Sunday, October 28, 2012

Sunday Stash #163 - Reclaimed Striped Linens

Stripes!

I have slowly been adding to my stash of striped - reclaimed - vintage bed linens (washed and carefully checked for quality).  If you have been following my blog for a while you may well have already seen these upcycled striped fabrics in action.  The next quilt with these striped fabrics is in the early planning stages!


Enjoy Sunday!
Rita

Relevant Links:
In A Spin - A Finished Quilt
Of Stripes and Bunting - A Finished Quilt
More Stripes - Two Patchwork Pillows
Seashells by The Sea Shore - A Finished Quilt

Friday, October 26, 2012

Lucky Dog!

Posted by Oliver

Something's up.

What's this?


In the last week I have:
been washed in the tub
clipped 
to the vet for my vaccines 
 given extra treats

and now ...


a new blanket in my travel cage ....

Flea Market Fancy and all!

What's up with all that special treatment?  

Just lucky, I guess.

Oliver

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

A Sneak Chicopee~k

The time has come to untie and cut into this bundle of pretties:  Chicopee by Denyse Schmidt.
I admit that these fabrics are a little outside of my comfort zone, outside of my "norm" (the purples especially) but I have enjoyed this bundle from afar for the last few weeks, and decided the time was right to whip up a whole bunch of Half Square Triangles.


I am often asked how I manage to make my half square triangle blocks looks so perfect.  The reason is simple but time consuming ....


... I over-size my blocks and trim endlessly.  It is really boring, and requires multiple cups of coffee and lots of distractions.  You try not to count, nor look at the huge  pile of un-trimmed HST, but  e v e n t u a l l y  you do get there.
3 inch x 3 inch HSTs

And then you are ready to work on a layout/design.  


I have taken a very traditional star block and up-scaled the size, much like Jeni's Giant Vintage Star Quilt and Tutorial.   I re-jigged block size and the layout by alternating white fabric in the center of the block, and I have also pieced the large triangles using HST's.  Not difficult, not original, but traditional and definitely effective.

Chicopee Giant Vintage Star
Quilt top measures 40.5 inches x 40.5 inches

And yes, I made far too many HSTs.  I think I have enough leftover HSTs to make another quilt!

Thank you for stopping by,
Rita

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Bella Patchwork Baby Quilt

Earlier this month I was asked to be a guest speaker at a local meeting of the Melbourne Modern Quilt Guild.   It was with hesitation that I accepted this invitation as the mere thought of public speaking can make me break out in a cold sweat.  I much prefer being the "behind the screen" persona; quilter, blogger.


In addition, I was also asked demonstrate my machine stitched binding technique, and that I can do - without any problem.  In preparation for the binding demonstration I made this simple baby quilt using the Bella collection by Lotta Jansdotter as well as additional fabrics from stash.


The finished quilt measures 28 inches x 35.5 inches (or 71cm x 91cm) and has been quilted with edge to edge straight lines, outlining all seam lines, as well as a diagonal set of lines intersecting in the center of each block.  


The back of the quilt features a large scale floral print from the Sanctuary collection by Patty Young, which complements the color palette of the Bella collection beautifully.


I have listed this baby quilt in my Etsy Store.  
You can see the listing details here:  Modern Patchwork Baby Quilt


I am so glad to have had the opportunity to meet with the members of the Melbourne MQG!  They are a warm, friendly and talented group of quilters and they couldn't have made me feel any more welcome.  I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with everyone and taking a peek at their work in progress.   Thank you, ladies!

Rita


Image from The Melbourne Modern Quilt Guild

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Sunday Stash #162

A little bit of this and a little bit of that ...

I couldn't resists these cute chickens! 

These carefully hand printed - vintage designs - are unique fabrics  (only 30 yards are printed in each colorway), on a cotton/poly (10%) blend to ensure paint stability.  Purchased from EmilyMe (Etsy) a boutique vintage fabric store specializing in rare hand printed fabrics.


And also bundle of fabrics found locally - some of these have been around for a while.  From top to bottom:
  1. Liberty of London Tana Lawn - floral print in pink
  2. Simple Flower from the Sophie collection by Chez Moi for Moda
  3. Lady Birds on Green Stripe - no details on the selvage - probably a Japanese import.
  4. Pink flowers on White Background - light weight, almost a sheer fabric.  No further details
  5. Princess Rose by Lecien - Roses printed on a light green background with white polka dot.
  6. Frolic in Citrus from the Hullabaloo range by Urban Chiks for Moda
  7. Teal Flowers on Grey Stripe by Fumika Oishi - Made in Japan
  8. Aunt Grace Polka Dots from the Collection of Judie Rothermel for Marcus Brothers



Enjoy Sunday!
Rita

Monday, October 15, 2012

Let's Get Maybelle to The Ellen Show

This is the story of Maybelle - a girl with a wish.

Images by Bianca and used with permission
Maybelle (11) is the eldest daughter of crafty mum Bianca.  In November 2011 Maybelle was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a life threatening blood cancer. While her treatment has been life saving, it has ravaged her body. The highlight of her sometimes bleak days is to watch The Ellen Show. It has been a source of inspiration and much needed laughs.


Maybelle's wish is to go to The Ellen Show, and maybe even meet Ellen and thank her for being awesome. The problem is, we live in Australia and Maybelle is the oldest of 4 children.  The Make-A-Wish Foundation no longer grants overseas wishes due to lack of funding, and so, as a community we are going to work together and make Maybelle's wish come true.

