Elemental Art Quilts Pre Class Prep

Pre class Preparation Instructions To get the most from the One Day class please come fully prepared with approximately 27 fabrics (about a Fat 1/8th each) and a photo for your design idea. (I will have others available too.) Prep instructions are below and there are Spot Prizes for the best Prep!!

Supply List:

# Format/Design ideas - see below for choosing your 'element'.
# Fabric 27 fat 1/8ths or approx equivalent - see below for instructions on choosing colours. Pre-cutting a block background (6.5" x 9.5") from each fabric will considerably speed the construction process in the class.

# Batting 85cm/34" x 130cm/50" approx. Cotton blends or 'Polyester Low-loft' are both easy to stitch with but I prefer Low-Loft as it gives good fullness to the design after quilting. I generally like a bit of dimension in my wall quilts. This measurement doesn't allow for an extra border if you choose to add one.

# Backing fabric 85cm/34"x 130cm/50" Something that ties in with your Base Colours and preferably has a good pattern as this will help disguise your quilting on the back (just in case it is less than perfect!) This measurement doesn't allow for an extra border if you choose to add one.

# Sewing machine, Standard Foot for piecing and ‘Free-motion Foot’ or’ Darning Foot’ and 'Walking Foot' for quilting. Depending on your level of preparation you may not get to joining the blocks in the one day class and therefore may not need a sewing machine unless you would like to practice the quilting.
Bring the machine Manual. Don't forget your foot and power plug.

# Thread for quilting - I suggest a 30 or 40 weight variegated thread that matches your Colour Board, maybe a rayon. Don't choose a very thick top-stitching thread. You will also need an ordinary plain thread that co-ordinates with the top thread for in the bobbin.

# New machine needles, for piecing I suggest Universal or ‘Sharps’, 80/12. The size of the quilting needles will depend on your thread. A 40 weight thread usually works with 90/14 needles. Bring whatever variety you have or I suggest Top-stitch or Embroidery. Machines can be very temperamental with particular threads. If you are experienced at Free-motion quilting and would like to try Metallic threads you will need to try Metafil or Metallic or Embroidery needles.

# Format/Design ideas. The idea of these quilts is to take a tiny part of a photo and blow it up so it almost loses its perspective. Select photos that you are interested in and look for a small area that has a few interesting lines or curves. If you can, scan them onto your computer, enlarge, then crop to get a small part of the original picture blown up to approx 6” x 9”. A 6 x 9 block with just a couple of simple lines and curves work the best. (I will also share ideas and have a couple of pattern options for you.) Suggestions from other classes have been: oil on water, bubbles, flower stamens, section of an eagle wing, pebbles, jelly fish, flower centre, small simple tree. Bring your photo ideas to class for discussion and refining.

# Colour ideas. It is not necessary to use realistic colours for this art work, in fact fabulous abstract results are achieved when no consideration is given to using the 'correct' colours.

1: Choose a multi-coloured picture containing colours you like or that will co-ordinate in the room where the quilt will hang. Magazine ads are great for this. This picture is only meant for colour ideas, not for the format (however it could possibly be used for both).

2: Look closely at the picture and identify the three main colours which will usually be in the 'medium' range. These become your 'Base Colours'. Cut these out and stick at the bottom of this page to create your Colour Board.

3. Having identified the three main colours, (your Base Colours), look throughout the picture for the 'Deep Dark' and the 'Very Light' of each of those three colours. Eg; If one Base Colour is Orange, there may be a 'deep dark' of orange which could be Brown and a 'very light' of orange which could be Salmon. Stick these onto your Colour Board also.

If the picture doesn't contain these you can search magazines for an example of the Light and the Dark to go with your Base Colours. (Light is the Base Colour with white added, Dark is the Base Colour with black added.)

4. Add a 'Zing Colour'. Search the original picture for another colour that just stands out. It could be a touch of pink amongst all the browns or a tiny touch of yellow. You will want to add just a little bit of this 'Zing' to your fabric choices. Stick this colour onto your 'Colour Board' also and label it The Zing.

# Fabric selection. Now the fun starts! The best fabrics for this type of quilt are hand dyes, batiks, natural-looking patterns. Ordinary prints with an identifiable 'motif' are not usually suitable.(Eg flowers, cats, bows etc.) Fabrics other than cotton with a shine or texture can work well too. Search your stash for pieces of fabric in all the colours from your ‘Colour Board’ but do stretch your choices a bit. If one of your Base Colours is Aqua you could stretch over towards the blues and the greens, eg a blue-aqua and a green-aqua.

Ideally, you will need at least nine fabrics in each of the three 'colours' (27 fabrics, generally with most in the middle range, and a couple of the Deep Darks and Very Lights and a little touch of 'Zing') and you need the equivalent of about a fat 1/8th of each. The block finishes at 9" x 6" so pieces generally need to be larger than this although smaller pieces can be used for the appliqué. Pre-cutting a block background (6.5" x 9.5") from each fabric will considerably speed the construction process.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Camilla Watson Quilts