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Thread:
I highly
recommend using contrasting threads for this project. The contrast
doesn’t need to be extreme—unless you want it to be. We want to be able
to see our quilting and we also want our quilting to be seen by others
when we are finished. Use what ever type of thread you and your
machine are comfortable working with. Use as many colors of threads as you
want on this quilt.
Quilting:
The quilting is going to be all
free hand, but we will be drawing registration lines on our quilt top.
You will need a marker that you are comfortable using on a quilt top. I
recommend the
Mark
B Gone, water soluble (blue) marker on light fabrics and a
Chalk O Liner
with
Miracle
Chalk power in it for dark fabric. I also like using
Crayola Fine
Line Washable Markers. Please note that the Crayola markers wash out
with detergent and warm water.
I
use the Crayola markers only on my own quilts,
NEVER, EVER on a customer quilt!
Quilting Designs:
Before quilting on the quilt, I
recommend practicing your quilting. I
highly recommend
purchasing a piece of clear, 1/8
inch Plexiglas (plastic). You can find this Plexiglas at your local
hardware store and it usually comes in a piece that is 18 x 24 inches. I
recently bought a piece of 18 x 24 inch Plexiglas and it was less than
$10 ($6.50 to be exact!) Before using the Plexiglas, take either
masking or duct tape (which now comes in many different colors) and
place it over the cut edges of your piece of the Plexiglas. The tape
serves two purposes. 1) It protects the edges of the Plexiglas.
Sometimes the edges can be a little sharp and could scratch you or
tear the quilt. 2) The tape will also make a boundary or edge around the
Plexiglas. This will prevent you from drawing off the edge of the
Plexiglas.
We are going to place this piece of
Plexiglas directly on top of the quilt top and draw your quilting
designs directly on the Plexiglas. I like to use a Vis-à-Vis
transparency marker to draw on the Plexiglas. You will be able to see
the quilt through the Plexiglas and see exactly how your quilting will
look when finished. NOTE: The Vis-à-Vis transparency marker wipes off
of the Plexiglas but it is
PERMANENT WHEN DRAWN
ONTO FABRIC! Ask me how I know
this! Erase the marker using damp paper towels.
Other items you may want to have on
hand to make the quilting easier—Temporary
Quilt Basting Spray, any
brand will work, 6 x 24 inch quilting ruler to make straight
registration lines.
REMEMBER this is a FUN project!
This project does not need to be perfect. World peace does not depend on
perfect piecing or quilting!! This is a project “just for you” and to
learn how to use your machine and quilt some new patterns and how to use
them in different ways. |