Here are some of my bookmarks that I have made over the last 3 years.

WOW ! Great work :lol: Thanks for sharing
Sharon

More bookmarks

More bookmarks

More to come

Very nice. :lol:

:D :D :D Thanks for sharing Rhonda.


judee

I just think you have a way with color to make your work sparkle!
It truly seems phenomenal to me (color challenged <g>)
Very nice work. Thank you for sharing!

I think it is that I like deep contrast in my fabrics. I sell to a store in an Amish tourist area so I was asked to use dark fabrics when I started selling to her.

I like the way the two fabrics(one dark and one really light) make each one stand out. It makes the design stand out and makes it easy to see.

However since the fabric market seems to lean toward big florals and watercolors it is getting progressively harder to find tiny print in dark backgrounds and tiny print with white or cream backgrounds.

I am always on the hunt for fabric. I get frustrated when I have favorites that I go back for and then the store quits carrying it!

The bookmarks are beautiful! :-)
Did you use the mini template you are offering to make them?!?
Is there someplace to find the patterns for such little blocks?!?
Kendra

Those are really beautiful!!

Yes I did use the same template for some of these. The rest are made with a 1 1/4" template. Except for the Bear's Paw it is a differant process.

I have about 10 or so differant kinds of "blocks" this is sewing fabric together and then cutting out a square from the center.

You can see a couple on my web site and projects to make with them.
Just click on "the cut down method" in my signature below here.

I did a tutorial on the Quilted Paradise Newsletter for bookmarks using the Boston Blocks. There are several bookmark designs on there.

I will be doing more over time for the newsletter but right now that is all that is available.

If you missed the tutorial let me know.

those are super pretty..... :D

I just make "Blocks" -sew fabric together and cut out a square from the center with a 1 1/2" template and sew the blocks together.

Anyone can do it! It isn't hard! The work is all done within the "block". When you cut out a block from the center of three fabrics already sewn together then you see small pieces when you lift the block out of the fabric you just cut it from.

That is the magic!! Simple! You get dramatic looks with a simple step!!

Since your pieces are so small, and you are putting them into a project that doesn't get the wear and tear of a quilt, couldn't you use fabrics from thrift stores, used clothing?
As I pondered your striking technique, I realized that you weren't just using white, but indeed that small print stuff. Since you seem to have trouble finding it nowadays, I was wondering if you had ever considered Rit Dye and white on white fabric.
It was a tip I got off Aunt Claudia's Quilt Shoppe site, and one day I found tons of white on white I didn't want to be that white, so I took her suggestion and dyed it all light blue (my favorite color is white) ... granted, the little flowers didn't dye blue, but still, the overall effect was a light blue with small print ... just a thought <g>.

Thanks for a great idea. I will try that. I do have white on white and I will have to get some dye tho my mom might have some.

I have thought about making my own fabric using a white broadcloth or something but I haven't worked out how to do it yet.

If you have the time and energy to tinker with dyes and coloring for making your own painted fabric (is that what you are talking about?) you are a woman to be reckoned with! LOL ...
If you dip the white on white in tea - - well, you can get different shades of tan ... and have you heard of using onion skins,etc for dying? NOt that I am the expert ... I was just thinking if gettin the Rit dye from your local grocery store.... or check out your LQS ... a lot of them are starting to carry the Dhrama Trading Post dyes .... ? Let us know how you worked it out ...

I don't have a problem with doing the dying but I would really like to come up with a stamp or process that I could use to add a tiny print like a vine or small flowers etc.

I considered stamping but finding what I want for a pattern is iffy and I have given some thought to making my own stamp. We have done that when I worked in a daycare and I had my own daycare for awhile and have made stamps with potaotes and apples but I would want to make a permanant stamp of some sort. I have used sponges but I doubt I would ever get it small enough. It would be too crudely shaped.

I kinda thought of doing something with a block of wood but I don't really know.

I bought some fabric paint and some fabric paint pens. I do design my own embroidery designs and I love to draw stylized flowers.
I just haven't spent enough time doing anything about the fabric. I have to think about things for awhile before I ever get around to doing it!! Whether that is sewing or baking!!

Wow, those are amazing! They're so small!! I'm in awe. :D :D

Understood! You may well get into a kitchen store or hardware store and find exactly the type of stamp material/pattern you want. You are very clever .... and baking! VERY talented, indeed! <g> My mom sent me a cup one time. It said: Before I took up quilting - - I could cook! LOL

Rhonda, your bookmarks are awesome! I think you could use some of the foam sheets to cut out a stamp...and glue them to a block of wood for stability.

