TRUE COLOURS ARE BEAUTIFUL LIKE A RAINBOW
The lyric sums up this week's offerings - I'd put on sunglasses if I were you, it's going to be a bright one!
My bro and sis in law came to stay for a couple of days and Jill and I managed to grab a couple of hours' crafting:
What is it about paper? When I'm dealing with fabric my desk is always relatively tidy but papercrafting seems to end in chaos! I think we got everything out of every box.
I'd bought some cheap tags and had fun prettifying them up. Those die cuts were from Shaz Silverwolf a few years back, so I thought of all the fun we had with her.
I did some stamping too, not high art exactly but I enjoyed myself! Jill made a lovely card but I can't show it cos someone might read my blog.
And then there was the string quilting! I have really enjoyed it as it requires no precision whatsoever, my sort of crafting *grin* Neet asked why it was called string quilting, I have no idea - maybe the strips are called strings in the US?
Anyway I watched a very useful tutorial by Merry Mabel which helped speed up the process:
Basically you do the first step on each of the blocks required so here I've ironed the first two strips on and am just chaining them through the machine. You snip them apart, open up the strip and iron it then put the next one on and repeat.
At first I'd sorted the strips into widths but that didn't work, so I resorted them into different lengths and that was much better. I do choose the next strip roughly on colour but don't stress about it too much. And before you know it, there's a square of backing fabric completely covered in strips:
This is about as random as I can get! You then trim it down to a 10" square:
Which instantly makes it look better! Then you put four together:
And this is when you see that precision doesn't matter - hooray! It's just a kaleidoscope of colour *happy dance*
I won't put batting in this, just a backing fabric with a border of something - it's going to be a big lap quilt I think. But it has been fantastic working with so much colour and has used up everything from my equivalent of Angela Radford's 'Exploding Box'!!
It would make a good jigsaw eh?!
Hope you all have a marvellous week, enjoy your crafting xxx
18 comments:
wow, so much colour just as you promised! that will be a beautiful quilt. Love the little tags too. Happy WOYWW Helen #?
Ooh I am loving that string quilt so far Jan - very clearly explained. Looks like you and Jill had fun together too - great tags. Stay safe and Happy WOYWW. Sarah #1
Really loving the vibrant colours of your quilt.
The tags are fab. They make great embellishments on cards.
Happy WOYWW
Sue
Oh I love that quilting Jan. What a great way to use up your odds and ends. Your little tags are lovely and what a fab crafty time you had. Covering your table with all your stuff is the best way! x x Jo
It's always fun to see what you've been up to and I love how you've used the fabric today. Loving the tags too. Happy creative woyww, Angela x10x
Thanks Jan, it was good to see my cousin but sad to leave her, especially with her saying ‘I wish we didn’t live so far apart’ On that subject, you look like you had great fun crafting with Jill and I hope she and your brother find a house nearby soon.
Your tags are very pretty. I get the exploding desk any time I work with paper!
Your quilt is beautiful and amazing- I really had no idea how it would turn out until your later photos, and it’s used up all your offcuts!
Hope we can catch up soon
Take care and happy WOYWW
Love
Lynnecrafts 12 xx
Did I really ask the question? Gosh I am inquisitive. Or a pest!!
Looks great and I love how you showed us the progression of the squares, it all makes much more sense now. I bet it is a beautiful quilt when it is finished and will brighten someone's day no end. I am actually going to go and take a peek at the video you gave us a link for. Looking forward to seeing how the poppy strip looks when you get around to using that fabric.
Love the tags, the pink floral ones are so pretty but I do like the blue ones above. They remind me of the flowers I use with the Lavinia stuff with Jo Rice. You've given me an idea - tags here I come!
Have a wonderful week
Hugs, Neet 2 xx
Excellent work there Missus!! Love those quilt blocks.
Your tags are so pretty, are going to add them to cards?
Have a fun week
Christine #15
Hello my lovely, as usual a riot of prettiness to brighten my day!! The explanation for the string quilting meant nothing to me but I'm glad it helped (and as I am never going to do this it really doesn't matter). Really is like what I call Frankenstein paper using paper scraps. As with paper, it's amazing how the most disparate things kinda come together. Happy WOYWW, love n hugs Cindy xx #11
Dear Jan!
Thank you so much for this colorful blog post!
Yes - I putted on my sunglasses!
And thank you too for the stunning video. I have it now on Pinterest.
How pretty is this!
I love the colors of your string quilt and I'm happy with you, that you had a good time with your sis in law Jill.
Best wishes, Eva from Austria
What a fun way of quilting Jan....I love it. Such good way of using up all the smaller pieces.
Hugs,
Annie x #7
So colourful as promised. Will you making bags etc out of the fabric strips too? Happy WOYWW. Angela #14
I am stunned by your papercrafting! I know it isn't up there with fabric for you but blimey! Well done! And oh so lovely to see Shaz's die cuts. I miss her every week. LOVE you strings! What a bright and fabulous piece you will end up with, if the "so far" is any indication. Wowza! I do love the continuous sewing - in years gone by I always worried about backstitching to secure those threads, but really, when every thing is going to get joined with another seam over it, why worry?? Enjoy the faster process!
Late in, but on the day!
Mary Anne (5)
Wow! a I didn’t wear sun glasses because i wanted to be dazzled! Love the theory and result of the string quilt, it looks fantastic and because you iron as you go, I rather suspect that however much you think not, accuracy is probably built in! So glad you’ve had some more time with bro and sIL, and a lovely crafty result from opening all those boxes!
The brightness I love but I can just imagine the tangle I would get in! It's looking beautiful! Hugs, Chrisx #18
I love the quilt square! It is so happy! Glad you had time to spend crafting with your SIL, lovely tags as a result! Thanks for your visit, Lindart #19
I like the tags and the fact that you remembered Shaz, and I am impressed by your string-quilting results... wowzah! It would be fun to try this with paper strips! Thanks for your visit to my blog yesterday, have a great week! Hug from Holland. Marit #6
Good morning, Jan!
Those tags turned out so cute... and I spy a place to use some of my bling. Clever you! Love the string quilting! Hadn't thought about the process but that might be perfect for my Tim Holtz lap quilt. Cathy Holden on the reverse then just string tack together. Hmmmm Now you have me thinking. LOL Creative Blessings! ~Kelly #17
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