SAMPLES FOR FULL DAY CLASS
This quilt "Patriotic Pelican Politicians Promote the Vote" Flamingo pattern comes in two sizes
was made to showcase my pelican and fish patterns. approx. 14"x24" and approx. 11"x17"
FLOWER SAMPLES (sizes vary...approx 10-12"x12")
A "natural pelican" (made from same The fish is available in 2 sizes
pattern as above)(12"x26") 7"x14" and 10"x17"
I also have a pattern for the cat in my quilt "Fatal Attraction"
FULL DAY CLASS: TURNED EDGE MACHINE APPLIQUE
SUPPLIES
Freezer paper, 3 pieces the size of the pattern (Walmart carries rolls)
Sulky Totally Stable (or any iron on stabilizer) 1-2 pieces the size of the pattern
Smallish, stiff paint brush
Pattern (mine or your own......however, small, intricate patterns are not suitable)
Starch mixed approx. 50/50 or heavy duty spray starch
Pencil
PERMANENT marker (I prefer extra-fine)
pins (I like silk pins)
Tape (I prefer the blue painter's tape)
Iron (hot, heavy, not the little applique "irons")
Ironing surface (a hard surface is better than a soft one)
Paper scissors
Fabric scissors
1 sharp hand needle
Snips or small applique scissors
Seam ripper or stiletto
Fray check (optional)
Thread to match each fabric or invisible thread (I use matching bobbin thread)
Sewing machine (in good working order). I use an invisible hem stitch but a small zig zag will work if
your machine does not have one. Extra bobbins are nice.
If you have a favorite applique needle for your machine, use it (always bring more than one, don't tempt fate) Schmetz universals work well for most people, but the needle is matched to the thread so if you wish to use a heavy thread, bring the appropriate needle, if you are using fine thread a small needle is best.
Fabric: Fat quarters are probably alright for a small pattern, but be sure the fat quarter is big enough to cover the piece you want to use it for. You need long pieces of fabric for some patterns.
You can, of course, pick the natural colors of your design (pink flowers, green or gray fish, etc.) You can also choose any color or combination of colors you want. BE SURE TO HAVE LIGHT, MEDIUM AND DARK fabrics. Value is more important than color in most patterns. Also, be wary of large or busy prints, you will have a great deal of trouble keeping your image clear.
Bring a piece (or more than one) for the background, a little bigger than your pattern. (If your background is dark you may need saral paper or something like it to transfer the pattern to the background but I seldom applique directly on the background)
If you do not have fingernails, you will need a stick, toothpick or something to push the wet edges down when you iron.
HALF DAY CLASS "MAKING YOUR OWN PATTERN"
You will need 3- 4 "blown-up" gray scale (black and white) images to work from. You will chose one to work on in class, but having a variety will lower the risk of frustration. It is always difficult to prepare for a class, because you don't know exactly what the class is about, if you did, you wouldn't need the class, Catch 22. That is why I recommend several possible projects to pick from. My techniques are designed to work with very large images. Life size or small intricate patterns do not work with my techniques. When you have made a blow-up, look at what would become the smallest pieces of applique and decide if it is big enough. I generally work from large blow-ups of photographs (24" x 30", 40" x 60" etc.) There are labor intensive ways to blow up a picture on your home computer using Photoshop Elements. I use a local printing company where I can get blow ups made relatively cheaply ($4-8) and have one big image to work from. (The options are almost usually a 24" roll or 36" roll of paper. You can, therefore, create a image that is 24" or 36" by any length.) When you go in to make a blow-up on your own, be sure to look for a "photo original" option on the copy machine. It makes a BIG difference. Don't be afraid to ask for help, but some store employees don't know about photo original, so you may have to find it yourself. You can blow up a regular photo (try to find an original photo with very good definition and don't expect a photographic image smaller than 2" x 2" to give good definition, by that I mean that the image, not the whole picture, should start at 2" x 2"; the face of the cat or the single fish or flower should be 2" x 2" and well defined) or you can blow up a copyright free image like the Dover books provide. If you use someone else's photo, you may need permission to show or sell your work. For this class, try to bring at least one quite simple image. You will be able to learn the technique and get more complex on your own. If you look at the samples for the full day class above you will see simple images and flowers that are blow-ups of Dover images and they are only 10 or 12", not 2-3 feet, again, learning on a simple image can be helpful. But if your goal is to make a more complex pattern, go for it! I know that many people want to make human portraits. I recommend you grow into that, not start with it. The human face is about the most difficult image you can try (PLEASE no babies or small children).
You will also need for class:
Sharpie or other PERMANENT markers (2 colors are nice to have but not essential)(I prefer the extra fine Sharpies)
A pencil
Tracing paper, the size of your blow-up (If you prefer to work with fusibles instead of turned edge applique, use parchment paper, which is available in most grocery stores, to trace)
A large light box or light source. Hopefully there will be windows we can use with tape, I prefer blue painter's tape.
Optional:
3 sheets of freezer paper each the size of your blow-up (if your blow-up is larger than the 18" freezer paper you can get at WalMart, you will need 3 times the amount of freezer paper needed to completely cover your image once, I will show you how to overlap it to make the final template) If you plan to use fusibles instead of turned edge applique, you will need only one sheet of freezer paper the size of your image.
A hot, heavy iron
A fairly hard ironing surface
Bring optional supplies if you want to try to make your templates from your pattern in class.
A small amount of note paper is a good idea for any class.
PLEASE EMAIL ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS!!!