Thursday, January 31, 2013

Oakshott [workinprogress]

Like I said ~ Use it or Lose it.  This stunning colorbox of Oakshott cottons has been a sitting idle in my fabric stash since, dare I say, March last year.  It has been much admired but, not willing to mess around with the color arrangement, it hasn't seen a lot of action.


That has all changed this week.  I have popped the lid, messed up the colors, and got busy with the rotary cutter and sewing machine. What took me so long?!  

Oakshott cottons are a fine quality fabrics which are ethically hand loomed, in an environmentally friendly way, in the south of India. The cotton weave is shot - with a warp and weft of different tones - which creates a beautiful luminous and iridescent hue.  And so beautiful to work with!  


It has taken me a few days to sew this quilt top.  Working with these fabrics and endless color combinations was simply delightful.  I was in my element.


A whole bunch of squares.  I am thinking of writing a pattern - with quick and easy piecing instructions.  But first:  BQB - basting, quilting, binding.

Thank you for stopping by.
Rita

Oakshott Fabrics - and sign up for newsletter

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Vintage Stripes ~ Quilted Pillow Cover

A small scrap bundle of stripe fabric has been sitting on my cutting table since finishing my stripe quilt earlier this month, awaiting my next move - use it or bin it.


I love working with these stripey fabrics, and this time decided to cut the fabric pieces on the diagonal (off-grain);  more wasteful (of fabric) than anticipated but a fun variation.  I did have to call upon some stash fabrics to add variety.

The finished product is a pillow cover, basted and quilted with edge to edge diagonal lines (cross-hatched).  One of the great things about a small project is that the basting is not a chore, and the quilting is no hassle.   It goes a long way in re-setting my enthusiasm for making larger quilts.


The pillow cover includes a zippered side seam for easy insert removal and cleaning.  


For the back of the pillow cover I have used heavier weight home decorator fabric from the Authentic collection by Sweetwater which I have been zealously hoarding for the right project.  This was it!  My fabric motto for 2013 is Use it or Lose it!


I have listed this pillow cover in my Etsy Store.   

You can find the listing here:  Modern Patchwork Pillow Cover.
SOLD

A nice way to end this Australia Day long weekend as well as start a new week.
Rita

Relevant Links:
Reclaimed Striped Fabrics

Follow RPQ on:
COPYRIGHT: Do not copy or use any content or photos from my blog without my written permission. This is original content from www.redpepperquilts.com.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Sunday Stash #173 - Micro Mod by Rob Bancroft


Micro Mod is Rob Bancroft's debut collection for Cloud 9 Fabrics.  Micro Mod is a collection of 12 fabrics featuring a set of retro-inspired geometric prints on a intimate scale; 7 small scale designs in not necessarily a masculine palette - black, grey, teal, purple, and a touch of rusty orange and mustard yellow.

Seaweed in Teal, Vertigo in Teal, Tick Tock in White, Night Vision in Teal

Seaweed in Purple, Vertigo in Purple, Tick Tock in Teal
Hey look!  Some much need purple fabrics for my stash.  

Arches in Grey, Library, Arches in Black, Night Vision in Black, and Zombie.

Micro Mod is a modern -100% Certified Organic - graphic collection that immediately appealed to my eye for clear pattern and color.  I am particularly drawn to the black/white fabrics (pictured above), which will  compliment my stash perfectly.  The purple fabrics will be my challenge prints.  I do like the color purple but  continue to struggle to use purple in my quilts.

Enjoy Sunday!
Rita

Disclosure:  This Micro Mod bundle of fabric was sent to me courtesy of Cloud 9 Fabrics without obligation - the words, photos and opinions however are all mine.  No persuasion needed.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Bloomsbury Gardens :: Nine Patch Quilt

A Finished Custom Quilt
Fabrics used:
Liberty Lifestyle ~ Bloomsbury Gardens
Robert Kaufman Pure Organic Solid in White
[a perfect combination of fine fabrics]


The Design:
A simple alternating nine-patch design 
(Backing Fabric:  Valori Wells - Del Hi - Paisley in Red)

Quilted:
Cross-hatched (diagonal straight lines from edge to edge) 
through the center of only the solid white squares.

