what if

what if # 165: designing directly on fabric

...i needed some special dot fabric for a project. i was searching when i thought what if i make my own? polka dots drawn directly over a sheer print. pitt artist pen and watered down acrylic paint on cotton/linen.  this sample after one quick pass with a hot iron and a machine wash. you know i will do more of this.

what if #158: print enhancement

i guess it started here with this fussy cut. and it seemed a bit boring so i asked myself what if i just shade the petals of the flower a bit, just to kick it up a notch... why not?  many prints these days are not as detailed as the old ones. its a shame....because of the speed of the machines and the cost of screens.  maybe i can fix that....

i used the ochre colored pitt pen to add some dimension.

...then i took a look at the fabric that i cut the fabric from. and i asked once agin, what if i add some definition?   i actually got carried away.  oh!   the possibilities with this one... especailly if you can draw.

what if #154: fortuny dots

i always associated fortuny with pleated fabric, not knowing much else about them. after receiving some small gifted pieces from phyllis, i was amazed by the strange and unfamiliar technique used in this print. (shown front and back) ... at first glance the design appears to be a woven damask, but looking closer it is obvious that the fabric is a solid twill and the design has been produced by layering pigment and dye perhaps in combination of screen printing and hand painting. and after some research it is apparent that the technique is not exactly known. it is indeed unique. 

 my limited experience with prints has at least left me with enough knowledge to recognize the difference in nature between the colored areas of the design, the lighter greenish part is much stiffer and the pigment lies on the front surface, probably applied over the gold hand dyed/painted ground.  on a whim i asked myself  what if (?) i draw  dots and fill them in so the colored area spans both the soft and hard surfaces of the design. i was guessing that they would absorb the color differently.  they did as the gold sucked up the ink and the pigment print ...which has a metallic nature...resisted a bit. two tone dots. very cool and just another layer of pigment. i think it fits the fortuny mood of the fabric. 

 i also tried it with other colors. and lines. a sort of resist technique using the nature of a pigment print.

what if #138: ninepatch by extraction

working with the same check groundcloth from the previous post, i was inspired by a comment by  eva *** to cut out the hidden  nine patch motif and actually piece/integrate it into a nine patch block. the center piece is made by alternating 9 square cutouts with solid natural linen. i cut larger sections of the check ( 9x9 squares) as another play on the number nine. so i would say this is a very nine patch. 6.5" square. cotton and linen. hand pieced.

*** eva does a lot of interesting pattern/color play which you can see on her blog.

what if#75: reworked patchwork

when i first started using the sewing machine i pieced a lot of small pieces to test effects. and this one worked fine but it was just plain and too much like what's out there. so i though what if i dirty dye it? ok. it was different but i was still bored until i wondered what about cutting it up and weaving it with some discharged black corduroy? and now, even though it is only basted. i like it. a lot.

what if #74: shibori over print

still using the dirty dye pot, and asking what if i do more trial dyeing over prints. i am really liking the backs of prints. the muted design looks great with the dirty dye and doesn't fight the shibori effect as much. refined slub printed cotton poplin with grey over dye. back and front.

what if #71: changing a pattern repeat

.... a simple question, what if i reduce the distance between the shibori dots by folding the fabric and stitching it in place. that works. i need to play with this idea some more. before and after. simple as that. the fabric is gauzey so the extra fold made no difference. eyes.

what if #69: part 2-on loom quilting

this patchwork weaving trial (continued from) has gone well. stretching the strips on a frame (an old picture frame) holds everything in place nicely. as opposed to this method.i actually thought what if i just quilt it while it is still on the loom. it was very easy to handle and stabilize this way. this is a small piece, 6" x 12" , to be used as part of a lion applique over here, but i can think of many more things to do with this going forward.

after the piece was removed from the loom. it held together just fine without a backing. i am excited with the feel, the texture and the possibilities.

and there is a survey going on over on the other blog, in case you don't visit there.

what if #67: working over an existing pattern

reviving some old doodles (even though it is not wednesday) and wondering what if you make your own prints? diluted textile paint and micron pen over an existing dot print. cotton twill. i don't know too much about tossing repeats or motifs, but who cares?

what if #39: variation on a dash

what if you forget your needle on the commuter train? panic? always carry fabric and a permanent marker or 2. 
cotton canvas plus a dash of magic marker was the recipe for relief.  i made this an edge treatment and i am thinking now, what if i experiment with borders a bit?
( the person sitting next to me was awakened by the smell of the marker )

to be continued....