Week 1 - Fabric Fabric Fabric!!! and MASSIVE Giveaway!!

Quilt Class 101 - Week 1 - Fabric!

Fabric.... is one of my MOST favourite parts about the whole quilting process. When i went to my first craft show a few years ago.... I absolutely fell in love with fabric. The colours, the vibrancy, the florals, the geometric designs, the textures. As each new range is released... i wonder how it could possibly be better than the last range... but somehow it is... and i once again become infatuated by the next new thing.

Throughout this class i want to share with you 'my' way of making a quilt. It might not necessarily be the right way... just my way. Throughout the course i will also expose you to 'other' ways of doing things.. I will have featured bloggers, my favourite designers, my online friends, ALL to help you find the way that best suits you... and get you sewing up a storm. AND if you have a certain way 'you' do things... i want to be able to share that too, by linking up your tutorial at the bottom.


***Fabric***

           Quilters (and me) primarily use a Medium weight 100% Cotton fabric. Its easy to work with, its washable and being a natural product it is durable and has longevity. As you may have noticed, Quilting has become more modern and experimental, you will see this also in fabrics. Quilters are experimenting with linens, cotton/linen blends, cotton canvas fabrics, gauze's, velveteens, and flannels. These fabrics are amazing and can add a nice texture and elegance to a quilt, be careful, they can be a little tricky to work with. Most of my quilts are made using medium weight 100% cotton and if your a beginner I would recommend you make your first few quilts with this. Now,

Where to buy??

          It can be a little daunting when you get first think... OK I'm going to make my first quilt and now i need fabric.... and wonder where to start.

          Look Locally, Most people have a great little quilting store right around the corner. They sell lots and lots of beautiful fabric and all the things you need to get you sewing. OR... Get ONLINE!!! There are so much amazing fabrics available... you just need to know Where to go and What to look for...If you have a look along the right hand side of my blog or look HERE, I have a list of all my favourite online shops. Online shopping can sometimes be easier as you can shop whenever it is convenient for you... and if your like me... you don't have to take your kids into the shop and bribe them with the world, in order for them to be quiet and still. These great online fabric stores have great ranges of fabric, great customer service and super fast shipping. If I order from a Aussie online shop... my fabric usually arrives the next day or two or from a U.S online shop... It usually takes 7-10 days... its quick..

Pat Bravo Upcoming Hyperreal Garden

How to Choose what to get??

          From me there is really only one answer.... Go with what you love! If you sit and browse through the shops... you will find fabrics that you are drawn to, colours that YOU like. Do you like florals? geometric? dots and stripes? beige's? blues? or hot pinks? yellows?? There are countless numbers of colour books that you can read all about colour wheels... cools V's warms etc. But i just find....to much info... Go with what YOU love. If you find a fabric print you love... it will work. You will enjoy working on it and enjoy it long after it is made.

          Lots of the fabric available these days are 'Designer' fabrics. My favourite designers such as Pat Bravo, Anna Maria Horner, Heather Ross, Saffron Craig, Amy Butler and many others, release their fabric in a RANGE/COLLECTION. They design anywhere from 10- 30 designs in different colour ways that all compliment each other. They also sometimes release coloured solid fabrics and or 'blenders' (nearly solids with faint design) to match their range perfectly.
          So, if i have just clicked on a online fabric store.... I go to the newly released fabric ranges and scroll through to find a collection i like. Each fabric store has different pages or sections on their site to help point you in the direction you need to go. You can find fabrics in certain colours? Or themes? Or designs...perhaps dots? Or perhaps a specific designer you like... etc.  If you find a particular fabric that you are drawn to.. see if it is listed as part of a collection and find the co ordinating prints to go with it. It takes the guess work out for you. I find it much too difficult to try and look through all the individual fabrics and try and put ones together that match or that would 'go' together....  You can be guaranteed success when you buy fabric all from the same range they will compliment each other and match. Another way is, Some fabric stores list fabrics in bundles. They take different fabric prints and put them together with other prints and colours to create their own bundles that all go together...You might find a bundle they have created that you like.
 

Marine Fat Quarter Bundle - Fabricworm



What to buy??

 Two words.... Yardage and Precuts.

Yardage?? In America, Quilting fabric is sold by the yard. Here in Australia it is sold by the metre. The fabric is usually between 42"-44" wide or for us Aussies 110 cm wide.

