what if

what if # 148: to match or not to match

what if i don't match the thread to the fabric when it comes to seams?
.....and what if  i do match the thread to the fabric for the basting and take the tiniest stitches so it doesn't show an i can leave it in? a tiny nine patch 1 1/34" over all. rust dyed linen with very dark brown seam thread. i would like to try a whole quilt like this. basting  stabilizes and flattens seams, can be quilted right over. leave it there.
nice antiqued look. nice way to emphasize the patchwork design using only one color.

rethinking this.

discussion posted at spirit cloth

what if #139: crazy couched grid with dots

yay! i'm back.! what if the lines of a crazy quilt can be considered some kind of skewed grid? i thought i could emphasize this by laying a crazy grid over a regular one (playing with the ideas behind patchwork seams but not using seams)... and then i asked what if i cut reverse applique dots out over the intersections of the bottom grid to isolate one grid element (and expand on the idea of the dot as a point of intersection)?  the center block is 7" square and the crazy grid was drawn with laundry marker and stitched (using this method) to a sheer yarn dyed window pane cotton. 
dots were cut and turned, all stitched to a muslin backing using white embroidery floss in a combo of back stitch and running stitch following the gridded second layer which faintly showed through the top and served as a stitching guide. whew.

another example of marker couching

what if #117: crazy green

.....so what if(?) i weave strips of fabric ,  for the base...no seams....and embroider the seams in the spirit of crazy? so the seams only seem like seams. energy efficient patchwork. the hearts are thrown in because i love it. and what if i cut a border off a balinese batik and use it for a border. a repurposed border. mismatched to a new style. ok.

10"x10" with border.

cotton, linen, velvet

handstiitched

what if #116: crazy illusion

....the original concept grew out of what if (?) there is just an illusion of seams and patchwork. i achieved the base piece by ironing scattered freezer paper shapes on a gorgeous yarn dyed ombre*** plaid. and then applying a thin layer of soft scrub with bleach, the discharged area of the plaid is a ghostly pale version of the original.
then... since the illusion was pleasing i thought what if (?) i quilt each shape with variagated thread to give the illusion of changing color. i didn't have the muted colors i wanted so i just thought what if i dip my existing colors in tan dye? so i did.

7" square, cotton discharged plaid stitched to linen twill.

***Ombre

n. A French term meaning "shaded." Usually a multicolored stripe, with colors graduating from light to dark. The color effect is woven into the fabric. Generally produced by arranging different tones in the warp.

what if #112: crazy garden

.....i was inspired by the seam treatment on this block by joanne young and i thought what if i just use that magic stitch  and divide up an old garden block, renew it a bit....a few more crazy things will be growing here before it is completed.

what if #111: crazy meeting places

somehow when i was looking at my sketch, i thought if i crop it it sort of reminds me of crazy patchwork.
.....i thought, ok, what if (?) i use bleach to discharge the tree branch lines, cropping the design so it is abstract and crazy. like a mosaic. it looked good and i wanted to keep it simple, so i said what if i just use that simple kantha stitch?
then it seemed appropriate to decorate the intersections somehow. simple cross stitch. X marks the spot. what if i couch those  Xs to keep those crossroads secure? what if the kantha stitches changed direction in the blocks of blue?
......i like this one for its simplicity, the ragged patterned discharge(torn paper stencils) and the wild texture. and of course the functionality of the structure.
but most of all i like it because it symbolizes the different paths that have crossed in the process of this shared "what if" environment. thank you all for being here.

center discharged 5" square quilted to 7" chambray square. cotton. indigo thread used to stitch dark indigo sections.

what if #109: crazy markings

.....i couldn't resist. what if (?) i draw the embellishments. this is a quick answer but i think i will go back and do it again on a real patchwork. or i guess i could also color this in! ha!
block is 7", marker and crayon on textured linen.

what if #108: crazy vintage

.....i have a lot of old stuff. when i think of crazy quilting, i think of  of tradition and vintage and patchwork and recycled scraps.

.....i was thinking about the lace embellishment on the patchwork seams and thought what if(?) i make the patchwork the embellishment and the lace the patchwork. this will be a fragile piece. made from very brittle old pieces and recycled worn patchwork. maybe it should be framed. i think it will bring the  traditional  and something new together. and i like that it will be repurposed into something non functional. except to look at.

block is 7" square, old lace and sheers, old patchwork applique borders, linen twill foundation

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 #91: indian style patchwork

again i am looking for a freer style, patchwork with out seams, something to recycle scraps and thread ends, something portable. what if (?) i use torn rag strips, couched down over ragged edge patches? that is what i asked myself. marker grid (2" boxes) on double layer of linen. overcast patches in alternate boxes. ragged torn scraps 1/2 wide. backstitched first straddling the edge line. over-casted and pulled into place. also tried 2 strips twisted. more potential i think here for decorating the dividers.

photo album for this project