Memory Junk Journal ...Making Signatures before binding

Not all memories have pictures. Not all memories have a item to make you remember them. Most memories are just that.. a memory.

So I decided... I am just going to write down my memories.. and make them into a journal.I sat at the PC for awhile typing out memories from my childhood. I know I have forgotten so many, but at least these are a start to what I do remember.

My other project with this journal is to make signatures so that the pages lay more open and flat. I have asked for alot of tips on this and this video shows what I have settled on. I think it is going to work!

Here is the video of it on my You Tube channel. Check it out, tell me what you think!

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on preserving those memories! Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE
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How to Organize Your Scraps... and USE THEM!!

We all keep our scraps of fabric, no matter how small. Some use them as bedding/filling for a blanket for a pet, others, cut them into squares...down to even a 1"x1" square and then later, sew them together to make Postage Stamp quilts or just "scrap quilts". Either way...we tend to think of it as a chore. I admit, I kind of do! I let them pile up for a year... just stuff that plastic tote full as possible all year long. Then...I finally get energized to do some cutting and organizing and spend a few hours with the scraps and come out feeling great, energized and ready to start a new project!

Today, I did just that. I was going through all my fabric yesterday, getting ready for a move. I was adamant that I was NOT going to pay to move and possibly pay to store, this large plastic tote of scraps. So, last night I decided today would be my Scrap Day. I had done this last 2 years in a row and cut the pieces to 2,1/2"x2,1/2" squares, put them all in baggies of matching colors and then into a decorative photo box on the shelf.  I did make some quilts with some of them, but I had so many, I still have some left!  I made these "Postage Stamp" quilts with 2,1/2"x2,1//2" squares.

 These are all 40"x60" lap quilts.  I added the white squares, just because I am an over organizer, and all those colors next to each other just looks sloppy and junky! But the white was enough to organize the many colors to look nice. Then again, I always forget, just because I don't like it, doesn't mean others won't like it! I gave these to the ladies at my church and they loved them!

 The first one, the color squares were organized in a rainbow pattern.  This one they are in order of  just whatever came out of the box next.!

 This one I had to use graph paper to design the pattern for where the colored squares went to make the words, but it was really easy!

So, I intended to cut 2,1/2x2,1/2" squares and then thought.. why? I really don't like working with that small piece anyway! And I still have 3 boxes full of the little squares from last time, so I decided to cut this years stash into 3,1/2"x 5,1/2" pieces (rectangles)

This is 1/3 of the tote content! Doen't look like much, but I pressed them all last night and have them nicely folded and organized into stacks! There is more than it looks like!

 

I lay out 4-6 scrap pieces and use my 24"x3,1/2" template.  A note for a quick cutting spree..use a template size that is easy to work with. In this case, it is 3,1/2" wide so that is how wide my scrap pieces are. Then I used that removable tape (or just masking tape) to mark the 5,1/2" where I would be cutting the pieces.

Then the cool part starts! When I get them cut, I stack them according to color  so I have a place to start looking for color when I what to use them.  Really cool stack, right? It is inspirational to me... makes me want to just cut more!!!

And make more stacks!!!  

 Then, I put them in a decorative photo box, mark the size on the front and in no time... have a box of beautiful rectangles, ready to use!  This took me 2,1/2 hours to cut this many... and that was the fastest 2,1/2 hours I ever spent! I couldn't believe it was that long...I thought sure I had only been cutting an hour or so. But then when I saw the stack of beautiful rectangle...it was all worth it!  Then, mark the front of the box and Done and Done!!!!

 

I have other boxes of cut squares...2,1/2 and 3,1/2 and 4x4 and 5" squares. I cut all fabric scraps into the size I want, and then take what is left and cut those scraps into smaller sizes. I have a small stash (really small!) left from cutting these today and will hang on to those until I get enough to continue and cut 2,1/2"-ers out of those.

So, there you are. Organized scraps.. the fun and easy way!  Hope you are inspired to go cut your scraps!  It is such a inspiring feeling or "ready to start sewing now" to see that empty scrap tote box!


Thanks for stopping by and...keep on preserving those memories! Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE
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Fabric Lace Memory book 3. It is coming to life! And so much fun!

It's only been a week, but I just had to share my progress with you on my Fabric Lace Memory book project. I have one page done and another nearly done and a third started! I have Learned alot of the "how to's" and am finding...there are no rules...basically at all! I thought I'd share how I have begun working. True, everyone has their own "ways" of doing things, but hearing how others do it is a good way to hear available options for you to try! So I thought I'd share what I have "discovered"!

