Monday, January 30, 2012

Sunday Stash #127 ~ Heather Bailey :: Bijoux

... on Monday?  It's Monday morning on my side of the world, but definitely still Sunday over on the other side, so it still counts right?
It's a re-stash this week!  This bundle of fabric is the popular Bijoux by Heather Bailey, a collection which was first released several years ago, and became more difficult to source find for a while, until it was released again more recently.


I especially love every single colorway of Mod Beads (pictured above) and have previously used these prints throughout many of my projects.  Small scale designs complement larger scale, busy prints and can therefore balance and tone down an otherwise busy project.

Heather Bailey ~ Bijoux ~ Swirly Buds

These colors and prints suit my fabric stash perfectly.  I have split up the bundle and added these fabrics to my arranged by color fabric stash.  They've settled in well.

Enjoy Sunday and Monday!
Rita

Friday, January 27, 2012

The Labyrinth Quilt and Quilt Pattern!

They say to strike while the iron is hot, and so I did.  Just like that a new quilt and quilt pattern has emerged from this week's creative burst!  I think it may be something to do with the relaxed holiday mood, but rest assured that is soon to come to an end.


The new quilt and pattern has been called the Labyrinth Quilt Pattern,
a name which requires no further explanation.


I have really enjoyed working with these boldly graphic and colorful prints (especially the larger scale dots and circles) and have been pleasantly surprised by the overall balance of the colors.


Whilst piecing blocks I was itching to introduce several more colors (particularly green!) but showed restrained and kept myself to the bundle of fabrics as gifted.



I have quilted the Labyrinth Quilt with minimal straight lines, although this doesn't represent minimum time and effort.   With 48 stitching lines each 65 inches long that would amount to 3120 inches or almost 80 meters of slow stitching and quilt wrangling.  I like the numbers thing!


And more stripey binding.  This time a grey stripe from Sarah Fielke's fabric collection "From Little Things."

To create your own Labyrinth Quilt you can find the quilt pattern in my Etsy Store.  The pattern is comprehensive and includes step by step tutorials, including photographic images for piecing and pressing seam allowances for all of the patchwork units and sashings that make up this quilt.

The listing for the Labyrinth Quilt Pattern (pdf file) can be found in my Etsy Store:  HERE.   All Red Pepper Quilts Patterns purchased through Etsy are available for immediate download from your Etsy Account.

All Red Pepper Quilts Patterns (pdf files) are now also available here:

Thank you for stopping by!  I am stepping away from the sewing machine this weekend; the knitting needles are calling!

Rita

Thursday, January 26, 2012

RPQ Admin

Just a few things that need a mention today.

1.  I have received numerous email inquiries regarding the black/white stripe fabric I so often use for quilt binding here at RPQ:


It is certainly no secret and I am happy to share with you that this fabric is a print by the Japanese manufacturer Lecien.  The fabric selvedge doesn't provide much more information that just that:


I have lucky to find this stripe fabric at my local fabric store (GJ Discount Fabrics) as well as at times at Purlsoho, or at various Etsy Stores (search Supplies for "lecien stripe").  There are several substitute fabrics including Robert Kaufman Clown Stripe which is a wider stripe but more readily available.

2.  My lastest quilt pattern ~ Quilter's Palette Quilt Pattern (pdf format) is now also available from The Fat Quarter Shop as an instant download pattern:


Good news!

And last ~ Wishing all of my fellow Aussie readers, at home and abroad, a wonderful day

as we celebrate everything that's great about Australia.

Happy Australia Day!
Rita

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Labyrinth Quilt [workinprogress]

Summer is in full swing in Melbourne and this week's warm weather is keeping me close to home, air conditioner, and sewing machine.  Alas, a new quilt is in progress and it is starting to look like it might be another productive week.


Emma from Ballarat Patchwork very kindly and gratuitously sent me a FQ bundle of the same yummy fabrics that were featured as a giveaway earlier this month:


This bundle has been sitting on my cutting table for the last few weeks.  Each time I have caught a glimpse of this bundle an imprint was made in my mind, and slowly a quilt design evolved.  I have learned to be patient in this process, and trust that a suitable plan, or quilt design, will come to me.  Eventually. 


This block is based on a traditional Rolling Stone Block, however I have jazzed it up a little by varying the width of some of the components and by reconsidering the traditional fabric placement.
 

More blocks are being made and a layout is yet to be considered.

Happy Stitching,
Rita

Relevant Links

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Sunday Stash #126 ~ Laurie Wisbrun - Brrr

Brrr! by Laurie Wisbrun for Robert Kaufman!

When asked if I would like to pre-view Laurie's yet to be released fabric collection Brrr! I had no hesitation in accepting this offer, after all I have previously enjoyed working with Laurie's earlier collections including Urban CircusTufted Tweets and Pickups and Pooches.


How fun are these prints?  The colors are Wintery and perhaps a little Christmas-ey, and those Polar Bear prints are just plain adorable!  The range comes in two distinct colorways, a green (pictured above) and blue palette:

Brrr! by Laurie Wisbrun is due to start shipping in June this year, and what with time passing by so quickly, June will  be upon us more quickly than anticipated.

Can someone please tell me what happened to most of January?

