what if

what if #169: recolored patchwork

...so continuing from my last post where i covered up a section of patchwork that was not fitting properly... i thought what if i use a sheer fabric just to tweek the color a bit instead. kind of how you work a painting. recently gifted silk chiffon does the trick. coloring over and existing patchwork could be quite interesting. you can even see the seams or old stitching beneath. again i am trying it ragged style because what is underneath shows a bit like a frame or a shadow, adding dimension. i'll call it watercolor applique. ragged style.

i have noticed that chiffon works well for a ragged edge because of the nature if the crimp, it keeps its threads in place.

what if #166: discharge on indigo gauze

...i was really asking myself what if dots could be square?  and what if windows are dots, holes to see through?  and that was working and led to the question what if i make windows by bleaching indigo... i cut a stencil from freezer paper and ironed it to a piece of very loosely woven indigo, because it had holes in it and i was still thinking "see through". the discharge paste was soft scrub because i had some here. and the punch line is... the back!  windows but softer. i like the back where the bleach worked its way though, but not all the way. a cloudy day.

what if #149: shadow layers

...so it was really sheer fabric and right after i asked what if(?) i draw some more dots over the flocked dots i thought what if(?) i put another patterned fabric beneath the sheer before making it into a quilt block.

nothing new i guess, but i like the look of the stripes through the dots it and it gave the lightweight fabric more body to work with. 

what if #141: floating intersections

....to continue on the idea of dots and grids, i asked what if the grid itself is a dot?  intersecting woven lines pieced into a dotted sheer jacquard clip spot. all fabrics are sheer cotton. free machine pieced. seam pressed out flat.

what if # 139: sheer folded 9 patch

again i am using the term nine patch loosely, 9 squares of a yarn dyed windowpane.  i thought what if i use a sheer plaid? what if i draw circles in the squares since i've been focusing on dots?  and then what if i use the back side so the circles are more faded than the yarn dyed grid. just for some dimension. and what if i fold it over on itself, rematching the lines so the grid is intact but the circled overlap and show through? ....after folding i cut a nine square section and quilted it down to a linen backing. the fold line was blind stitched in place to stay put.
i like how the shadowed overlap looks like moon phases. the fabric is thin enough so the fold has no real bulk. about 4" square without border. cotton voile plaid on linen. laundry marker.

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 #128: orderly holes

.....i have experimented with cut out frames before but in a more random fashion. for instance here and here. but today i thought what if i use that plaid graph paper idea for holes. they become much more like windows when you follow the grid.
.....i also wondered what if i use that double cloth i have with the check on one side. this idea added other advantages. it is 2 sided so i can use it either way. it is double layered so the frame will have some loft. it is double woven being consistently tacked together in a grid of woven stitches which give the frame stability against curving and i also love the tiny dots that actually quilt the fabric together. i like them visually and i am thinking about them structurally for another what if.

more on this here

what if CQR is more?

.....today i want to say more about CQR. the group has produced many wonderful pieces that to me represent small journeys on a personal level. perhaps i should clarify my objective here.....
my reasons for starting this challenge was to demonstrate a thought catching and questioning process. i picked Crazy Quilting for several reasons.
1. it is a form of quilting which is my focus
2. its roots are in recycling and personal expression which is close to my heart
3.it has a recognizable style which seems to have a large following
4. the style included repeated techniques
5. i knew it would create a stir

...i was curious and asking myself about style. i think of style as a culmination of technique and ideas over time. hopefully it evolves as a personal symbol of achievement and a method of communication. but i thought to myself, what if style is also a stopping point? is it a place where we collectively rest and forget to go forward?  a path to over and over? so i put myself out on a limb with that question. and then i asked what if just the techniques and the materials change? What does it become and where does it lead? Crazy Quilting as it is has nothing to do with this question except i used it to make a point. a jumping off point. an exercise in questioning. I am thinking that eventually it will turn into AQ. Alternative Quilting. jumping off from anywhere.
I am just getting back to the internet after technical problems. I am very excited with the group's work and its atmosphere for sharing ideas.
i have chosen today to feature Karen's new block, because she has no blog and besides being exquisite, it illustrates very well what i was thinking. and the photo presentation just says to me what if we see with new eyes? a beautiful block, thank you Karen.
I have set up a photo album and will start loading in pics from those who have no blogs first, so you can see the work that is being done.i finally have some time to review all that has been done.

what if #94: colored eyelet

after seeing karen's wonderful handstitched eyelet, i was inspired to try it myself. but i  couldn't help asking myself what if i try it in color? colored ground fabric with colored stitching. i am not really familiar with doing this but i just did it anyway. drawn shapes, split backstitch outline, cut out the fabric inside the shape, 3 strands of floss overcast in varying colors. ground cloth is the backside of a solid printed linen. no hoop. i need some practice on making the stitches even, but there is a lot of design potential here, don't you think?

colored eyelet photo album

another example here

what if #93: sheerer applique

working with lightweight fabrics can create very delicate effects and to get a more see through effect i wondered if (?) i cut away the backing beneath the appliqués, how would that look? it is also a great way, i think, to even out the weight of the overall piece especially if you work layer on layer.