what if

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". 

what if #25: integrated applique complete

the process is complete. the silk scrap has been fused to the cotton/silk sandwich with a zillion stitches.
7"x 7" silk and cotton.
stitched with double strand dmc.

see complete process

what if#24: closure on silk sandwich 2

this project has been completed in terms of its goal, although it has now become part of # 25. the heavy stitching over the print and the silk sandwich is satisfactory. i have exposed the silk in the middle in a few spots to validate the sandwich and the original reverse appliqué premise.

what if #24: cont'd-quilting as embroidery

more stitching and i am happy with the result.

it is easy to tint a section with a new color because the stitches are so tiny they sort of blend with the background

the texture is wonderful.
...and the thin flowing silk sandwich has me thinking of a dreamy summer blanket.

the quilting in some way has changed into an embroidery technique.

a quick scan of the back shows an interesting result.

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conclusion

what if#24: silk sandwich 2-quilting study

this if came off #22 after i realized the potential for silk fabric as a drape friendly batting.

i like this print. it has inspired me to revisit coloring book quilting .
i think i can cover the whole thing with stitches, millions of tiny stitches. 

the print and the silk are lightweight, featherweight, the back is poplin for some body.  i think if i quilt this full coverage, the silk will take all those stitches and still provide flow.
have to day travel for business, this will be a nice take along...liking it already. continued

#15: pink silk shibori mini-part 2

sewing with silk is very different from sewing with cotton or linen or anything else for that matter. it's a bitch actually. i decided to place these little silk shibori squares in linen fabric frames, to stabilize them and create surface contrast... and i am padding them to see if i can make them seem light and float them above the surface. the surrounding areas are quilted heavily to enhance the effect and the trapunto style pillows are forming nicely. i am wonderig if i can make the frames even flatter by quilting with a single thread in between the existing double thread sashiko style stitches. to tie the fabric down further and create a variation in the quilted surface.

the small white squares are a heavier silk, handwoven from thailand. a more irregular and unruly fabric. but shiny.

to be continued...