The moment of revelation: Journal Quilt 2007 for Houston

This is it then, my Journal Quilt 2007. It seems like ages since I made it and also since I mailed it but apparently it's now safely being displayed at the Houston Quilt Show. Here is the write-up I wrote to go with it:

Title: Journal Inchies

Creative Quilting techniques used: using buttons (p. 35); beading (p.71); using paper (p. 242)

The Journal Quilt project in which I started participating in 2004 was the beginning of my journey into mixed media and ever smaller work as a light relief from my very large quilts. From journals I graduated to fabric postcards, to Art Squared (small mixed media pieces 4 or 5” square), to Artist Trading Cards and lately Inchies. Inchies are quite simply art made on a 1” square and I’m just amazed how much you can fit on such a small surface. The Journal Quilt project has also been the source of many opportunities for me. I give talks about my journals here in the UK and have been selected to judge a competition on journals for the Scottish Region of the British Quilters’ Guild next Spring.

This year I’m also participating in making journals (12 this time for every month of the year) for the Contemporary Group of the Quilters Guild of the British Isles. I wanted to tie these in with my Journal Quilt for Houston. For the British JQs I made fabric/paper collages for every month of the year. These figured the history of the name of the month, folklore and old wives’ tales associated with it and significant events taking place during the month. For the Contemporary Group I then scanned these collages into my computer and printed them out on fabric to make the actual JQs but for this Journal Quilt I used inchies cut from the actual collage. I made sure I featured the name of every month at least once on an inchie and tried to make a harmonious whole out of all the inchies. They literally provide a glimpse into the year.

They are mounted with machine stitching on a brown, pre-pleated cotton fabric and I beaded around each inchie, using a suitable colour and size 11 seed beads. I added vintage buttons that were soaked in a strong coffee solution and painted with copper acrylic paint. Finally I did what I have done for all my journal quilts; I beaded along the edge of the binding.