Saturday, April 05, 2008

Challenge 19 - Journal Cover by Joanna Strohn



Front cover: 8" x 10 1/2"
Fits a standard composition journal

I didn't think I'd be able to participate in this challenge as I'm busy making samples for classes I'll be teaching. However, Friday night (when all the shops were closed, of course) I discovered that I had mismarked one of the projects -- a journal cover. The inside was finished but the outside was just a tad too small ... I'd marked the wrong journal. Gnashed teeth!

I decided to make lemonade. Grabbed my container of scraps that had fusible on them. ("Always keep your scraps," I tell my students, but I'd decided I'd better do some clean-up in the studio and these were going to the garbage.) Looked for inspiration. Leaves, of course!

Started cutting leaves. Decided to make this a practice piece for some thread painting and free-motion quilting. Couched a yarn scrap for a stem.

The thread painting is inspired by Ann Fahl, the journal cover technique is from Jake Finch, and the leaf quilting motif was from a recent workshop by Frieda Anderson.

This was fun, educational, saved some scraps from the landfill, and will be more ammunition when I tell students to never throw anything away!

I always appreciate comments!

-- Joanna Strohn in Tucson, Arizona

5 comments:

Art by Rhoda Forbes said...

Joanna, this is a wonderful piece and great way to use up all those little bits we have hanging around.
Great compostion.

Anonymous said...

Nifty project. Love the Orange and it's complimentary; the couched stem and all the leaf stitching.

Carole said...

Aanother inspiring way to use the scraps!! I never throw scraps away, either, my students think I am weird when I retrieve THEIR scraps. Often, I will make a little postcard using their scraps as a thank you to each student, I like to mail them to them. They then get the point that scraps ARE worth something, I also remind them we pay for ALL the fabric, so why throw it away. BTW I do the same with my threads.

Good job Joanna and thank you for sharing.
Carole

daisydog said...

Love the journal cover great idea.

Wendy said...

Simply gorgeous... and useful from many standpoints! I love the leaves and the contrast of orange and green is one of my favorites!