As a follow-up on last week’s Quilt and Stitch post One, about my approach to mark-making on textiles, a.k.a. quilting, here is another set of closeups shots to illustrate my fascination with line repeats.

Above, two sets of very different line repeats: a curvy grouping at the bottom, contrasted with very angular paired lines around the “sun”, which are punctuated by little “seeds” of zig-zag-in-place, just because I imagined it might be interesting (smile).

The photo above is a real close-up, those stitching lines are about an 1/8″ apart, and the fabric is hand-dyed pima cotton, with a very tight weave. The sunburst effect on the hand-dye was achieved with tightly knotted elastics, a technique from the sixties… But resist dyeing, or tie-dye, is a subject for another day.

Above, another sample that shows how variations in spacing can create a vibration effect. Almost tribal. I could have changed thread colours, but chose to stay with the hot pink. In later posts on this topic, I will show you how thread colour can play a big role in a group of stitched lines.

Above: circular stitching in place, to create a little “pasty”, or embroidered dot. I left the thread on the piece between dots. For the top line of pasties, I decided to come back and to add lines of stitching to highlight the linear connection.  I could have cut the threads… but it is far more interesting this way.

And this last example is a combo of machine and hand-stitching. I started with a line, punctuated by “pasties” which I topped with a thread buildup, to create a thread bead, practically. Then, I returned with another colour, and stitched up and down and around the pasties, because I felt like it…. The other lines on the right are stitched/embroidered by hand. You can also spot my fingernail-dragging mark on the fabric, where I had considered adding yet another line…

All in a day’s play.