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
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5 comments:

  1. Art by Rhoda Forbes4/5/08, 11:45 AM

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

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  2. Anonymous4/8/08, 11:49 AM

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

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  3. Carole4/13/08, 10:49 PM

    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

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  4. daisydog4/13/08, 10:50 PM

    Love the journal cover great idea.

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  5. Wendy4/14/08, 10:09 PM

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

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