what if ?

what if #42: the nature of dots

i have always been obsessed with dots, and spots, and the tiniest motifs floating on an open ground. at the same time, i am  learning to piece by machine which is new for me. this what if, is a series. i accepted Robin Ferrier's invitation to post on side by side and i will use the opportunity to continue to explore variations on this theme. it will be about small spot motifs, and also about inspiration from nature. and  i will be working in linen mostly...the project will also be a lot about the fabric, its texture, its structure , its history, its beauty. off i go...what if i explore the nature of dots? that small pieced patch is 3/10ths of an inch!!! the black dots are painted.

hey! and you can catch the queen of the series Lee over at side by side too! oh what fun...

i will make a category for this series... to connect the dots.

what if #52: discharged indigo patchwork

what if i chop up some discharge experiments and piece them together. and what if i just use a sewing machine to make it go faster. i want to see. now.  6" x 12" . cotton and linen. indigo. bleach discharge.

what if #53: indigo embroidery

even though this indigo yarn i have is very thick and was meant for weaving, i was wondering what if i use it in some solid embroidered areas? it actually abrades while sewing and there is a nice uneven fade out quality about it. i am using it together with some wonderful hand dyed thread. the greenish color i picked up somewhere and it fits into the indigo range so it looks like part of the fade. the yellow is hand dyed by wonderful sara.

part of a piece that will measure 5" x 12"
freehand pattern drawn in permanent marker on 4" cotton squares. pieced by machine. hand embroidery. (back stitch)
i used a very large eye needle to minimize abrasion. the thread is soft and doesn't hold up for long when stitching through tight fabric. i keep the thread short and that seem to help.  worth every extra effort, lovely color ( better photo in next post) and texture effect. continued here

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:

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 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 #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 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 #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#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.