In quilting, although there are no "quilting police"..there are  a few things you HAVE to follow..just so what you create turns out properly when you put it all together. The main one is the seam allowance. 1/4 inch is the universal "like" for the seams...but if you want them larger, you can make them larger. Not much left to make smaller, but if you want to...you can.  The only rule you HAVE to follow in quilting, is..make ALL seam allowances the same size or when you put your block together...seams won't match and things won't line up as they are supposed to when piecing.

But with the fabric books...literally, anything goes! So far, I have found the only rule to stick with is to make all your pages the same size. I mean, you are making a book...and book pages are the same...HOWEVER...there is a small window open there too. I have seen where the pages are made the same size (like 8x10) and then the crafter sticks a little "page" in between 2 regular pages...like maybe a 5x7 page. This smaller page is used for a little extra space if needed...a picture or item "holder" or even just another page! It sure looks cute! I don't remember if I saw that done, or I just created it in my mind but it is one that I will be using! It's just to cute not to! That little secret place in the book...with a little special item inside...that means something only to the owner of the book! I know the girls are going to like that! I plan to put a small jewelery item in it!

Another thing I noticed was... I used to scrapbook...big time scrapbook! And as I was working on the pages, I noticed a common medium going on...I kept saying "I did this when I was scrapbooking" or noticed I was using alot of my scrapbook supplies including pictures and thought..good grief.. why don't I just pick up scrapbooking again, I"m nearly doing it now!  But then toned myself down to remembering the whole point of the fabric book..... M-E-M-O-R-I-E-S. So I decided to choose specific memories and decided to make parents. have the first 2-3 pages about the child, then have a page for her parents, her grand parents (ME!) her great grand parents and I have pics of her great great grandparents and great (times 3) grand parents. So I can do a family legacy kind of book. Well, at least I am starting there. I am sure I will expand, change, re-consider, add, subtract etc!

So I started with pages about each girl..the two oldest. A story of another time...since this is a memory book...I wanted to put memories in it...so I used some fabric I amazingly kept from outfits I made 2 of the girls on my last sewing trip about 10 years ago and incorporated the page around that fabric and what it meant to the girl at the time! Turned out really good! Stay tuned for some pictures and "how to" on those pages. Then I will go into the rest of the family! Plus... I love printing on fabric paper like this....             

 FABRIC PRINTING PAPER

One of the pages I am doing is about the song I sang to each girl when I rocked her to sleep. So I printed the lyrics out on this paper about 4x6 size and will decorate it and incorporate it some how on the page...an envelope and they can take the "page" of lyrics out of the envelope. Only they will know the memory it holds for them!

It has been alot of fun going through my lace stash and embellishments and putting things together. Takes a bit of time, but I am settling into a system. I create the page in my sewing room, then start the sewing in the kitchen..as light is better there and a change of scenery! I have 2 trays that I take with me..one has the things just for that page, the other is things I use on all pages..pin cushion, scissors, thread (colors to match the page), needle etc.  Works great!

 

 I went to Walmart today and got a few spools of satin ribbon and ric-rack (3 yds  for $1)  and a package of some delicate, lacy bows (8 for $1.47) and a short strand of pearls..12 beads about 1/2 inch diameter (97 cents)...should have got more of those! Those I plan to take the beads  apart  and use individually as the middle of a fabric flower or "handle/knob" to something or some other decorative embellishment. I also got some embroidery floss.. I had forgotten alot of designs use the floss (24 skeins for $3.97)...just a running stitch around the edge of the pages or to "write" out word or...embroider a design!

Oh... and something I did find very helpful... if you are a quilter, you will know about these cool little things...if not..check them out. They are called
   

CLOVER CLIPS

They look like very small clothes pins. But why they are so good for my fabric books is because I can use them to hold things in place while I am creating the page. Using pins, you might miss one in the lace or just the poking of the pin in then out, sometimes is cumbersome and you can have multiple layers "clipped" instead of trying to use a pin. Because you use bulky things like a strand of beads or an raised applique or buttons...anything you can't use a pin to secure..you can use the Clover Clip. I didn't use mine much with quilting as I as you sew, you have to remove them and you don't with pins..if you don't pin in the stitch line. It was cumbersome to me to use them. But now.. they are my best friends!

I went to the thrift store yesterday and there was a package of some kind of fabric. It was shiney pink, satin looking squares..and 2 shades of yellow. You can't open packages but that pink on top I knew I could use and for $1.99 I thought I'd take the chance. Opened at home and they are 12x12" napkins! Granted, I can't imagine anyone using these beautiful squares for wiping a messy mouth, but that is what they were! And there were 6 pink, 6 pale yellow and 6 medium yellow..all satin with a pretty pattern! I can use them as page fabric or cut strips to make fabric flowers or ruffle!

So that is all for now. I have to get dinner ready then I can sit and sew the pages until my eyeballs fall out of my head! Thanks for following along.... if you are working on a fabric book...please..leave me a comment about how you are doing or if you have any good tips!

