We finally had a sunny day to take some pictures for my Beautiful Things project!  This quilt was more than a decade in the making and woo!  What a comedy of errors.  Not all of the blocks are equal in size, some of the pinwheels were made going in the wrong direction, and I even sewed the bias tape on backwards!  Even so, I’ll remember it always as the first quilt I worked on with my daughter.  It will be carefully tucked away until we have a sweet baby (or a grandbaby someday!) come to visit.

DETAILS

+ Pattern: an old blog post from a decade ago (this tutorial shows how to make the blocks)
+ Fabric, thread and bias tape: from my stash (the border and backing fabrics were my grandmother’s)
+ Batting: crib-size cotton batting (purchased on sale with a coupon!)
+ Tutorial for hand-tying: How To Tie A Quilt By Hand from I See Stars Quilting
+ Tutorial for sewing on bias tape: How to Bind a Quilt with Bias Tape from Sweet Red Poppy
TOTAL FOR PROJECT: $16.09

Just a super quick post today to share a project I’ve been working on the past two months!

I’ve been very intrigued by the “stitch-a-day” concept and wanted to attempt it myself.  My plan is to complement my one little word with a visual diary of daily good things.  Examples: seeing a beautiful cardinal, one son’s love of cheeseburgers, Star Wars lightsaber battles, our power returning after 30 hours, etc.  It’s been a fun challenge so far!

It is perfectly imperfect, I like some motifs more than others (I completely messed up one of the dogs, but am keeping it for hilarity’s sake) and the spacing is kind-of wonky, but I hope the sum of all the parts will be great in the end.  I plan to get it professionally framed and then on the back, glue a tiny list of Good Things that correspond with the different items.  A family heirloom!

Details: I am using an 18×27″ piece of this fabric and my stash of DMC thread.  I’ve been getting a lot of inspiration on Pinterest and have also designed a few myself using Stitch Fiddle.

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Today I’d like to share some of my favorite junk journaling supplies!  None of these are absolute necessities (except for maybe an adhesive, a pair of scissors and a pen) but they’re fun little additions to a really enjoyable craft.

+ A PHOTO PRINTER // This is the most expensive item and certainly not a necessity, but for me, it’s been worth its weight in gold!  I have the Canon Selphy and you can link it right to your phone.  It makes printing photos a breeze.

+ AWL // Part of the bookbinding process requires making holes for the string to pass through.  I tried a variety of things to accomplish this (including bamboo skewers!) but ultimately invested in this little awl created especially for this purpose.  Worth every penny.

+ EXACTO KNIFE // If you want to make a journal from an old hardcover book, a sharp exacto knife is really helpful.  I have this Fiskars one and it has worked great for me so far.

+ PAPER CUTTER // I have had the same paper cutter for years and years!  I don’t even think they make my version anymore, but this one is very similar.

+ 9×12″ NEWSPRINT PAPER //   You can use any type of paper for your interior pages, but I like this Strathmore newsprint because it’s a little bit thicker than printer paper but also not too bulky.  I also like using a similar sized children’s “story pad” because it includes an easy place to journal.

+ TINY ATTACHER // Imagine a stapler, but make it teeny and adorable.

+ ADHESIVES // I use a variety of adhesives, depending on the type of paper I’m working with.  For most papers, I go for the everyday Elmer’s glue stick.  Super cheap and one supply I use a lot!  For a slightly heavier paper, I like to use scrapbook rolling adhesive because it holds just a bit better than the glue stick.  If I have something really bulky or I’m creating a pocket that will be tugged and pulled on, I choose red line double-sided tape.

+ WASHI TAPE // So versatile and the possibilities are endless.  You can use them for decoration or even its own type of adhesive.  I bought this set in October 2022 and I still have a ton left.  It really goes far.

+ ALPHABET STAMPS // So these are technically for homeschooling, but I like to use them in my journals too!  We have this lowercase set from Educational Insights.  For ink, I like the StazOn brand because it is supposed to work on all types of surfaces.

+ PENS // I use everything from a cheap Bic Round Stic to Micron pens of various sizes to scrapbook-type pens.  Not sure if the Bic will stand the test of time, but I usually just use what I have closest at hand.

I hope to share parts of my January journal soon!

