Curl-Up Quilts Class Plan

by Becky Goldsmith & Linda Jenkins
Piece O' Cake Designs

NOTES TO INSTRUCTORS & SHOP OWNERS
You may not have considered hand appliqué and flannel together. But we have found that it can be a match made in heaven! Curl-Up Quilts features cozy, easy projects that pair simple appliqué with cuddly flannel for irresistible quilts and accessories. Be sure to read the information on pages 7-9 that tell you all about flannel and appliqué.

There are so many classes that you could offer based on this book! We have developed lesson plans for three of them:
"Sunny Days" is a happy quilt with flowers scattered across it.
"Meow & Woof" will appeal to pet lovers.
And who can resist those cute Wool Pincushions? A fast make-and-take pincushion class is sure to be a hit!

Here are some key points for working with flannel. Be sure to share these with your students at the beginning of class:

  • Always pre-wash flannel. It will appliqué more easily, with less fraying.
  • Try the marking pencils we recommend. Because flannel is fuzzy, it marks differently than regular cotton fabric.
  • Appliqué stitches may be a little bit bigger because the flannel is bulky. However, stitches hide better because they sink into the loftier flannel.
  • Flannel is thicker so points will be a little bit rounded. But flannel is soft and cuddly to the touch - softer points look better than harsh points.

STUDENT SUPPLY LIST

  • Required Textbook: Curl-Up Quilts by Becky Goldsmith & Linda Jenkins
  • Optional Textbook: The Appliqué Sampler by Becky Goldsmith & Linda Jenkins
    (This book contains additional information about appliqué techniques.)

Basic Sewing Supplies:

  • Small, sharp paper scissors
  • Small, sharp fabric scissors
  • An ultra-fine-point Sharpie marker
  • Clear, medium weight upholstery vinyl cut the size of the finished block (keep the tissue paper that comes with the upholstery vinyl)
  • One sheet of clear, heavy weight, self adhesive laminate for templates (buy the single sided sheets, not laminating pouches)
  • Appliqué needles
  • 1/2" sequin pins
  • 100% cotton thread to match your appliqué fabrics (DMC 50 weight machine embroidery thread, Mettler 60 weight machine embroidery thread, Aurifil 50 wieght, and YLI Soft Touch 60 weight thread are all good choices)
  • White chalk pencil - We recommend either General's charcoal white pencil or Stabilo Aquarellable pencil to mark darker fabrics
  • An Ultimate Mechanical Pencil for Quilters (.05 lead) to mark lighter fabrics
  • Permanent gel pen to draw the pupils in the eyes of the dogs and cats in "Meow & Woof"
  • A sandpaper board (bring a sheet of fine grain sandpaper if you don't have a board)
  • A baggie for your templates
  • A lamp and an extension cord in case the room is dark (optional)

TEACHER SUPPLY LIST
Some students don't make it to class with all of their supplies. Your class will go more smoothly if you have these items. If you supply laminate and vinyl, know how much you are going to charge your students for these items in advance.

If you are teaching a pattern that needs to be enlarged, it is better to make the enlarged copies for your students. This ensures that everyone has what she needs. However, each student must buy a copy of the book before you can give them a copy of the block for class.

  • Masking tape
  • Extra laminate sheets
  • Extra upholstery vinyl
  • Extra ultra fine point Sharpie markers
  • Extra white chalk pencils
  • A pencil sharpener
  • Extra sheets of fine grain sandpaper

We always give our students a packet with a couple of the needles that we prefer, a few 1/2" pins to try, and a round wooden toothpick to use in turning points and curves. That way we know that everybody starts out with the key tools for appliqué.

We bring several spools of appliqué thread in a variety of colors, so students can see what a difference good thread makes.

CLASS DESCRIPTIONS

Class #1: "Sunny Days"
(6-Hour Class)
The emphasis of this beginning/intermediate class is to teach the basics of hand appliquéing flannel while working on the flower block #6. You will work on a variety of hand appliqué techniques while perfecting your invisible stitch.

Class sample: If you don't have time to make the whole quilt, make Sunny Days Flower Block #6 in the 9" x 9" size. The more flower blocks you can make, the better your display will be.

Prepare the pattern for class: Make 3 copies of the block per student to use to make templates (page 63).

Fabric Required for Class:
Background fabric: Cut 1 square 11" x 11" for the background.
Scraps of fabric for the appliqué.

In the Classroom
Make templates (pages 62-63).

Make the positioning overlay (pages 65-66). The flowers are randomly placed on the block so there are no horizontal or vertical center lines. Be sure to keep the flower inside the seam lines of the block.

Teach the invisible appliqué stitch as you work on the different shapes (refer to THE APPLIQUé SAMPLER). Students are particularly interested in:

Cutaway appliqué on a leaf (page 69)
Inner and outer points on the flower (page 35)
Circle on the flower (page 70)

Class #2: Wool Pincushions
(make it and take it class)
We recommend that you cut wool kits for each pincushion before class. The Sushi Roll Pincushion requires very little hand sewing and is fun to embellish. The Volcano Pincushion has a little more hand sewing, but is too cute to skip.

Class sample: Make one or more of each pincushion in happy, coordinated colors.

Sushi Roll Pincushion
Fabric and supplies required for class:
Wool strips cut as directed on page 21.
A variety of buttons and/or other embellishments
Embroidery thread in colors to accent the wool

In the Classroom
Cut wool if it is not pre-cut for class (page 21).

Demonstrate how to roll the strips to make the sushi rolls (page 21).

Sew the roll closed (page 21).

Add embellishments (page 21).

Volcano Pincushion
Fabric and supplies required for class:
Wool volcano and lava strips cut as directed on page 17.
A variety of buttons
Embroidery thread in colors to accent the wool

In the Classroom
Make template if wool is not pre-cut for class (pages 62-63).

Cut wool if it is not pre-cut for class (page 17).

Sew the sides of the volcano (page 17).

Weight with rice and stuff with polyester stuffing (page 17).

Attach the "lava" strips and sew the volcano closed (page 17).

Add button embellishments (page 17).

Class #3: "Meow & Woof"
(6-Hour Class)
Fuzzy flannel pets - they are just too cute! The emphasis of this beginning/intermediate class is to teach the basics of hand appliquéing flannel while working on either a dog or cat block. You will work on a variety of hand appliqué techniques while perfecting your invisible stitch.

Class sample: It is easier if the class works on the same block. Decide if you want to work on a dog or cat block. We suggest either Woof Block #2 or Meow Block #3. If you don't have time to make the quilt, make up a class block. Make more blocks as you have time.

Prepare the pattern for class: Choose the pattern you want to work on in class. These blocks must be enlarged 200% to fit the quilt in the book. Make a copy of the pattern for each student to use in class.

Make 4 more copies of the block per student to use to make templates (page 63).

Fabric Requirements
Background fabric: Cut 1 square 17" x 17" for the background
Large scraps of fabric for the appliqué

In the Classroom:
Make templates (pages 62-63).

Make the positioning overlay (pages 65-66).

Teach the invisible appliqué stitch as you work on the different shapes (refer to The Appliqué Sampler). Students are particularly interested in:
Cutaway appliqué on a leaf (page 69)
Inner and outer points on the flower (page 35)
Circle on the flower (page 70)

You will probably need to work on shapes out of sequence in order to teach all of the techniques.

!