February 2007
Cindy's Tips
Tip #1
When picking fabric for a Snippet Sensations pictorial quilt, I recommend that you consider fabrics with a pattern or multiple shades of colors. Solid colored fabrics tend to be dull or flat, where as prints tend to show more motion. If you view the printed fabric from a distance, you will be able to see what color they "read" and thus where they can be used it in your project. It may seem scary at first to use them, but I promise you'll be thankful of the result.
Tip #2
When selecting fabrics for your quilts, I recommend you use colors that clash or do not match so well. I know this sounds strange. But, for instance, in Monet's paintings he tended to use clashing warm and cool colors such as olive green and teal. We quilters generally use fabrics with colors that match so closely that the end results sometimes are boring. Whether in your bed quilts or pictorial wall hangings, clashing colors will bring movement and life to your project.
Tip #3
Should you use a paint or dye? It can be confusing to select which medium to use in coloring your fabric. They are two different chemical compounds, each with it own pros and cons. Dyes have the advantage of brilliant bold colors and it is easy to dye large yardage amounts in vats. But, dyes are hard to set, not completely colorfast, toxic and tend to be messy. By contrast, paints are simple to set by ironing, are colorfast, and easy to apply. However it is hard to paint large amounts of yardage and the resulting colors are not as bright as dyes. Personally, because fabric paints are hassle free and I like their soft color, they are my medium of choice.
Cindy Walter is best known for the quilting technique she created called Snippet Sensation, a way to "paint" with fabric. She is the author of nine quilting books, a video and has designed fabric for spring. She is also the co-host of the Quilt Central TV show and regularly hosts specials for Quilterstv.com.
Cindy Walter
2769 Laniloa Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
808-537-3677
cindyquilter@aol.com
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