Almost 25-Year Old Quilt Top

Don’t fall out of your chair, I’ve been sewing!

I finally talked myself into getting this close to 25 year old quilt top quilted and bound!  

My daughter pieced this large quilt top when she was about 10 or 11 years old.  An age of fearlessness.  Which is why it probably got so large.

Finished measurement is 93”x72”

It was made when I knew nothing about quilting a quilt.  I had only made quilted wall hangings.  I thought a quilt had to be free motion quilted and I hated free motion quilting.  Having it sent out for quilting was not an option at the time.  So this quilt top and my first pieced quilt top had been hiding for close to 25 years.  I thought they were long gone until I decluttered and purged.  Suddenly there they were!  

My quilt got finished in August 2019

The blog post is here if you’d like to read more details on finding these quilt tops.

But this monster frightened me.  I worried it would be wonky.  I worried it would be bubbly here and there and everywhere...neither happened.

I worried it would be too large for me to quilt on my machine...it wasn’t.

I spent a lot of time worrying about things that did not happen.

I also worried we wouldn’t like the backing.  Just another wasted worry.

We decided the backing turned out pretty fun looking.  She even likes the back of the quilt better than the front.  Ha!

Just more proof that we shouldn’t worry about things until we actually have something to worry about.  I like to head off problems or at least be prepared.  So I will continue to worry before I need to worry.

She did a great job sewing.  Even a lot of the intersections meet nicely.  It’s a great memory quilt even though neither of us can remember a lot about her making it!  Ha!  I’m pretty sure I cut her squares, but she did all the sewing.  I quilted and bound it.  Both of us being somewhat senile about it makes it a brand new quilt again!

Here now is my June 2020 calendar for you to catch up on my doings.

I’m still in the sewing mode so there is more to come soon.

An Owl’s Nest

June weather is finally here!  June is when we finally get nice weather for the outdoor activities...like cycling!

But today I’m talking about May.

I made an art postcard for an artist friend’s birthday.  Similar to one I’ve made before but in different color inks.

My May calendar journal.  Sorry, lots of personal stuff I don’t care to share.

On May 1st we took a walk to see the owls that are again nesting in a old building inside a boarded up vent that leaves an outside cubby at the upper portion of the building.

Mama Owl and her two babies.  Bunch of sleepy heads!

The next visit we made to observe the owls, the babies were out exploring the world while Mama was napping...again.  I was surprised at how large the “baby” was.

Sadly, the babies were found dead a couple of weeks later.  It is believed they were electrocuted.  Must have been a power surge through the lines.  I hope Mama will return again next year.

May 31st was my first bicycle ride of 2020.  I’m so excited!

Be safe and stay healthy.

Calendar Journal and Stuff

This is my buddy, Bolt.

He hangs out at the end of a branch pencil and watches me do stuff at my desk.  He’s the quiet type.  Just watches.  Even though I talk to him all the time.

I have a new “stimulus” camera to play with.

Do you play the piano?.....no?

Apparently no one at this house does either.  It looks like it’s almost on its last leg.  

A postcard I made for Postcrossing.  Just to show I’m not sitting here doing completely nothing...sometimes I do a thing.

April has come and gone.  Since it was my first full month of Sundays, I should have labeled everyday “Sunday”.  Ha!

April is my birthday month so I documented that it was “my COVID-19 Birthday”. You know, not everyone gets a COVID-19 Birthday...at least I hope not anyway.

So now I’m going about my May days and wondering if it will be another month of Sundays.  Fine by mine me, I love it.

Calendar Journal

This is quite an interesting and terrifying historic time to be documenting my daily existence.  It’s mind-boggling that the entire world is experiencing a pandemic of COVID-19.

I’m still loving my inks and pens that use them.  I am now a new fountain pen addict.  I found these TWSBI ECO fountain pens.  I am a fountain pen dummy and I’m sure they made these TWSBIs just for me.  How kind of them.  Especially love that I can get them with an extra fine nib.

I’ve used my glass dip pen and my fountain pen for journaling during March.

I’m not one of many who are going stir crazy at home.  I LOVE staying at home.  Right now it’s a trial run for retirement.  I may not return to work I’m loving it so much.

I’ve plenty of time for getting some months ahead ready for journaling.  I thought June turned out especially bright and happy looking.

I love that postage stamp of those happy ladies.  Thank you Sheila for sending that with so many others...so long ago.  I love pawing through those stamps.