Rhonda, they are so nice. I think I would go crazy trying to do something so small - do you do them by hand, or machine?

Those are great bookmarks!

So how long do you spend on each bookmark? I guess if you do lots of them you will have perfected the art and it wouldn't take too long at all. I'm just intrigued!

We make the "Blocks" up ahead of time and I have organizers full of 'blocks" Then I sit down and play. I also design on my EQ5.
Then I set up several bookmarks on my table. I lay out the blocks into the desisgn I want to do. If I am using 1 1/2" it takes 12 blocks in rows of two. If I use 1 1/4" blocks it takes either 14 or 16 depending on the design. It really only takes about a half hour to put a bookmark together.
(that doesn't include the time to make the blocks)
I sew the blocks together then cut borders and sew and trim them then I back them and sew a finish seam on the edge of the front and it is done. It really isn't hard not only for me but even a beginner could do it.

As far as being small we make the "blocks" with my cut down method and you don't really handle anything smaller than 1 1/2" for a lot of them.

Yes some of them are a little differant like the Bear's Paw but that too has a secret trick to it.
I do everything on the sewing machine.

Very nice!! I've been saving all my scraps so I can make myself a bookmark. Thanks for the inspiration!

Thanks everyone for being interested in my methods. I appreciate all of the comments. I have struggled for a long time to get my stuff noticed so it would help other quilters so it is nice to feel like I have found the right audience who will get some benefit from my experiences with something that excites me with being such great shortcuts. I hope a lot of quilters will realize the benefits of these shortcuts. Not to toot my own horn but because they are quicker and easier than traditional piecing. A lot of my shortcuts were inspired by things I saw other quilters doing but I put my own spin on things.

Cool bookmarks. They are beautiful.

Thank you for being so willing to share your methods with us. I am itching to give it a go, but need to assess my scrap bag. I had thrown away quite a lot of bits in the past few months so need to amass some more and not throw anything away!!

really nice. I need to make some of these...ah, time.
I have a motto, "you won't have time, until you make time." need to follow my own advice, but in my case, I have so many ppl around me, clamoring for attention! I want to play! :roll:
It is hard to find the tiny prints, I have been watching for them also.
If I find any, I'll let you know. Do you use all colors on pieces with a background setting of black, or mostly black and white mini prints?

I break my fabric down into 6 colors black burgandy green blue purple brown and then each color is broke down into dark med and light.

I look for a lot of contrast in the darks and lights. I prefer to use(but can't always find) a dark -say navy - with a white or cream tiny print or a color on color then reverse it for the lights a white or cream tiny print on a dark -navy- background

Mediums need to be in the middle range of the medium value so they contrast with but don't blend with the dark

I have never cared much for the waterecolors or batiks. Not small enough print and I prefer the country look

I'm just differant than everyone else!! I always have to do things the hard way! Makes life more challenging I quess.

want to say thank you for my template it got here little over a week ago
went to scrapbooking class with me had a blast with it
now none of my scrap will go to waste
graet way to make a fram from pcs.
frankie

Your welcome! Glad you got it! Sounds like you have been having fun with it!

I bought your ebook a month or so ago, browsed it and filed it away. Have had to many other projects with time lines going. But now that school is almost out and projects are done I can't wait to play with your method. I am printing the book out as I type! :)

Thanks for buying my book! I do hope you enjoy playing with all the info and hope to see pictures!!

Rhonda: You do such nice work...I love your hotpads but these bookmarks are really outstanding too. I think I like the Drunkard's Path bookmark the best...I love any block with curves or that LOOK curved. Good job, thanks for sharing.

Thanks Feathers They are my second best seller at Kalona ( store I sell my stuff to ) and they are one of my favorites to do because they are so quick and easy. I'm glad you like them.

You do awesome work Rhonda! I can't hardly believe how small these are and how accurate you get with them. You should be so proud of these! Can't wait to use my templates you sent.

I did miss the tutorial of the bookmarks.

Thanks for sharing your photos. I would love to see you make a mini quilt for the Doll Quilt Swap, that would be awesome!

I have wished I had time to do some of the swaps. I may once i get caught up. The doll quilt would be one I can do and not get bogged down in. My granddaughter 7 would love any doll quilt I get in return!

You know Suzi this is why I am sharing my techniques with people. If you don't want to buy the books you can still see the block techniques on my free web site.
These blocks are how I am able to get the little pieces. If you can use my 1 1/2" template just do 12 and sew them into two rows of 6. You can make them too. I have more blocks coming out soon and plan to do a few more over the next months.