There are going to be two (2) different background fill-in designs in this class. I would recommend making a project that has at least two blocks.
The focal point of the quilting is going to be in the background fabric area. Choose a solid color fabric or fabrics that "read" like a solid. Avoid busy prints and heavily printed fabrics. We WANT the quilting to show!
I have already made several samples of this quilt and the fabrics I have used have a folksy, old fashioned, Civil War reproduction fabric feel to them. Sometimes, these types of fabric are hard to find.
I worked my friend who owns the quilt shop "Ma's Got a Notion" in Havana, IL who has a WONDERFUL assortment of these types of fabric. She has put together a 12 piece Fat Quarter bundle of fabrics that are PERFECT for this quilt!
You will need basic sewing supplies and basic sewing/quilting skills to piece the quilt top.
The Flower Basket pattern requires elongated triangles. There are several ways to make these triangles both with and without special piecing templates / rulers. In this class I will show you BOTH ways to make these elongated triangles.
The rulers I used are -
The Peaky & Spike by Marti Michelle and the Tri Rex Ruler by EZ Quilting.
Both of these rulers should be readily available at your local quilt shop or "big box" fabric store.
If you are unable to find these rulers locally, you can purchase them by Clicking Here
Thread - Use whatever thread works in your quilting machine. Below are some suggestions for thread.
Background - I recommend using a thread that blends into the background fabric. We want the texture of the quilting to show, but not the actual quilting.
Borders and Sashings - I am using a contrasting thread in the borders and sashings. In these areas I want my quilting to show!!
Flowers, Stems and Leafs - Depending of the colors of your flower fabrics, you may want to change colors of thread when quilting the flowers. Or, you may be able to use one color of thread on several of the flowers. Do what ever works best you
Other items you may want to have on hand to make your quilting easier
We are going to be making our own quilting templates from piecing template plastic. This piecing template plastic should be found in any quilting or fabric store. You will also need a permanent marker to mark on this plastic and scissors to cut out the shapes. The specific shapes you will need to make will be sent to you before the class begins.
There are several brands and styles of the piecing template plastic. For this project, our templates are going to be about 14 inches in length. Because of the length of the templates I HIGHLY RECOMMEND getting HEAVY DUTY piecing plastic The photo above left is Dritz Heavy Duty Template Plastic, 12 x 18 inches that I purchased at my local JoAnn fabrics.
If you can't find the heavy duty template plastic, "regular" template plastic will work, but your template will be a bit floppy. If possible, get a 12 x 18 inch piece of regular template plastic.
If all you have are 8-1/2 x 11 inch pieces of the piecing plastic, that will still work. You will have to tape a couple pieces of this plastic together to make the longer templates needed for this project.
If you have ANY problems finding piecing template plastic, please send me an email at LongarmU@aol.com
Below are the piecing rulers I used to make the elongated triangles in the pieced block.
We are going to make registration lines - a LOT of registration lines - to mark the placement and boundaries of our quilting designs.
You will need a marker that you are comfortable using on a quilt top. I recommend the Mark B Gone, water soluble (blue) marker on light fabrics and a Chalk O Liner with Miracle Chalk powder in it for dark fabric. For more information about these products Click Here I also like using Crayola Fine Line Washable Markers.
Please note that the Crayola markers wash out with detergent and warm water. The Crayola Fine Line Washable markers can be found at nearly every office supply store and many other stores including most grocery stores. A package of 8 markers is usually less than $5.
I use the Crayola markers only on my own quilts, NEVER, EVER on a customer quilt!
If you would like to practice your quilting before stitching, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you get a piece of clear Plexiglas that will fit in the workspace of your quilting machine. (Plexiglas of this size should be about $15 or less.)
Before using the Plexiglas, take either masking or duct tape (which now comes in many different colors) and place it over the cut edges of your piece of the Plexiglas. The tape serves two purposes. 1) It protects the edges of the Plexiglas. Sometimes the edges can be a little sharp and could scratch you or tear the quilt. 2) The tape will also make a boundary or edge around the Plexiglas. This will prevent you from drawing off the edge of the Plexiglas.
For a FREE video on how the Plexiglas works Click Here
You will then use markers - I recommend the Vis-a-Vis markers, available at all "big box" office supply stores, for marking on the Plexiglas. (Note: the Vis-a-Vis markers usually have 5 in a package and cost less than $10.) The marker is removed using a damp paper towel. See below left.
For marking on Plexiglas on top of dark fabric, I have found that the Expo Bright Markers work very well. See below right.
Both of these markers can be purchased in major office supply stores such as Staples, Office Depot, Office Max, etc. They can also be purchased online.
Click on any photo for a larger view and slide show
REMEMBER this is a LEARNING project! This project does not need to be perfect. World peace does not depend on perfect piecing or quilting!!
* Note: Shipping is calculated from Kent, WA to Connecticut. If you live closer to Kent, WA, your shipping will be less and will be adjusted to the lowest price possible.
International Orders: Shipping to orders outside of the US will be SIGNIFICANTLY higher and charged accordingly. For International Orders over $100 (USD) Longarm U / Longarm Classroom will pay HALF of the shipping fees.
If you would like to know what the shipping would be before ordering any item, send an email with the item you want to order and your address, including your zip code or postal code to longarmu@aol.com I will send you an estimate of the shipping fees.
If you have any questions about shipping fees please contact me at the email above
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