My second box in Cartonnage was a redesign of one from Colorway Arts. They have instructions for one that opens from the side and has a little open tray set into the bottom of one side. On the upper walls they attach holders for notions like little scissors, needles, pins and such.

I wanted to have room for more trays so I redesigned to be taller and staggered the mounting of the trays inside.

I used four fabrics on this project.

Here is the closed box with the lid on top.

With the lid removed. I centered the fabric design on the lid.

With the box opened. The trays are glued in on two sides for stability so the box does not open any farther than this.The lid can be used as an additional tray when the box is open.

Here you can see down into the trays.

When the box is closed the trays interleave but do not rest upon one another. The lid is what keeps it all from unfolding.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Through all these other fun projects I have still been quilting.

My niece cut fabrics from her mother's stash and sent them to me for assembly. I initially set them straight but it was boring. So I used the method of cutting a 45 degree corner off and attaching it to the other end, then repeating that in the other direction and moving the cut piece to the other side.

The result of this manouver is that it sets the whole thing on point. I just added a double border with yardage that was included.

I made it queen sized with additional length to provide a turn-over for the pillows.

With the random mix of fabrics, I named this quilt 'Higgledy-Piggledy' (and, yes, I did have to look up how to spell it!)

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Offer me a free class/workshop and I will happily take on a new hobby!

I took a one week workshop from Colorway Arts and jumped headfirst into Cartonnage - the art of making fabric-covered boxes from scratch. There are different ways of doing this and we learned the Brazillian methods.

In this process you cover the chipboard pieces first and then construct the box. There were choices for the type of box to construct and I chose to do the "Box on a box".

I selected a fabric with spools and a coordinating fabric with a floral lattice.

We were supposed to attach a knob to the top but I didn't have one. From my sewing room I snagged an old spool of thread from a display and added a button with a shank to the top. A piece of fine wire holds the button into the hole in the spool and anchors it all through the top piece of cardboard. (It is all glued in place along with the wire.)

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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I took another online class from Art-Classes.com - Watercolor Pencil Jumpstart. Having taken the colored pencil class and the watercolor class a lot of the material was cross-over but the watercolor pencils had some unique characteristics that were fun to play with.

These are my homework sheets:

When we were done we used our favorite technique to create a cover and bound all the lessons into a book.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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One advantage to taking these online art classes is that I learn new techniques for a variety of mediums that I can call upon to use in my daily activities.

I recently called upon the wash and ink class homework I did of the hydrangea in watercolor but used it with watercolor markers in my devotional book.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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When I added too much detail with the inking on one of the postcard series I chose to repaint it for the set.

So I had a leftover painting and turned this version into a card.

It doesn't look too bad on its own but it was way too busy to fit in with the other finished pieces.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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Last fall I started a mini-class with Art-Classes.com on using watercolor markers (I used Tombow) and ink to create travel sketches. In the class the projects were all National Parks but I didn't want to do the same.

I did a lot of research to come up with views of my favorite places locally and titled the project "Postcards From Oregon".

All of the pieces of Arches Cold-Pressed Watercolor paper were cut to the size of a postcard before I began.

I started this project in October 2022 and completed the last of 16 paintings today - 4 months later.

Here they are in order of completion.

Columbia River Gorge

Crater Lake National Park

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

Portland Japanese Garden

Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

Mt Hood

Multnomah Falls

Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach

Painted Hills

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden

International Rose Test Garden

Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm

Vinyards of the Willamette Valley

Silver Falls State Park

Hood River Valley Fruit Loop

Wallowa Lake

Whew! What a ride.

I used 12 of these images to create custom calendars for family members before the series was complete.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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Every now and then I run across something that triggers an idea in my head for a project I want to make. I cannot remember where this idea came from.

I rewetted dried paint mixes from my watercolor pallete and used them to make a grid of colored boxes. When they were dry, I used fine-line marker to draw various plant shapes onto them.

I cut and mounted this piece to a card base and then used gold gel pen to add highlights to the leaves.

Here's a better view of the gold highlights.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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Here we are, ready for a wrap up review of the crafty pursuits of the year. So here is 2022 BY THE NUMBERS:

BEADS:

I completed 1 beaded bracelet this year and started 1 more.

