The quilt actually has 56 squares—52 weeks, plus 4 embroidered corner squares that read “Journal Quilt,” “Feb. 2009,” “Feb 2010,” and “My 48th Year.”
As it turns out, creating all the squares was probably the easy part. Once I had completed them, I couldn’t decide on the best way to assemble them.
I considered stitching them to a solid background in a grid. I didn’t want to do that, however, because each square has a hand-written label on the back describing the inspiration for that week’s square.
I thought about adding sashing between the rows and the columns, but I was afraid that would make the piece unbearably wonky.
Finally, I decided just to stitch them all together. Here’s what it looks like at this point:
I’m not terribly happy with it yet. I think the problem is that there is nothing to unify the squares, so it seems a little disjointed/chaotic. I’m considering adding borders to it, but I just can’t decide.
Another thought . . . I could disassemble the squares, stitch them to a background (black, maybe?), then cut away the extra background fabric so that the labels are still visible.
Ideas? Suggestions? I would like to finish this quilt before ANOTHER year has passed!
14 comments:
Are you really sure you want this as a quilt? I think it would very fun if you assembled it as a book, you could attach a piece of fabric to the left of every page and then assemble as a book, you could use eyelets in the holes on each piece and then use those circular rings to assemble. Your other options are to try adding sashing strips between the units, a lot more sewing then just putting it on a backing but would leave your backs open. Just a couple of suggestions.
Kathy
I was just composing my message and I read Kathy's. Guess what? I would agree with her that the pieces would be better displayed as a book. If the whole thing is too unwieldy you could do it by season, or month. I think perhaps people would enjoy leafing through it and spend more time looking at each one. What you have done is pretty amazing and I am sure you will have lots of fun looking at them in the years to come.
Laura Brocklebank
A book of delights, definitely :)
this is wonderful! I like the book idea, but if you want to keep it as a quilt, one thing to unify it is to paint over all of it with a lite wash of some color that you like, as pale blue, or even tea dye it as a whole. I don't think it looks so bad as is by the way. I guess as in life, beauty is in the eye of the beholder! Chris Predd
I don't see anything wrong with it as is either....it's a "sampler" quilt.
I like it as it is. It's quite an accomplishment. But I'm sure that whatever you decide to do it will be a good choice.
Congrats on finishing your journal project. I think it is exciting as is, especially since you have already done the work of sewing it together. I like the book ideas, too. Possibly you could put four to a page in a book, making it a standard scrapbook size.
I think I vote for displaying them separately; either a book or each mounted. Each square is so precious and special; looking at two at a time even is sensory overload...unless that's the point, how overwhelming a year can be. Each square is special; when shown as one they have a differnt message.
Hi Michelle and congrats! on getting it done. I like it as it is... but must admit my first thought was as Kathy's... a book.
If it were mine, I might try to see if I could get some colors going on a diagonal... but either way... it is a work of art in and of itself.
I'm on Terri's page. I love the riot of color and motion it presents when viewed as a whole cloth!
If you went the book way it would have to be several books since these are quilties!
How wonderful, well done!I love it the way it is. Its a wonderful celebration of your 48th year, there for everyone to see and for you to look back on the memories. A book can get put away and forgotten.
I agree they would be best presented in some chronological book/folder format. Well doneon seeing a whe year project like this through. With hindsight some colour scheme for the whole year would have added a unifying factor. You could overdye the whole piece now if you choose to leave it together as a single quilt.
Hi Michele - I just posted the winners from the thermofax screen survey comments from my blog post back in May.
Stop on by and take a look! ;-)
Lynn
I love the happy chaos, but a book would be fun too!
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