something simple, just a question like what if (?) worn seam effects (i like to call this seam shibori ) were incorporated into pieced design. old linen pants, cut up, seams opened, re-pieced to confuse the eye. ( can you see the new seams?) i like it. more experimenting to come.
some progress from where i started here, i have added a 'dotted line = running stitch' concept and also i wondered what would happen if i create contrast between stitching and appliqué for the dot fillings. the different shades of indigo are working nicely here.
in process for side by side.
i couldn't help wondering if i could applique such a tiny figure with linen fabric. and then i thought what if i can't. so i tried, knowing i was in for some trouble, but willing to work through it. i lost one of the front legs in the process and i will need to patch that somehow, since i did it directly on the quilt. if it was cotton it would have been easier. linen has a harder more slippery surface and the it frays more. just a quick try with no fuss, i will try some other methods. this one will have a story over here.
i wanted to try to make a doll/toy. i like linen so i thought what if i use my favorite fabric...linen...and make it a lion....a raggedy lion? what i am after here is to see if i can apply some of my quilting techniques to a 3D piece.
in process, about 4" tall. to be continued....
what if i do a series of connect the dots based on my previous post. a few more formal and focused pieces. i am starting here. on a more loosely woven linen ground. continued here 
i have always been obsessed with dots, and spots, and the tiniest motifs floating on an open ground. at the same time, i am learning to piece by machine which is new for me. this what if, is a series. i accepted Robin Ferrier's invitation to post on side by side and i will use the opportunity to continue to explore variations on this theme. it will be about small spot motifs, and also about inspiration from nature. and i will be working in linen mostly...the project will also be a lot about the fabric, its texture, its structure , its history, its beauty. off i go...what if i explore the nature of dots?
that small pieced patch is 3/10ths of an inch!!! the black dots are painted.
hey! and you can catch the queen of the series Lee over at side by side too! oh what fun...
i will make a category for this series... to connect the dots.
probably no one remembers this one, which was about a silk sandwich and then all about embroidery. well now it isn't. it's about plugged and unplugged. fast and slow. together. the center panel is what if #22 and the rest is electric jude. special gifted scraps have been pieced in. i guess this is a prelude to the what if quilt in which i will utilize all my little what-ifs that have no home. i changed my mind 1000 times here. changing your mind. it's ok.
14"x 13"
mostly linen with silk, velvet and cotton scrap inserts, gifts from others( can you spot yours?)
center panel hand stitched
patchwork borders machine pieced.
unfinished (so far)
...my thought process has continued from what if #31, as it relates to the focus on seams. time being short these days, i did not completely document this process in pictures but i thought about what if the process becomes a permanent part of the design?
overdyed cotton linen. (liking the flax grin through)
paper piecing.
traced template with permanent marker
ironed over template following trace lines.
hand stitched overcast method.
what is interesting here is the documenting of how the fabric shifts when handled, which could not be seen with out the lines. i also like the random design effect generated.
since i hand piece everything and use an overcast stitch, care must always be taken to keep the stitches from showing too much on the face. and i have come to be more relaxed about that because actually, i like the way stitches look. and so i was wondering what if i work with that idea and make the stitches really show, and using that as a design element. the concept has many possibilities. this is one in a series of nine. 
9 patch in white linen
3"x3"
center square sewn with double strand black floss to exaggerate stitch
modified english paper piecing
what if i try weaving on the commuter train...? 
tapestry bookmark.
wool and silk on linen warp
6" x 3/4" without fringe
made on bead loom
small plastic fork beater
needle woven with tapestry needle
braided fringe
reversible kilim technique.(slit tapestry)
woven on a commuter train.
total: 3.5 hours
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