09 March, 2015

Quilting With Low Volume Fabrics - on CreativeLive


Let's talk Low-Volume. (You can whisper if you want to, I am.)

Low volume fabrics remain trendy. You see them popping up in fabric collections, shop bundles, and in quilts. When I pitched A Month of Sundays nearly 4 years ago the term and the fabrics were just starting to emerge into quilters' consciousness. Now, you can hardly look anywhere without seeing these gorgeous fabric options.

There are so many people, however, who stop me to ask questions about just how to use them. Some people think low volume can only means black and whites, or only tone on tones, or only colours. Some people only think you can use low volume prints as backgrounds as a completely scrappy look. Some still believe that low volume only means light fabrics or that there is no contrast in a quilt made from low volume fabrics.

In both A Month of Sundays and my CreativeLive class, Quilting With Low Volume Fabrics, you can learn that all of these things are small little pigeonholes in the possibility of using low volume fabrics. By following along we learn that the principles of colour, value, scale, and texture still apply with low volume fabrics. We learn that while there are no wrong ways to use these fabrics, there are better ways to use them in order to enhance your quilt design.


In the class you can also sew along with us. I chose the famous X-Plus block as our exercise. We go through different fabric combinations to illustrate all the lessons of the class. The studio audience is learning right along with you. That means you get their insight and A Ha! moments too. It truly is a learning by doing exercise.

At the end of the class you will be very comfortable using low volume fabrics effectively in your quilts. You really can't go wrong with these fabrics. They are a great alternative to white, cream, or grey backgrounds, but they are so much more. Knowing how to pick and use them means that your options for fabrics opens up tremendously.

This was my goal in A Month of Sundays as well. But for those of you who learn by doing or watching, grab the class. Then you can hit the book for some inspiring quilt designs.

Oh, and all the Craft and Maker classes are on sale at CreativeLive until March 15. That means you can grab any of my classes for just $19.

2 comments:

Julierose said...

Oh I have your book (very well-thumbed by now! and love all the LV quilts in there....I see by the photo on this post you do sometimes add high volume to lows...neato! hugs, Julierose

elle said...

I think I need to do this. Thanks Cheryl!!!