Supplies Required for Course
Assembling the Quilt Top
• Usual machine sewing supplies used in previous class; i.e., neutral thread, needles, seam ripper, measure tape, etc.
• Fabric for sashing and borders
• Fabric to make backing that is 6” larger than finished quilt top
• .5 mm mechanical pencil
• Quadrille ruled graph paper
• Rotary grid ruler
• Rotary Cutter and mat
• 15” or larger square rotary grid ruler
• Good fabric scissors
• YLI Wonder Invisible Thread: clear if quilt colors are light; smoke if the colors are bright or dark
• Batting that is 6” larger than finished quilt top
• Size #1 nickel-plated safety pins – at least 300. Manufacturers number their pins differently, you want safety pins that are 1” long.
• Masking tape
• Large Binder clips (found in office supply stores) – If we do this as a group, we can use teacher’s clips
Quilting the Quilt Top
• Sewing machine in good working order. Although a smaller Featherweight-size sewing machine is wonderful for piecing, it is not heavy enough for machine quilting.
• Walking or even-feed foot for straight line, in-the-ditch machine quilting. This foot is indispensable; you cannot do a good job of machine quilting without it. Some brands are quite expensive. The only foot that fit my machine was expensive, and I had to view its purchase as a long-term investment in quality workmanship. Quilt shops and sewing catalogs carry generic models that may fit your machine. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and instructions for attaching it.
• A good 14 (90) machine quilting needle. These needles are especially made for quilting. If you cannot find the specific machine quilting needle, you can substitute a regular 14 (90) needle.
• Threads: YLI Wonder Invisible Thread for top; dressmaker thread to match the backing in the bobbin. Choose YLI “clear” if your fabrics are light; “smoke” if they are dark or intense. You may have to use both and change colors at times, depending upon the fabric colors in areas you will be quilting. A thread stocking (small plastic net sleeve) will help control the YLI monofilament thread from unwinding at will.
• Thread snips. They’re nice to have handy to snip the thread tails as you quilt.
• An old pair of tweezers will help you get out of tight situations with closed basting pins showing up in awkward positions.
• As you have been working with your fabrics, you may have noticed that your hands lose natural oils, become dry and have less “traction.” Also, “older” fingertips evidence the decline of pronounced fingerprint indentations caused by years of hard work and thinning skin. These factors make it more difficult to grip onto and guide your quilt’s flat surfaces during machine quilting. That’s why you need to use either rubber fingers, latex gloves, cotton gloves with gripper dots made for machine quilting, or two 6” squares of mesh rubber shelf liner.
• Large rubber bands, the kind the postman bundles your mail with.
• Optional: Bicycle clips to hold the rolled-up edges of your quilt while you’re quilting. You don’t have to go to a bicycle shop; you can find these at quilt shops and fabric store notion displays. The metal clips won’t work very well until they’re wrapped with strips of leftover cotton fabric or muslin. All types loose their usefulness as the thickness of the rolled quilt edge they’re holding diminishes.
• Optional: A Quilter’s table is a clear, Plexiglass surface on short, adjustable legs that surrounds the bed of your sewing machine and expands the work area while supporting your quilt as you sew. It’s another expensive quilting aid, and you absolutely can machine quilt without it; but it’s very helpful, especially if you later want to try free-motion machine quilting of decorative motifs in open areas. A quilter’s table would be a very nice gift -- hint to someone who might buy you one! Of course, if your sewing machine drops into a cabinet, you already have a larger area to work on.
• Size 8 perle cotton
• Betweens: #5, #6 or #7 – the smaller the number, the larger the needle.
• Inexpensive needle threaders
• Quilting hoop: my favorite is oval or curved rectangular approximately 13” X 20”.
• Thimble – my favorite is a flesh-toned plastic one with an open side
• Thread Heaven or beeswax
• Fabric marking instruments
• File folders
• Freezer paper
• Stencils and quilting designs (your own or from my book)
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