I have made cards of my own design over the past two or three decades, many cards I have either sold or gifted
many of them I have wanted to make again
the trouble is I was never very good at recording what I was doing along the way; at best I might find a scribbled diagram or drawing of sorts tucked away, but I pretty much start from scratch when it comes to choosing thread colours etc.
last year I took an online watercolour painting course and the instructor showed her technique for making "recipe cards" for her designs
I thought it was a brilliant idea so I adapted it for my embroidered and appliquéd cards
these are my first efforts...
I'm using watercolour paper for the card itself so that as my painting skills improve I can do a quick and simple painting of the design in order to have a handy visual reference without clogging up my iPhoto library
the tabs are scraps of watercolour paper that I paint with any left-over mixed paint from other painting activities - that way I have a steady supply at hand and just have to choose one to go with the fabric
a thread wrap of the colours I used is a great visual reference, and if I have more than one colour way I'll make a separate thread wrap for all, putting the optional ones on the back of the recipe card
swatches of any fabrics used as well as base fabric choices if I found any that worked particularly well
drawings of design elements are also included - using a dark felt marker to make tracing easier
I also reference the size of card the stitched design piece is mounted on as well as measurements for the base fabric and any others used
stitch reference books are always noted
on the back of the card I record which thread to use for each design element, how many strands, stitch combinations and how many wraps for French knots
all of this information will help me make the card again in the exact same way or function as a springboard to changing things without having to start from the very beginning
if I think of something that would be interesting to try next time I'll make a note of that too
it does take a little while to do these up but I've streamlined the process by having several watercolour paper cards cut, scraps of fabric and painted paper ready for tabs as well as cut strips of heavy card with double-sided tape already stuck to the reverse for the thread wraps - I don't mind recording things when everything I need is handy
pretty to look at, handy to have, and interesting enough to put together when I have a little time
win, win, win
there's another one brewing...
7 comments:
They are very pleasing to look at in themselves, as well
I’ve always enjoyed seeing the recording of your craft work. They are like mini art pieces in themselves. There’s something so rewarding about them
Lynn x
Very Impressive- many kudos to you : D
Dear Jillayne:
What a wonderful idea! I keep notes in a spiral, hardcover journal, but your cards are so pleasant to look at. Thanks for sharing.
xoxo
Donna
Your cards are little pieces of art in and of themselves. Now you just have to find a perfect box to hold them and perhaps cover it with stitching?? Not that I'm actually TRYING to come up with another make-work project, but it would suit the cards, don't you think?
Storage is another project I'm sure. This is a great idea and I just love the colors that you use. Beautiful - I agree = little pieces of art.
I’m catching up with your posts and just come from the ink page. Here again is a lovely example of your record keeping. So practical but beautiful in their own right… a great means of reference but how wonderful and interesting also in years to come to pull these out and just spend time with them remembering.
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