One of the many peaks of my job is to get to be able to create right along with the kids, only I have to keep one day ahead of them so I have a piece to demo. on. This is the Appliquilt Journal I got to build this year, and it was a blast. I got to start with two tye-dye pieces for the out and inside foundations that I thought looked really good together. I also forced myself to work in colors that I wouldn't normally choose, I find it's good to push yourself every now and then. I bought the great butterfly button years ago, knowing that one day I'd find a place for it.
I'm loving cheesecloth right now so I incorporated a bit on it on the front and back side. And I wanted to balance the butterfly on the front with one on the back so I found a handmade piece of paper that I ripped into butterfly shaped pieces and collaged them onto a piece of posterboard to strengthen them so I could sew it on onto the backside. That beautiful paper bead was a gift from mixed media artist Kelli Nina Perkins, again, a special piece I've been saving for the perfect art piece. I put in a lot of quilting stitches for additional interest...
and added a bit of donated lace to extend the journal edges because I accidentally made the journal pages too wide :) I added a lace pocket on the inside jacket and slipped in an older picture of my daughter and her best friend Hope when they were 5 years old, something else I've been saving forever. A little hand tie to keep the journal pages organized.
Then on the inside back jacket I cut off and saved pieces from each of this years 3-D students tye-dye pieces so that they could be together in my journal, a piece of each of them. I like that. They were a very special group of kids with great chemistry. A remembrance.
What a great project, your students are so lucky! I like your use of cheesecloth and lace along with the stitching and quilting. Very fun.
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nadia