Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Strips and Bricks ~ A Custom Order Baby Quilt

A finished quilt.
Strips and Bricks - Custom Order Baby Quilt | Red Pepper Quilts
Strips and Bricks Baby Quilt
Finished Quilt measures 45.5 inches x 60 inches.
I have loved working with this customer on bringing her vision for a baby quilt to fruition. The design is simple and perfect for featuring a color palette - this time a mix of soft neutrals with a pop of color - and fabrics.

Strips and Bricks - Custom Order Baby Quilt | Red Pepper Quilts
Strips and Bricks - Custom Order Baby Quilt | Red Pepper Quilts

The fabrics include the latest quilting cottons (and some of the earlier prints) by Australian design team Umbrella Prints. Most other fabrics are from stash, some of which are now hard to find. I love working from stash but it does make the biggest mess ... all in search of that one elusive fabric ... now, where did I put it? Better stash management is required! 

Strips and Bricks - Custom Order Baby Quilt | Red Pepper Quilts

For the back of the quilt I have used a yellow tear drop fabric from the Enchanted Collection by Michelle Engel Bencsko (Cloud9 Fabrics), which is organic, complements the quilt and was chosen by my customer. It's a perfect match. 

Strips and Bricks - Custom Order Baby Quilt | Red Pepper Quilts
Strips and Bricks - Custom Order Baby Quilt | Red Pepper Quilts
Strips and Bricks - Custom Order Baby Quilt | Red Pepper Quilts

For the quilt binding I have used Squared Elements in Rosewater (Art Gallery Fabrics), just the right shade of pink, and another favorite fabric for binding.

Strips and Bricks - Custom Order Baby Quilt | Red Pepper Quilts
Strips and Bricks - Custom Order Baby Quilt | Red Pepper Quilts
I love photos of binding and folded quilt edges! I hope you do too.
Strips and Bricks - Custom Order Baby Quilt | Red Pepper Quilts

A big thank you goes to my customer who has been a pleasure to work with and who has allowed and trusted me to create instinctively and without constraint.

May this quilt be much loved and often used.

Thank you for stopping by,
Rita
Strips and Bricks Baby Quilt - Custom Order | Red Pepper Quilts
RELEVANT LINKS:
Strips and Bricks Baby Quilt in Progress (including pattern/design details)
Umbrella Prints Fabrics
More RPQ Strips and Bricks Quilts

Edited to add:
Matching pillow cover ~ 20 inches x 20 inches.

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Sunday, October 26, 2014

Sunday Stash #253 Mimosa by Another Point of View

Mimosa by Another Point of View for Windham Fabrics | Red Pepper Quilts
Mimosa by Another Point of View for Windham Fabrics
Well, here is a fabric collection that I have 
been impatiently stalking stores for!
Mimosa by Another Point of View for Windham Fabrics | Red Pepper Quilts
Mimosa is a bright and cheerful collection. At first glance it reminds me a little of the much loved Flea Market Fancy collection by Denyse Schmidt; both collections are inspired by traditional feedsack prints. Mimosa is a complete collection, and includes prints with a good variety in scale as well as a mix of floral and all over geometric designs, in both a cool and warm color palette.

Mimosa by Another Point of View for Windham Fabrics | Red Pepper Quilts
I do play favorites with fabric ... so if I had to pick just one print it might be this leaf design in all of the colorways:
Mimosa by Another Point of View for Windham Fabrics | Red Pepper Quilts

... or maybe this leaf design (I do like a print with a clean white background!):
Mimosa by Another Point of View for Windham Fabrics | Red Pepper Quilts

MIMOSA BY ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW is in stores now and available from:
Westwood Acres
The Fat Quarter Shop
Pink Castle Fabrics
Mimosa by Another Point of View for Windham Fabrics | Red Pepper Quilts

Enjoy Sunday!
Rita

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Friday, October 24, 2014

Déjà Vu - A Strips and Bricks Quilt in Progress

Strips and Bricks Quilt in Progress | Red Pepper Quilts

If you are a regular RPQ reader this blog post and quilt top may well leave you with a sense of déjà vu. This quilt design is a repeat from a previous quilt - Strips and Bricks Quilt I June 2009, Strips and Bricks Quilt II July 2010, and Strips and Bricks Baby Quilt 2013. The design is based on a pattern by Malka Dubrawsky and was originally featured in Sew Hip Magazine in 2009, and has since been published as a pdf pattern (available from Malka's Etsy Store). For all quilts I have however made block size adjustments to cater for a specified finished quilt size.

