Supply List
Tessellating Stars
Cindy Thury Smith, Instructor
The quilt shown above is only one of many possibilities shown in class. Wait on any fabric purchases until you see what your options are and what style and size project you wish to make. Any assortment of scraps will allow you to make a sample block in Lesson One. If you have a large stash, you can choose from those or use all scraps.
The quilt can be multicolored in all scraps, in one background fabric with colored scraps for a floating stars appearance, in a monochromatic color scheme going from light to dark or in many prints of only two colors.
Fabrics
For all versions, avoid large scale prints and stripes. All fabrics should be preshrunk and pressed.
If you do not want to repeat a fabric, you would need about 70 different fabrics. A 12" square is enough fabric for one star or you can cut a strip 2 1/2" x 45" and the 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" pieces will be cut from that strip.
This quilt can also be made with one fabric for the background on which you float scrap stars. To do this version, you need
- 2 yards of the background fabric plus
- about 35 star fabrics (12" squares or a 2 1/2" x 45" strips with a 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" strip out of each star fabric).
If you wish to do the two color version, you will need approximately 35 prints out of each color in the dimensions listed above.
For ease in purchasing fabric if you wanted to do the two color version, you could purchase 7-9 prints in the same color, getting 1/2 yard of each fabric (each fabric will be repeated five times throughout the quilt top).
The monochromatic version is best done using scraps. See the all scrap version above.
Tools
- sewing machine in working order, oiled, with a new needle suitable for cotton
- rotary cutter and mat
- acrylic rotary ruler (at least 12" long)
- iron and ironing board
- scissors and pins
- thread to match your fabrics. If you are using many fabrics, I suggest gray thread.
OUTLINE
Lesson One
- what a tessellation is
- how to sew a quarter block
- how to sew a complete block.
- two easy non-tessellating designs
- two easy tessellating designs
Lesson Two
We will work with color and scrap fabrics in easy to intermediate level designs. Using planned placement of colors, you can make a
- Rainbow Fade
- monochromatic design
- diagonal rows of color
- a bordered and an on point design
Lesson Three
- more complex layouts, such as
- Barn Raising
- Around the World
- embellishing the Tess Star block,
- using stripes and sashing
- paper piecing a variation of the basic block
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.