I bought a book called Shadowfolds: Surprisingly Easy-to-Make Geometric Designs in Fabric by Jeffrey Rutzky and Chris K. Palmer years ago. The book details a technique that combines geometric origami with fabric pleating to create intricate designs that look different depending upon how they’re lit.

As a proof of concept for an eventual larger project, I made quilt block with one of the Shadowfolds patterns.

I wanted to play with different lighting options. There’s the front-lit version above. There’s also the backlit version:

In addition to the front and back lighting that Shadowfolds are designed for, I also wanted to experiment with diffuse lighting using LEDs:

The idea is a quilt that’s very different depending on a number of lighting conditions. The experiment turned out well. I’ll continue to play with these ideas.