The webs we weave

Or quilt.

Ever notice how when you are totally swamped with work, most of it absolutely urgent/important, you get this pressing need to experiment with something totally not? And well, when that happens to be a quilting brainwave, a quilters gotta do what a quilters gotta do, right? Weave webs. So the experiment miraculously comes to the front of the long line of jobs that are clamouring for your attention and you set to work(?) ignoring all else.

My spiderweb experiment was one such.

 Wanted to do a comparative study of the behaviour of lines and the visual effect thereof. Now if I have managed to catch your attention (or lose it), may I cut through the BS and just show you what I did?

Step 1. Drew (almost) identical patterns on two sheets of paper (8.5" square) using intersecting lines and concentric squares. Do make sure that the intersecting lines are of an even number. On one sheet, maintaining the points of intersection, I made the lines wavy instead of straight. (Told ya it was an experiment.)

Step 2.I already knew I wanted this to be a play in Black and White, but one could use any two colours or prints. I placed a 10" square of black fabric on a 10" square of  white fabric and pin basted ALONG with the paper pattern on top. You will want to keep the darker fabric on top. You'll soon see why.

Step 3.Take it to your sewing machine and, with a reduced stitch length, sew on all the lines on the paper. Here's a learning - use the same colour thread as your top fabric unlike the boo boo I made.

Step 4.Make sure you haven't missed sewing on any section of the pattern and THEN gently rip the paper out. Here's where your reduced stitch length helps by making it a lot easier to rip.

Step 5.Now comes the magic. Taking a small but sharp pair of scissors, carefully snip out the black fabric from alternate sections. And voila, this is what you have ! (Note - had the lighter fabric been on top, the darker fabric would've shown through the uncut sections)

Step 6. Now make a sandwich adding batting and backing, pin baste and take it to the machine again. I used a close zig-zag/satin on the machine over all the lines in fuschia and neon green to effectively quilt, cover up all raw edges, AND make a bold style statement :-).

Step 7. Square up, add binding and put in a loop in one corner if you like.

 

 

Step 8. Stand back and admire your handiwork.

 

 

Step 9.Think up valid/wild excuses as to why the rest of your work didn't get done.

 

Ah, the webs we weave.