Journal Quilts 2013

I have been a member of the Contemporary Quilters group - linked to the Quilter's Guild for a few years and each year have thought about and then decided against, taking part in their annual Journal Quilt challenge. This is set each year and consists of agreeing to complete 12 "mini-quilts" linked by common features such as size/colour/theme. 

This year I decided to give it a try after reading posts on the CG website which were encouraging people to have a go and which made the important (for me) point that these quilts could be as complex- or as simple as wished. I also saw it is a good way of trying out different techniques and playing - sorry experimenting. the format this year is 8 x 12 inches, horizontal orientation with a self chosen theme which had to be explored across the year. I have chosen the poem The months" by Sara Coleridge - it's the one which begins 
"January brings the snow, makes our toes and fingers glow"

this gives me a clear theme for each month and also ones which lend themselves to being interpreted in range of ways - and if i do manage to complete the challenge I can use the photos to make an individual calendar for 2014. I've completed the first two months so here they are.

January brings the snow, makes our toes and fingers glow.

This is the whole piece - the background is a piece of self-dyed silk - indigo dye. 

Showing the quilting - swirls in the sky and the lines from the poem. I also added beads and used fabrics to try and get the feeling of sun glinting on snow giving it that sparkle you see on frosty mornings.

February brings the rain, thaws the frozen lake again.

Back to one of my favourite techniques - layered up and stitched organza - I first stitched the organza and then layered it up and quilted in short slanting lines with a grey metallic thread. Parts were cut away around the lettering which was also gone over in a gold pen. I used a fabric soldering iron to make holes in the organza and then added beads to give more texture and suggest rain splashing into water.

Detail to show the detail more clearly.

So far I'm really enjoying this challenge - as I said I'm treating it as a chance to experiment without making the commitment of a larger piece.

Next challenge - dancing daffodils for the March piece. Watch this space.