Supply List

Fabulous Fusible Flower

5 day retreat

 

Turn a favorite flower photo into a Fabulous Fusible Flower art quilt.  Learn how to use fabric and thread as an artist uses paint and pencil to create a beautiful flower quilt. You will start with your own flower picture and learn how to break it down into simple shapes to make a pattern. You learn techniques for picking the right fabric colors while developing your own creative style. Color is everything in building these flower quilts.  Next, you will learn how to finish your flower using Melinda’s technique, Renegade Thread Play, which is a simple method of free motion quilting (don’t get nervous—we’ll do a sample project using the technique before you try it on your flowers).  This will add detail and highlights to your flower quilt.  Each day we will enjoy the beauty of flowers and you can’t get better than that!

 

Flower Picture or Photo for Inspiration

Bring a realistic picture of the flower or flowers that you would like to interpret. You may want to bring a few to choose from. You can make a color copy but you need to bring the original picture for the best color. We use the original picture to select our fabric colors. Color is everything!

 

Background Fabrics

1-2 yards each of assorted background fabrics.  How much you bring will determine the size you would like to attempt.  Remember, you will have to get the finished quilt under your sewing machine so don’t start out too big.  Look at your picture to get an idea for the color of fabric to bring.  What color do you see in the background of your picture?  That’s the color or colors you should bring.  Bring a couple of choices to play with.  I will be helping you with this decision, so don’t worry.

 

Fabric Palette

Bring as many colors of fabric as you see in your picture. Look at the petals, the center of the flower and the leaves. 1/2 yards or fat quarter yards work great. The more the better.  You can never have too much color or fabric.  You will need value in your fabric colors: lights, mediums and darks.  The fabric can have patterns or designs on them but need to read more like a solid than a pattern.  We will go over all of this in class and I will help you find the right colors.  There will be plenty of opportunity to acquire more fabric if you are not sure what you will need.

 

Drawing and Tracing Supplies

For making our pattern: tracing paper, pencils, a fine tip Sharpie marker, clear tape and freezer paper or drawing paper.

 

Steam-A-Seam 2 (Not the Lite)

This is the fusible that I use and there is a reason why I use this.  Please try and bring the right fusible to class.  You will need at least 6 yards of  18” wide.  Steam-A-Seam 2 comes in different widths including packages.  Bring what you can find.  I will have some in class for you to purchase, if needed.

 

Straight pins

Rotary Cutter and 3” x 24” long ruler

Scissors

Paper scissors and fabric scissors.  The fabric scissors need to be big, comfortable and sharp.

 

Iron and Ironing pads

Irons will be provided in class. You can bring your own, if you like.

 

Sulky 30 Weight Thread

This is the thread that I use because it is thicker than most threads.  While you may not get far enough in class to use this thread on your flower we will be doing a sample project in class.  I will be bringing some to play with and packages will be available for sale.  Sometimes it is hard to find

but you can find it at Hancock of Paducah's web site.  Remember, it is 30 weight.

 

Bobbin Thread

In a neutral color or a color that matches your backing fabric.  I use Arufil in a 50 weight.

 

Needles

Jeans Denim 90/12 or 90/14 or Top Stitch 90/12 or 90/14.

 

Sewing Gloves

These help when we are doing the free motion thread play.  There are a lot of different gloves and finger cots on the market and you may have a favorite that you prefer.  Bring what you like.

 

Sewing Machine

Please have your sewing machine in good working order before you come to class.  If you are traveling there will be machines to rent. Know how to drop your feed dogs for free motion quilting. Please know how to work your sewing machine before you come to class.

Nothing is sadder than not knowing how to work a machine in class. 

 

Free Motion Foot or Closed Toe Darning Foot

This is used in the Renegade Thread Play.

 

Supply's for A Sample Project (optional)

In class we will make a small flower book cover to practice our thread play on. This is optional but fun. You can wait till you get to class to purchase your supplies or bring them with you.

The flower will be a pansy. You will need 1/4 yard of 3 colors in the same family (like purples, yellows, pinks, etc. Pansies comes in all colors.) You will also need 1/8 yd white or a cream fabric and 1/8 yd of  2-3 greens for the leaves. 1 black and 1 bright yellow - these can be 3” square scraps.  

1 yd for the inside of the book

1 yd of outside of the book, which is going to be the color your pansy will sit on.

1/4 yd of a contrasting trim for around you book

1/2 ydd of Low Loft Cotton Batting

 

Medium Size Safety Pins

To hold your quilt sandwich together while we do our Renegade Thread Play.

Too small and it won’t go through the fusible very well.

 

 

 

If you have any question please email me.