QUILTS:

I completed 19 quilts this year and started 1 more. 16 of these were donated to the hospital's Passages program. 1 was a Quilt of Valor awarded to a Vietnam Veteran. 1 was gifted to new neighbors and 1 went to a friend of family recovering from cancer.

I also cut out all the fabrics to make up 10 additional quilt kits that I will sew in the coming months.

CLASSES:

I completed 5 online art classes: Colored Pencil Jumpstart; 30 Days To More Confident Sketching; Watercolor Jumpstart; watercolor Wash and Ink; and Watercolor Markers Travel Sketches.

I am continuing to work on Postcards From Oregon using the techniques learned in that final class.

CARDS:

I made 24 cards from old calendars, 2 from samples of the watercolor class, and 4 from samples for the colored pencil class.

PAINTINGS:

1 made 6 finished paintings for the watercolor wash and ink class and 12 (so far) for the watercolor marker class.

BIBLE:

I completed 14 Bible journal pages, working in 2 different Bibles.

DEVOTIONAL ART:

I created 80 pages of art in a devotional book - mostly with colored pencils and markers.

DIARY:

I kept up with a daily journal with 365 entries in a diary.

BOOKS:

I patricipated in the Adult Summer Reading program at the library this year. I did not keep track of everything I read but one of the logs required 25 titles. I completed several more pages of tickets so estimate a total of 40 books read. 

In addition, I read every day of the year and finish a book every other day, on average. 

On top of that, I listen to audiobooks while quilting so probably completed at least 12 that way.

TRAVEL:

Obviously, all this activity did not take up all of my life as I found time to take 3 cruises and attend 1 class reunion.

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!

I have plans for more art classes, many more quilts, a ton more books and some vacations in the coming year. Guess I just can't stand still!

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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The second of the quilts made for Mom to gift started with her embroidered panel of a bald eagle.

I designed a quilt that had a lot of movement in the pattern and with colors representative of the sky.

This was quilted with edge-to-edge swirls.

The center motif got a simple echo quilting around it.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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A couple of months ago I created two quilts that I couldn't post till now because they had not been receied by their new owners.

For this one, my mom designed and stitched an embroidered panel of a red fox. I designed a quilt around it and we shopped for fabric together. I stitched the top and did longarm quilting with anedge-to-edge leaf pantograph skipping over the panel.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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I had enough fabric left of the two colorways to cut ten cups of each. So I could make a layout of the same size as the previous two.

I bordered the red cups with blue fabric and the blue cups with red. These were alternated in the layout and set with green sashings and inner border.

I decided to add an extra outer border so those 2 inch borders are the same as the block borders.

Here is a better view of the fabrics used:

Same quilting pantograph as the two previous quilts.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 5:01 PM PST

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The second teacup print from my Sister's stash was a cream dotted background with red cups. I chose a stained glass rose print for the block borders and a green leafy print for the 1 inch sashings and inner border.

I ran out of the red roses so used a cream color for the outer border. The binding is a dark pink with white polka dots.

A closer view of the fabrics:

The same quilting pantograph was used as on the blue quilt, but in a soft green thread.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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When I sorted my sister's fabric stash I found two colorways of the same fabric. I was with her when she bought it, saying she wanted to make kitchen curtains with it. I don't know if she ever did.

The teacups on the yardage were nicely spaced allowing me to fussy cut each cup on a 5.5 inch square. I selected 20 of my favorite teacups from the blue dotted background with dark blue cups. These each got a border of 2 inch green lace print and then they were set into blue leafy sashings of 1 inch wide. 

The first border matches the sashing and the outer border matches the block borders in fabric and width. The binding matches the sashing.

Here you can see the fabrics better:

The longarm quilting was done using a pantograph called 'Apricot'.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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Of all the quilts I've made lately, this may be my favorite one. This is a pattern from Fabric Cafe's newest book – The Magic of Three-Yard Quilts which I borrowed from a friend.

As soon as I saw this pattern I had the perfect fabric mind to use - a print that is wide stripes of poppies down the length of the yardage. The division between those stripes of poppies was a white stripe with green foliage.

I figured out which parts of the pattern cutting diagrams would end up in each area and cut up the fabrics to suit my own vision.