1 yard = 36" = 91.44cm

Precuts?? Precut fabric is fabric that has been cut to a specific size and sold individually or commonly in bundles. Some precut terms -
Fat Quarter - A fat quarter is a fabric piece measuring 18" x 22". If you cut one yard of fabric into quarters.... you get 4 Fat Quarters. I made this quilt, this quilt, this quilt with fat quarters. Some stores sell these fat quarters either individually or in bundles of co-ordinating prints.

 Jelly Roll - Some manufacturers and stores sell their fabric in 2 1/2" strips. They all have different names such as Roll -ups, and Designer Rolls or Jelly Rolls. These strips are a 2 1/2" wide strip x the width of the fabric. I made this quilt with a jelly roll.

Charm Pack - Is a pack of fabric containing around 42 squares measuring 5" x 5", I made this quilt with a charm pack.

Layer Cake - Is a pack of fabric containing around 42 squares measuring 10" x 10".
There are many more... but these are the common ones that I use. Moda (a fabric manufacturer) has an index explaining each of the different packs and what is in them.

          These precuts are a great way to buy a whole range or collection without having to buy yards and yards of fabric. I am a BIG fan of precuts. I LOVE fat quarters and Charm packs.

How much to buy???

          Its like the question..... How long is a piece of string??? Although, this the first question people ask me when talking about buying fabric... and its a difficult question...?? If you have a specific pattern you are following... the fabric amounts are listed. If you are designing up your own quilt... well, you kinda of have to guess. For a few of my quilt patterns, I drew the design, worked out how much fabric i needed and then ordered the correct amount. However this isn't all that fun.
           I prefer to find a bundle that i like... say around 12-20 Fat Quarters. I then choose 3 or four of the prints i 'really' like out of the bundle and i buy a yard or two of each to match. The amount really depends whether its a baby quilt, a lounge quilt, a queen size quilt, whether you have large panels, or you cut small pieces. Obviously the smaller your pieces the more fabric you will need as you need to allow for your seam allowance. So I usually buy between 7-14 Yards for a quilt. That makes a nice lounge/single bed size quilt. 7 Yards fits into a post pack nicely for around $12-$14 postage. And if i need extra i can either order more?? Or pop into my local quilt store to grab some more fabric that matches and fits in nicely. If you look at my SHOP section, you can see my quilts and i have a brief description of what fabric i used. That might give you an idea.


Pat Bravo's Bazaar Style Collection

           Now, for this Quilt Class......?? You may be wondering what fabric do i need for this class??? Well, its entirely up to you. During this class I'm going to obviously make a quilt. The quilt i am going to make is a quilt that will teach you techniques. You can make 'my' exact quilt if you want... but what i was planning on doing is teaching YOU how to design and make your own. Next class will be on design.. and i will give you the specifics on the quilt I'll be making if you want to follow along... But otherwise, buy your fabric... and next week I will give you options and places to look for inspiration to help you design your own.
          Now that we have spent all this time talking fabric... wanna WIN some??? With a BIG thanks to my amazing Sponsors and stores that wanted to jump on board to help get you sewing for the class..... We have LOTS of prizes....

***GIVEAWAY***
Now Closed

1st Prize

$50 Gift voucher to The Fat Quarter Shop

2nd Prize

Spring Street Fat Quarter Bundle from Hawthorne Threads

3rd Prize

$50 Gift Voucher to The Fat Quarter Shop

4th Prize

Marine Fat Quarter Bundle from Fabricworm

5th Prize

Lovely Punch Fat quarter bundle from Oz Material Girls

6th Prize

$25 Gift Voucher from Quilt Home

7th Prize
$25 Gift Voucher Pink Chalk Fabrics
8th Prize

$20 gift Voucher from Craft Girls Workshop

9th Prize

$20 Gift Voucher from Canton Village Quilt Works

10th Prize

$20 Gift Voucher from Sew Mama Sew

11th Prize

$20 Gift Voucher for Oz Material Girls facebook Auction site.

 The Oz Material Girls have a great Facebook Sale Page where they run regular $1 Auctions and Buy It Now Sales - Join in the buzz with many out of print and hard to find fabrics up for grabs!!

Lovely Punch Fat Quarter Bundle

What do you think??? Amazing hey!!! SO, like i explained HERE, to enter this Giveaway, leave a comment and tell me

 What is your favourite fabric range at the moment..?????

 If your not sure, have a scroll through the shops HERE and pick one!!

AND for all my lovely old and new followers.. you can leave another comment!!
Make sure you I am able to contact you with an email address if you win..

Giveaway closes Monday 11th April... xx Good luck! xx