Art Notebooks

Coloring outside the lines is a fine art. –Kim Nance

During Blogger's Quilt Festival, I came across Geta's blog and was so inspired by her beautiful work. While I was there, I found a tutorial for an Art Journal and knew that this would make a perfect Christmas gift for the Little Bugs to give to their cousins. This year the Little Bugs drew Miss Butterfly and Roly Poly on my side of the family, so that is who these went to.

All of the fabric {and batting} came from my stash; frugality was a requisite for my Christmas crafting this year. Most of the fabric I used was given to me by a cute friend who was cleaning out her stash. I really love how Roly Poly's turned out, but am not so happy with the thread choice for the quilting on Miss Butterfly's. The dark purple thread on the light fabric and the combination of loopy flowers and stippling just looks too busy. It doesn't look as messy on the dark fabric on the inside, but I'd already added the monogram so making the outside the inside wouldn't work. And since I was pressed for time and didn't have enough fabric to do a remake, I left it as it was. I do really like how the monogram initials came out, though. I did a messy free motion appliqué ala Little Miss Shabby. My technique is improving .

I made my Art Journals a little bit smaller than the directions call for to fit the little art notebooks I could find, and also changed the pockets on the inside to fit the supplies I wanted to include. I love the little ruffle across the notebook pocket and considered doing picots {prairie points} on Roly Poly's, but time was a consideration, so I skipped that. All in all, I think they turned out really fun.

These make two more finishes for December!