Textile Art with Pizzazz! supply list

Textile Art with Pizzazz Supply List

Choosing what types of fabrics to use will require some thinking and searching.  The type of fabric you select will be your palette and set the course for your quilt.  It is necessary to have fabrics that will both blend and contrast to create your setting for the Flora Rosa design.  The fabrics you use for your quilt will reflect something about you; this is pertinent to the class as you will eventually realize. The types of fabrics are described below.  If you have an abundance of fabric, you may have all or most of the fabrics already.

We will spend time in Lesson One learning more about suitable fabric. You may wait until then to choose and purchase your fabrics or use one of my packs that I put together.  Using fabrics for the main project will not start until Lesson Two.  I have provided an overview of the kinds of fabrics you should be using.  We will start with several exercises and you may use fabrics you have on hand for these.

You can use the fabric descriptions below to gather assorted fabrics.  Refer to this as your collection; think of the collection as your palette.  In turn, you will select specific fabrics from your collection to develop fabric groups.

Note: Some people have an enormous amount of fabric, which we often refer to as a stash.  If you are one of these people, you do not have to look at ALL of your fabric; just find some that fit the descriptions as a starting point.  The information below should help you focus your search.

I recommend that you use cotton for class.  Later, if you do other projects, you can branch out if you like and use different fabrics.

• batiks
• hand dyed and commercially printed fabric
• prints, textures and assorted colorations that particularly appeal to you

Batik fabric is wonderful to sew with and has many interesting textures.  Commercially printed fabric has many options.  Look for prints that have complex textures.  Choose some with several values of colors and textures combined.
Batik fabrics come in a wide variety of colors and textures

Fabric that has combined elements such as swirls, gradating colors or watercolor effects, to name a few, are considered to be painterly.

A combination print sometimes referred to as novelty or conversation print – This type of print will blend and connect other fabrics and can have surprising results.  The print may have recognizable objects mixed with additional bits of other odd things.  You will be using this in the last two lessons.  If you do not have any of this type of print, wait to purchase this until you get a better idea of how it is used.

I have found combination prints in a fabric shops, usually on a back shelf.  In other words, it was not a popular item which means you may get a good bargain.  Refer to them as novelty or unique; sometimes they are the fabrics that you wonder, “Who would buy this?” Well, now you know.  A Hawaiian shirt comes to mind when I see these types of fabrics.  The combinations of things, textures and colors are quite busy and can be quite bizarre.  These busy prints are perfect to cut out and extract elements which are perfect for collage.

A fabric with a graphic print is useful.  This is a print that has bright colors and hard edges and lines.

Hand dyed fabric is truly glorious and works wonderfully in this design.  However, it is very expensive.  It is your option to use this type of fabric.  Use it for any part of the design.

SUPPLIES

During class, you will make

• the main Flora Rosa composition – background is 17″ x 16″
• Six exercises that are each under 7″ x 7″(made with paper scraps)
• Single flower exercise about 6″ x 8″
• Two mini quilts, approximately 7″ x 7″ before borders

The single flower exercise and the two mini quilts can be made with scraps.  The six values and color exercises are made with colored paper cut from magazines.

Fabric Leaves – Six different fabrics, scraps okay (NOT fabric with leaves printed on it).

• small and medium scale prints that resemble textures in a variety of shades and values of green, such as purple/green, black/green, blue/green, yellow/green and brown/green
• solid shades of green that are vibrant

Flower - two fabrics, no more than a fat quarters.  You can use vibrant, rainbow mix, gradated combinations, watercolor effects, values ranging from very dark to very light.

Background – Dark or light value with subtle texture.  You will decide which to use when you have chosen your foreground fabrics.

• For the Flora Rosa (main class project) 1/2 yard

Foundation – 1 1/2 yards minimum, light to medium weight sew-in interfacing such as Pellon (Vilene in the UK) you do NOT want fusible interfacing.

*Note: This is essential; muslin will not be an acceptable substitute.

Lining fabric: 1 piece 6″x6″ thin white muslin, (UK calico)

Backing – Wait to choose your backing.  You may want to extend your piece with a fabric that can then be used on the back

Batting – 3/4 yard of thin cotton or cotton blend

Other Supplies

Sewing machine

• with zigzag stitch
• feed dogs that lower or can be covered for free motion stitching
• free motion foot
• walking foot

Thread

• 50 wt thread for basting, ONE EACH light and dark
• Rayon 40 wt or cotton 50 wt thread for decorative topstitching and quilting

• • I prefer to use Sulky rayon thread and/or Mettler silk finish cotton.

Choose colors that relate to the fabrics, having some contrast and some that blend.  Use some solid colors in shades of green, gold or bronze.  Consider using variegated color combinations such as green/gold/orange, red/blue/yellow/green and gold/black/red.  Include shades of pink, yellow, red and lavender for the flower.  Do not use white.

• 50 weight cotton or polyester in the bobbin when using rayon or cotton thread for the top
• hand appliqué- fine 60 weight silk or cotton thread in neutral colors that will blend.
• clear monofilament sewing machine thread

Embellishments For Texture – unique (knobby) yarns, narrow hand dyed silk ribbon, narrow slivers cut from fabric scraps

Needles

• hand sewing – Sharp #9
• machine sewing – Microtex sharp #70/10
• basting needle – long, strong but not too thick, must go through two thicknesses

Miscellaneous

• freezer paper- 2 yards
• sharp scissors

• • fabric scissors: long blade and short blade
  • optional: knife edge scissors
  • paper scissors
• rotary supplies
  • 45 mm cutter
  • cutting mat
  • 6″ x 24″ rotary ruler
• fine straight pins (silk pins)
• basting spray or safety pins (your preference)
• glue stick – clear, water soluble, regular AND repositionable, if possible
• permanent black marker- .01 Pigma pen
• marking pencil – both light and dark
• white chalk marker- Chaco-marker is my favorite type of marker. It is a small hollow flat tube with a little wheel in the point that rolls out the chalk.
• highlighter marking pen – any color
• lead pencil
• fusible web – lightweight, paper-backed, 20″ wide x 36″ long
• clear tape
• card stock or file folder
• 4 sheets of standard size white paper
• 2 sheets of standard size black paper
• light box, optional
• assorted magazines to cut up

Optional: I use a small flat iron called a “flat iron” and a small ironing pad to do all of my work for fusing, freezer paper and pressing intricate seams.  This set up is portable and efficient.  My flat iron is designed and used by the picture framing and professional photography industry.  It is streamlined and has a temperature dial that heats to quite high levels.  There is now one on the market made for the hobby industry.  It is a good substitute.  It is called the Custom Sealing Iron by Hobbico.