Eileen, if you want to get some inspiration go to the Little Gem site. People from all over the world made Journal Quilts for this fund raiser last year and it raised over £10,000. http://littlegemquilts.wordpress.com/

By the way, my picture at the side was one of my contributions. Maggi

Eileen...I didn't mean to leave you in the dark....my last post was late night written and then I left for Arizona for a week (going to a quilt show in Mesa in about 30 minutes actually) I haven't been near a computer until today at the hotel.
Amo and Ann have filled you in and I want to say ...Thanks to both of these kind ladies for that. I know their comments will help with your questions.
Actually I had forgotten about the 3 month intervals....maybe that's why I have been having trouble getting any more ideas on my first subject of the weather in Nevada...LOL. Starting when I get home I will begin a new subject and right now my mind is racing to nail down some inspiration. funny how a new idea starts the old engines!
I sure hope we can entice a few more of you TQS creative minds to join us in Journal quilt world....it is fun, fast and great for trying out new techiques and ideas.
Hugs to all from Arizona...I will report on the quilt show here when I return home. A bit of a teaser...the weather is warming up and the sun is shining....if nothing else that is a big perk of coming south to the desert this time of the year.
Karen

Eileen, it all started here [url]forum/index[/url]

but there's some in these too: -

[url]forum/index[/url]
[url]forum/index[/url]
[url]forum/index[/url]

I know we posted some general rules about Journal quilts in the beginning of this thread. Somewhere way back in this category. And Kake has been the guru of this thread so "my opinion" and fifty cents won't get me a bus ride across town in any major city but here it is anyway.

My concept of a journal quilt is something that something about you and your journey. I try to keep my journal quilts within the page size (8 x11 1/2") guidelines but sometimes the quilt says it has to be different. (my Fish Gotta Swim Birds Gotta Fly and now my Sailing, Sailing are not page size quilts but they met the requirements of what I had in mind) I have been trying to stay with a song title theme and meet the requirements of the Fast Friday Fabric Challenge with my journal quilts. FFFC comes out with a new challenge monthly that we should do within one week. I have met the deadline a few times but am two months behind. The quilts are planned. Just no time to get them put together. (Does anyone else have that problem?)


So my advice, Eileen, is set yourself a goal. One small quilt per month following a theme or a challenge to yourself or a challenge from a group that you belong to. Do something. Something is better than nothing!!!! and enjoy the process. My journal quilts are usually studies in techniques. The quilting is often very simple but can be more complicated if the technique requires it. I try to use new products in these quilts because they are small and do not challenge my budget too much.

No one has ever told me that my "maverick" quilts don't fit the journal category so go for it, Girl -- You can do it. Hugs, Ann

KakeM wrote:
Karen,
Where is the very beginning of the journal quilt journey? Which posting started the whole thing?
eileenkny

It still irks me that I didn't do my fourth Elemental for December!!!

I will do it! When I have time.

KakeM wrote:
Eileen this is one posting that put the general rules for Journal Quilts on the Forum
Glad to have you join us...looking forward to see what you create
Karen

I'd like to get in on doing some journal quilts. My art quilt mentor told me yesterday to play and inspiration would come.

Can someone share the rules of the game with me?

Thanks,
eileenkny

I posted my January quilt tonight....better late than never. Wouldn't it be nice if more TQS members would join in on the fun? Pick a subject and play with your fabric. It is lots of fun. It's a great way for me to practice my free motion quilting...and I have to admit it is getting easier and better looking with the practice. Now I have to get my February JQ done...yikes but first I have to drag it out of my mind and play in my stash to submit something...before you know it it will be April and then I will be very very behind....what ever happened to March???I better get busy!

Lorchen: Congrats on expceting a new grandbaby! Life happens. Enjoy!

Well, I'm not retired, but I'm still very busy. I rarely do anything outside of my job to deadlines. But this time there is nothing I can do about it. A baby quilt for my first grandchild will have to be ready by the beginning of May. So that is what I'm concentrating on.

I have always looked on pieces the size of Journal Quilts as 'fillers' between bigger projects or when there is no time for something larger, or a larger project has temporarily run out of steam, but I still want to play with fabric.

Right now I have one piece that's more or less ready. It's 15x15 so with a little push and shove it can pass as a journal quilt. I feel though that it needs a few embellishments before it can meet the TQS public.

Lorchen

Once you are "retired" you wonder how you ever had time to work!!!!!! But don't put away your quilting. Make time for yourself and if quilting is an important thing in your life, MAKE ROOM FOR IT. I learned in 03-04 when I recovered from being desperately sick that living without my sewing machine was something I never wanted to do again. Poor DH sufferered long and loud complaints because he had not packed my sewing machine when I was Med Vac'ed by Lear Jet back to Minnesota and he had to pack the motorhome in about four days. He did the best he could but the machine didn't come along or any of my stash. Well he learned from that mistake as the stash grew over the summer. Any way the bottom line is if you want to quilt you must make time for it in your life. Don't feel guilty don't apologize. Our passions are necessary. I never want to live without my quilting. Maybe someday when I am OLD (and wearing purple with a Red Hat that doesn't match. LOL) I will have to but for now my machine and stash go where I go. Ann (an almost old but dedicated Rv er and quilter)

I have let my journal quilting go by the wayside since I reached the end of my journey to retirement. I had planned to do something related to life being a bowel of cherries but now that I'm retired, I don't have time to quilt

We did pretty good last year on Journal quilts but there haven't been many since the first of the year. I just posted my Fast Friday Fabric Challenge quilt for the February Challenge. The challenge was Landscapes with dimension in the quilt. I used a photo in a banner format printed on fabric and then quilted it to Texture Magic. After I shrunk (is that a word?????) the Texture Magic I appliqued some trees and a sailboat onto the quilt. With a pillowcase backing and some quilting to smooth out the land part of the landscape it was done. Within the one week challenge deadline. I rarely make those. Would love to hear your comments. It is in the journal quilts Show and Tell and I will write a blog about it too. Hugs, Ann