Experimentation

[Hannelore N.]

Experiments
I like to "experiment" with techniques. Sometimes I get pretty weird and often funny results. Even more often, I get a "Huh" from friends I show my results to.
There is very little under the sun that is original. I would guess that most of the things I have tried have also been tried by someone else. Perhaps successfully!
I would like a place where people can show their failures and successes with odd techniques. I suppose this could fall under the art category although I don't think many people would think of my experimentation as "good art." But it can lead to "good art."
Most of my quilting buddies are not inclined to experiment. Surely there are other "experimenters" out there. I would love to see their experiments. Showing failures as well as successes. I think we could learn a lot from one another.
thank you

[Hannelore N.]

Yes, Yes, Yes. I love to "what if" quilt. I agree, not all turn out as winners. But if that not so great one opened our mind to the next step that is a real WOW, the first becomes more beautiful. I often get the "that's different" response and I love it. My basic theory is if some one else has already done "it" (whatever "it" may be) I don't need to do it again. Look in my profile, there is a quilt in there that is a combination of two of Ricky's techniques, Caveman meets Convergence. It won a first place in the art catagory in our last local quilt show. Who Knew. Keep trying new things and share them here to inspire the rest of us. Betty Ann in cool Florida

[Hannelore N.]

Experiments
I like to "experiment" with techniques. Sometimes I get pretty weird and often funny results. Even more often, I get a "Huh" from friends I show my results to.
There is very little under the sun that is original. I would guess that most of the things I have tried have also been tried by someone else. Perhaps successfully!
I would like a place where people can show their failures and successes with odd techniques. I suppose this could fall under the art category although I don't think many people would think of my experimentation as "good art." But it can lead to "good art."
Most of my quilting buddies are not inclined to experiment. Surely there are other "experimenters" out there. I would love to see their experiments. Showing failures as well as successes. I think we could learn a lot from one another.
thank you

Oh Bilbus you are one of mine girls :lol: Do not care about the Huh's :wink: I do get some of those too, but I dont mind. All my quiltingfriend are using patterns when sewing, they want to know what it will look like when they are finished. Its NOTHING wrong with that at all, but I love to do it free-style :shock: I start with some fabric and are sewing until the quilt tells me to stop :P
All techniques I use have been used before, for ages, but I love to do the techniques my way.
So you just go girl, dont let anyone take away from you your love for quilting the free-style way!!!

[Hannelore N.]

I am still in the learning stages and consider anything I do an experiment. LOL Sometimes it turns out great. Other times, not quite what I wanted, but I am having so much fun! If you want to see one of my experiments, its on my profile, the Christmas tree banner. I learned a lot by doing it, and if I make another one, I would put buttons on the loops for hanging ease!!!! Not fun pushing those loops through the greenery. hehe Sandi in FL

[Hannelore N.]

:lol: :lol: :lol: Yes, this is the place for me!! I think everyone of my posted quilts are 'what if's.' I have done things by the book for many years afraid to let anyone know of my trials and errors, then I find that someone has done the same thing and put it in a magazine! Now I find it so much fun to try different things and if it doesn't suit me the first time I try it again with a different twist. Over the last three years I have, basicly, taught myself how to work with the textile paints and am now teaching. It is somewhat different than dedcorative painting on hard surfaces.
Recently I was showing some quilters how to make a corded bowl with clothsline. We were using upholstry fabric and it was too thick. Someone said "why not braid the fabric?" O.K., I can try that! I had a rug braider that I had never used and gave away. Thank goodness I gave it to my daughter! I retrieved the rug braider back and made a great braided bowl. Show us what you are doing!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Patti P.]

Carolyn, I love the idea of a braided bowl. Did he stand up or was it limper than the corded one? If you have a picture, please put it in your profile or in show and tell - would love to see it.

[Patti P.]

The bowl stood up quite well! Just as good as the corded ones. It also fit around a pyrex bowl and could be used as a bowl cozy to keep things hot or cold. I had thought of making it special to fit the bowl but decided not to on the first one but it fit perfectly anyway. I'll take a picture tomorrow and hang it up.

[Patti P.]

I would love to see picture of the bowl too. It sounds great! Sandi in FL

[Patti P.]

Thanks Carolyn. I'm going to try it sometime soon.

[Patti P.]

:lol: I took the photos and hung them up in my profile today. There are two of them. One is braided with the rug braider and the other one I braided by hand. I braided the one by hand first while I was waiting to get the rug braider back from my daughter. I think I could have done a better job with it but it was a good learning experience.
A friend has cut lots of strips for me to braid. I'm having back issues (herniated disc) so have spent a lot of time in my recliner waiting for the specialist Dr's appt. I guess I will keep busy braiding bowls!! :lol:

[Patti P.]

Hey thanks Carolyn and Ruth. Carolyn your bowls are inspiring me to bump up this potential project on my to-do list. I have always been drawn to these bowls. Yours are lovely. And Ruth, that's a nice little shop. They've got some good stuff on sale right now. Paducah sent my fabric for the 2009 BOM this week and a surprise for me. My focus fabric was backordered and then cancelled! And Wish About a Quilt has it - Yippee! So thanks for the reference.

[Patti P.]

Thank you Ruth for mentioning the pattern for the Bali bowls. :lol: They looked like they were made somewhat differently so I had to order one. While I was there I looked around .... and .. I found more patterns that I was interested in. I ended up ordering 6 or 7 !!
Yes, the bowl pattern was different then the one that I was using but it gave me more choices on how to put bowls together!! I like the way they did the bottom and am going to use it with the braided bowls. Thanks again! Happy experimenting!
Carolyn