what if

what if #147: ikat quilting

somewhere along the line after feeling a relationship between the visual effect of the double kantha and ikat , i thought what if ? i expand on that idea and mimic ikat patterns with that stitch.  by extending outside the shape. and then i did the same by combining it with patchwork. so the feathered stitch has more of a solid center. the patchwork here has been skatched, that it patched (applique) over a free hand sketch. linen and cotton patching over indigo dyed linen base. dmc floss for quilting.

what if # 145: double kantha dot

....as a continuation of the one color nine patch, all indigo in different weights and textures after asking what if its all the same color in concept but using different fabrics. and then what if i quilt the dot only. a freezer paper stencil was used as a guide to trace the circle shape border.. kantha style running stitch in both directions filled the circle. border removed for a softer edge, yes what if there was no hard edge? .
.... i like how the 2 directional stitching looks like ikat after the border was removed, how it has a woven feel. and the texture is more than marvelous. and the stitching is a reversible technique (looks the same on the back)
cotton and linen 1 1/34" indigo squares- hand pieced
2 strands dmc floss for stitching.
linen twill base

what if #130: fake couching

.......i am in a bit of a time crunch on this quilt and i was going to embroider some lines and then couch over them but i thought what if i just draw them and then couch them. who would know. works fine and i have other ideas now. pretty good fake, ya think? loving it. the couching goes through and doubles as a quilting stitch too! lines drawn with laundry marker. stitched with 3 strands dmc.

what if #106: crazy wool

the first question was what if (?) the crazy block is made of all wool? i have a crazy collection of wool scrap from my weaving days. fabric and yarn and roving. still playing with what if(?) i overlay the crazy lines over a patched grid. curved this time.
....but the underlying question was really, what if(?) i use a cotton foundation? because i have always wanted to prove some old sewing rules wrong. off to wash it. 7" square, english paper pieced, quilted and decorated with wool applique and wool yarn. (continued here).

what if #103: crazy quilted

since i noticed that crazy quilting is mostly focused on the patchwork and the embellishment and not really quilting, i asked what if (?) i try focusing on the quilting. couched rags dividing the space like seams with kantha  quilting. planning for a 7" block.

(part of the cqr collaborative)

what if #65: whipping a machine stitch

.....i created this quilt woven piece a while ago. and i quilted it on the machine. and that was a question that went something like what if i quilt this by machine? will i like it? and i still don't like machine quilting even if it is faster. but then  i asked  myself  (as i recall) ...what if i was to whip that stitch with a contrasting color, to make it look twisted, would it help? and it certainly did. i almost forgot this one...it changes the look and texture, and by golly, maybe i can do some machine quilting after all.... here and there....maybe.

cotton woven strips cut with curves
woven together
machine quilted to poplin
embroidered dots.
clipped and machine washed.
machine stitch whipped with 2 strands black floss.

what if #61: quilting with dots- evaluation

the question: what if quilting is done with dots?
the reasoning: like tying without the tails. points of color. tacking the layers without lines of stitching. a new kind of texture. a short cut to combine embellishment with quilting.

the texture is very fun.

the process is very simple.
the back is clean and acceptable.(picture 2)

designs and shading can be accomplished with different color dots or combining different strands of color.

4 strands give a nice bulk .

i learned that threading the needle with 2 strands and using them double gives less bulk at the needle eye and it is easier to get through the fabric. threading the needle with 4 strands is difficult and  is like 8 strands at the needle eye when sewing.

freehand dot placement and varying the stitch repeat gives nice variation.

the drape of the final product depends on how close the dots are.

it is easier to stitch the dots farther apart and then go back and fill in if you want them closer.

after catching both layers several times, the thread from each complete dot is carried in between the layers to the next dot so the stitch is a dot on both sides.

this post is continued from here

what if # 61: quilting with dots

the answer to what if quilting was to be done with dots(?) is you get a very interesting texture and tack the layers together very securely.
6" x 6"
linen sandwich, thinnest cotton batting
9 patch sampler
dots embroidered with 4 strands of  cotton floss.
reversible
in process

continued here

what if #59: part 3-quilting up a storm

there is nothing quite like stitching to transform a pieced textile into a unified  tapestry. i stuck with ' what if i just do a straight kantha style stitch? ' no fancy stuff. just varying the thickness, 2, 3 or 4 strands of floss, random neutrals. each piece treated separately. i also quilted in between the embroidered dots (tiny invisible stitches) to give the whole piece an equal tension and prevent bubbling.  if i had embroidered the dots after adding the muslin back i probably would have prevented the tension difference but sometimes when you are what-iffing, instead of planning, you have to take the thoughts as they come and deal with each step as a new challenge. the floral pinwale corduroy on the right remains un-quilted because it has something special that i have not yet identified . 
the piece now has a life and i am thinking what if i name it "the longest night" and add some story elements against that thought?
the sunlight has inspired the feeling of ghosts and i am wondering if i can use this wonderful sheer i received as a gift from mary....maybe sun  ghosts from solstices past.  transparent appilques?  what if i cut them out and try that?

of course then there is the question of where to put them. i like the right side of the window ...there is that lovely strip of raw silk from stephanie, the rough texture seems a perfect contrast to the fine sheer so i thought what if i just pin them there and see?

i like them there and the printed corduroy is organic and sprouting somehow. this can work. what if i just work those ghostly suns into the surface with more stitches? lots of them. if you missed part 2

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".