Sunday, July 31, 2011

Sunday Stash #104



    
Presenting today some shot cotton fabrics by Reece Scannell. 
Reece Scannell are a Sydney based company selling high quality cotton fabrics that have a silk-like reflective sheen. These fabrics are soft, beautifully textured by small "imperfections" or variations in weave and color. They are a light-weight  fabric just perfect for patchwork and clothing. 

I have previously worked with these fabrics here (Lunar Dust and Frog Pond Baby Quilt) and here (Lady of the Lake Quilt) and as Reece Scannell fabrics are usually to be found at Craft and Quilt Fairs I was pleased to add several new colors to my stash this week.

Reece Scannell fabrics are sold by the piece rather than yardage from a bolt and  is available in over 100 hues.  Each single length piece measures 19 inches x 36 inches.





From left to right:  Medium Green, Medium Blue, Light Blue, Light Orange, Light Pink, Light Neutral, Light Red and Medium Pink.

I also picked up several Fat Quarters of these Japanese prints at the Craft and Quilt Fair this week:

Made in Japan by Olympus 
and previously featured in Sunday Stash #93 in different colorways.

Thank you for stopping by and enjoy Sunday!
Rita

Friday, July 29, 2011

Kansas Dugout Revisited

On my design floor this week:


This traditional patchwork block is called Kansas Dugout and I am re-visiting the design, and re-jigging the fabric placement of Lila's Quilt  which I made way back in 2007:


I am using templates and a rotary cutter to cut the fabrics and marking the 1/4 inch seam intersection points to show me where to start and stop sewing (I don't trace templates with pencil onto fabric first if I can avoid it).  I start by sewing each of the four patches to the center square and then deal with the four Y-seams.  Y seams or inset seams can seem intimidating, but for this particular block they are not difficult (no pins were used).


And I am using fabrics from my feedsack collection to piece the blocks.  The challenge is to mix these prints from another era with current fabrics from stash.  It is so interesting to see how readily modern fabrics integrate with prints from the 1940's and 1950's.
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The solid center fabric is Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton in Slate.


More blocks are needed which will keep definitely keep me entertained over the next few days.

Rita

Thursday, July 28, 2011

JAQS Giveaway Winner and Craft and Quilt Show Peek

Brilliant!  Thank you once again for all of your entries to be
in the running to win a 4 yard bundle of fabric from JAQS Fabrics!

Entry #197 was the lucky number for:
Mimi who said...
Wow! This is an awesome giveaway - how generous! I love the fun fabric!!
.
Congratulations Michele, be sure to keep an eye out for the postman as this bundle of fabric will shortly be heading your way!

Thank you to Qiu from JAQS FAbrics for your generosity!

What did I get up to today?  Well today heralds the start of the Melbourne Craft and Quilt Fair on at the Melbourne Convention Center, Southbank every day from 9am to 5pm until Sunday 31 July 2011 (open till 7pm on Saturday).
This day is definitely a highlight on my craft calendar and one I look forward to every year.  As usual this day was spent together with family and quilting friends as we admired the many quilts on display at the exhibition (celebrated a 1st prize ribbon for my talented long arm quilter sister), enjoyed a well deserved lunch break, only to head back and search for that elusive piece of fabric/pattern/notion that just must be brought home!

As expected there was much inspiration to be found amongst the quilts:
  1. Hidden Ways by Sonia Higgs
  2. Windows on the Garden by Juliet Edwards
  3. Dreamlines by Brenda Gael Smith (see quilt here)
  4. Seven Deadly Sins - Vanity by Raelen Kwong
  5. Jelly Roll Scrappy Bargello by Susan Osborne
  6. Tumbling Down Pyramid Hill by Jill Brennan 2011
Besides fabric there was a tempting array of buttons, beads, threads, ribbons and yarn!
 
  1. WonderFil Threads
  2. Ribbons from Amitie Textiles
  3. Dairing Yarns Silk
  4. Dairing Yarns Stainless Steel
Pictures of my show loot will follow soon!

Thank you for stopping by,
Rita

Monday, July 25, 2011

The Finished Bow Tie Quilt

The weekend weather in Melbourne was cool and overcast, if not damp and rainy, and did lend itself to spending time basting a quilt.  I made the quilt backing and basted the quilt on Saturday:


Followed by quite some time behind the sewing machine (I am guessing up to 5 hours) quilting away one stitch at a time ...


And so today,  having finished stitching the binding only this morning,  I can show you the finished quilt; what a great way to start the week.  I love the effect of this Bow Tie block layout (by no means a "new" or original design!), and have enjoyed working with these fabrics.


Fabrics: 
The trickiest part in this quilt's construction was working out the correct way to press the seams of each bow tie block, thereby ensuring that the seams could be matched or "locked" together throughout the orientation of each block when piecing the quilt top.  I am not a fan of sewing blocks together where the seams cannot be butted together.  It makes matching seams so much more difficult.