I found no need to mark these quilting lines as I can now - what I call - eye-ball short distances; stitching from corner to diagonally opposite corner in a straight line without tracing a marked line.  It helps to keep your eyes focused on your stitching destination point rather than at the needle.  


 Binding:
My favorite print from the Bloomsbury Gardens collection
Lytton in Rich Red Blue.


The finished size of the quilt:  68 inches x 83 inches.
Finished size of each individual square:  2.5 inches x 2.5 inches
99 Nine-Patch Blocks each measuring
 8 inches x 8 inches (incl. seam allowances).

This quilt is already making its way to a new owner. 

I have loved making this quilt - a wonderful opportunity for fabric play and repetitive, but never boring, patchwork piecing.  

Thank you for stopping by!
Rita

RELEVANT LINKS:

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Sunday Stash #172 - Comma by Zen Chic for Moda

Comma by Zen Chic for Moda

Comma is a bold new fabric collection by Brigitte Heitland of Zen Chic for Moda fabrics.  This collection is extensive consisting of 40 fabrics in total, but is made up of just 6 different designs in a range of colors.  

Comma - News  in Slate, Chalk and Charcoal
As often is the case lately I am immediately drawn to the text prints which feature barcodes, characters and numbers on a black, grey and white background.  I think this will be a sought after fabric!

Comma - Asteriks  in Tangerine, Mustard, Black, Lime, Chalk Mustard,
Chalk Tangerine, Chalk Slate and  Chalk Black.
I am also rather keen on these bold large scale Asteriks designs (pictured above) in a range of great colors printed on both a light background and in reserve on a dark/color background.

Comma - Swinging in Black,  Slate, Tangerine, Chalk Tangerine,
 Chalk Lime, Mustard and Chalk Slate
There are also several designs that are excellent basic stash fabrics;  graphic designs that readily mix with other fabric collection in a good range of colors, in both small and medium scale prints.  

Comma - Commas in Slate, Mustard, Lime, Tangerine and Chalk
Comma by Zen Chic is due to arrive in stores in February 2013.

Enjoy Sunday!
Rita

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Almost Wordless Wednesday


99 Nine Patch Blocks
891 squares each measuring  2.5 inches x 2.5 inches


The Fabric:


I've had to work hard this week to keep my focus on the task at hand, 
and it has paid off.  Nine-nine nine patch blocks have been stitched;
rotary cutting, stitching, pressing and again and again.  
Endlessly - or so it seemed at times - but well worth the effort.


Ready for basting.

Thank you for stopping by!
Rita

Relevant Links:
Bloomsbury Gardens - A Liberty Lifestyle Collection

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Sunday Stash #171 - Pearl Bracelet by Lizzy House

Lizzy House's signature fabric - Pearl Bracelet - is now available as a collection;
in 26 different colors!

Colors - from L to R : : Juniper, Ice Skate, Verbena, Basil, Swiss Chard, 
Cosmonaut, Anchor, River Bend, Pond.

These make me deliriously happy!  Pearl Bracelet by Lizzy House has been around for a while (see Sunday Stash #118) and an often used stash fabric. Now a rainbow of colors has been added to this already popular design.  I've tried choosing favorites - not an easy task - but I do love the cool blues and greens as well as ...
Colors - from L to R : :  Citron, Meyer Lemon, Peach, Persimmon, Watermelon, Semi-sweet.

... the warmer colors, especially the new orange (Persimmon) color!  Perfect also are the black and white prints with range of low volume shades of grey in between:


Colors - L to R : : Chat Noir, Tin Man, Hi Ho Silver, Sand Bar, Isolated Shower, Bright Star.