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This “little autumn joys” junk journal is a project that I have enjoyed immensely this past month!  Everything about the process has been new to me; I have made quite a few mistakes but have also learned so much.  A few details:

For the cover, I used the spine of an old, water-stained Little Women book.  I had kept it in my craft stash “just in case” and was so happy to finally have a use for it.  I glued a piece of my hand-stitched quilting (remember when I mentioned it last year in this post?) on top and added a little blue button for some interest and dimension.

The inside pages are a hodgepodge of things: pages from two children’s books that were ripped/had the cover pulled off, kraft cardstock, pages from a picture story pad (sort-of like this), a brown paper bag, pages from an adult coloring book, pages from the Little Women book itself and a few scrapbook papers that I purchased.  My goal was to create something beautiful with items I already owned, spending the least amount of money possible.  I think I accomplished that!

 

Junk journals are a great home for those little notes and drawings from the kids.

 

For my birthday, I asked for and received the Canon Selphy photo printer and it’s so great!  You can link it to your phone and it makes printing photos a breeze.

 

I have had that postcard of the fox playing cards since the Big White Farmhouse Shop days!  So nice to have a use for it – I used the back as journaling space.  This photo also shows one half of the paper bag I included in the papers.  I tucked a picture of me and Samson in that side space and used a fabric scrap as the tab.

 

One last photo: I stapled in a dried leaf (hopefully it won’t crumble into pieces!) and made a little flip up space with the “BOO” card.  Underneath, I have journaling and another photo.  So fun!

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One last (partial) finish for the summer break challenge before we head back to school.  While I had hoped to complete all six pillows, I’m satisfied that I finished three.  (My biggest three boys will have to wait just a little bit longer, ha!)  For the boys’ cross-stitching, I used a 28ct evenweave fabric and it was just okay.  Very thick and stiff; linen is much easier to handle.  The pillows aren’t perfect but thankfully, the kids don’t seem to mind.

DETAILS

+ Patterns: Avengers, Storybook Princesses, and a design created by a big brother
+ Cross-Stitch Fabric: 28ct Evenweave in white for the boys, a white linen from my stash for the princesses
+ Pillow forms: 12″x16″ Basic Insert
+ Tutorial for finishing the pillows: Envelope Method tutorial from Sew Crafty Me
+ Skeins of thread and fabrics: from my stash
TOTAL FOR ALL THREE PROJECTS: $36.47

This is more of a progress report than a finished product, but I am so happy to see this first part DONE!  Definitely the most time intensive goal from my summer “Get Things Finished!” Challenge.

This is a quilt top with a story, each piece lovingly sewn together by hand.  I learned to sew this way from my maternal grandmother and now that she has passed away, I am so glad I took the time to sit down and pay attention.  There are fabrics in this quilt that she passed along to me.  There are fabrics from my early days of quilting, where the only fabric I could afford were fat quarters at Joann’s.  There are a few vintage fabrics, a pillowcase, even a stained chambray blouse!  It’s loud and colorful, but beautiful in its own way.

Right now, the quilt measures 37×80″, but will grow slightly with the binding.  I copied the size from one of the childhood quilts my grandmother made for me; it’s the perfect size for wrapping up.  Oh!  A fun aspect of this quilt is the way I “fussy cut” different fabrics to make a sort of “I Spy” activity.  Some examples:

Next up: the “quilt sandwich” and then hand quilting the entire thing together!

My first finish for the Beautiful Things Project was a little garden cross-stitch pillow for my bedroom rocking chair!  I found a sweet little pattern on the DMC website for free.  I wanted to do this as inexpensively as possible, so I changed the colors to fit the ones I already owned.  (I did have to buy two skeins of thread after I ran out, so my grand total for this project was $5.56.)  I finished the back using the envelope method.  The fabric I used isn’t a perfect match to the front colors, but it’s one that I’ve had in my stash for a decade and this seemed like a good time to use it!

DETAILS

+ Pattern: Point de Marque 3.15
+ Linen, fabric and thread: from my stash
+ Pillow form: 12″x16″ Basic Insert (also from my stash)
+ Tutorial for finishing the pillow: Envelope Method Tutorial from Sew Crafty Me
+ Skeins of thread: Amy Rose Jewelry Supply
TOTAL FOR PROJECT: $5.56