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on sewing those memories!
Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE

Fabric Lace Memory Books 2. How I Organized my Supplies

I have found a new way to preserve memories with fabric! (Hummm...sounds like a good title for a blog!)  Last week, I talked about it and you can read my introduction to Fabric Lace Memory Books here. I am really excited about this. I haven't just stopped quilting, just put it on hold for awhile... and I still have 5 WIPS... one is for ME, one for my sister and one for ...someone.... and then I have 2 in the closet that I made, but don't really like or am waiting on specific scraps to finish. But I have have been told by my children..."Mom...no more quilts! We have plenty!". Well, I can't just stop the preserving memories so Fabric Lace Books came to me just in time! I was doing a blog hop and came upon Wilma at Shabby Royale  and was immediately captivated.
Then I found  Doni at Faith, Grace and Crafts and her tutorial on making the pages and the rest is history! Happy, memorable, preserved history in a unique, amazing and most elegant style! My plan is to make one for each of my grand daughters....and one for me!

So to get something like this.......

 

 

Or this..........

 

Or this.......

 .... I had to get supplies for these books and since I am a "veteran" scrapbooker, I have alot of things I can use for embellishment that were from my scrapbook days and since I have 4 grand daughters that I day-cared off and on... and always doing a craft of some kind with them so I have things left over from that.  So I dug everything out..and  as in the book set...."If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" ...(my grand daughters favorite series!)

"if you give a crafter some craft supplies, she is going to want storage units to put it in!"

I needed a place to store the supplies where I could have them ALL available to look at and use as I create a page. Now, I love organizing. Over organizer? Sometimes, but appropriately organized for ease of use...all the time!  I had several "storage" bins/buckets/drawer units etc in the closet..some being used others not.   So...this is what I came up with.

In organizing my supplies, I Upcycled these General Foods International plastic containers. I can't drink coffee because of the acid in the coffee oils...it hates my stomach! But this...doesn't have real coffee in it, but kind of tastes like it! But I drink it in the winter and have been saving these containers as they are perfect...sturdy plastic, nice snapping lid. Took me 3 years to collect this many, and finally found a use for them! I put them in the supply drawers....four fits perfectly across the width of the drawer and three the length.

Drawer on the left above has odd embellishments in it and I put four of the containers in the middle as the fit perfectly and snuggly across so they are kind of a divider...appliques and fabric things in the front and pom poms and other things in the back and silver string beads and things in the containers. On the right is buttons of all kinds! On the left-back  is an embroidery thread box...and I have small and tiny buttons from my scrapbooking days in this.  In the front is snaps, card buttons and single buttons in the coffee containers and then long card buttons to the right.

This drawer has what I call "metal" embellishments...buckles, rings, D rings, misc costume jewelery (some from my mother), wires and other things...most left over from my scrapbooking days and my "jean purse" days.




 Put them all together and this is what I got! I have all my embellishments at arms reach because the drawers are removable. This sits on top of a four drawer cabinet thingy that is at the end of my work station/cutting table...which is right behind my sewing machine...just a spin in the chair and it is all at my finger tips! (things on the top..no longer are there!)

Now this cabinet thingy... 

four small drawers just to the right of my working/cutting table.....

Top drawer has ribbons on spools in a clear plastic tubes. Just keeps things neater. Containers in the front holding beads...some just beads, others with alphabet letters on them. And something I intend to work with is fabric paper. That is the read on top there. I have been using it to make the labels for my quilts, but now.. I can print a picture on it or write out something like a letter on it and make a nice fabric envelope for it to put on the page.

Second drawer has the lace yardage and satin (imitation!) folded in it..with room for more! Bottom two drawers have cotton/poly fabric I use for binding on my quilts.

But that's not all!

These are stackable with lockable lids, plastic "boxes". They are about 15" x 12"x 3" and they click/lock together so I can stack them like this and just put it under my cutting table. I have the lace by all white, colors, trims (ric-rac, bias etc) and the bottom one has fancy pockets I cut off jeans. When I need to use the lace, I just..........

Put them on the table...and leave them stacked like this and have only the container I need...open. The little box next to this unit is just a photo box, and i keep all the things I am using on a page in this box. Keeps things orderly and not lost! This sits against the wall...leaving me plenty of working space while being close at hand.


This is what my work station looks like..BEFORE I actually start working. Needless to say, it gets rather messy as I work, but that is just how I work! But everything is right at hand, but still out of the way and not cluttered when not working. Lace in front, page fabric to the left. To the right...."working box", iron (cordless) to the right and on right end of the table, the drawers of supplies. All at hands reach.  I have seen so many amazing pictures of crafter's work stations....I wish I could do that with mine, but..this is best it gets for now. The table has my cutting matte on it and I have covered it with just some odd fabric..to keep the ironing surface clean while I work on top of it.But where the construction of the pages take place...is at the kitchen table! More on that feature next time! Another thing I just noticed in my room....the other side of the room has all my quilting "gear"...all set up and organized so I can go back to quilting at any time...and everything is already set up and organized!

