14 January 2009

Calendar Quilt Journal--Cool Idea

OK OK I think my computer is possessed. I KNOW I added another blog to follow and now I can't find it. I wonder if I didn't save it earlier! Oh well. At any rate, Nana Barb's Musings blog is delightful--but more importantly she gave me the coolest idea! I know lots of people keep quilt journals for their quilting projects (not that I've ever seen a need for that and don't quite understand them--at least the blank quilt journals I've seen at Barnes and Nobles). But the idea of journaling what each strip, square, whatever size/shape for the day for the calendar quilt is such an awesome idea. I was wondering--without actually writing it on each square which will take away from the quilt--how on Earth I would remember what each fabric was for and why I chose it. DUH, the queen of lists and I didn't think of writing a list of what each day stands for. I must really be brain dead. Now there are some that can remember (and how they do, I'll never know) the name of the fabric, the designer, the maker, etc. of their fabrics and where they got them, when they bought them, what the fabric was used for, etc. (talk about the ultimate list or note card maker!!!). Me on the other hand, there are days I can't remember my own name let alone where I got fabric and what its called! I'll be happy to just have a list of what day is what and IF there was a specific reason we chose that fabric! Some days I don't have a rhyme or reason to why I chose it--it's just there or it was the first fabric I touched or its the only fabric the cats weren't laying on, etc.

But I figure I better get going on this like SOON or I'll forget why I did anything! LOL And if I'm extremely lucky, this that I did in excel, copied the screen to put into paint, and then made a jpeg out of it, will work and I will be able to show you what I have so far on my calendar quilt journal.

I've already chosen fabric for the 19th and 20th, and you can see that I've typed in why those 2 days and then the 25th will have important or specific types of fabric for those squares. If possible, I've put in a color as the background that is close to the main color of a fabric--obviously not exact, but you only have so many colors to work with in Excel! LOL I just have the blank squares still as a pale yellow--so I know I still have to fill them in! OK so according to this I'm 2 days behind. I have to find something that is appropriate for the two days. Still thinking on that one(s). But at least I got it journaled and started so that I know what I'm doing now--or should I say, what I was thinking when I get a week or two, or month or two or more down the road and wonder "Why did I use that there? I can't imagine why I'd use THAT fabric!"


For more of what I'm doing with this quilt and the quilt swap and the YCMT Make-It-Up-as-You-Go Quilt, hop on over to Shell's Specialty of the Day and take a look!

6 comments:

rachel griffith said...

nice idea shelly.

Narelle said...

I love playing in excel, what a fantastic idea.
I'm afraid my memory's shocking. Even when grocery shopping, if it's not on the list, more than likely I come home without it.

Kritta22 said...

What a great idea!

Unknown said...

I´ve thought about doing something like that myself, maybe add some photos too because I cut stripes from the project I´m working on that day. I have to do everything that can help my memory...

Carrie P. said...

Great idea. I am writing in a journal as I pick the fabric why I did.

Anonymous said...

That's what I'm doing too...writing as I'm going. I like the idea of the excel jpg. I am writing each day as I go with hopes of incorporating it into the quilt. There are so many possibilities and thank goodness there are so many years because I think that this is a neat project to do over and over and over again...each year with a different vision.