN...

 of the ones I liked --

I just kept a small piece.

At least 2/3rd of my stash

has gone...

out of sight, out of mind--

and to be used instead of

just being STORED!! 

AND,,,

I still have boxes and bags to be

gone through of 

scraps and chunks and

leftovers from former quilts...

That will be for later on...

Enough for now...

Since I am no longer able to make any

big quilts, it didn't make any sense

to keep all those fabrics taking

up my limited space.

[I did keep layer cakes and 

charms for use in my

fabric journaling...]

DE-STASHED AT LAST!!!

***************************

So, on this lovely Wednesday afternoon,

I will sit out on our deck and visit

Hexagonia for a while

and wool-gather a bit....

hugs to you all,

Julierose,

La blageuse

(now-destashed-euse)

FIRST FABRIC JOURNAL FINISHED...et al

 

Here are the last two pages I needed to put into my book.

I am not that thrilled with using hardcover book covers;

I am used to making my own fabric covers

and sewing them on the machine and adding

front and back pockets...

I think that I will use my old method for the upcoming

"Christmas and Winter" edition of these prompts...

***************************

Everything is now sewn in and the cover facings

fabrics glued down...with Aileene's Tacky Glue...

Here is the book:

↓↓↓↓

Here it is closed...

And here follow all the pages..

It is so very different from this one

below:

And here is the

fabric cover I made a few years ago...

↡↡↡

Here it is opened

and

(below)

closed

I used my Grand-mere's vintage button

for the closure...

I like the fold over flap and button tie closing here...

Here are the back front cover and 1st page...

I like the neat sewn look 

and the pocket...

In this series that I made--

I used my own hand cut watercolor papers,

water colored them,

and then used

images from magazines to 

decorate it...

And

Here is the final page...

this is a writing journal with some

fold out pages.  

***********************

It is quite a different look to the fabric one

I just finished...which is not a writing

journal but rather a folio of embroidery

vignettes...

**************************

I think I am so used to coming from a scrapbooking

book-making background that I am kind

of surprised by how this came out..

though i probably shouldn't have been...

😏

I may make some pockets for

journaling cards in the next group...

We shall see...

Thank you all for following this 

embroidery journey with me...

💓💗💜

 Hugs, Julierose,

La Blageuse

(resting-euse)

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT...

 

This is my own Kantha stitched page

I've begun...

I have two empty pages 

in my Fabric Journal

because I didn't do the

pre-Prompts stitch

dictionary pages--

since  I've been embroidering

since early childhood

and pretty much know any

stitches I'd like to use.

I am calling this one 

"Rain Dance".

The yellow Dancing Woman

is part of a linen shirt that

a friend gave me...

💛💛💛

And the great crow fabric 

is part of the

little bundle that 

Lizzy (click for her site)

generously sent me to

use in my Fabric Journal pages...

Thanks again--this was just perfect,

Lizzy to go with my little vignette...

I love it!!

💖💖💝

So...

My base is now stitched together

and I will be adding more

stitchery later on this week...

I have a bit more of that creamy

yellow linen fabric and I

am thinking that I will use

more of it on the page that will

be facing this one...

*********************

And now for something 

COMPLETELY

horribly different!!!

Our only year old kitchen

sink faucet is all corroded

and is leaking every time

we turn it on!!!!

Aaaaarggghhhh!!!

this makes for lots of fun and

games while cooking and

doing any dishes that won't

go into the dishwasher...

We have decided to replace the whole

sink (as we are not thrilled with

that porcelain one)

with a simple,

and sleek 

stainless steel one.

The only problems are 

1) it won't be shipped until the 27th;

and

2) we have to find and set a date

for a plumber--

and you all know

what that is like...

👿

And so it goes....

Hugs on this rainy day

Julierose

La Blageuse 

(sous ma paraluie)

FRIDAY FINISHES, et al

 

June Fabric Journal page finish...

I am calling it 

"Tattered Heart"

Here I've added

the little silk heart that

Lizzy

gifted me in her

bits n' bobs 

happy mail for

my project.