If you don't have supplies like I did...(but will always be looking for more!)  you can  collect them rather "cheaply"...check the thrift stores, second hand stores, yard sales, dollar stores, Walmart type stores, etc. Always check the reduced shelves. I went to Joann's and they had unique trims on sale for 50 cents a yard! I just picked ones that I liked that were 50 cents a yard and bought 2 yards. 

At thrift/second hand stores and yard sales...if they don't have any craft supplies...check the clothes. You can cut off buttons, appliques and other decoration parts. Look for lace in blouses, dresses and  lingerie. Doilies are perfect for the books. Check for jewelery as you can take charms or pendants and earrings apart to use. Bracelets are an amazing embellishment. Check kids clothes as they often have great appliques or other decorative addition on the front of them that you can cut off....even use the fabric of the garment. Some jeans have beautiful and blingy pockets on them.. I have a few! I cut them off the jeans and intend to use them as a pocket on the pages. Get a velvet jacket and cut it apart to use the fabric. Look for yardage of lace...use it to cover the page, cut strips and make lace, gather to make lace flowers, join with fabric to make beautiful pocket on the page. I found some lace.. I think it was a table cloth...and I cut out the flowers to use as appliques!

Look at women's skirts...lot of yardage there so find the print you like and cut strips, squares...use to make the pages or gather and make lace!  So many options, lot of choices and all at a low price! And when all else fails...watch the ads for sales at Joann's and use the 50% off coupons!

So, now I am ready to begin my new adventure in Fabric Lace Memory books! Stay tuned... I have one in the works as we speak...I mean... read... and will post it soon!

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on sewing those memories!

Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE
This post is linked to the Linky Party for the day. Click on the "Daily Linky Parties" tab at the top of my page and join us!

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What is the coolest thing EVER???? Needle Nannies

I won a giveaway in the Grow Your Blog blog hop from  Reflections of a Desert Rat. It was a surprise when I entered, and I was REALLY surprised when I got the package! It was several little gadgets...and I love gadgets....to help and assist hand sewing...mostly embroidery. Well, I am not embroidering at the moment, but...I am doing alot of hand sewing on my Fabric Lace Memory books. I was totally shocked and thrilled when I opened the Needle Nannie package! I have NEVER seen anything like this before!


This is what the giveaway I received was.
Thanks so much, Bette, from Reflections of a Desert Rat

This is what I received I hope the picture shows up!

My most favorite gadget in the package was a Needle Nannie. It helps keep your needle close at hand without worry of loosing it...check it out!!!

NEEDLE NANNIES

A "Needle Nannie" (and the name fits me perfectly as I am after all, the Quilting Nanny!) is a needle keeper or needle minder. It is a decorative metal "piece" with a magnet on the back...and an additional separate magnet...and you put the metal piece on the fabric you are sewing and the other magnet on the back and it snaps together and then because it is now fully magnetized... you just put your needle on the piece..and it stays there! When you are done with the needle, this little gadget holds it for you! Never a lost needle anymore. I have a pin cushion near, but always fiddle between the pins in the cushion and the needle. This is strong and holds the needle until you need it again! And the magnet is strong so no worry of  it ever loosing its strength and falling off your fabric piece! They are about 1,1/2 inch circle size. Large enough to hold the needle and still find it yet small enough to not get in the way!  I know it sounds silly, but I started using this Needle Nannie with may hand sewing of my fabric books and I don't see how I ever did hand sewing without it!


Made and sold at Puffin and Company, they merge the art of crafting, the beauty of nature and the benefits of innovation to provide you the best in needlework, knitting & quilting tools.  You can read about how this idea started as one of those "AH-ha!!!" moments and these ingenious gadgets were born and created to help all us thread crafters in our endeavors to create our "something special's" from now till the end of time!!!

They have scissor "sitters" and "keepers" to hold your scissors close and handy!

An item I am thinking of getting should I go back to embroidery... is their fabulous
Thread Separators. This tool keeps those strands in line with no tangles or knots! And your embroidery, cross stitch or needlepoint time will be just a bit more fun…simply fabulous. Watch the viedo on the page and see how it works.

There are so many cool little HELPFUL gadgets to choose from.. I book marked the store and plan to make a purchase... the scissor sitters and the thread separator are in mind first. But they have several other items I want too!

If you are interested...you can purchase Needle Nannies here. They are the coolest gadget I have seen in a LONG time.. I love mine! Don't know how I hand sewed without it!




Thanks for stopping by and...keep on sewing those memories!



Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE