May 13, 2008

what if#86: discharge with soft scrub

kim made a comment over at spirit cloth and i thought what if i try that?
....and to quote her:
I am going to be playing with a stencil and puffy paint and then also I wanted to suggest for one of your what if's- using Soft Scrub with bleach on a stencil. ( like a stencil with a smaller design- more intricate
Iron some freezer paper to wrong side of fabric you want to stencil.
Spray stencil with adhesive.
fix to fabric.
then take soft scrub and squirt some blobs on to stencil edge.
Use something stiff like a credit card or a Spackle knife to drag a thin layer of soft scrub over stencil.
Put in sun for 15 minutes
scrap off soft scrub and then rinse in warm water.
a friend who does the same technique with puffy paints on stencils (that she makes) suggested using the soft scrub (cause its thick) when I told her about my bleach experiment.Discharge_snowflake_on_indigo

the results were fantastic. the shape came out hard-edgeed and clear. i think the credit card squeegee worked great.  i didn't leave it in the sun i just let it dry. and the snowflake stencil was just cut from freezer paper and ironed on indigo yarn dyed cotton. (yes, there are some moons there too.)
maybe this what-if blog should be a challenge ? challenge me. PLEASE. thank you kim!

May 12, 2008

what if #85: free pieced frames

Framing ....i have been focused on edges lately and i just wondered if (?) the frame could be an interesting theme for a quilt block. each block here is 5" square. i am turning all seams into the frame , figuring that if (?) i quilt only the background, the framing will raise up a bit with the extra padding.

May 06, 2008

what if#84: chained applique

Applique_chain remember those great folded paper chains we used to make when we were kids? i wondered if (?) that could be applied to fabric.
A_chain_of_wishing_stars indigo on indigo star, ragged edge, tacked with indigo thread. 2 1/2" star motif
excuse me while i perfect this idea and do a tutorial....later...

May 03, 2008

what if #83: quilting with fringe

Silk_fringe Silk_fringe_folded ...i have started using fringe as an edge treatment in my new quilt.  the fringe is recycled from old silk scarves.  some of it is rather sparse so i was wondering what if(?) i double it up before inserting it under the applique. Fringe_insert folding it so that is offset gives it more fullness. Silk_fringe_combined and if you have two, it can be multi-colored... hmmm... what if (?) you use 3 or 4?

what if# 82: patchwork as applique

Patchwork_as_applique well, if (?) you have a few stray blocks around and don't have the time to make a bunch more, you could always apply them to a base cloth or an existing project. that can work and give some added variation and dimension, not to mention use up some things that are laying around...

4" wonky log cabin blocks made by the talented dijanne cevaal from her beautiful hand dyed fabrics... appliquéd to a quilt in progress as a border treatment.

April 28, 2008

what if #81: un-quilting

Un_quilting_2 Overdyed_patchwork over dyed patchwork, un-sewn to see IF(?) the seams resisted the dye. unexpected resist in seam overlap. thicker fabric, in this case corduroy has more potential for the framing effect which shows up on the back.Seam_resist

April 23, 2008

what if# 80: sheer overlay

Birth_up_close_2 sheers can be used for see-through panels in fabric pieces but i was thinking also what if (?) they could just be used to change the tone and texture of a background. used here as  a softener and base for embroidered  motif. used here   

margaret ramsay has also done some interesting posts on sheers. here and here.

April 16, 2008

what if#79: see through reverse applique

See_through_reverse_appliqur ....of course after doing sheer patchwork, i started wondering if i could execute the same idea with shapes.
Sheer_star_back cotton print on top of linen sheer. fairly simple but a little more difficult on a commuter train.
cut the star out first. and baste well to avoid shifting.

applied over here.

April 15, 2008

what if#78: marker ikat

Marker_dots_3....how it used to upset me when i drew on fabric and the ink ran. i searched high and low for a better marker. i was thinking if (?) the ink runs along the threads it could look a bit like ikat. it does. oh, it does!Marker_dots

permanent laundry marker on old stained linen. bottom piece has been machine washed and ironed.

the longer you hold the marker to the fabric, the more it runs. i am sure it will vary from fabric to fabric.

April 14, 2008

what if #77: see through patchwork

See_though_patchwork well it was what if (?) i use sheer fabric in patchwork this time... the seam allowances are usually the issue here, i plan to iron and tack the seam allowance toward the opaque fabric to clean the window edges... this is cool and merits more experimenting. and then what if (?) the batting is something to be seen as a shadow effect behind the window....oh gosh you could go on and on......

3.5" square block cut and dirty dyed from old sheer linen embroidered napkin.

for applique version go here.