Supply List

Filament Fantasy

Linda Schmidt, Instructor

Fabric

We will be making twelve 6 1/2" blocks, then creating a hanging sleeve. You will need fabric for the fronts and backs of these blocks, plus sashing strips, binding, and fabric for the sleeve. I used a single yard of a very vibrant hand-dyed fabric that shaded from gold to burgundy, through pink, for my background squares and sashing, but needed more for the binding.

You basically need about a yard of a background fabric and a small amount (fat 1/4 yard) of a contrasting one, but you can use different colors for each block if you prefer. One suggestion might be a black background with jewel-tone contrasting fabrics and sashing. DO NOT cut these fabrics up into squares, yet!!! Sometimes you will want to put it in an embroidery hoop, and you will need extra fabric around the edges in order to do that. You will also need a few squares of plain muslin or ugly fabric to stabilize the blocks as you stitch.

Of course, you may choose to arrange your squares in something other than my heart design.

Threads

This class is all about threads.  I am not out to make you buy a whole lot of new threads, but I do want to show you how to use what you have and get you to experiment with some very cool threads I have encountered that will make your life much easier.   See below for my recommendations of what to buy if you don’t have any specialty threads already (yeah, right).   Gather up whatever you have in colors that contrast/coordinate with your background and contrast fabric. We will use it. Make sure you have one or two spools of:

• fine metallic
• rayon in a couple of weights
• sliver (flat, tinsel-like, metallic)
• twisted fiber metallic (two or more threads twisted together)
• some fancy yarn  (just a little bit for couching)
• heavy metallic (about the weight of 6 strands of embroidery floss) 

If you do not have these threads already, consider:

My favorite fine metallic thread is Yenmet.  If it is not available near you, put the word "Yenmet" in your search engine.  YLI and Superior metallics are more readily available and are also very good.  They are fine metallic but covered with a very fine clear coating which makes them much stronger and smoother, so they will not break as easily or dull your needle as quickly.

Sliver Thread – Superior Thread makes an excellent sliver thread (flat tinsel-like thread with amazing reflective qualities) that they call Glitter.  It is much stronger than Madeira, Guterman, Sulky or Coats & Clark.  Get a spool of hologram sliver Superior thread just to compare it with the other kind.  Of course, I had to buy the $50 get-one-of-every-color-available kits, but I haven’t regretted it for a moment.  The spools last forever and do not break nearly as often.

Heavy Twisted Metallics – There are many sorts of heavy twisted metallic threads that are about as heavy as embroidery floss hanks: Madeira Glamour; Kreinik Fine Braid and Extra Fine Braid, Ricky Tim's Razzle Dazzle; and those anonymous threads that are wound on cards. These threads are lovely, and can mostly be used in the bobbin and to couch over. Probably the least expensive and most useful is Madeira Glamour thread.

Invisible thread – Very fine (.004 mm) invisible thread clear or smoke or both.  Use the clear for light colored fabrics, the smoke for dark colored fabrics.

Try to get some Madeira FS Jewel – Black Core, weight #20, as well.  If the store near you has a metallic #20 weight rack, there are about 10 colors or so, mostly in the gold and bronze tones, but there are also blue, purple, red, and other colors.  This thread feels very smooth, and has a metallic fiber wound around a black core, but sews just like cotton and looks almost like beading when you sew with it.

Superior Thread makes a thread called Halo, which is really meant for sergers, but can be used sparingly in the needle and definitely in the bobbin.  It comes in absolutely lovely variegated colors and is what I call a twisty horrible thread along with Supertwist.  Horrible in the needle, but magic in the bobbin.

Online thread resources:
www.needlestack.com/WebStore/thread.html
www.sewvac1.com/Products/embroiderythread.htm
www.threadneedlestreet.com/metbody.htm
www.sewthankful.com
www.FiberonaWhim.com
www.superiorthreads.com
www.thatthreadshop.com
www.clothilde.com

Other Stuff We Will Use During Class

Batting – We will be doing quilt as you go, so you will need batting. I use a fairly firm natural batting like Hobbs Wool, Warm and Natural, Hobbs 80/20, something like that but preferably not polyester. If you like, cut it into twelve 7" squares.

For this class, you need a sewing machine that will sew straight and zigzag, preferably with a few decorative stitches, but even they are not absolutely necessary.  You do NOT need a fancy sewing machine.  You do need a regular foot, darning foot and (preferably) open-toe sewing foot.  If you have a removable bobbin case, it is highly desirable to have a "black latch" extra bobbin case so you can set it for heavy threads and leave it set that way.

Sewing Machine needles:

• size 100 or 110 Topstitching (Schmetz System 130N) needles
• size 80/12 Sharp needles (Schmetz Microtex) or Quilting needles (for regular sewing)
• size 60/8 Sharp needles (Schmetz Microtex) (for sewing on beads)
• size 70/10 Sharp needles (Schmetz Microtex) (for appliquéing with invisible thread)

If you cannot find these locally, try www.schmetz.com  and order directly from the source.