It feels a little strange for a perfectionist to embrace some sloppiness.  Hey wait!...that’s not sloppy, it’s artistic!  Oh, so that’s how I’m okay with it.  Yay!

Not all the months turn out so pleasing to me.  Once they are written all over they always seem to look a little better.  In any case, I love this simple calendar journaling within a 1-1/8 inch or so space.

I wish the world safety.

Alchemy

The challenge theme at the SPA blog this week is Alchemy.

I haven’t played along in a long time.  But this theme spoke to me and I had to create a postcard!

If your Alchemist is questionable, then your life could be too.

It seemed like a good postcard to document the current state of the world.

A warning that could be fatal if not taken seriously.

These Spooky postage stamps also glow in the right light.

The postal designs are really taking a turn for fun and creative!

To all:  Be SAFE and take care!

Shimmering Postcard

I’ve had another morning of play with my writing inks for another postcard.

They aren’t really just writing inks.  People paint with them also and that’s what I’ve sort of been testing.  I let the inks do the painting for me.

This time you can see the shimmering gold how it settles to the bottom of the bottle 

This purple ink really shows the gold shimmer very well.  It even comes through the rubber stamping ink.

These fish postage stamps are not all that new anymore, but they glow as well.

The rubber stamps I’ve been using are the

Tim Holtz collection, Theories CMS329

Writing Inks In Art

I’m experimenting with my writing inks and adding them to an art postcard.

I first made a full sheet masterboard on a mixed media paper just sprayed with Ranger Distress Oxide Spray (mustard seed).  When that was dry I cut a postcard size from the master board.  I put some orange ink on an acrylic platform, spritzed it with water and set the postcard face down on top of the inked acrylic.  Ran my fingers over it then removed it and let it dry.

This ink has gold shimmery something in it.  It settles to the bottom.  I tried showing that here, but I couldn’t find a good way to catch it on camera.

You can see it best near the left side and the bottom edge on the postcard.

I stamped the images with Black Soot Archival Ink and added some washi tapes around the edges.

On the address side, I added torn strips of washi tape.  I have a roll that really just wants to stick to itself.  So it tears off kind of artsy all by itself.

I always glue down the ends of my washi tapes so that they don’t get caught in the postal servicing system.

If you haven’t seen the new T-Rex postage stamps, let me share one here.

They are a lenticular image (I think).

When the stamp is looked at from another angle it changes to the skeletal version.  Pretty fun, huh!

I’m looking forward to more art with my writing inks.

Paper and Mail Art

More paper crafting and some mail art finished out February.

A special Birthday Card 

I tried a little bit more master board inking.

One of the larger master board pieces cut apart then I added some modeling paste through a stencil.  

An art postcard using inks, rubber stamps and washi tapes.

Amazon delivered a couple of new wax seal stamps.  Gosh they’re fun to play with these days.  They were not near so easy to use way back when.

It seems it will take me a bit of practice to guess the correct size of wax blob to make.  I love the metallic markers that can be used to make the image come to life.  Love this skull and cross bones.
  

I’m having a gay ole time writing letters and sealing them up with wax seals.

Lastly, my February calendar journal.  Written with my glass pen and inks.

I’m hopelessly hooked writing with such a beautiful modern old fashioned writing tool.

February Paper Crafting

Because it’s February, there was some heart themed paper crafting happening.

I only made two Valentine cards.

For Postcrossing, it is a bit rare that people will gladly accept handmade postcards.  Most want “real” postcards.  What?...what isn’t real about a postcard of any kind if it can travel through the mail?

I got lucky with a couple of Postcrossers that were open to handmade postcards.

I always have a grand time playing with hearts.

January 2020

Postcard and Box from Fabric

I do still sew...just can’t share much of it yet.

I gave making an abstract fabric postcard a try.  That was an interesting and not so easy experience for me.  But I will probably try it again sometime.  It was well received.

I needed to create a long narrow box for a special purpose for a special person.  This too was an interesting experience.  It needed to be flexible yet sturdy enough to keep it’s shape.

I used a stiff Pellon (or something similar, I don’t remember exactly what it was as it was leftover from another project from a few years ago).  It required some experiment sewing as I went along that happened to work out perfectly.  It also was very well received.  I was keeping my fingers crossed as I did not want to have to figure out a redesign.

It was a Christmas gift and I found a couple of fun novelty items to include along with some favorite candy of the recipient.