Strips and Bricks Quilt in Progress | Red Pepper Quilts

This quilt is a custom order for a soft neutral baby (girl) quilt with a subtle pop of color, and it is very much all about the fabrics. I love the mix of neutral and low volume fabrics contrasted with stronger colors as well as the variation in large scale feature fabrics and smaller scale prints. The fabrics are from stash and features snippets from many collections, including the latest range by Australian design team Umbrella Prints (the Mini Flowers Collection) as well as by Lotta Jansdotter (from the Echo and Bella Collections).

Strips and Bricks Quilt in Progress | Red Pepper Quilts
Strips and Bricks Quilt in Progress | Red Pepper Quilts
Strips and Bricks Quilt in Progress | Red Pepper Quilts
Strips and Bricks Quilt in Progress | Red Pepper Quilts

Several of the fabrics that I have used for this quilt top are older (from early collections by Kaffe Fassett and Amy Butler - classic designs - which are now hard to find), one or two prints are unique hand screen printed pieces including the dark blue scroll design (pictured directly above), but many are from more recent modern fabric collection. Anything goes.

Strips and Bricks Quilt in Progress | Red Pepper Quilts

The quilt top measures 45.5 inches x 60 inches;
 quite big for a baby quilt but a really manageable and practical size for when
 in years to come a toddler transitions from cot/crib to bed.

Strips and Bricks Quilt in Progress | Red Pepper Quilts

Ready for basting and quilting.

More soon.
Rita

RELEVANT LINKS:
Strips and Bricks Quilts
Umbrella Prints fabrics

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Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt - A Finished Quilt

A Picture Post
Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt | Red Pepper Quilts

QUICK QUILT STATS:
Finished Quilt measures 54 inches x 72 inches 
108 Nine Patch Blocks 
Approximately 100 different fabrics.
100% cotton fabrics, thread and batting.

Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt | Red Pepper Quilts

I am super pleased with how this quilt turned out and I have loved making it. This quilt represents much of what I love about making quilts; fabric play, color play, scrap and stash busting, simple patchwork, and lots of piecing ... where traditional patchwork and modern fabrics meet.

Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt | Red Pepper Quilts
Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt | Red Pepper Quilts

Although not immediately obvious this quilt has been quite heavily quilted. All seam lines have been ditched stitch, effectively creating an all over 2 inch grid of lines. In addition I have quilted a set of edge to edge diagonal lines (cross hatched) through all of the "light" fabrics. The combination of in-the-ditch and cross-hatch quilting has given the quilt texture as well as a lovely soft drape.

Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt - binding | Red Pepper Quilts
Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt - binding | Red Pepper Quilts

For the back of the quilt I have used a single floral fabric - Shasta Daisy in Pink from the Glamping Collection for Moda Fabrics; a print that I have used as a backing fabric for a number of quilts and the last of my yardage of this now hard to find print. Use it or lose it.

Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt - binding | Red Pepper Quilts
Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt - binding | Red Pepper Quilts

And predictably a signature black/white stripe (and entirely machine stitched
binding completes the quilt.

Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt | Red Pepper Quilts

This quilt was sold prior to publishing
 this blog post and is now making its way to the new owner.

Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt | Red Pepper Quilts

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Sunday Stash #252 Vintage Fabrics

Vintage Fabrics | Red Pepper Quilts

This week I ventured out to a the Eastern Palliative Care Quilt Show (held annually in October in Bayswater/Melbourne) - which by the way was a wonderful exhibition of inspirational quilts by some very talented quilters and well worth the trip out of town - and I also purchased a few pieces of vintage fabric (yardage) from A Piece of Cloth, one of a small number of retailers there on the day.
Vintage Fabrics | Red Pepper Quilts

A Piece of Cloth is a vintage and antique textile sourcing business run by Jennifer Hyland who sources vintage and feedsack fabrics, as well as quilt tops and quilt blocks, from the USA which are offered for sale online, by appointment at Jennifer's studio in Geelong, and trunks shows around Australia.

