Day 312 – Channel Weave

Thank you all for your wonderful supportive, loving comments on Wednesday’s post. I’m already finding that focusing on the act of stitching or designing, and not the end result (finished quilt) has been very helpful and yesterday I got back to work on a quilt I really want to work on, but haven’t felt I had time for.

It’s also helped to remind myself exactly why I started this project – not to write books or make DVDs, but simply TO BLOG and share new designs!

So let’s move on with this project with a simple less on texture. How different are straight lines and sharp angles from curvy lines? Is there any way to measure the difference in visual impact or contrast as you look at designs like this?

Yet we often don’t SEE this texture like we see the green color or distinctive shape of the leaves on the trees. Texture takes a little bit more attention to see and appreciate.

I love to watch quilters looking at quilts because they will often glance first, and see a color they like. Then they will look again and put those colors together in shapes. Ah! It’s a Double Wedding Ring pattern!

And finally, only as you get around 5 feet from the quilt do the textures start to appear. Feathers and swirls and patterns stitched over the surface adding just as much visual impact to the overall piece.

You know what’s funny? It’s the texture that makes you want to reach out and touch the quilt. To run your fingers over those stitches and make sure they’re really there, they’re real.

Is there any way to measure this visual impact? I have no idea, but I do know combining straight lines and curving lines together looks awesome!

Difficulty Level – Intermediate. Channel Weave really is a 2 for the price of 1 deal. You get two awesome textures stitched side by side in these narrow edge to edge triangles. The first texture is a simple weave created by first stitching in one direction for 3-5 lines, then in the opposite direction for 3-5 lines.

The second texture is a simple arch shape, or bouncy echo, that is repeated back and forth until the entire triangle is filled.

Design Family – Edge to Edge. This design starts very similarly to Woven Lines and Wiggly Woven Lines. You stitch a series of triangles from one edge of your quilting space to the other, then once these guidelines are set, you can stitch back into the space to fill with the Channel Weave texture.

Directional Texture – 2 Directions. This design is always going to show off with a horizontal or vertical texture on your quilts, but which of the two designs stands out more? Which texture does your eye get drawn to first?

Suggestions for Use – Would you like to make a quilt that studies texture and contrast? Pick 6 designs with straight lines and sharp angles, and 6 more designs with curvy lines. Stitch them together and fill the sashing and borders with Channel Weave to tie it all together.