Learn one of Heather Thomas’s favorite ways to create decorative quilts. This technique relies on the use of white or off-white highly textured fabrics, simple machine stitching and glorious painting.
Each piece begins with a collage of textural fabrics: no color, just texture. Then the piece is quilted using very simple fills. After the stitching is complete the real fun comes with paint.
Heather will show you how to use a variety of paint types, brushes and your fingers to add layers of delicious color to your stitched collage. She will also show you how easy it is to add highlights and lowlights to your piece.
Once you have created your beautiful project you want to make sure you finish it. Heather will also discuss a number of ways to add that finishing touch.
Once you’ve made one of these little beauties you’ll be hooked on the magic of texture and color and how you can bring them together to make glorious art quilts.
Class Sessions
Introduction
7:53
This class will begin with an introduction to the products needed to make one of these fabulous pieces. Included is information on paints, where to purchase or find highly textural fabrics, a display of quilting and a sampling of completed quilts using this technique.
Building the Collage
39:57
This session is all about putting together an interesting surface to hold stitch and paint. I will talk about some of the basic elements of good composition as I show a variety of ways to use various types of fabric from cheesecloth and sheer silk to embroidered cottons and ripped linens to put together a surface for the next steps; quilting and painting.
Quilting the Collage
22:05
In this session I will go through many options on how to approach the quilting of the collage. Then I will begin quilting the collage that was prepared in the previous session. I will discuss how to build additional texture and visual interest with the stitch line and show how to deal with more difficult fabrics such as gathered cheesecloth or rumpled up sheers.
Painting the Collage
41:47
In this session I will walk you through the two steps of achieving a beautifully painted collage. Beginning with color selection and painting of the entire base I will demonstrate strategies for successful painted surfaces. Then I will show how to pump up the surface with brushed and rubbed highlights and lowlights.
Finishing Up
3:36
In this session, I will use completed samples of the technique to walk students through a variety of ways to finish their painted collages. Including adding borders and more quilting as well as frame mounting.
Meet the Instructor
2:26
Learn more about your instructor, Heather Thomas
Your Instructor
Heather Thomas
Heather is a mixed media fiber artist with a passion for color and a dedication to teaching. After a decade of making original yet traditional work, she began venturing out toward art quilting, embellishments, and mixed media work. With more than 12 years of studying and teaching color and design under her belt, she wrote her second book, A Fiber Artists’ Guide to Color & Design, which came on the heels of her very popular first book, Fabric Embellishing: The Basics & Beyond. In 2011 Heather was a guest writer for Quilting Arts magazine with a multi-part feature on Free Style Machine Quilting. She also participates in group and individual instructional DVDs produced by the Creative Crafts Group. You can visit Heather’s blog at heatherthomasblog.blogspot.com.
Bonus Material
Collage! Quilt! Paint! - Supply List
Bonus Materials available for download after purchase.
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