Enjoy Sunday!
Rita

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

A Quilter's Palette Quilt Pattern

First I must thank you for all of your comments regarding my growing fabric mountain created during flurries of creativity, and I am ever so glad to hear that I am not alone in being at risk of being buried in an avalanche of fabric!


And I am also happy to announce that I have finished the quilt that I have been working on for the last week or so.  I have had to tie myself to my chair behind the sewing machine and laptop this week, stitching away to finish this quilt and then write up a new quilt pattern!


The new quilt pattern is called A Quilter's Palette!


I have thoroughly enjoyed working with these colorful fabrics, some of which I have had in my fabric stash for quite some time.  Fabrics aren't just for storing though and I am glad to have been able to use some of these special prints in this way.

 
The Quilter's Palette Quilt has been quilted in my signature style of straight quilting lines stitched with walking foot, one slow stitch at a time. 


Similarly, it is bound with one of my favorite binding fabrics, a black/white stripe.


If you are interested in creating your own Quilter's Palette Quilt you can find the quilt pattern in my Etsy Store.  The pattern is comprehensive and includes a fabric selection guide, and step by step tutorials, including photographic images for piecing and pressing seam allowances for all of the patchwork units that make up this quilt.

The listing for the Quilter's Palette Quilt Pattern (pdf file) can be found in my Etsy Store:  HERE. ~ pattern available for immediate download.

 All Red Pepper Quilts Patterns (pdf files) are now also available here:


Thank you for stopping by,
Rita

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

A Cascade of Color

Touching base today to let you know that I am still behind the sewing machine.  More blocks have been made, and I may even have started piecing the blocks into a quilt top ...







I have been in fabric heaven piecing these blocks! The patchwork blocks you see here are made using many of my all time favorite designer fabrics, some salvaged from the scrap bin, others cut from stash.

Meanwhile a huge pile of fabric needs returned to stash.  Do you return fabric to stash as you go?  Or like me in a creative frenzy, allow that pile of fabric to turn into a fabric mountain ready to collapse?

Rita

RELEVANT LINKS:


Sunday, January 15, 2012

Sunday Stash #125

Introducing a new fabric type to my rapidly growing fabric stash:

Loulouthi Velveteen by Anna Maria Horner

100% Cotton Velveteen!  Now, I'll confess right up that I've not worked with velveteen before so I can't tell you (yet) what it is like to work with.  What I can tell you though that it is low pile fibers feel velvety plush and luxuriously soft.  The colors are rich and saturated.

The weight of this velveteen collection feels perfect for home decor, bags and accessories, pillows/cushion, and of course I wouldn't hesitate piecing it into a quilt!  It is supple and super soft and even a little fancy.


Favorite prints: 
From left bottom left to top right:  Coreopsis in Marine, Clippings in Lichen, 
In the Clearing in Jade, Summer Totem in Emerald, 
Zap Zig in Aztec, Clippings in Amethyst.


Enjoy Sunday!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Patchworking

I have my fabric stash organized by color:  black/grey, red, pink, orange, green, blue, yellow, white (and then there are those prints that aren't dominant in any of those colors).  I really love this arrangement, and enjoy the color spectrum as I work away on my quilts. 


To kick start 2012 I thought it might be nice to work with my fabric stash, piecing simple patchwork blocks from within each of the stashed colors.

 Blue .... Red .... Yellow .... Green ...  

and Orange ...


I have also been enjoying collecting the selvages as I delve deep into my fabric stash.  It doesn't take much to make me feel quite content.

There are more blocks to be made.  I'll keep stitching.
Rita

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Sunday Stash #124 Half Moon Modern

The glorious colors, irrespective of the prints, make this the perfect bundle of  RPQ fabric! 


Of course, I couldn't resist.  A little New Year cheer for myself, although the postman made me wait longer than I thought possible.  I hope you agree it was worth the wait ...
The prints are graphic, bold and fun, and the colors are sharp, vibrant and saturated.  I have been tempted to split the bundle up as the colors easily fall into my color coded stash.  However I am not ready yet to give up the nicely bundled eye candy, moving it around my sewing area for viewing, and prodding.

Enjoy Sunday!
Rita

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Friday, January 6, 2012

Cladonia III

As soon as my new curtains were up and being admired from afar, I turned to my yarn stash, and without so much as a moment of guilt I started a second knitting project.  I don't generally like having two knitting projects on the go (as I tend to forget what I am up to) but happily made an exception.  This time.

The Yarns:  
Madeline Tosh Merino Light
Butter, Antler and Silver Fox


The Pattern:  
Cladonia by Kristin Kapur (Again!)

Knitting is my time out, my relaxation, and I make no excuse for having repeated this pattern, Cladonia, for the third time.  It is for the most part very easy knitting and purling, increasing stitches at regular intervals with stitch markers as reminders to do so.  Perfect holiday knitting.


And the yarn ... so dreamy soft ... makes for the most gorgeous knitted "fabric". Some fierce wet blocking has also nicely removed the irregularities of my left handed knitting idiosyncrasies.


I have followed the pattern verbatim however admit to adding my own stripe study variation by introducing a third color, striping for three rows at regular intervals with the darker yarn which I then also went on to use for the lacy edge (and nicely finished up a leftover skein).



For more pictures and all the details check out my Ravelry page:





There is no shortage of shawls here; just days when the weather is cool enough to wear them.

Rita