Quilting Tools

-- for design and construction

An outline of essential quilting tools and supplies needed for the design and construction of quilts along with an overview of instructional proceedures for each.

Step-by-Step Basic Bargello Design

Creating a basic 3-dimensional bargello design is a relatively simple advanced technique.

It's just a matter of plotting graduated vertical lines on graph paper and then super-imposing them over the background. The design can end up looking extremely simple or quite complicated depending on the nature of the vertical lines, also called spacer bars (i.e., if they are whole or segmented).

To keep this initial design as simple as possible, we will begin these lessons with a flat (non-movement) background. And to keep it interesting, we'll do some piecing.

Also, for simplicity of this first design, we will be using solid (one fabric) spacer-bars.

However, it's easy to become confused.

So we'll be going slow, taking it one step at a time and creating the most basic of 3-dimensional designs.

If this is your first time, you'll get the hang of it pretty quickly.

I'm assuming you already know how to sew. What we'll cover here is designing what you will sew.

*(Note: I took pictures, but my camera ate the film. I won't be able to show you pictures until I do it again. -- Sorry about that! -- But I thought you'd like to begin anyway.)

The following is an over-view of the step-by-step proceedures. We'll go into much more detail when I'm able to show you pictures.

So, let's get started.........

Design Tools and Supplies

1. graph paper -- I prefer to use an 11" x 17" pad of 10/10 squares per inch (that's 10 squares up; 10 squares over)
2. tracing paper (optional)
3. 12" ruler
4. 2 pens (1black; 1 red)
5. 1 erasible colored pencil
6. 1 #2 pencil
7. glue stick (optional)
8. scizzors (optional)
9. bargello design paper (optional) -- available in Marge Edie's Bargello Quilts design book.

Designing Instructions

1. lay out your quilt size on the graph paper using 1 square = 1/4"
2. plot your foreground spacer bars on the graph paper
3. write your cutting instructions
4. design and make OR choose fabric for your flat background
5. choose fabric(s) for your vertical spacer bars
6. lay out the order of the fabrics for your color-run (optional -- use for segmented verticals)
7. create your design in paper before cutting the fabric (optional but recommended)

Step-by-Step Bargello Construction

Once you've completed your design and written out your cutting instructions, putting your quilt together is just a matter following the cutting instructions you've laid out for yourself and methodically putting the strips on your design wall (or some other method of organizing them) in the correct order -- and then taking them off again -- one by one -- as you sew them onto your backing.

Easier said than done, by the way, but quite doable most of the time.

If you get confused and make a mistake, try to work it into the design so that it looks like it was suppposed to be there in the first place. After all, no one is going to see your original design but you. Other people will only see is the finished product. If that looks good, that's all that matters!

I don't consider most mistakes to be 'mistakes'. I consider them serendipity! ... or 'happy accidents'. My quilts rarely end up looking exactly like my original design. Usually, they look better!

It's very easy to get confused in several places during these steps. Just go slow and always check the design as it's going onto -- and then off of -- the wall to make sure your quilt is growing the way you want it to grow.

Construction Tools and Supplies

1. a flat surface upon which to cut and construct your quilt (a quilting table, dining room table, card table, etc.)
2. good lighting for the room as well as the cutting table and the sewing machine
3. a self-healing cutting board
4. rotary cutter
5. 3" or 4" x 18" minimim see-through quilter's ruler
6. sewing machine -- preferably with a quilting plate (a hole instead of a slot) and regular machine needles (you don't need quilting needles)
7. 1/4" quilting foot for your machine (optional but very handy)
8. thread -- preferably 100% cotton
9. scizzors (for cutting threads)
10. seam ripper
11. opti-visor #3 or #4 (optional) -- this is a magnifying lens that you wear on your head -- available from jeweler's supply store
12. iron (preferably dry)
13. spray bottle for water
14. ironing board and/or a pressing board for use on top of the ironing board
15. batting -- I like Warm n' White
16. quilting pins -- large safety pins used to hold all three layers together during sewing
17. a long straight-edge -- I use a 4-foot builders level to draw straight lines on the batting
18. a #2 pencil
19. a needle for hand-sewing the binding
20. pliers -- for pulling the needle through the fabric when hand-sewing the binding (I prefer the smooth-jawed chain-nose pliers available from jereler's supply store, but any pliers will do.)
21. thimble (optional)

Construction Instructions

1. lay out the fabric for your color-runs
2. cut the strips
3. sew the strips
4. press the strips
5. sew the tube
6. cut the tube
7. place the cut strips on your design wall in the proper order
8. prepare the backing and batting
9. remove the strips (one at a time) from the wall
10. sew the strip "Quilt-As-You-Go" method to the backing and batting
11. do your quilting stitches (optional)
12. prepare the binding
13. fit the binding to the quilt
14. sew the binding (machine for front side; hand-sewing for back side)
15. measure the quilt
16. wash the quilt
17. dry the quilt
18. measure the quilt (to check for shrinkage)

An Alternate Binding Technique

8. prepare the backing and batting (different dimensions than above)
9. thru 11. same as above
12. thru 14. turning and sewing the binding (extended backing fabric -- machine sewing on front side of quilt)
15. thru 18. same as above