a new journal

Today I want to tell you about and show a new patchwork piecing project this month. It is a cover for a coptic bound journal. I use them to write in and sketch ideas for new quilting projects. Last year I made a pair of patchwork improvisation blocks using some of the scraps from my big Orange Explains It quilt scraps. Compared to the regular book cloth covered coptic bound journal this was clearly fun and interesting to do but extra time intensive. That is because to make a cover with fabric one has to add a paper backing to the cloth patchwork before gluing to the book cover boards. Double the glue work but doubly unique in the final book covers.

Orange Explains It scrappy Coptic bound book 

After I completed this first book I gave it to Keith for Christmas and figured I would make myself another one in the winter. It never happened until now but recently I finished up a big quilt top using two tones of orange and had scraps that were long strips and by adding them together and cutting them I got a new type of scrappy quilt block for my next book. See images below of the new cover...

Inside this new journal I added some wrapping paper we bought last year at that great paper source store in Georgetown with various feathers printed for my end pages. I like to use a heavy Strathmore paper for my fly pages in this case darker orange. I also had orange beeswax coated linen binder's thread to finish up the orange theme. While sewing I decided not to add glass beads to the spine but to use a soft paper and insert a little yellow-green or chartreuse over the two center folios for some colorful interest on the spine. 

In the back ground there you can see the big copy press I have on my studio desk. That is how I get the paper and glued fabric to stay pressed flat before and after I apply it to the book cover boards. It's a very heavy tool but a great one to have. 

A friend on Instagram asked about the needle I use. It is a bend binder's needle in this case one that I bent myself a trick I learned at my first class in Coptic book making with Daniel Essig years ago at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center when it used to be in Riverdale, MD. We plan to have a fabric block printing workshop for quilters at the current Pyramid Atlantic home in Silver Spring, MD next January 2016 for DC Modern Quilt Guild members. So here are a few images of my process as I built the book. 

detail of the first 6 signatures sewn in place with orange thread and chartreuse paper over the spines of two signatures. 

look closely to see the bent binders needle is tucked under the thread which is all that holds the coptic journal together. 

book assembly is one signature at a time added using a single tread and needle.

Art in the Burg

I am going to be showing in Middleburg the end of April for a one day show in a big parish hall with some of my art friends. More information about the show here: http://www.middleburgarts.org/ 
We used to do an October show in Arlington, VA but have since moved on to Middleburg with the organizer Peter Wood also known as Rusty Metal for his rusted metal sculptures. We have a great time showing and talking and even selling some of our art but it takes months to get the goodies ready to show. I am currently working on daily sketches and book binding to have a nice stack of both to show by April 28th.

Yesterday I got two books finished one "jeans pocket sized" and one half sheet size. 8.5" x 5.5" These take several days to complete but the final step is to sew them together adding beads to the spine. Monday last I went to the Beadazzeled store on Dupont circle and found nice clear blue glass and shinny metallic black glass beads to use on these two designs with the end pages of Japanese paper we bought Valentines day.

end page of turquoise cherry blossoms in the blue books 

Japanese village end pages in golden book

Each day I try to accomplish something towards filling my booth with new art and crafts. I love sketching daily and have done it for over a year now. As my subject I usually go for the flowers around the house this time of year. When the weather is a little better I step outside in the mornings to do a sketch right in the garden. Recently I began using loose leaf paper to do some sketches to sell originals along side prints of smaller sketches in my home made sketch books that I don't want to tear up for framing. I guess if anyone wants to buy an entire sketch book full, I would sell them that way, about 36 sketches in each book. I planned to make inexpensive digital prints which I will edition, sign and number to sell for this show of the smaller sketches from the last couple years. These will allow me to get a big book full of my sketch prints on the table to show and discuss that will be easy to bring home.

sketch of narcissus ikebana arrangement in the studio

sketch of red flowers 

red ranunculus
 and tulips in crystal vase

narcissus poeticus in milk bottle 

Spring came so suddenly here in DC this year. The lovely Cherry blossoms were accompanied by late blooming tulips and all the narcissus are blooming out and nearly gone the in the same week.  The tree pollen is massive and I am grateful for a day of rain today to tamp down all that dust in the air that is causing me hard times with breathing.

ikebana narcissus 

 I continue to work on the English paper piecing at night while listening to TV and have made some good progress. I now have 29 blocks done and 4 more under construction. Time to get some half sized blocks to fill in the gaps at top and bottom of the quilt design for a straight edge finish. It's nearly big enough that I can think about stopping but I am not sure if I want to make a small quilt or a big quilt in this technique so I just keep going.

rose pink block #28

copper center block #29