– These materials are used to stabilize fabrics, making them firmer to stitch on, and are available in different weights. Stabilizers can be temporary, being torn away or dissolved when stitching is finished, or be permanent and left in place. They can be sew-in or fusible. Interfacing may sometimes be referred to as a stabilizer. Muslin and calico can also be used as stabilizers.
Fusible webs – These are made of an ultra-thin sheet of adhesive backed with a special paper. The heat of an iron causes the adhesive to melt and so fuse two fabrics together. Once fused, it forms a secure bond and prevents edges fraying. It comes in different weights, usually light, medium and heavy. Many brands are available and may vary slightly, so always read the manufacturer’s instructions before use. See Fusible Web Appliqué for more on using fusible web.
Embellishments
Embellishment is decoration, adornment and ornamentation and can be anything you choose to beautify your work – from using unusual threads for decorative embroidery stitches to adding trims and three-dimensional objects. Collecting embellishments is highly addictive as there are so many gorgeous braids, trims, ribbons, beads, buttons and charms available. See Crazy Patchwork and Decorative Quilting for more on embellishing. Embellishments generally fall into the following types but mixing and matching is fun.
• Ribbons, tapes, braids, cords, ricrac and thousands of other decorative trims.
• Bows, lace and broderie anglaise.
• Sequins and beads.
• Buttons, charms and shells.
Working with Fabrics
There are many aspects to consider when working with fabric, the most important being choosing them in the first place! This section takes a look at selecting fabrics and using colour, as well as practical aspects such as estimating how much fabric will be needed and preparing fabric for use. For information on hand and machine piecing, see Hand Piecing and Machine Piecing.
Choosing Fabrics
Choosing fabric is arguably the hardest part of making a quilt or other project. With almost limitless choice, where do you start? It is also one of the most exciting parts, with so many gorgeous colours and prints to choose from and combine in fresh and interesting ways. This is a the time when guilt over a large stash of fabric can turn into relief that there is so much to choose from – a collection of fabric seen together can yield interesting combinations that you might not have thought of otherwise. When choosing fabrics it might help to take the following points into consideration – colour, value, contrast and variety.
Colour, Value, Contrast and Variety
Colour – This is a driving force for quilters. Many people select fabrics after a colour scheme and quilt design have been decided but not always; falling in love with a particular fabric can be the starting point for a whole design and its colour scheme. Think about what works for you colourwise. What colours are you drawn to or repelled by? Do you like bold or subtle prints, bright or muted colours? If you are a beginner, it is usually best to work with colours you like and feel comfortable with.
Value – This is the lightness or darkness of a colour and many quilters find that a mixture of light, medium and dark colours produces the most visually satisfying result. A quilt that has fabrics all with the same colour value can look dull and boring. Fabric viewed through coloured lenses can reveal differences in value. Use a red lens for warm colours and a green lens for cool colours (see colour wheel diagram below and Design Tools: 3&4).
Contrast – This is often what gives a quilt additional interest, and contrast can be the juxtaposition of many things, warm against cool, light against dark, print against plain, large motif against small. Once you have chosen a preliminary collection of fabrics, look at them again to see if there is sufficient contrast.
Variety – This refers to the mix of fabrics used, as these can make a quilt more visually stimulating. Consider the style and scale of fabrics, mixing small prints with larger ones, and combining styles, such as florals with stripes, or geometrics with curves. Plain (solid) colours can work with busy prints to tie a design together.
Bright Idea
To get ideas about colours and fabric variety, look at fabric collections by fabric manufacturers. A collection will be the result of much hard work by a designer blending colours, value, contrast and variety.
Using Colour
A successful quilt design depends on many elements and colour choice is near the top of the list of things to get right. Probably the best advice is to choose the colours you like, especially if the project is to be used in your own home. It also helps to observe colour combinations you see around you and make a note of those that appeal to you. Taking a closer look at a colour wheel can also help you make colour decisions.
The colour wheel is a tool used to help make colour choices, showing the relationships between colours.
Common Colour Terms
It is helpful to learn some basic terms describing colour.
Hue – another name for colour.
Primary colours – blue, red and yellow.
Secondary colours – violet, green and orange.
Tertiary colours – yellow-orange, red-orange, red-violet, blue-violet, blue-green and yellow-green.
Analogous colours – colours next to each other in the colour wheel.
Complementary colours – colours opposite each other in the wheel.
Value – a colour’s lightness or darkness.
Tint – a colour with white added.
Tone