Thanks so much Lizzy;))

💗

I added a beaded flower with a

french knotted center

and then 

couched and beaded the

tattered heart...

Along both sides, I sewed

my version of 

"Falling Stars"

and more  french knots...

The whole piece is kantha 

and seed stitched.

I now have to sew it onto the muslin 

page for my book...

********************

Twenty blocks of Many Trips

are finished!

I've decided that this will be

big enough (with added borders)

to be a decent lap quilt;

and I don't think I can handle

anything larger...

Next:  sew them together...

in blocks of four I think...

not long rows...

************************

I still have lots of strips left as

I had cut enough for 30 blocks, plus

tons of other jelly rolls to be used up!!!

and with that in mind.....

I saw this on klein meisje site

under "Jack and Jill"

which uses 2.5" squares and

strips that i thought I may

try next

↓↓↓↓

I really need to use up all my jellies...

Isn't this a neat pattern?

Also Cathy at (click)

made one of these that is

just lovely...

For the solid in this I have a variegated

roll of turquoises that might work out...

Stay Tuned...;)))

***********************

Tonight's dinner will be

my meatloaf,

boiled new potatoes

and applesauce...

Hugs, Julierose

La blageuse

(still-sewing-euse)

SWEET 16, et al

 

Here are my "Many Trips" blocks;

so far, I've made 16.

And--

They are "growing" on me...

I have 4 more to finish that

bottom row...

↡↡↡↡

[Notice the top right block:↟↟↟

I used a really dark strip

there--luckily I have 

another matching one

So when I sew the blocks in 

their final setting, I can

use those two 

in the middle maybe..so

they won't stand out

so much...]

It took me a while to figure out the

ironing procedure

for these, but I 

"understand" it now...

Easy really...

Once in a while though, 

Jack the Ripper

has to be called in --

mainly when I begin 

separating the 

tubes..

and then

I have to do 

some re-sewing

👀👺👀

aaargh!!

**********************

My lilies are still not in bloom...

perhaps this rain we've had will

coax them out???

And my Rhodie by the

front side of our house

gave us a wonderful

extravaganza 

of color this year!!

I keep on looking for fabric

with these color variations...

By the side of our garage and

in front of tv room these

bloomed well

What lovely colors...

I love the throat hues 

on these...

💜💜💜💜

Leaving you on this beautiful sunny

day with 

Hugs, and good thoughts, 

Julierose

La Blageuse

(so-happy-to-be-sewing-euse)

JUNE FABRIC JOURNAL PAGE, et al

 

June Fabric Journal Page

Progress:

I added my hand-tea-dyed

ruffle to enclose my 

scrappy tattered heart...

[I covered muslin with torn strips]

THEN...

I began stitching the upper portion

with various little stitches; 

they seemed, as I worked, 

to represent

a sky scene:

 perhaps the Milky Way??

AND...

Further along 

after sitting on our deck

this lovely morning and

drinking my coffee...

↶↶↶↶

Stars and little 

French knots in between 

my Kantha stitching..

And....

Some French  knots are drooping

down...

[click to enlarge]

I am now letting this simmer a bit to

see what I want to add next...

*********************

I had some company this morning

while stitching and sipping;)))

a quiet clover-munching friend:

Mrs. Bunny-Rabbit 

Right below our deck....

;))))

********************

My ferns are really doing well

back here filling in...

This spot is in the shade until

around 4 pm; so,

they thrive here along with

my now long-past bloom bleeding hearts...

💗💗💗💗

Just a few left...

I send a word of thanks to

my good crafting friend, Jean,

for her gift of two little

starter plants...

I think of her fondly 

every Spring.

So heart-warming...

aren't they?  

********************

FYI

for those of you who have asked

how I am faring:

I am now able to take short walks

and move about our house 

pretty much with short

sitting respites...

And

yesterday I drove myself (!!)

to our local grocery store

and did a small shopping...

Hurrah!!!!

Hugs, Julierose

La Blageuse

(progressing-euse)