Envelope Wildflower Journal ++

I made Connie a little envelope wildflower journal for Christmas. It has photos of the wildflowers we've seen on our many hikes together. This is my second attempt at making a little journal using 2-1/2" x 4" colored envelopes. The first one was for my granddaughter's 19th birthday here.

The cover of this one is also fastened with silk ribbon, buttons and beads. This time I slipped some extra photos under the ribbon. 

The pages contain stickers and floral papers but tucked inside each envelope . . . 

 . . . is a photo of a wildflower--this a Painted Trillium--with the date written on the back. 

 

I alternated green and yellow envelopes. Tucked in this one is a photo of White Hepatica. 

At the beginning I tried inserting two pics in each envelope but the journal was way too thick and stressing the binding. But I managed to tuck in 2 here and there.

In one of the centerfold pockets I inserted a photo and seed packet of Giant Butterbur--a plant we saw at one of the gardens in Lake Placid. We were always in awe of the size of these gigantic leaves and I found some seeds online.  

Page 6 Trout Lily . . . 

Page 7 Red Trillium and that's it. I forgot to take photos of page 8 and the back--go figure!

On another note . . . 

The World University Games are being held in the North Country including Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington and, of course, Lake Placid.

There are signs all over--How Wilmington Does Winter, How New York Does Winter, etc.

The cauldron in Lake Placid. We've been watching the games on ESPN+ :)

For my December birthday and starting January 3rd, Little Farmhouse Flowers will be delivering a bouquet of tulips every Tuesday for 6-weeks. And at the same time they will pick up our food scraps for composting. I love that idea! 

That's all for now :)

Enjoy your week! 

 

Copyright 2023 Barbara Schaffer

So Long, 2022! Part II

When Carol Y. sent me a box of scraps in January '22, I couldn't wait to see what goodies were in it. What fun! I spent hours sorting, organizing, and setting aside pieces that spoke to me. Thank you, Carol!

First up, I cut and sewed strips of all sizes and widths into longer strips to make Scraps of Friendship. The border fabric came from the thrift shop :)

I immediately saw these fabrics come together for a possible February mini. I didn't intend for the piece to be heart-shaped but that's the fun of trying something new. Oh, and I finished it pillowcase-style.

There were several fairly large pieces with Apples and Pears that I cut into squares and paired them with solids from my stash. The border, too.  

Strings sewed onto 4-1/2" muslin foundations were so easy! I thought that green/pink border carried its weight with all the other intense colors throughout. 

Bits and Pieces was the culmination of delving into Carol's scraps. I was so into this piece making 10" blocks by cutting and slashing and chain piecing little bits together I learned so much. Namely, how hard it is to make improv blocks!

But there are still more scraps to play with and many will find their way into my new New Year's project making Call Me Crazy that is being offered by Gay Bomers at Sentimental Stitches. If you missed signing up you can still send her an email if you are interested. These blocks are 6" finished. I'm ready! 

Next week I'll show you the little wildflower journal that I made Connie for Christmas :)

 

Copyright 2023 Barbara Schaffer

So Long, 2022! Part I

By now you all know I like to do an annual review of what I accomplished the previous year. In 2022 my main goal was to finish some UFOs, continue making monthly minis, and immerse myself in creativity after receiving a box of scraps from Carol Y :)

But let's start with the UFOs.

1. Philadelphia Pavement was the oldest UFO--started in 2003, top finished in 2017, and DONE in Feb. 2022. My original intention was to make a bed-size quilt. Can you imagine??

 2. Next up--I started Tumbler in 2015 but ironing the crosswise seams open created a stumbling block and I lost interest. Then 7 years later, I gave myself a pep talk and said "you can do this." I bit the bullet, re-ironed those seams and added a striped border. It is now a favorite.

3. Four Patch Strippy did not turn out how I expected it would. I used all large scale prints and leftover strips from prior quilts and all-in-all it sounded good. But by the time I put them all together it was a jumbled mess. Couldn't think of anything to make it better so that ended that! 

4. Morris Geese was started in 2021 when Barbara B. sent me some cutaways from her new William Morris fabric line. I made four Wild Goose Chase blocks using the paper foundation pieced pattern from the Deacon quilt. The setting was similar to the Tide Pools Quilt I saw on Pinterest but I would have been happier with a different  border print than what I ultimately chose. Just sayin'. 

 5. Also from 2021 was the Elizabeth Green Album Quilt. I purchased the templates at the thrift shop for 50-cents and didn't waste any time making blocks. I had just enough leftover border fabric to pull it all together. One of my favorites.

 6. Barb's Scraps hit a roadblock the end of 2021 and so it sat. Sound familiar? the answer came after I draped the unfinished center over the upstairs railing so I could look at it from below. A-ha! Strips were the answer and I had plenty!   

So finishing six UFOs was pretty good and I'm satisfied with that effort. I will have more quilts to show you next week--ones that were started and finished in 2022.  

Last Friday this little Chickadee flew into our door and ended up head down in the snow on our deck. I immediately ran out, picked it up and gently placed it on the table. Within 10 minutes it flew away! Now that's a happy ending :)

See you next week.

Copyright 2023, Barbara Schaffer