Tamarack Resource Roundup
Since the Tamarack originally launched back in 2015, we've published a ton of resources to help you construct a quilted jacket of your own. With the release of size 32 I thought it would be a good time to do a little round up as it can be difficult to search back in blog format without missing things. So with that, here's our Tamarack resource roundup!
Tamarack Video Sew-Along Lessons
With the re-release of the Tamarack to include sizes 14-30 I filmed a set of video lessons that guide you through every step of sewing up the Tamarack in real time. Watch the entire thing or just the parts you need help with, either way you're sure to pick up some hot tips! See the Tamarack Video Sew-Along here.
Tamarack Photo Sew-Along
2015 was long enough ago that when we released the original Tamarack sew-along it was photo based. If you're someone who doesn't want to wait for an entire video to play, needs a quick refresher on a step, or just works better off photos, this sew-along is a great resource! See the Tamarack Photo Sew-Along here.
Tamarack Tools, Supplies & Notions
The Tamarack requires many tools & supplies that aren't standard for garment sewing, since you're also quilting, so having a full supply list to look at can be a real help. I've laid out each item you'll need along with links so there's no guessing required! See the Tamarack Supplies List here.
Fabric Suggestions for the Tamarack
For the Tamarack you're going to need more than just one main fashion fabric. Since you're making essentially a wearable quilt, you're going to need quilting style fabrics, including batting. I've laid out all the fabrics you'll need to make your own Tamarack, as well as explained batting & bias binding in this post. See the fabric suggestions here.
Using Pre-Quilted Fabric for Your Tamarack
It was pretty difficult to find nice pre-quilted fabric when the Tamarack was originally released but that's changed a lot in the last 8 years and beautiful pre-quilted fabrics can be found relatively easily. Since with pre-quilted fabric you won't need 3 types of fabrics (shell, lining & batting) I put together this little tutorial on yardage. You can see the yardage requirements here.
Quilt Pattern Inspiration for a Pieced Tamarack
Somehow I didn't see this one coming when we released the Tamarack but you all are so creative I can't figure out how I didn't realize that creating a quilt top and using it to make a Tamarack was a genius idea! We put together a giant list of popular quilting patterns we've seen used over the last few years in case you want to make your own pieced Tamarack. You can see our list of quilt patterns here.
Tamarack Quilting Ideas
In addition to choosing fabrics for your jacket, you'll also need to decide how to quilt it. Do you want to keep it simple with horizontal or vertical lines? Diagonal crosshatch? Or something more involved! We gathered some quilting inspiration for you and made a downloadable template so you can sketch out your own quilting designs before you get started on your jacket. You can get inspired here!
Hand & Machine Quilting Tips
Once you've decided on your quilting pattern you'll need to figure out how you plan on quilting it. If you've never quilted before we lay out all the terms, tools, techniques & tips you'll need to get it done. You can read the post here.
Making a Non-Quilted Tamarack
So when the Tamarack originally came out lots of people made sure to tell me how ugly it was and that nobody fashionable would ever want to wear a quilted jacket. Well 8 year later I think we all know how that went. Many people also asked how to create the Tamarack without quilting it and for them, I created this little tutorial which you can read here.
I hope you found it helpful to have all this info in one place. Next week I'll be back with a Tamarack Vest tutorial so get ready! That's been one of our most requested tutorials for a bit now and I'm so excited to publish it. Stay tuned for that and if you have any questions about these or other Tamarack things let me know in the comments below!
