Basic Supplies

When I first planned on making my quilt, I quickly learned there were many things that I needed, since I was starting from scratch. Below is a list of basic essentials that I found incredibly helpful: 

1.) A sewing case (or some type of container) to keep all of your supplies in. I have found it very helpful to have all of my things in one place. However, the amount of my supplies and fabric patches are growing and I think I need to upgrade to a bigger sewing box soon. Here is a link to a few nice ones I have found on amazon:

a.) http://www.amazon.com/Cute-Button-Sewing-Polka-Buton/dp/B008GS89FQ/ref=sr_1_37?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1383623385&sr=1-37&keywords=sewing+baskets+and+boxes

b.) http://www.amazon.com/Cute-Button-Sewing-Polka-Buton/dp/B008GS89FQ/ref=sr_1_37?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1383623385&sr=1-37&keywords=sewing+baskets+and+boxes

You are typically going see the average price for a decent sewing basket to be anywhere from 25-75 dollars, depending on size. It might be better to find one online than at the store, because it could be cheaper. I fortunately got mine on clearance for 14.99 so I lucked out there! 

2.) Fabric! When choosing fabric, keep your color scheme in mind and make sure you get the right type of fabric. There are lots of fabric choices out there but most fabric/craft stores will have fabric dedicated to quilting and there will usually be a sign that says "quilting fabric" or something to that effect. The reason you want to get fabric designed for quilting and not say fabric for clothes is because fabrics that have a lot of stretch are not good for quilting. When you cut out your patches or embroider on them, the fabric will stretch and your fabric won't look right. Also if you try to embroider on these types of fabrics it won't look right either. They will stretch out and leave your beautiful embroidery looking horrendous! If you want to cut up and use old clothes as some of your fabrics that is perfectly fine but to keep them from stretching and to give them some sturdiness, bind them to muslin first using some fusible web and an iron (I will get to that later!). 

For some really cool custom fabrics, check out http://www.spoonflower.com/welcome

3.) Embroidery floss If you plan on adding embroidery and embellishments to your quilting squares, you will need embroidery floss. This could be overwhelming in itself because there are so many types and colors of embroidery floss. I recommend using DMC floss because it's nicer and the colors are richer than the other types of embroidery floss out there. They do sell containers of embroidery floss that are more designed for friendship bracelets and other crafts such as that. If you want your embroidery to stand out and have a nicer depth to it, again I recommend using DMC brand embroidery floss. 

Here is the link to the DMC cotton embroidery floss page: 

http://www.dmc-usa.com/Products/Needlework-Threads/Embroidery-Threads/Cotton-Embroidery-Floss.aspx?technique=Embroidery

Here is a link to a list of DMC charts, including color descriptions and color families: 

http://www.dmc-usa.com/Conversion-Charts.aspx

Other supplies needed include:

• Embroidery needles/sewing needles
• Thread to sew patches together 
• Wax coated thread for quilting
• Embroidery hoop
• pins/pin cushion
• measuring tape/ruler
• fabric pen
• fabric cutter/scissors

This is a starter list of supplies that I began with. Your supply list may change as your project evolves, but this should be a really good start! 

Next post: How I started my first quilting patch with embroidery and what I wish I knew!