Kawandi Style

As you may know I'm quite taken with Kawandi style of quilting. I've played around a bit with both fabric and paper and have shared almost all of those projects here on the blog.

This was one of my first paper Kawandi style paper quilts...and you can read about it here in this post.

I used this tried and true technique with Roseanne's pre-stitched brown paper and those precious scraps.

My first step was reinforcing the back of the paper with some fused fabric. Stitching on paper creates perforated holes...so it can easily rip. Fabric backing gave the paper strength to hold up to stitching.

I started in one corner with a little scrap...

and kept adding...overlapping and stitching the scraps around the edge.

I stitched a couple rows before I needed to add additional squares and I would tuck them in to fill in the gaps and cover the brown paper. A variety of size and shape gives it interest.

I kept going....and once I get to the middle I was done.

Easy Peasy....and so satisfying. It only took about 10 minutes.

The papers are pretty diverse...but there's a good mix of light and dark they all work so well together and tell a personal story for Roseanne. Tune in tomorrow to see what I made for Roseanne with this Kawandi style paper quilt.

Step by Step

One of my favorite ferns is the maidenhair fern. I found this photo of a robust patch of it at our back door in Lexington...it thrived in that spot! 

I brought some of it with me to the condo 5 years ago....and it's been doing pretty well here too.

Today I dug up a few plants...and spread pieces of them all over the back garden. I want it peeking through everywhere!  

I just love the delicate and wispy tops...on the long skinny stems.

Remember the stacked Christmas tree boxes I posted about a few days ago. The ones in the post were made by Anita....but were inspired by ones we made for a church fair many many years ago. Melodee told me that she still has that set of tree boxes....and that made me smile.

I made a little box out of one of my cyanotypes so I could give step by step directions here. One person asked...so all of you get it. Read on if you're interested.

The top paper was a 4 1/2 inch square and the cyanotype was done on lightweight mixed media paper. I used lightweight white cardstock for the bottom and it was 4 1/4 inches. 

As a general rule the difference between the top and the bottom should be 1/4 inch. If the paper is thin...the difference could be a little less for a tighter fit.

The first thing you need to do is find the middle of your square. 

Many online directions I've seen have you fold the paper diagonally both ways to to find the middle. But that gives you creases on the top of your box...and I don't like that. So I place a ruler from corner to corner both ways and draw a light X in the middle.

When choosing paper...be mindful that much of the square gets folded into the box. The motif that is right in the middle will be the top of your box.

Fold the corner of the paper to the middle and crease with a bone folder....the back of a spoon or your fingernail.  Then fold that edge to the middle again being sure to hold that first fold in place. This where that pencil line comes in handy.

Open it back up and repeat this on every corner. 

The better your creases are....the easier the box will go together. I sometimes go back and crease them all again individually.

There is no need to draw the dots and lines...but I did to more easily show this next step. Identify the middle square which will be the top of the box....I put a dot at the corners of the square. On just two opposite sides...cut the paper to the middle/corner dot....along where I drew the dashed line.

It should look like this. 

You can see that two corners are kind of straight and two of them have what I call wings. 

Starting with the sides that have wings and fold the sides up bending the wings around to the side. 

The point will lay down covering the bottom of the box. The tendency is to fold the wings...but keep them out straight reducing the bulk under the next folds.

Do the same thing on the opposite wing side.

Keep in mind that all of the points will meet in the middle to cover the inside bottom of the box.

While holding the overlapped wings....

fold the straight sides up and over securing the point down to the bottom of the box.  It should look like this.

And finally...it should look like this. Sometimes it's necessary to put a dot of glue to hole the points down. You can also swish a glue stick around the inside bottom before you fold the pieces down.

My last recommendation is to use a spoon or a bone folder to give that last folded edge that came up and over a good pressing. There are several layers there...and nice crisp edges made for a nicer box. 

Boxes can be made from any foldable paper....and artwork. To make them nest...you just keep adding or subtracting 1/4 of inch to the next one.....depending whether you're starting with the biggest or the smallest.

If the largest box top is 5 inches....the bottom would be 4 3/4

The second nesting box top would be 4 1/2 and the bottom would be 4 1/4.

The third nesting box top would be 4 and the bottom would be 3 3/4.

And so on.

If I'm nesting boxes...I make myself a chart...and I often start with the largest one and go smaller. Keep in mind that small boxes generally need thinner paper like scrapbook paper or lightweight calendars...and some thicker papers don't fold well.

Phew! Congratulations for making it to the end of my step by step! 

