Art Quilt Collage Design Sketches
From Art Quilt Collage: A Creative Journey in Fabric, Paint and Stitch
Class Description:
The eight design guides in Art Quilt Collage help get the creative juices flowing! Create a “sketch” for each of the design guides using fused fabrics. Learn to edit, audition, and improvise using a super-helpful design checklist. Explore adding details with machine and hand stitching. The completed set of fabric sketches can be used as instruction and inspiration for future art quilts. This class is for everyone from eager beginners to advanced quilters. A knowledge of fused appliqué is helpful, but not required.
Book Reference:
“See What Happens Exercise,” p. 35
“Design Checklist,” pp. 30 to 32
“Eight Design Guides,” pp. 22 to 28
Class Length:
6 hours
Class Supply List:
- Required text: Art Quilt Collage: A Creative Journey in Fabric, Paint and Stitch
- 8 pieces of felt cut approximately 4˝ ´ 4˝ inches
- 5 pieces of prefused fabric approximately 10˝ ´ 10˝ inches (choose fabrics that work well together; solids work great, and small prints can add interest)
- 3 skeins of embroidery floss to coordinate with fabrics
- Scissors, rotary cutter, and cutting mat
- Embroidery needle
Class Agenda:
1. Review the “Eight Design Guides” on pp. 22 to 28.
2. Look at examples of other art quilts, traditional quilts, or other works of art that use the “Eight Design Guides.”
3. Each student begins slicing, chopping, and cutting fabric and creating eight small compositions, one for each of the eight design guides.
4. Edit, adjust, and bounce between compositions until students are pleased with each design.
5. Refer to the “Design Checklist” before finalizing the designs.
6. Fuse pieces to felt.
7. Refer to pp. 66 to 69 for ideas for embellishing with hand embroidery.
8. Add embroidery details.
Additional Ideas:
- Challenge students to bring in examples of the eight design guides.
- Encourage students to explore specialty fibers for embroidery.
- Review “Gathering a Fabric Palette” on p. 18. Practice picking focus fabrics and coordinating fabrics.
NOTE: These class plans are available as free downloads on the C&T website. Please do NOT provide detailed instructions for the actual project(s) or technique(s) here—doing so will detract from your book sales.
