what if

what if #89: soft edge diced dots

actually i am not sure what the question was, but i was inspired by some paint leftovers and i tried some softer edge discharge on indigo with soft scrub, continued from here but i used wet fabric and no stencil. and then i sliced and re-pieced, because i was thinking what if (?) i did that, probably left over from some other thought. at the same time i was wondering what if (?) i pressed the seams outward instead of to one side. i did that and now i am wondering if (?) this side wouldn't be interesting to work with.

what if #88: worn seam as design element

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.

what if #85: free pieced frames

....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.

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 #73: color blankets

spring has sprung if only as a fever. and i've got it. the urge toward spring cleaning had me thinking what if i sort all my scraps by color and sew them together in color groups. it will be an easy way to see them and find what i need. ten minutes into it i knew i was going to like it. i started with red-ish. i guess i will make them as big as they become....and take it from there.
i am machine piecing because these will probably be cut up over time. it is quicker to put them together this way.

what if #59: part 2-log cabin with a view

the snowy window needed to be framed/edged and since log cabin style piecing is easy and fun, i asked myself what if i use strips of neutrals reminiscent of  plaster and wallpaper to expand this block, a log cabin with a window in the center?

i seem to have unexpected time to sit and stitch so what if i quilt this all over and see how it looks before considering any further decoration? i will need to add a backing fabric for stability, muslin i guess, and no batting. i have a nest of neutral thread scraps. i will use those. and what if i vary the amount of strands for the quilting? more texture.
18" x18" so far. in the back of my mind i am asking myself what if i try this log cabin with a view as a quilt, smaller blocks, many little windows? maybe these blocks could be a nice border with regular log cabin blocks in the center. maybe maybe maybe.

part 1

what if #59: stitching snow

an old drawing inspired a patchwork window. i used the free piecing machine method i just learned to block it out quickly. the sky is indigo, the snow drifts are white linen. i thought first about painting the snow but then i wondered what if i use thread beads for snowflakes on both the sky and snow areas. the raised white especially on the white is a nice effect. it works for snow and also fits into my nature of dots studies. the window with just the dimensional snow is so interesting i am thinking what if i leave the other details out. to be continued...

what i #58: woven inspiration for patchwork

and i thought what if woven textiles can directly inspire patchwork? the free piecing gives it a nice handwoven variation in line.

navajo blanket study pieced in cotton and linen. 18" x 24".

what if #57: quilt top in a day

since i have learned to use a machine to piece, freely that is, i have often asked my self what if i try to make a quilt top in a day, even though it is such a weird thing for a snail to dream about. so while i was wondering what if i play around with contrast...i kept going. but i didn't like it much. just another strip quilt.... so i thought what if i just sleep on it? when i got up in the morning and saw it in the morning light, well i liked it. and now i am thinking what if i take this high tech piece and make it look like some tribal textile? so i am working toward that goal. (i accidentally sewed one piece inside out and i think that was a key inspiration to impart some history as a theme here). the accents are mostly velvet. current size - 57" x 62". 

what if #56: free tucking

i often think that breaking up a large open area in a patchwork would be nice, sort of a same color mosaic with just seams forming a design. i thought what if i just fake it with tucking. a short cut, but surface interest.
i used a sewing machine. just fold and stitch close to the fold. a grid first, all lines sewed in one direction and then in the crosswise direction. zip zip. patchwork. but nice and uneven.
there are a lot of possibilities here and it is a great lazy way to use big blocks and break them up. a few more: