Autumn Journals No. 1

 Good evening dear readers. 

It's always the best time of year to me when the days grow a tiny bit shorter, the air becomes cooler and we can start the anticipation of falling leaves, golden harvests and the longing to slow down a little and spend some quiet time with something warm, and a craft to spread out and enjoy.

I am back to share two beautiful fiery red journals I have made with a warm autumnal feel to them. These journals are smaller, more hand sized, and have lovely soft textures, wonderful to hold in your hands enjoy for many years to come. This unique one of a kind journal features many pages made of old papers, cloths and antique embroidered trims, doilies, and lace, ready for you to pull up to a cozy space with a warm drink and spend some time journaling, planning, and filling up these pages with your own photos, memories and dreams.

Both of these warm fall journals are available on my Etsy shop HERE

These journals have two larger signatures which each have 50 pages, so in total there are 100 different pages each unique, and are made with lots of collaging, sewing, and are meant to be personalized with your own writing, journaling and memory keeping. They measure 7.5" tall and are 6" wide and both have long ties of sari ribbon that wind around the journal as closure. There are two of these journals and while they vary slightly, for the most part they are quite similar. I have made myself a journal with these same materials, I posted it here on my blog several years ago...these are the journals from that series that I just recently found in a happy accident and decided to complete and share with anyone else who loves a vintage handmade textile journal to be treasured and perhaps passed down to a special family member.

Thank you for looking, I hope I have inspired you a little bit. Both of these journals are available in my Etsy shop, I will put the link right here HERE. Also in my shop I have listed some pretty kits full of fabrics and vintage fall themed ephemera that you could use to make your own autumn coloured junk journal.

 

Lots of love,

Lisa xoxoxox

tiny Psalms

 

 Good morning lovely readers. I'm here to share a little book I made with all of my table scraps hanging around on my desk after completing a larger journal. While searching through my basket of black fabrics I came across this tiny little worn Psalm book, so I removed the insides, used a few pages to make a collage on the signatures, made some small cloth and paper collages, and then sewed these new pages back into the book. There are many little tuck spots to hold a precious photograph, a secret note or letter from a dear friend.

 tiny Psalms

This little book is entirely made from scraps on my desk while working on a larger journal and came together is just a day - maybe two - the tiny book with smaller space to work on eases me into a flow where there isn't any space or time to overthink...All the signatures came together so easy. I was mindfully using all these lovely little scraps as playing around with small bits of vintage textiles can add so many wonderful textures.... lace, soft worn cotton and beautiful little embroidered treasures from the past. I love to pick them all apart and then build layers of cloth, lace.... I can overlay to make pockets, as a keepsake for all your antique photos, or some of your vintage needlework tools. I used machine sewing, and then also used some of these pages to practice my embroidery. I only know a few stitches so far, but I love the tiny details hand stitching gives a fabric collage, adds depth and fine details over a larger collage. 

 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

 Psalm 119:105

Thank you so much for looking, I hope I have inspired you to remember to never throw your little project scraps away. They accumulate like tiny chippings from your main work, but these little fine bits and pieces can be sewn together as little textile collages, a signature with a tiny pocket, or can display swatches of fabric for another textile project idea......all beautifully upcycled into another art piece.

Happy sewing, Lisa xox

Quilted Memories

       Hello dear readers XOX

I am back to share a spring journal I made with another old shabby quilt

with soft textures and faded pretty feed sack cottons.

I sewed a few pieces of old cotton laces and trims together, added a few vintage yoyos

 and a few black and white photographs from an old album I bought at a sale a few weekends ago.

This journal is for sale on my Etsy shop, which I invite you to visit here.  

Quilted Memories
 

I love picking apart old shabby quilts that I find at estate sales. For the cover I sewed two lengths of vintage cotton trimmed with crocheted lace together, leaving open spaces on the front and back cover, and also along the inside back cover as a pocket for whatever little things you'd like to tuck in, and then sewed together pieces of feed sack cottons over the cover. I added some pink embroidery to a few spots as well. I always included lots of hidden tuck spots, the idea being that you can personalize this journal by adding your own old mementos, with room for letters, notes, cards or any kind of meaningful ephemera that you want to save and treasure. The front and back covers have a pocket in the center that you can swap out the photos....remove these and add your own, or leave as is. I had a lot of fun sewing this all together. There is also room on the paper signatures to add your drawings, sketches, or written notes that you want to record and create a beautiful keepsake.

This signature is a piece of old quilt top sewn together with a piece of antique lace making a pocket for any treasures you want to store in this book.

I made this cloth tag you could use as a bookmark. The backing is paper and it can be

personalized as well, just clip on a little photo or you could write on top of the tag.

 This journal is a trifold, meaning that the back cover is twice as long as the front (which also has another fabric pocket along the back cover) so the back flap folds back in the middle of the signatures, adding more room for a little fabric collage with little bits of the same quilt pieces.

 

All together there are 25 pages made of both cloth and paper, so 50 pages in all. The journal measures 8" by 6", 

and has three ties attached to the front cover that wrap around the journal as a closure. 

Thank you so very much for looking. My Etsy shop carries vintage quilt pieces and a few packs made up with vintage quilt blocks and matching fabrics. I have another project which is almost finished....another different style of book that I thought of while working with these old quilts. I will post it here soon and it will also be for sale.

 

Bye for now, Lisa xoxoxox