As part of the fundraising effort a Facebook based Auction will be held from Monday, November 5 to  Friday November 9, 2012.  My contribution to the Auction is the quilt that I have been working on for the last week or so.

Quilt size:  54 inches x 68 inches
100 Cotton Batting 
Maybelle and her family have been in my thoughts often over the last 12 months.  It has been an arduous journey for this family and Maybelle's treatment and recovery period isn't over yet.   With every stitch I have wished for a speedy recovery and for Maybelle's dreams to come true, always.




The quilt is made from a huge selection of designer quilting cottons as well as some reclaimed linens (in excellent condition).  I have included many of my favorite fabrics, most from my scrap bin, others from stash.


The back of the quilt features another one of my favorite prints - this one by Aneela Hoey from the Sew Stitchy range - Pins in Cotton - which complements the colors and style of this quilt perfectly.  


Quilted with straight lines, outlining all seam lines, as well as a single set of diagonal lines intersecting in the center of each block.  The design of this quilt is simple, with three 2 inch strips sewn together to make a 5 inch square block.  


Today I am asking you a few favors - if at all possible:

1.  Go and LIKE and SHARE: Let's Get Maybelle to the Ellen Show Auction Facebook Page.  This is the Auction Page - which will keep you up to date with all of the auction items and where bidding on items will commence on Monday, November 5, 2012.

2.  Go and LIKE and SHARE: Let's Get Maybelle to the Ellen Show Face Book Page - a page to keep you informed of all things fundraising.

3.  If you would like to make a donation or contribute an item to the Auction please contact Mel by email at five2many@optusnet.com.au
This quilt is ready for Auction to commence on November 12, 2012 with a reserve price of $AUD400.00.  The quilt will be shipped - anywhere in the world - on Monday 19 November 2012.

I know that together we can do this!
Rita

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Sunday Stash #161 - The Red Thread

A little stashing this week with several pieces from the The Red Thread collection by Marisa and Creative Thursday for Andover Fabrics.


In light of my recent exploration in the world of "low volume" I may have been in low volume mode when adding this selection to my shopping cart.  

There are a total of 24 prints in the The Red Thread collection in two color palettes - Thimble and Spool.  The Red Thread collection does also include several prints on a darker (black, grey, and red) background, as opposed to the white/light background fabrics that I have selected.  


Bunnies and Toadstools in Cream
In Stitches in White
Ladybugs in White
Sweet Street in White

Featuring the lucky symbols of toadstools, ladybirds and rabbits, as well as birds and small houses the entire collection is undeniably adorable!  

Enjoy Sunday!
Rita

Thursday, October 11, 2012

[workinprogress]

Inspiration and motivation to start a new project doesn't always come immediately (or without frustration). This time however, I tipped over my scrap bin(s) and started cutting with purpose and determination.  


Blue, green, white with a splash of red, and black.
Oh, and  the occasional snippet of pink, orange ...

Having scavenged through my scrap bin it soon become apparent that I also needed to sift through my fabric stash to ensure a scrappy look, without too many fabric repeats.

A day and a half of rotary cutting. 
550+ strips of fabric. 
180 quilt blocks.


It's been a very productive week so far!

More soon,
Rita

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

A Modern I Spy ~ Low Volume ~ Quilt

A Quilt in Pictures.


A custom order for a little girl who I undoubtedly will enjoy this story quilt (a smaller version repeat of this low volume quilt).


So many of my favorite fabrics have been used to make this quilt; some old and now hard to find, some older still - vintage upcycled floral bed linens - and many more recently released fabrics.  Included also are various types of fabrics including slightly heavier weight linens and linen blends. 


Quilted with simple straight lines, only outlining seam lines.  I say "only" but don't be fooled into thinking that this is ever a quick process.   It is however an understated look for a quilt that doesn't require any more detail, and serves it purpose well. 


The back of the quilt features a red polka dot on a white background:  (from the Delilah Collection by Tanya Whelan).  For personalized label information see here:  Labels


A standard and non-intrusive grey and white striped binding fabric by Lecien. Not an adventurous choice for binding fabric, but I don't think this quilt called for anything other than the expected. 


I have thoroughly enjoyed making this quilt - an opportunity for fabric play is always welcome! 

Ready for shipping.

Thank you for stopping by,
Rita

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Sunday Stash #160 - The Simple Life by Tasha Noel

The Simple Life by Tasha Noel (Horsley) for Riley Blake Designs
The Simple Life is Tasha Noel's first fabric collection.  It is a cheerful collection in a timeless red, pink, and aqua color palette featuring dainty drawings of times gone by - the simple life. 

Tasha's collection is inspired by classic 19th century red work embroidery, but with a modern twist; mixing it up by adding color and charming illustrations depicting daily chores of another era.


The Simple Life is a collection complete with several fabric stash basic prints - dots and checks - in each of the color palettes.  My affinity for a basics stash continues and I particularly like the two-tone spots on a white background. 


The Simple Life by Tash Noel is available from:
GJ's Discount Fabrics
The Fat Quarter Shop
Fort Worth Fabric Studio
Fabric Worm
Coming Soon to:
Pink Castle Fabrics  - early next week.


Enjoy Sunday!
Rita