Snipping and Tucking

I finished this 300 piece Shelfie puzzle a couple of days ago.....and it did bring out my inner 10 year old. 

The actual 66 year old stretched it out for 3 days...just to spread out the childlike fun. I have the next one ready to go....and I actually found one in my stash I haven't done before.

Who doesn't love a set of rainbow shelves!

I just noticed that the gridded project at my sewing machine...looks a little like the gridded puzzle.

Using some special art papers Brenda gave me...I'm doing a bonus project to go along with her altered journal.

Using a Kawandi style of quilt making.....I kept adding small chunks of the paper onto the cardstock as I stitched my way into the middle.

No plan...just snipping and tucking one piece at a time.

This is the front so far.....

....and this is the back....which is a piece of painted cardstock from Lynn's stash. Lynn doesn't know this yet...but I think she would be pleased. And do you see my little opps?

A swatch of paper was tucked under the cardstock...and got caught up in the stitching. I'm just going with it! I guess it really did get snipped and tucked! 😉

Texture Weaving

I'm submitting my homework later this evening for the Conscious Creativity class....and at the last minute I added a bit of color and joy with a bit of a rainbow texture weaving.  

I used some of the magazine strips I cut for color week and wove in some words and fibers creating a colorful texture piece. 

I love that texture week took me here.

I'm so glad I added the words...I think the black and white makes the colors pop.

And this particular weaving tool made the project pretty simple.

It worked for both the paper and the fibers and I described it in detail here in this post: https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2022/08/game-changer.html

Here's a wide view showing how I taped it onto a board.....now this colorful texture weaving just needs a good home.  And I have an idea.

Something Simple

It was cold today....but the sky was blue and the trees were hanging onto icy chunks of snow that looked a little bit like cotton balls.

I tried simple today with some of my gelli prints....and it doesn't get more simple than punched shapes. This would be a good project to do with kids.     

I couldn't lay my hands on my small sized square punch...but I did find a small octagon. 

Using a glue stick I attached the shapes onto some lightweight cardstock and trimmed up the edges.

I traced/drew as many hearts as I could on the back and cut them out.

I'm kind of smitten with these simple Art Hearts. 

I got quite a few hearts out of a small collage...

and now I can tuck them in some envelopes.

In The Light Of Day

Paul is holding his own...no better and no worse...and Sam and I are still fine and testing negative.

When I start an art project late at night...I never know if I'm going to like it until I see it in the light of day.  Sometimes I like it.....and sometimes I don't.

It was time to start my final card for our Rainbow Connection exchange. But this time there's no exchange....we're keeping our pink/coral cards.  Since it's a keeper...I can share my process as I go along.  There's no one to surprise.

I'm excited that we added pink to the end of the Rainbow Connection project...and I'm thinking about Ann and her granddaughter Kimberly as I work on this card.  I explain why....here in this post:  https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2023/05/collecting-pink.html

My card was inspired by these metallic strips that came in a scrap pack from Mulberry Paper Store.  Beautiful pinks and corals...with splashes of gold...and I knew I wanted to use them somehow.

Skinny strips? Quilt like? Weaving? Part of a collage? I wasn't sure.  But then I had an idea....something I've done before.

Late in the evening a few nights ago I drew a rough 4 inch square and started gluing long skinny triangles into a starburst.  I worked on my lap....using just a glue stick while I watched TV.  It was mindfully mindless....just the project I needed.

I mixed in some solids and painted papers....and just kept cutting and gluing. I I pressed it under a book overnight...and hoped for the best.

In the light of day I was relieved that I actually liked it.

And once I cover the center....it could be a pretty card!

I was ambivalent about stitching...but I thought the lines needed definition.  

I started with off white thread skipping around where I stitched.

Then I switched to metallic thread and that was a game changer.  

It kind of woke it up...bringing it to life and giving it texture and sparkle.

 

I've trimmed it up....and I'll share more in the next day or two. Who knows...maybe I'll work on it tonight....and see how it looks in the light of day tomorrow.

Bloom Parts

"Things are shockingly possible!"  Adam J. Kurtz

My bowman's root from my sister Nancy is blooming!  

It's such a dainty little flower...and such a handsome plant.

Look at how sweet the little buds are!

I started this card late last night....that's never a good idea. I kept going this morning....and ended up not loving it.

I actually had just as much fun this afternoon doing a bit of a critique....which I'm calling Bloom Parts. I thought this exercise would help me make some better decisions next time.

Then I thought....maybe I can make some improvements.  Turns out....permanent glue stick isn't so permanent. It's definitely better! Can you spot the two changes?