Supply List

Fireworks!

Helen Marshall, Instructor

The quilt pictured is a simpler version of "Fireworks for the Millennium" which won third prize in the Madeira Contest in Germany in 2000.  The original was made of 1 1/2" squares.  We will make it easier by quick piecing 2" squares. 

Fabric for the Background

You will need TWENTY 2" x 22" strips of tone on tone and starry fabrics either navy or black.  These do not need to be all different fabrics but try for a mix of at least ten. Plain fabrics will not work.

These are the sort of fabrics I used.  Some had tiny patterns on them that were tone on tone like the Moda Marbles, Fossil Ferns or little leafy sprays.  You will also need fabrics with stars or moons on them.  I suggest that you do not mix navy with black.  Choose one or the other.

FOURTEEN 2" squares of several bright printed fabrics......(Like the centre of a flower). This will make the centre of the Fireworks so choose fabrics that look a lot like the examples shown.  Small flower prints, batiks and solids are NOT suitable.

50cm square of very heavy non iron-on interfacing sometimes called pelmet Vilene or milliner's interfacing.  Pellon #70 should be heavy enough. You could use two layers of the heaviest interfacing (sew in).  Pelmet Vilene is available in the US from www.joggles.com. 

Timtex is available and is used for fabric bowls.  This will be suitable.

You can substitute the heavy interfacing used to make valances for curtains or two layers of heavy clothes interfacing.  You could also use a hoop under your machine, if you would rather. The idea is to have a sturdy surface that will not wrinkle with a lot of stitching over the same area.

Dampen this to preshrink before the class. This is important as you will need to damp press the quilt after all the machine embroidery.

To Finish the Quilt

Fabric for the backing, binding and sleeve.

• 1 yard washed cotton fabric for the backing, binding and sleeve. Your choice of wild or subdued.

For the Machine Embroidery

At least TWELVE different rayon machine embroidery threads. The shaded ones work well, the multicolored ones do not work so well.  I used over a dozen colours in my quilt.  Ordinary sewing polyester thread will not work.  These are the colors I used.  I do not have a preference for thread weight;  30 or 40 work equally well. 

I did not use the glittery threads as the layers were too thick and the thread broke a lot, but I did use them for adding highlights after all the machine embroidery was finished.

  
Rayon and metallic threads

• sewing machine plus all the accessories, including a 1/4 " foot
• instruction book
• oil
• darning plate, if necessary (to cover feed dogs if they do not drop)
• flat bed if you have one, as it is essential to have a flat surface when machine embroidering.

Please make sure that you are very familiar with the sewing machine you are using and it is in good running order.

• small beads, sequins and bugle beads, if desired

Miscellaneous Supplies

• rotary cutter
• cutting mat
• 12" x 3" ruler
• 1 packet of machine needles (sharps) in varying thickness including 
  • size 70
  • size 100
• and/or 
  • a jeans needle
  • a metallic thread needle
  • a machine embroidery needle
• stitch ripper
• scissors
• tweezers
• pins (plenty)
• tape measure
• scissors
• 20 safety pins
• black polyester thread
• Bobbinfill, Bottom Line by Superior or lingerie thread, black.
• iron
• an old tea towel (dish towel) for a pressing cloth.
• sticky labels to identify each strip
• spray starch  plus Q-tip or tiny paint brush
• fine black permanent textile marker to blend bright square with black squares

Optional: reducing glass, camera or binoculars for viewing the quilt.  The cheapest reducing glass is a peephole bought from the hardware store to be used in a security peephole.

I always pre-wash my fabrics before I start a quilt, especially with black fabrics as some of the dye might run.  Test each fabric by wetting a small piece and ironing on a paper towel.  If there is any sign of black rewash or put it aside to use for another project.

I experienced this with one of the Fireworks quilts when I used a square of fabric that had not been washed and it bled through to the machine embroidery. Fortunately, it was near the edge, so the quilt ended up oblong instead of square!  You may wonder why I am stressing this, but you will need to thoroughly damp press the quilt after all the machine embroidery to get it to lay flat, so do not tell yourself that this quilt will never be wet.

OUTLINE

You will machine piece an 18" x 18" wall panel of colourwashed squares of either black, navy, tone on tone or starry patterned fabrics and embellish with machine embroidery to depict fireworks. 

This is suitable for students with good piecing skills and a willingness to try embroidery with the sewing machine. The simplest sewing machine will work just as well as the "bells and whistles" machines, since the designs is all done with straight stitching.  Visit Google Images and search for "fireworks" for lots of inspirational photographs.

Lesson One

• cutting strips
• laying out the background

Lesson Two

• completing the background
• adding the bright centres for the fireworks

Lesson Three

• machine embroidering the fireworks onto the background

Lesson Four

• adding extra sparkle with beads and sequins, if desired
• quilting
• binding 
• adding the sleeve

If you have trouble finding your supplies locally, many of our items are available online at Big Horn Quilts.  The notions are on a special page for your convenience.  Big Horn also carries a full line of fabrics and a good variety of dyeing supplies.