Heidi Parkes - Quilted Tank Top
Heidi Parkes - Quilted Tank Top
Thursday-Friday, March 13-14, 2025
10am-4pm each day
Class Fee: $325/ WMQFA Members (with member code); $350/Non Members
Workshop Description:
A quilted tank can be layered over a sweater or under a cardigan in winter, and is a breezy option in summer too! Heidi has been making these incredibly comfortable garments for herself since early 2022, and after practicing teaching a few friends to make them, she’s launching this class for the first time at the WMQFA.
Students will start with a top* that they love, that fits them well, and Heidi will guide them in creating a pattern, and sewing their very own top. In class, we will focus on making tanks from existing quilts, and Heidi will share her approach to self-quilting a top too. One thing’s for sure: once you perfect your pattern in class, you’ll want to make lots of these quilted tanks for yourself to wear.
*Your beloved template top will not be harmed in this workshop.
Supplies Checklist:
You can see further details about all of my favorite sewing supplies on my website. For this class, you’ll need:
Needle, I like Dritz milliners
Thread that fits with the needle, I like DMC pearl size 8
A pulling thimble or gripper (I LOVE the Little House Needle Gripper Silicone Thimble, which I purchase from Snuggly Monkey. Use this $5 discount code from me.)
A pushing thimble, to protect your fingers while sewing (I LOVE the Clover Protect and Grip Thimble, which is in my Amazon Shop)
Scissors
Straight pins
Sewing clips, like wonder clips
Safety pins
Marking tool, like a hera marker for pressing a crease/mark into your fabric, an air erasable pen, or chalk. My current favorite for this is a Crayola Ultra Clean Washable Marker, not in red or pink
Garment to copy
ideally it is woven and not stretchy (quilts aren’t stretchy, so our starting garment shouldn’t be either)
ideally it can lay mostly flat on a tabletop, although Heidi’s model tank did have a big pleat in the back
ideally it is a tank, but if necessary, we can work with something that has sleeves
most importantly: you like how it fits
your tank will not be harmed in this class
A quilt!
we will have some quilts available for purchase at the WMQFA
it should be soft, and hand quilted is ideal. The drape, hand, and softness of the quilt is very important. If it is too stiff, it will also be too stiff on your body!
wash this quilt before class, if it is going to shrink, shred, or have other issues in the washer, we need to know sooner rather than later
Provided Supplies:
Tru Grid Pellon pattern making interfacing with a 1” grid - students will receive about 1 yard each
Additional Optional Supplies:
Bias tape, I like to use this on the edge of my neck, sleeves, and sometimes the waistline. If we don’t use bias tape, we’ll turn the front over to the interior to finish the edges, which is a little bit more fiddly, slower, and harder to know if the size is just right
Elastic, there are 4 main ways to finish the waistline of the tank; one way includes elastic for a ‘tucked in’ look, which I like to wear with shorts in the summer. (options: elastic, high waist, tunic, dress)
Needle threader
Flexible measuring tape
Rotary and mat cutter
A sewing machine and related thread and tools. Sometimes I like to sew the sides and shoulder tops with a machine, but other times I prefer to do it all by hand (If you’re already skillful with a machine, or prefer a machine, you may like this option)
In addition to making quilted tank tops with existing quilts, I also like to do my own quilting. You would likely not finish such a top in this two day class, but I will demo how it is different. If you would like to start something like this, you will need:
prewashed and ironed cotton muslin, about 2 yards (interior)
prewashed and ironed fabric or quilt top for the exterior, about 2 yards
batting, I like relatively thin batting like Toasty Cotton brand, but anything soft with good drape, that isn’t overly stiff will work
About Heidi Parkes:
Before Heidi Parkes was born in Chicago, IL in 1982, her grandmother organized a collaborative family quilt to commemorate her birth. Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin since 2015, her quilting and mending celebrate the hand, and her works tug at memories, shared experience, materiality, and embodiment. Engaging in the worlds of art, quilts, mending, and social media, Heidi is an advocate for the domestic realms, slow stitching, and mindfulness. Find her on Instagram and YouTube. She is the 2024 Pfister Hotel Artist in Residence, and a 2005 graduate from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Heidi’s SOFT MAGIC exhibition will be at the WMQFA from March 6th June 8th 2025.
See this 3-minute Studio Visit on YouTube: https://youtu.be/s3Q-XxWrcYQ