Stitched Journal Project - May

The Stitched Journal Project is: Makers from around the world creating one "page" or piece of work per month and sharing. It is a project to get the ideas flowing, to process the days in a creative way, to try new techniques and to push past fears that keep us from making something.  It isn't about perfection, or getting it "just right," it is about process and perspective.

May 2014 - Cotton, fabric paint, cotton batting

The word of the month seems to have been "Home." We've been working on our home (Thank you for all of the lovely comments you left on my last post. I was blown away by all of your positive remarks!), I have been taking a lot of photographs of my home, I've talked about it in interviews, I've recently been asked by a couple of old friends how I feel about where I live, and I've had some great conversations with folks I know lately about what "Home" means to them.

I consider myself truly lucky to love where I live, to live with those I love, and to really have a place in this world that I know as "Home." It isn't all about the geography - though it sure is a pretty place that I live in. It isn't about the house that I live in - though I am so amazed that this is my beautiful house. No. It has much more to do with the people, the friends and the family; the deep sigh of "coming home" to a safe place, a joyful refuge, a remarkable life. 

When life gets hard, gets nasty (and sometimes it gets really nasty), shatters your heart, falls apart - again, when the hurt and mess of it all starts to break you down... there's just no place like home.

For this piece I finally got around to trying my hand at image transfer to fabric! I found an image of a vintage Oregon map and used my computer to print the image onto white cotton. I then dyed the fabric in a strong black tea infusion. I used fabric paint and rubber stamps to print on the map. I then used cotton batting and a muslin backing fabric and machine quilted the county lines.  This was a great introduction to the process and I thoroughly enjoyed playing with the medium. Plus it seems that my duty as a crafty Oregonian, is to emblazon at least one of my works with the nondescript outline of my home state. 

I haven't forgotten that I still owe you April. I started April, I did. However, the piece is calling to become a larger work. So, April this is what I have for you...

Below you will find links to the wonderful makers and their Stitched Journal Project pieces for May. Please keep your eyes on this spot in the next couple of days as more add their links. Be sure to visit them and leave comments!

If you think you would like to join in as well, it's not too late!  We will be sharing our pieces the last Friday of every month at least until the end of the year. We'd love to have you.

All of you wonderful Stitched Journal Project participants please link up below! Remember to add your photos to The Stitched Journal Flickr Group! and be sure to share with Facebook, Twitter, etc!