Supply List

Gradations and Transparencies

Carol Miller, Instructor

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Gradations and Transparencies   In this advanced color class, you will learn to do more than match your fabric and move beyond picking two hues from across the color wheel.  Carol Miller begins with a look at gradations, fabrics that are the same color but move in an orderly way from low to high intensity.  You will learn tricks for showing off these fabrics or for using them with commercial prints.  You will also learn some artist's tricks, such as creating the illusion that one fabric is crossing over another.  This class assumes that you have a large stash to play in.  You will be cutting up strips of lots of fabrics and sewing them together in a multitude of ways.  When you finish, your mind will be filled with rainbows and your quilts will have a new sparkle.  Level: intermediate.  Extra week after Lesson Three.  Basic understanding of color terminology is essential.  Four Lessons.  See Supply List. 
$37     Class starts March 29.

Lesson One opens on Mar 29; Lesson Two, April 5; Lesson Three, April 12; and Lesson Four, April 26.  Once a lesson opens, it remains available until this classroom closes on May 17.

The only way to learn about how colors interact is to use them.  This class will involve a lot of cutting and sewing, but most of the fabrics should come from your collection.  If shopping is a plus for you, I have included some lines of fabrics that would provide gradations of color.  You are not making a quilt or a set of blocks that can be made into a quilt.  The sizes and styles of the different exercise blocks will be quite different from one lesson to the next.

There will be more exercises than you can complete during the class.  You can do these later as ongoing study or not at all.  Some effects are seen easily by stacking fabrics up next to each other but most of the time, you will have to actually sew things together to get the full impact.

This is an advanced color class.  You should be comfortable with basic color wheel information as covered in either of the Quilt U classes, Color Companions or Creative Color, or learned through art classes or independent study. 

Fabrics

You are meant to be mainly working from your stash, not going out to buy all the fabrics from scratch.  If you do not have a wide selection of fabrics, this class may not be a good choice for you.

Unless you need larger pieces for a plain border, 1/2 yard pieces will be more than enough for each class exercise.  Fat quarters will give you seams you may not want.  You should choose FOUR hues to work with.  You can use:

• hand dyed fabrics, yours or purchased
• mottled batiks, rather than those with clear two color designs
• commercial solids
• commercial prints in tone on tone or mottled textures

Several lines are currently available with a range of gradated colors if you feel the need to buy more fabrics.  Choose FIVE values of the same hue.  For example: dark, medium dark, medium, medium light, light.  Many of these fabrics are available at reasonable prices from www.webfabrics.net.

• Kona solids and the Multi-Dye line
• Hoffman's Bali Solids
• Moda Marbles
• Color Tree by In The Beginning
• Marble Mania and Gelato by Timeless Treasures

9 values in hand dyed fabrics

Other Supplies

• sewing machine, cleaned and oiled
• new needle in machine
• rotary cutter with fresh blade
• rotary mat and long ruler
• 12" rotary ruler, optional but nice
• 8" Bias Square ruler, essential for accurate units when piecing
• chalk marking pencil
• normal pencil
• short straight pins - our units will be small so long pins not work
• iron, ironing board
• design wall (check the Library if you do not understand what this is)
• a color wheel (recommended but optional)
• A shape will be provided so that you can make a template for the kaleidoscope but a ruler is very nice to have.  The least expensive and most flexible one on the market is the large Marti Michell Kaleido-Ruler (about $15) which is good for Stack 'n' Whack, too.  If you cannot find it locally, it is available from Hancocks of Paducah

Front and back views of a color wheel

OUTLINE

Lesson One

• look at an overview of color wheel types
• ask why a color is chosen
• examine the importance of value
• learn what a gradation is
• do some value exercises
• see the impact of intensity
• sew gradated strips sets for the kaleidoscope block

Lesson Two

• make the kaleidoscope template
• cut out the wedges
• add some prints to your gradations
• cut the wedges and play with design possibilities
• sew the kaleidoscopes
• look at other uses for strips
  • rail fence
  • courthouse steps
  • checkerboard illusions
  • framed squares

Lesson Three

• explore color interaction
• learn how to
  • choose colors to work together
  • choose backgrounds
• examine the impact of white versus black
• exercises
  • churn dash
  • radiating colors
• add strips to traditional blocks
• create your own stripes

Lesson Four

• optical illusions created by color and value
  • casting a shadow
  • creating a transparency
  • using shapes to help the illusion
  • exercise - the Intertwined Box
• finding your personal palette
• exploring luminosity

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.