Welcome to Free Motion Mavericks, Week 318. I'm afraid that this week's trip to Mars has been postponed. 😊 I hope to be back in a fortnight with Mars as a FMQ addition to the Pinwheels & Stars baby quilt. Until then, here are more journals that have not had their post yet!

Stitcher's Journals

As I mentioned in my last post, I have made many Stitcher's Journals based on Ali Ferguson's workshop through TextileArtist.org's Stitch Club. Here are my latest two.

Nature Lover's Journal - Front

Nature Lover's Journal - Back

Nature Lover's Journal - open

This next journal was made using A3 Kraft paper. I wanted a large journal that could hold my in-progress pieces such as the pieces I've made for my Glimpses of Childhood Places project. I also have larger embroidered pieces that are 8" x 8", which are too big to keep in the smaller journals. This journal measured 11½" x 11½", which is really perfect for these slightly larger pieces.

I wanted to use some old embroidery pieces that I made a few years ago. For the front of the journal, I used a hand-dyed piece of fabric and reverse appliquéd the embroidery to it. Of course as I've been prone to do, I misjudged the size of the area I needed for the embroidery. Thank goodness that the embroidery still fit within it!😊 Below is the image before I stitched the pink border to the embroidery. I then cut and machine stitched the edges of the border.

Framed embroidery piece to add to the front

The journal is made like the smaller journals except that instead of folding the paper sheets in half, each large sheet of paper is taped to another. I ended up folding the Kraft paper about a half inch on the binding edge and then taping it with washi tape.

Front of the Large Stitcher's Journal

I reverse appliquéd the two smaller embroideries in the back - again with hand-dyed fabric. I really love how these came out. It's a great way to use up these lovely embroidered pieces.

Back of the Large Stitcher's Journal

Here is what the inside looks like.

Inside the Large Stitcher's Journal - two pieces made for the "Glimpses of Childhood Places" project

What I learned

These are so much fun to make. I did forget to place the cardboard piece on the backing of the front and page covers. I had to make a work-around but it turned out fine in the end.
All of these small ~~mistakes~~ creative changes are a symptom of my present mental and physical state - a small burnout. I've taken the month of February off from both work and most of my art. I need to learn to slow down, stay calm 😊 and pace myself. Something I had hoped to learn by now but it's never too late to learn....I am a work in progress!

Free Motion Mavericks

Welcome to Free Motion Mavericks, week 318. Last time we had a good number of link ups. Thanks so much for linking up your projects. They don't have to include Free Motion Quilting. 😊 I did want to highlight Sandra's Rainbow Way quilt. She played with all kinds of great FMQ designs and looks like she had lots of fun. She doesn't live that far away from me but you can see from her photos that they have a lot less snow than we do in the Ottawa Valley!

Rainbow Way by Sandra of MMM quilts

It's your turn!

14 comments:

Sandra Walker11 February 2021 at 11:59
Thank you so much for featuring Rainbow Way! I definitely had a bunch of fun quilting this baby; it is a wonderful way to practise FMQ within wavy lines with little worry about 'mistakes' or wobbles, as it all blends in in the end, and it keeps the quilter from getting bored with wavy lines forever, lol. Your journals are so sweet and yes, great ideas to use up tiny bits of embroidery projects that just cannot be tossed! I think a lot of us know exactly what you're feeling...it's very bleak, isn't it. I am taking a page out of Glennon Doyle's book and doing my best to feel all the feelings, and then stop. Quit. Go about my day with joy and love and create. And then do it all over again the next day. It's not easy, but it definitely helps with mental health. Sending hugs, and we did get more snow since those photos so the grass is all covered now!
Janine @ Rainbow Hare11 February 2021 at 18:11
Your stitch journals are really beautiful. They are also a really good way to keep all those pieces of embroidery. Enjoy your restful month :)
Alycia~Quiltygirl13 February 2021 at 11:15
What pretty journals - they are such pieces of art. Sorry about the delayed launch to Mars... we will wait patiently ;-)
Norma Schlager13 February 2021 at 12:01
I love your embroidery pieces. It gave me some new ideas for my daily stitching.
Frédérique - Quilting Patchwork Appliqué14 February 2021 at 08:17
Encore de beaux exemplaires de journaux ! J'aime beaucoup les libellules.
Susan17 February 2021 at 19:42
Such pretty journal covers - well done!
Kate18 February 2021 at 06:13
What a fun way to use those very pretty stitcheries. Hope you've been able to slow down some and find a place of calm. Thank you for linking up with 15 minutes to stitch this week.