What a difference a day and a tool or two makes...

Today I thought about my security envelope quilt project differently. My first couple of quilt blocks are not all that pretty to look at and for that matter not inspiring me. Now these 2 examples are getting closer to the look I want.

So what changed, you ask? My Tools.

As the old adage goes you need the right tool for the job.

Up until now my process was using paper "scrapbook tools". But I was not getting the look of a quilt block....I thought, what if I used sewing and quilting tools?

I dragged out the rotary cutter, cutting mat, metal ruler, along with the scrapbook paper cutter, 2 inch square punch and of course a good old fashioned pair of scissors.

The right tools do make a difference. I still need to work out some kinks with regard to "seam allowance".
But just getting my hands to do what my head is envisioning, now that is what fills me full of security.

A Stitch in Time

Well this week was not as productive as I would have liked for the Security Envelope Quilt Project. This is an example of the latest quilt block. Even though I did not spend a lot of time piecing blocks, I did score several boxes of unused security envelopes at my favorite thrift store. As you can see in the example the word recycle and the recycle symbol are repeated. I really like the graphics and how they repeat on the paper. I mixed these blocks with some of my treasured green hatch style security envelope.

In my little collection of security envelopes, colored envelopes are rare. Most frequently in my mail I get white envelopes with black graphics, or sometimes blue graphics, and occasionally the white envelope with gray graphics. But there are days when the colored envelopes come with the black security graphics inside and I do the security envelope dancey dance.

So if you are reading please send me some of your junk mail, specifically security envelopes. Email me at dixiedoll@gmail.com for my home address.
Thanks for reading and as always I hope your day is safe and completely secure.

The First Security Envelope Quilt Blocks

So here are the first paper quilt blocks that I have finished. I think I need to explain a little bit more on how I'm "making a quilt". This won't be the kind of quilt you can throw on your bed. It is going to be a mixed media art piece. I'll be creating quilt blocks by gluing pieces of paper from the security envelopes in my collection.

The other day when I was in the craft store I saw fabric in which you can print from a regular home ink jet printer. It showed how you could use photos to print onto fabric to use for various craft projects. It would be a little more labor intensive and time intensive for me to actually make a real fabric quilt. But maybe a future project?

For now as you can see, my first paper quilt blocks are a little rough. I'm using a 2 inch square paper punch. The edges of the paper are a little rough. When I glued them onto my larger square they did not quite fit altogether. I am going to have to experiment a little more, but that is really fun part.

I also came across some scrapbook articles that showed how you can use a sewing machine to add decorative stitches to paper. I did get out my sewing machine, but it was a big "No Go". My husband bought this sewing machine for me about 2 years ago for Christmas. Since that time I have only used it once to make a costume based on the movie Troll 2. I worked and worked trying to get the machine to sew. But either it was operator error or machine error and the bottom bobbin kept getting all hung up and after nearly 2 hours I gave up!

I'm going back to the glue for now, it's easy, breezy and of course the current keeper of my sanity and security.

The Security Envelope Quilt Project

I have been contemplating this art project for awhile. I have been collecting security envelopes even longer. The other night, I ran into a friend and fellow artist, Stephanie Ritchie. We were at all places, the fairgrounds in a building with about 500 other mothers buying and selling at a children's consignment sale.

We laughed, we cried and in the middle of all the chaos around us we shared our passions. We talked about our passion for our parents, she had just recently dealt with the passing of her father. We talked about our passion for our children and our spouses. Then we talked about our passion for art.

But for both of us, the passion for art was just out of reach. We were stuck in, as we discussed, "The curse of the 3's". You know, how everyone says bad things happen in 3's. These passions by no means were bad things. It was just our other passions were cursing, if you will, our passion for being an artist.

Basically I'm saying passions are prioritized and we become daughters first and wives second and most importantly third, mothers. The artist in us never is fully realized because of the curse of the 3's.

So here I am again, trying to find self security.

I really want to be an artist, not only for the passion of being an artist, but for the security of knowing that I am more than the curse of the 3's. Just as my Great-Granny Dick, sewed evey one inch block of a quilt by hand, she was a daughter, a wife, a mother and she broke the curse and was a quilt artist.

I will attempt to break the curse of the 3's with The Security Envelope Quilt Project. Each day I am going to make one paper quilt block from one inch squares of security envelopes. I will scan and post them here on this blog, along with my other thoughts and musings. Hopefully, all of this will provide for me and maybe others a place on the edge of security.