For the back up of the quilt I have used some of my yardage (and favorite prints) from the Picnics and Fairgrounds collection and therefore it ties in well with the style and colors of the quilt.  I have kept the quilting to a minimum, stitching a single set of straight lines from edge to edge, on both sides of every second horizontal and vertical seam line.  Tedious (yes ~ the quilting gets boring after the first three rows) but always worth the effort.


For binding fabric I have chosen to use a wide blue and white stripe which also ties in well with the colors of the quilt and adds a pretty frame to the quilt (which rather unusually so does not otherwise include any striped fabrics).

I have updated my Etsy Store:


You can find the listing for the Bow Tie Quilt here


Thank you for stopping by,
Rita

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Sunday Stash #103

I don't know what took me so long to seek out a Fat Quarter Bundle of Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton in Reds, otherwise known as Hot Spice colorstory.
.

Especially when my favorite Kona color (as well as White, and Ash, and Pond and ...) is Coral.  I guess you can say that Coral it is my preferred solid red fabric ~ not quite tomato red, not peachy, not too orange:


Check here to see a color card to identify all of the colors included in this Fat Quarter bundle.


Enjoy Sunday!
Rita

Friday, July 22, 2011

Bow Tie Quilt

It may seem like there hasn't been much happening here in terms of the sewing and patchworking stuff, but rest assured that isn't the case!


In fact I have had my blinkers on to avoid distraction; with a pile of fabric in front of me, the rotary cutter in hand and quite some time productive time spent behind the sewing machine.


This quilt top is a traditional design featuring the Bow Tie quilt block.  The fabrics are from Denyse Schmidt's Picnics and Fairgrounds collection (and a single Katie Jump Rope print), contrasted with Kona Cotton solid fabric in White and Canary yellow. 


My "need" to make a Bow Tie Quilt was very much inspired by Angela's (Fussy Cut) Habitat Bow Tie Quilt as well as the Vanilla and Blooms Quilt  made by Twin Fibers.  Both are beautiful quilts with a variation in layout or use of fabric to create a very different overall effect. 

It's been a good week.  I hope you too have had a great sewing week!
Rita

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Little Apples ~ A Giveaway!

I don't know if you have noticed but the RPQ Sunday Stash series has slipped past the 100 mark!  Um, yes that is a lot of stashing and, as a thank you to everyone who has stopped by and kept up with the  almost weekly additions of my growing fabric addiction collection, today I am giving away a coveted Fat Quarter bundle of Little Apples

Image originally uploaded here.

Little Apples is Aneela Hoey's new fabric line (preceded by Sherbet Pips) for Moda.  It is a super sweet collection and although yardage is not yet available I have managed to get my hands on a Fat Quarter Bundle ~ all 32 prints!


So who's got room in their stash for a Fat Quarter bundle of Little Apples
  by Aneela Hoey with compliments from RPQ?

ENTRY DETAILS:

To be in the draw all you have to do is leave a comment on this post  (please ensure that an email address is available on your profile or is included in your comment - NO EMAIL ADDRESS = NO VALID ENTRY).  International visitors are very welcome to enter!  Only one comment per person/email address will be eligible to enter the draw.


Be quick!  The draw will take place at 11 am (AEST) on Thursday 21 July 2011, at which time comments to this post will be closed. The winner will be announced here on my blog the same day, and will also be contacted by email.

Be in it, to win it!

ENTRY TO THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW CLOSED.

Rita
... behind every quilter there is a pile of fabric.
This is not a sponsored giveaway.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Sunday Stash #102

Cape Ann is Liesl Gibson's (Oliver + S) latest fabric collection for Moda.  It is due for release in October 2011 although some charm packs, layer cakes and fat quarter bundles have been popping up on Etsy.


I was immediately taken with this fabric range not only for the adorable hand drawn paper doll prints but also for the inclusion of some timeless prints ~ toiles and ticking stripes ~ mixed with a collection of small scale prints of a more contemporary feel (all in the prettiest of colors ~ pinks, blues and greens).


And of course no collection is complete without dot/spot print:


... not quite my usual fabric style and colors but purchased on first impression without disappointment.  I am looking forward to yardage in this collection!

Enjoy Sunday!
Rita

Sign up here for notification of Cape Ann yardage arrival:
Fat Quarter Shop

Friday, July 15, 2011

DQS11 ~ Windmills

I have thoroughly enjoyed making this mini/doll quilt this week!  I have had fun with color play for each of the windmill blocks; the blocks were a little fiddly to make - as is expected when making a small quilt.  The finished quilt measures just 17 inches x 17 inches.


