Kelly's Quilting Class: Stilleto, a handy tool for keeping things lined up

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Stilleto, a handy tool for keeping things lined up

A stilleto can help you hold the pieces in place as they feed through the machine. Triangles are one shape that likes to wander as it nears the end of sewing and a stilleto is a great tool. Mine is made of wood. You could also try a bamboo skewer, just don't poke through the fabric. Don't use a pencil or anything else that may leave a mark on the fabric.

Websites that teach about color and value

1. Color wheel basics for quilters…
Go through the 6 pages. Each page has an illustration. There is text bellow the illustrations…there are a lot of adds on this website so don’t get lost on the pages.
Page 1 is ...About the color wheel
Page 2 is ...Tertiary Colors, Shades, Tones & Tints
Page 3 is ...Understanding Color Dominance
Page 4 is ...Monochromatic Color Schemes for Quilts
Page 5 is ...Design an Analogous Quilt
Page 6 is ...Designing Complementary Quilts
http://quilting.about.com/od/colorfabrics/ss/color_quilts.htm

2. Color Value - How to Work with Color Value in Your Quilts…
Go through the 4 pages. There is text bellow the illustrations…there are a lot of adds on this website so don’t get lost on the pages.
Page 1 is ...Introduction to Color Value
Page 2 is ...Color Warmth Affects Color Value
Page 3 is ...Alter Color Value to Change the Quilt Design
Page 4 is ...More Ways to Preview Color Value
http://quilting.about.com/od/colorfabrics/ss/color_value.htm

3. Color value definition
http://quilting.about.com/od/quiltingglossary/g/value.htm

4. HGTV Color Confident Quilts.
This site shows the color wheel and has valuable information!
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_quilting_tips/article/0,1789,HGTV_3307_1377097,00.html

Misc.
5. McCall’s had a wonderful color lesson in their magazine. It can be ordered if you desire.
http://209.200.122.122/detail.cfm?pid=5621&CFID=82180&CFTOKEN=33136818

6. A color schemes wheel can be purchased to aid in color selection. I haven’t used one before.
http://209.200.122.122/detail.cfm?pid=5116&CFID=82180&CFTOKEN=33136818

Websites that teach you how to wash your quilt

I know it's a terrible thought to know that someday that quilt you worked so hard to make is going to need to be washed. I am giving you a few links to websites that tell you how to wash the quilt.

This next website gives good advise for washing and care of your quilts. It has four pages for you to scroll through so be sure to read them all before deciding how you want to wash your quilt. BE SURE TO READ WHAT THIS SITE SAYS ABOUT STORING QUILTS! (Page 4) And NEVER store your quilt in plastic...one thing this site does not mention.
http://www.googobits.com/articles/p4-169-how-to-clean-and-care-for-handmade-quilts.html

The following website gives a brief explanation of how to care for quilts and I didn't see anything I didn't agree with. Concise and good advise.
http://www.amishcountrylanes.com/Pages/QuiltCare.shtml

Probably the most important thing to get from these two sites is DON'T WASH YOUR QUILT UNLESS IT REALLY NEEDS IT. The Christmas quilt I made 15 years ago has never been washed...we also only display it at Christmas time and it's never been used as a blanket or sat on.

You will probably each decide how you want the quilt used according to how much time you put in to making it.

Websites that teach about Applique

http://sewing.about.com/od/applique/ss/applique2.htm

This site has 7 pages you can scroll to as they take the process step by step. The only thing I am not happy with is they do all the work to turn edges under and then they machine applique instead of hand stitch.

http://www.allaboutapplique.net/category/hand-applique/

This page is great! Not what we will use for class, but if you end up loving applique this is a great site to have reference to.

http://www.needlepointers.com/displaypage.aspx?ArticleID=28284&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.geocities.com%2fAthens%2fSparta%2f6604%2fquilt_lesson_1.htm

This site walks you through step by step using freezer paper. We will not use this in class but it's a good demonstration of the process, I've done it before. They have great illustrations. Only I would spray starch the leaf back after pressing the edges around first, then press again. Seems it would save time with all the dipping.

Introduction to the class

Each student will make a Sampler quilt to learn different techniques. We will start our class with fabric selection. This is the most important element of a quilt next to your sewing abilities and patience. The fabrics you choose make a statement about your unique personality. They can be soft and subdued or bold and bright but choosing these fabrics takes some direction. You will learn the different methods to prepare the fabric once it's purchased and you will make your own personal decission about how you want to prepare your fabric for the use of your quilt. After that we will move into drafting blocks, making templates, and the actual cutting and sewing...sew exciting! You will be cutting and sewing a variety of shapes. Squares, triangles, curves, hexagons, and diamonds You will learn different techniques like straight sewing (which I hope you know already), point to point sewing, freezer paper method, and applique. I don't teach any new computer technology, just the basic good old fashioned quilting. Because we are learning many different techniques we won't delve much into time saving cutting and sewing methods.

Kelly's Quilting Class