Dallying Debz Does Fabric

- Debbie Scriven

When I think of art journalling I usually think of amazing artists who doodle with ease, draw the most beautiful whimsical faces or seem to throw ink on a page without any effort whatsoever.  I'm not so sure that they really do just throw ink on those pages, I think they probably don't show us the pages that didn't turn out as they expected.  After all I bet you don't blog those things that you think are rubbish - I certainly don't!  I'm not one of those artists though!

Instead I sat in my craft room thinking about what a journal was and what I think art is.  I've inherited a sewing machine and learnt how to use it (badly!) so the only answer was a fabric book documenting my recent trip to the Living Rainforest near where I live in the UK.

How do you create a fabric book Dallying Debz style?

Grab a pile of fabric and a fabric book (or some calico you can form into a book). Go to a discount store and grab a load of offcuts, don't spend much then you won't care if it doesn't work out. 

  

Find some coordinating card - it's a journal - you have to write (in my opinion!)

Print some photo's (or cut out images from magazines to fit the subject you want to journal about).

Look out trim, lace, ribbon and anything else that co-ordinates.  Get lots and lots!  You won't use it all, but you won't feel like being frugal or have a lack of choice.

Remember that pile of embellishments you've been saving for a special day (old buttons that are too special to use just yet, necklaces that have broken, die cuts you only have one of ...)  You won't find that special project before the embellishment either goes out of date or becomes a colour you hate. Use it now - enjoy it while you love it!

Are you set to go?

Start by pinning fabrics, papers and trims to the calico.  I cut the edges of my calico so that I could sew each side and then sewed them back up again. Bear in mind the photo's you want to use on each page and that you want a coherent look throughout the book. I did this by making sure there was green and texture on every page.  If the photo was very green I restricted the green as I wanted the photo's to be key.

Once you're happy with the composition try your photo's out before sewing everything down.  Use a mixture of stitches and don't worry about being perfect.  I've not learnt to sew in a straight line yet!

Once you've mastered the sewing attach your photo's if you didn't sew them on and add some card for journalling on. I tucked mine under the edges of the photo's.

Finish by adding buttons, brads and other trinkets.

Things I learned:

1. Those fabrics that look too much will make lovely highlights of colour (notice the striped green and yellow fabric - the whole piece is ghastly!)
2. If you can't find the right letters colour them - a gold or silver pen looks classy.
3. The quilt looking page with the see through bird on it - it's an off cut from the stuff that goes in the cooker hood.  I had no idea it would look like that when sewn on, but I love it!
4. Use lots of personal bits - it looks individual and the memories it brings as you make your book will make you smile.

Here's the finished book.  I'd love to see what you can do - how about grabbing a small bit of calico or some hessian and doing a scrapbook to start?

Happy Crafting

Dallying Debz

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