Supply List
Designer Pinwheels
Dena Crain, Instructor
This class presents a lot of information. The material walks you through the process of designing your own quilt top. However, you may use the pattern I provide if you are uncomfortable with designing your own, or if you are simply in a hurry and do not wish to bother with designing.
All along the way, we will consider alternative ways of doing things, always looking for ways to make the job easier for you.
SUPPLIES
- your stash of fabrics
- 1 square yard or meter of lightweight non-woven fusible interfacing, chosen to add the minimum amount of support to your usual preference of fabrics. This interfacing has heat-activated adhesive on one side only. I recommend Pellon 900 series, specifically Pellon 911, or Vilene H 250.
- sewing machine and regular sewing kit:
- standard needles for piecing and quilting
- regular sewing foot for piecing
- selection of threads
- optional selection of notions for embellishments (cords, laces, trims, beads, buttons, and others)
- ruler (a yardstick would be good to have on hand for measuring, but a drafting ruler for drafting straight lines is also needed)
- pencil, eraser or rubber
- fine point black permanent marking pen
- disappearing or washable ink fabric marking pen
- masking or cellophane tape
- craft knife with very sharp blade and a piece of cardboard to use it on
- a design board or wall is highly recommended
To make a Designer Pinwheel design, you will need to draw and replicate your drawings. You can work by hand by drawing, tracing, shading and enlarging manually. If you have access to a photocopier, you can use it to replicate and perhaps to enlarge your designs.
If you are designing by hand:
- Paper for small-scale drawings and tracings - 1/4” grid graph paper and tracing paper, several sheets of each
- One or more large sheets of brown paper or newsprint to draft your pattern on, each at least half the size of the finished quilt
Alternatively, you can use a computer and printer to make your designs. You will design, draw, shade, and replicate on screen, and print your pattern on printer paper. Use of color is optional and not necessary for this class.
If you are designing by computer:
- general graphic design (draw or paint) software program
- printer with printer paper and black ink cartridge
Footnotes
Nothing special in the way of fabric is required until you find you really need a particular color, pattern or stripe.
Freezer paper is not suitable for Designer Pinwheel designs. Fusing agents, particularly those that bond one layer of fabric to another like WonderUnder and StitchWitchery, are not suitable. You need non-woven fusible interfacing such as Pellon series 911 or Vilene H250, lightweight but somewhat stiff.
Rotary cutting equipment is not required, and indeed, may not even be used. Never use a craft knife on your rotary cutting mat. It will cut irreparable gouges in the mat.
As this class presents design and construction of a quilt top, we will not be quilting, so no batting or wadding is required until you are ready to quilt.
The focus of this class is on design. Once you understand the design technique, you may be able to use a computer to accelerate the process. These quilts lend themselves easily to design by computer. A computer will enable you to see many designs before choosing one you wish to make.
If you wish to experiment with computer-aided design, please do so after you fully understand the design method. I cannot advise you on how to use a specific software program; you will have to refer to the program’s Help file for those instructions. What I will do is to include general computer design tips throughout the class.
OUTLINE
Lesson One: Design I
- look at the design structure
- how to make several designs
- select the best one
- make a pattern
Lesson Two: Design II and Preparation
- how to locate and maximize the design’s focal point
- instructions for making a full pattern on fusible interfacing
- how to use the pattern
- experiment with value studies
- fabric selection
- consider how solids, stripes, and prints can be used to best advantage
Lesson Three: Construction
- piecing methods
- Inset Angle Piecing.
- planning construction
- begin sewing the design
Lesson Four: Advanced Design
- designing with curves
- examine
- border options
- working with multiple Pinwheels
- skewing the design for a focal point shift
- brief discussion on embellishing your quilt
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.