These simple graphic designs are great fabric stash basics and I find that they blend readily with other fabric collections. You will undoubtedly see these fabrics pop up in quilts to come.

Enjoy Sunday!
Rita

Pearl Bracelet by Lizzy House is available from:

Friday, January 11, 2013

A Custom Quilt - More stripes!


I have spent this week working on a custom quilt order.  You will be forgiven for thinking that I am re-posting a quilt made late last year, but I promise the pictures here are all of this week's creation.  Please bare with me.

Again, I have used both standard quilting cottons and reclaimed vintage bed linens - in a wide variety of stripes - to make a simple squares quilt top. This quilt is for my customer's young son and as such I have avoided over using pink and purple stripe fabrics, although I did not think it necessary to omit these colors entirely.
The back of the quilt features a patchwork panel of matching stripe fabric on a background of Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton in Ash.   The solid backing fabric makes a feature of the grid lines created by the quilting (love!).  When quilting I match the color of the bobbin thread closely to the main color of the backing fabric (in this case I used a light grey thread) and as such the quilting lines are obvious but not obtrusive.
A standard RPQ binding : :  black/white stripe fabric by Lecien 
100% cotton thread
100% cotton batting
 The finished squares measure 4.5 inches x 4.5 inches 
and the finished quilt measures 50 inches x 59 inches.

Ready for shipping.
 
A second finished quilt for 2013.  

Rita  

Relevant Links:

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

The Scrappy Trip Along Quilt

A finished quilt and an exuberant start to the new year!

Goodness!  This quilt was so much fun to make.  The sewing process to make these blocks was really rather simple, and also terribly addictive.  I couldn't stop making, and arranging, and re-arranging the finished blocks, with each block adding more drama and completing the picture.  


I stopped at 36 scrappy trip around the world blocks, made in a little more than 3 days of happy patching.  I have enjoyed working with my fabric stash and love that  this quilt is a reflection of my stash:  not a lot of purple, a touch of brown, and just a dash of black.  

Oliver at work.
The scrappy trip along quilt is one of the bigger quilts that I have quilted myself, measuring 72 inches x 72 inches.  Wrestling with all of it's weight and bulk during an exceptionally warm spell of Summer weather was  physically uncomfortable to say the least.  I am however grateful to have had the company of my little supervisor whilst basting, ensuring every pin was placed just so.


I quilted this quilt by stitching along both sides of every second seam line, both horizontal and vertical seam lines.  I then cross-hatched (stitched diagonal lines) through the center of every second diagonal row of squares.


The quilt is quite heavily quilted - no square of fabric remains un-quilted - which gives it a lovely texture and drape.


For the back of the quilt I have used Aneela Hoey's Sew Stitchy - Pins and a customary black/white pin stripe fabric for binding; a given.


This one is rather special and although it's going to be tough to let this quilt go, I have decided to offer it for sale.  Paypal only (major credit cards accepted) - please use drop down menu to select shipping destination.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me:  redpepperquilts@gmail.com


SOLD

Quilt size:  72 inches x 72 inches
100% cotton fabric, thread and batting.
Machine Stitched binding for durability.

As always, thank you for stopping by,
Rita

RELEVANT LINKS:

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Sunday Stash #170 - Type by Julia Rothman


I've fallen hard for this retro collection - Type by Julia Rothman for Windham Fabrics.  This collection is filled with patterns of vintage typewriters, typewriter keys and lettering, paper clips, notepads, clipboards, glasses and pencils. 


From left to right:  Dusty Blue Pencils and Glasses, Clipboards in White, Typewriter Keys in Aqua, Typography in Yellow, Paperclips in Orange and Grey, and background fabric - Typewriters in Parchment

Type is a playful collection in a subdued color palette and although it consists of just seven prints, they're all winners.

Enjoy Sunday!

And last ...
I have listed these four zippered and lined pouches in my online store.  Take a look here:
Happy browsing!