Vintage Fabrics | Red Pepper Quilts

These precious fabrics are from the 1920's right through to the 1960's and despite their age are still vibrant in color and in great condition (no holes, tears or wear), although after decades of handling and storage they are in need of a long soaking. My cleaning regime for these fabrics is quite harsh and includes soaking in warm water with stain remover detergent to clean and sanitize, as well as tumble drying. Once cleaned I have no hesitation in using these vintage fabrics in my projects; keep your eye out for snippets of these fabrics in my quilts.

Enjoy Sunday!
Rita

SPONSOR NEWS and SALES:
Miss Matatabi (Etsy) : : 40% off everything in Clearance Section. Prices as marked. While stocks last.
Fabric Bubb (Etsy) : : Geo Pop in stock now as well as 2014 Robert Kaufman Kona color cards.

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Friday, October 17, 2014

Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt Tutorial

Thank you for all of your comments on my most recent project ~ the Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt! A few readers have inquired about what the best way is to sew and press seams of the Nine Patch blocks so that all of the seams nest when sewing blocks together into a quilt top, and so here today a quick and easy tutorial.

Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt Tutorial

I have made each nine-patch block with just two fabrics (a light fabric, and a dark/er fabric) and I have alternated the layout of the fabrics; one Nine Patch block has a dark center fabric and matching corner fabrics, and the next Nine Patch block has a light center fabric with matching corner fabrics, thereby creating  a checkerboard look when the blocks are alternated.

I have strip pieced the Nine Patch Blocks - making two blocks at a time :: one light block and one dark block.

FABRIC REQUIREMENTS:  6 strips of fabric (3 light fabrics and 3 dark fabrics) each measuring 8 inches x 2.5 inches.

Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt Tutorial
Click on images for larger view.
STEP 1: Using a 1/4 inch seam sew fabric strips together into two strip sets as pictured, and press seams towards the dark fabric (as indicated by the arrows).

Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt Tutorial

STEP 2: Cross-cut both strip sets at 2.5 inch intervals ~ cut 3 units from each strip set:
Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt Tutorial

Here is what the wrong side looks like - seams are pressed toward the dark fabric:

Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt Tutorial
STEP 3: Arrange the 6 units into two nine patch blocks - one dark Nine Patch block (left) and one light Nine Patch block (right):

Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt Tutorial

STEP  4: Using a 1/4 inch seam sew units into two Nine Patch blocks:

Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt Tutorial
Each Nine Patch Block measures 6.5 inches x 6.5 inches
including seam allowances. Each individual finished square measures 2" x 2".

Press seams as pictured:

Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt Tutorial
Dark Nine Patch block (left) :: Seams are pressed away from the center.
Light Nine Patch block (right) : : Seams are pressed towards the center.

Alternating these two light and dark Nine Patch blocks in your quilt layout will create a checkerboard design and all of your seams will nest for easy sewing and seam matching.

Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt Tutorial

And in case you would like to work with smaller/larger patchwork units:

1 inch finished squares : : cut 6 fabric strips (3 light/3 dark) 1.5 inches x 5 inches : : cross-cut the strip set at 1.5 inch intervals.
nine-patch block measures 3.5 inches x 3.5 inches (incl. seam allowances).

3 inch finished squares : : cut 6 fabric strips  (3 light/3 dark) 3.5 inches x 11 inches : : cross-cut the strip set at 3.5 inch intervals.
nine-patch block measures 9.5 inches x 9.5 inches (incl seam allowances).

Any questions? Please feel free to ask by leaving a comment, and I will reply in the comments section.

Thank you for stopping by,
Rita

RELEVANT LINKS:
Red Pepper Quilts Tutorials
Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt - in progress
Bloomsbury Gardens - Nine Patch Checkerboard Quilt 2013

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