For the back of the quilt I have used up some of the left over triangles and fabric scraps that were a result of piecing the windmill blocks.   I have enjoyed piecing an original free-form panel which I have called "Blown Away", and although I have added a hanging sleeve I hope that now and again my swap partner will take a peek at the back of the quilt and enjoy the whimsical scene.


I am going to try to be patient and not send this quilt off to my swap partner before the due date! 

Rita

Previous blog post here:  Doll Quilt Swap 11 in Progress

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

DQS11

On a spur of the moment I put my name down to participate in Doll Quilt Swap 11.  This popular and successful Doll Quilt Swap group is Flickr based (that is, you must have a Flickr account), and open to international participants.  I am feeling pretty chuffed to have been included in this swap, and also to have been  given a swap partner whose inspiration mosaic indicates a love for all things colorful. I am quietly confident that this will be well received (fingers crossed):


I look forward to a mini (although not necessarily quick) project now and again and enjoyed piecing these pinweel blocks.   I started my search for inspiration by browsing the Quilter's Cache quilt block gallery and based my pinwheel block on the general layout of Pinwheel #8, although I had to significantly shrink down the block size and re-do the math to make much smaller patchwork blocks. 


The finished size of each pinwheel block is 5 inches, and all fabrics are Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton Solids from stash.


Now ready for some fabric play with some left-over triangles to make a fun quilt back!

Links:

Monday, July 11, 2011

Nefertem

A girl's gotta knit while the knitting bug bites and so I have another finished knit - just off the needles.


Nefertem
Pattern by Kristen Kapur

This shawl/scarf is Nefertem by Kristen Kapur from Through the Loops Designs.   Nefertem is a quick knit, suitable for a beginner to intermediate lace knitter.  The pattern is currently only available as a pattern/yarn kit combination from The Loopy Ewe, but is scheduled for release as a pattern only purchase in October 2011.

020 (2)

The yarn (as part of the kit) is Madelinetosh Sock in the colorway Midnight Rendevous (a little more purple in color than I would normally choose).  


The pattern is well written and I encountered little difficulty until the crochet bind-off. I am a standard right-handed knitter but very much a left-handed crocheter and it required a little juggling of the knitting needles and the crochet hook to combine the two.


All the details of this project are available on Ravelry here:  Nefertem.
Thank you for stopping by,
Rita

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Sunday Stash #101

This week saw the delivery of some sweet new prints from the Far Far Away 3 fabric collection by Heather Ross.  These are super cute and I am afraid I could not resist!

Snow White in Meadow, Pink, Blue and Yellow

Clothesline in Green, Natural and Pink

Wildflowers in Blue, Mustard, and Orange
and Playing With Horses in Natural

All of these prints are a cotton linen blend (85% cotton and 15% linen).  They are also (with exception of the Playing with Horses print) a lighter weight fabric than the previous Far Far Away 2 range of fabrics and more like standard quilting cotton.  The Playing with Horses print has an ever so slightly heavier feel to it, but still very patchwork friendly.

Available from:
Fat Quarter Shop

Enjoy Sunday!
Rita

Friday, July 8, 2011

Zig Zag Rail Fence Quilt and New Quilt Pattern

The Scrap Buster Quilt top has been transformed into the finished Zig Zag Rail Fence Quilt!  As you can imagine I have spent many hours on finishing this quilt over the last few days; all I can say is thank goodness for the lazy mornings that follow the late evenings during these holidays.

Zig Zag Rail Fence Quilt pattern by Red Pepper Quilts

I am pretty pleased with this simple but effective layout, and love the flow of bright colors in sharp contrast to the white zig zag lines, not to mention having put to use many of my much loved scrap fabrics.  I am sure that you will recognize many of the designer quilting fabrics that have been put to good use in the making of this quilt.


I have kept the back of the quilt quite simple adding just a single strip of printed fabrics in a rainbow of colors which nicely complement the front of the quilt. The background fabric is Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton in Ash.


And in an overall attempt to keep things simple I quilted this quilt with a cross-hatch design; straight diagonal lines running from edge to edge crossing at the mid-point of each block.  I did have to mark lines (using a Hera Marker) to keep the lines running nice and straight.


I have used a black and white pin stripe fabric to bind the quilt ~ another "go to" fabric choice, and easy decision. It frames the quilt and complements the full range of colors used in this quilt.

I have updated my Etsy Store:
You can find the listing for the Zig Zag Rail Fence Quilt:   here.   SOLD


The good news is that I have also written a pattern for this quilt so you can make your very own Zig Zag Rail Fence Quilt should you wish to do so!

Zig Zag Rail Fence Quilt pattern by Red Pepper Quilts

You can find the listing for the Zig Zag Rail Fence Quilt Pattern (pdf file) : 


Alternatively, if you do not have an Etsy Account, you can purchase the pattern directly from the Red Pepper Quilts Pattern Store.

Thank you for stopping by,
Rita