Mastering Machine Techniques with Sue Nickels

 General Supplies to bring to retreat

 Sewing Machine (with a blanket stitch!) Don’t forget your power cord and foot pedal!

Open Toe Appliqué Foot (a must for machine appliqué--#20 for the Bernina

Darning Foot

¼ “ Foot (for piecing)

Walking foot—optional, bring if you have one

Straight stitch throat plate—optional, bring if you have one

Microtex Sharp Sewing Machine Needles—size 70/10 and 80/12

*Easy Threading Needle—for ease of bringing threads to back of project

*Small embroidery scissors—for accurate cutting of appliqué pieces

*Small tweezers for handling fusible pieces and placement of pieces

Spray starch (used as a stabilizer for the background block)

Circle templates—use for accurate drawing of circles on paper backed fusible web for appliqué.  Note—Sue will have some of these available for students to use in class.

Rotary mat, cutter and ruler

Iron and small ironing board (1 iron for every 4-5 students is fine)

Optional, but a good idea—Cushion for height at machine, extension cord, multi plug strip, extra light.

Thread—these are the threads Sue uses for appliqué and quilting. 

*Superior King Tut Tone On Tones by Sue Nickels—subtle variegations of this average weight cotton thread work great for machine appliqué.

*Superior Masterpiece Thread—this 50 weight/3 ply thread works great for appliqué and quilting.  It can be used for piecing and quilting. 

Mettler cotton thread—this 50 weight thread comes in solid colors that work beautifully for machine appliqué and machine quilting.

Fabric—Sue uses 100% cotton fabrics and likes to pre-wash the fabric.  Also test for colorfastness and if a fabric is likely to run when washed use Retayne.

Supplies to bring for making the quilt project

Flower Basket Block (pattern fee $10.00)

One Block Quilt- 28” x 28”

Fabric:

Appliqué Background—2/3 yard

Border—7/8 yard

Appliqué fabric—assortment of coordinating fabrics.  Fat quarters work nicely.  Choose 8-10 different colors for flowers, leaves and basket.

Include ½ yard of green for bias stems

Dog tooth border—1/2 yard

Backing—1 yard

Binding—1/4 yard (using a 2 ¼” double fold binding)

Thread: Average weight cotton thread to match the appliqué fabric

Thread for piecing and quilting.  (Sue’s favorites are listed above.)

Batting: 32” x 32” square of cotton or cotton blend batting

*Paper Backed Fusible Web—1 yard (Sue uses Soft Fuse by Shades Textiles)

Quilting Supplies to bring to retreat

Eight 12” squares muslin

Four 12” squares cotton or cotton blend batting

100 Safety pins (Sue uses size 0 or 1)

Masking tape

*Fabric marking pencil—Sue uses Quilter’s Choice brand, silver

Rubber gloves—kitchen dishwashing gloves, one size smaller than you wear for dishwashing

*”Machine Quilting: A Primer of Techniques” and “Stitched Raw Edge Appliqué” are companion books for this workshop—not required.

*Indicates supplies Sue will have available for purchase at the retreat.

Important note—All supplies (General, project and quilting) are needed for the retreat!

Please read the helpful information for workshop participant’s link on Sue’s website www.Sue-Nickels.com and contact Sue with questions at nickquilts@aol.com