Journal Quilt #22

* * JQ #22! * * * The back of this journal quilt reads as follows: June 12, 2007 * Journal Quilt Number 22 * Experiment*

This little journal quilt was born from experimentation! I’m not sure it’s my favorite, but it’s a good exercise at least. Even though I could have easily gotten inspiration and worked from my life experience this week with our 2nd wedding anniversary yesterday, I decided that trying different techniques has been good for me and I continued in this vein.

This week I started working on my journal quilt by using rubber stamps from Alpha Stamps that I had been wanting to use but just had not had a chance to play with yet. These stamps are fairly detailed, but also deeply etched. I used 2 of the small tarot cards and the Tuscan column from that page for the front of my JQ. First I experimented by stamping on plain muslin as a test with these stamps and VersaCraft inks (good for detailed stamps). Then I looked for a more unusual fabric to stamp on for more contrast in my design. I remembered the white on white flower/swirls printed fabric I bought recently at my local quilt shop, Sew Inspired and decided to try that fabric and see what would happen.

I tested my stamping & I really liked it on this fabric. I heat set my stamping with my heat gun so it would not run for the next step. I practiced adding color to the printed white on white fabric with a sponge & Dye-Na-Flow. I just poured a little dye-na-flow into a shallow container, dipped my sponge in and pounced/spread it onto the white fabric. It worked well, so I stamped my images on another square, heat set them, and began the coloring process again. Then I added some details with metallic & glitter pens, and sewed around the columns to accentuate them. I think the colours are a little wild and not that pretty – but it was fun to experiment with the white on white fabric and new stamps! Hope you enjoy, and try this yourself! lenna.

Here are some photos of my process . . .