• 1/4 yard of fusible woven interfacing
• Solvy, DSV, Dissolve, or Aqua-Solv – At least two packages of Solvy, or a roll of whatever soluble stabilizer you can find. Hospitals use laundry bags made of Solvy to wash their linens in, so if you cannot find it in stores, try a hospital supply place.  You can also get Solvy from www.quiltworks.com
• embroidery hoop – preferably 8 1/2" diameter thin one designed for machine embroidery
• freezer paper
• tracing paper (the kind you can see through easily, not dressmaker's carbon)
• regular white paper
• a water soluble marker
• Ultra Fine Sharpie marker
• lightweight fusible webbing like Misty Fuse, Wonder Under or Steam a Seam II Lite.  Do NOT get Heat N Bond! It will not work with the fusible foils.
• roll of 1/4" wide Steam a Seam II, if you can find it. Otherwise you will be stuck with hand hemming the backs of these blocks.
• bobbin thread or fine machine embroidery thread the color of your top background fabric.
• small piece of foil in a color to coordinate with your piece.  This is the foil you get in craft stores for decorating T-shirts, not the kind you cook with.  This is available from many sources.   I used coppery-gold.

Foil is available online at:
www.lauramurraydesigns.com
www.meinketoy.com 
www.bonash.com
www.jonestones.com

• seed beads
• fine hand-sewing needle, like Size 11 sharp
• stiletto, if you have one
• some acrylic or fabric paint in a color to coordinate with your background fabric, preferably one metallic and one base color.  I use Setacolor fabric paints by Pebeo (available in most craft stores or from www.dharmatrading.com or www.prochemical.com), but you could also use Versatex, Jacquard, Delta or even acrylic paints.
• small paintbrush
• hair dryer (optional) to dry things fast
• Sewer’s Aide – Silicon lubricant for thread, usually available at any fabric store. If you can't find that, get Thread Heaven, a different sort of lubricant.

EXTREMELY OPTIONAL SUPPLIES – Things you should know about, could use in this project, but are not necessary!

*Bonding Agent 007 – a powdered bonding agent that is a very useful fusible but can also be used to embellish fabrics.  This powder is available from Bo-Nash (North America Inc.), telephone 1-800-527-8811. They are located at PO Box 1797, Auburn, WA 98071, email gobonash@aol.com.  It can be used for many other things, besides foiling, such as putting up hems and repairing holes in wool garments, so if you are interested, tell Beryl "Linda sent me."

*LiquidBeadz - These are tiny beads that come in a clear glue  that you could use to embellish the insides of some of your hearts.  Available in the scrapbooking section of craft stores.

*Metallic paint powder that can be mixed with regular fabric paints or Shiva paint sticks to make them metallic; can be fused on with Misty Fuse

*Shiva iridescent paint sticks – paint stick crayons that can be used to do stencils and draw directly onto fabric

*Disappearing Paper – There are couple of kinds of this paper that can be used as a stabilizer, then dissolved in water, so decorative stitches can easily be stabilized without leaving paper behind. Sulky makes one (available in most sewing stores) and there is also one called Toni's Amazing Disappearing Paper (www.tonis-patterns.com).

OUTLINE

Lesson One

• Prepare Your Machine
  • Oil your machine
  • Set your bobbin tension
  • Gentlewomen, start your engines!
  • Sewing with normal threads.
• The Needle
• Dealing with difficult threads
• Block 1  Sewing with Normal and Rayon Threads
• Block 2  Sewing with Fine Metallic and Sliver Threads
• Block 3  Sewing with Horrible Threads
• Block 4  Sewing with 2 Threads Through the Same Needle
• Painted, Fused Wonder Under
• Foiled Again!

Lesson Two

• Disaster Control
• Preparing Fabric for Future blocks
  • Decorative Machine Stitching with Difficult threads
    • Stabilizers
    • Embroidery hoop as a stabilizer
• Fun with Appliqué
  • Invisible machine appliqué
  • Invisible reverse machine appliqué
• Block 7  Bobbin Work
• Block 8  Bobbin Cutwork

Lesson Three

• Block 9  Couched Machine Appliqué with Twisted Thread & Yarns
• Machine Beading with Invisible Thread
• Block 10  Little Bits of Stuff with Thread Embellishment
• Block 11  Shimmering Thread Hearts
• Block 12  Thread Heart Appliqué

Lesson Four

• Assembling the Quilt
• Binding
• The hanging sleeve

You may check the Class Supply Glossary in the Library for generic descriptions of products that may be sold under various names in different countries. 

If you have trouble finding your supplies locally in the US, many of our items are available online at Batiks Etcetera & Sew What Fabrics.  International students can check our Class Supply Sources.