The star centers were supposed to be the same as their points (the red polka dot) but I cut up more of the poppy fabric for those centers. The red dot was also supposed to be used for the sashings around the green squares but I used those dividers of foliage. I wanted more of the red dot so I used it for the binding.

When quilting I decided to do custom work instead of al allover pattern. I outlined all of the poppies in the wide stripes and the star centers. Then in the centers of the green squares I did freehand flowers that resembled the poppies and finally I did leaves in the green spaces of the star blocks and around the entire green border.

Now I have to go back to piecing because this is all the tops I have completed. I do have 13 kits cut out, though.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 5:16 PM PST

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Today's quilt is from a free pattern I got from Fabric Cafe called 'Boomerang'.

I used fabric that has a variety of birds perched on tree branches, a blue with hearts and a bright yellow with white flowers - all from my stash.

However, once I got all the blocks made I didn't like the layout at all. I've never been too fond of patterns that are simple diagonals as they seem lopsided to me.

Here is the original layout:

So I totally rearranged everything and came up with a balanced design:

The circular design gave me the idea to call this quilt 'Bird's Nest'.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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Churning out the three-yard quilts as donation day (to the hospital) is fast approaching. I love these types of patterns as they go so quickly and use only three yards of fabric.

This one is from a free pattern from Fabric Cafe (they do the three-yard quilt designs) called 'Awareness Ribbon'. It is all made from scraps from my stash - two colors of the same butterfly print and one of a floral.

The block was designed to be portrait alignment but my fabric was directional and that would have put all the butterflies sideways. So i used the same number of blocks but rearranged them in a horizontal alignment. It ended up making a quilt that was more squared than theirs but it works for me.

So, what about the name on this quilt? The butterfly prints have script in the background that is the words of the song of the angels in heaven as given in the book of Revelation in the Bible.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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First, a little about 'naming conventions' on my quilts. Rarely do I ever name a quilt the exact name of the pattern I used to make it. Instead, I think about the naming all the way through the process. Here are some factors:

• what to the fabrics remind me of?
• what does the pattern remind me of?
• what do the colors bring to mind?
• what was I listening to on audiobook as I made it?
• who will it go to?
• what is my favorite thing about the quilt?
• when I say that name will it bring this quilt to mind?
• have I used a similar name before?
• does it remind me of music of a particular genre or piece?
• is there a pun or play on words in combining any of the above?
  

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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I am back with another lap quilt made from a 3-yard quilt pattern. The pattern for this one is "Courtyard" from the book "Fast & Fun Three-Yard Quilts" by Fabric Cafe.

I used three fabrics from my stash. I started with the daisy fabric and selected the yellow and green to pull out colors from the print.

I had a 108" backing fabric and cut it in a way that allowed me to load TWO of these lap quilts one behind the other for longarming. I did change the quilting pattern between the two quilts.

Here is my Courtyard Garden:

I used an overall floral for the quilting that kind of has the same look as the printed daisies - cream thread in top and silver gray on the back.

The second quilt (that was loaded with this one) will be on tomorrow's post.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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Wow! Long time, no post. But rest assured it is because I have been very busy creating, but things are still in progress and not ready to post yet or they are gifts that need to wait until they have been received before revealing them here. All in due time...

I did finish up one quilt that does not have a designated recipient so that can make its debut today.

This large lap quilt is made of batik fabrics that I bought as a layercake (pre-cut 10" squares). I added the black background and the green border and binding as well as a bright purple tone-on-tone backing.

The pattern is Ohio Starlight from a Missouri Star Quilt Company video tutorial. I used the same fabrics as they did for the stars.

The quilting was done with a navy blue thread which blended better than a color on the black or a black on the colors. It is a stylized floral that reminds me of calla lily.

This was a delight to quilt. I put in a new needle and had not a single thread break on the whole thing. My thread was very linty so I did a good cleaning of the bobbin race after every pass. This is a 5" repeat pattern so that was a lot of cleaning - but well worth it.

I have 4 more tops ready to be quilted, with their backings and battings prepared. Then I have 14 'kits' cut for quilt tops and one queen top I am working on piecing between other projects. 

All will be revealed.... eventually!

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 5:03 PM PST

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