Glimma by Lotta Jansdotter

Last week I received a surprise package in the mail from Windham Fabrics. Nice!  A sneak peek of Lotta Jansdotter's new fabric collection (due in stores in April 2013) - Glimma.   And so it started.  I spent some time contemplating how best to use these fabric squares and soon came to the conclusion ....

.... that it might be fun to mix Lotta's new Glimma collection together with both of Lotta's earlier collections, Echo and Bella.  The prints are all large scale contemporary prints, and when combined together they appear to have a commonality that certainly suggests all are created by the one designer.

The colors of the prints across the three collections are not exact matches - the orange Glimma palette a little deeper, the blue Glimma palette a little brighter - however I don't think these subtle differences are obvious when combining these fabric collections.  I rather like the cheerful look of the combined collections.

I am also rather partial to this stripey binding - it had to be a sunny yellow for this quilt.  The binding fabric is Clown Stripe by Michael Miller in Limeade.

It's been a fun sewing week - easy piecing patchwork squares - which still is one of my favorite quilt layout/designs.   The humble square is foolproof and highlights the fabric beautifully.  By the way, the four different solid fabrics used in the quilt top are part of the Glimma fabric collection - they somehow escaped the photography session of the squares received in the mail.

The finished quilt has been listed this quilt in my Etsy Store. SOLD

You can find the listing for this quilt here:  Modern Patchwork Quilt - Glimma

Ready for shipping.

Thank you for stopping by,

Rita

Relevant Links:

Echo by Lotta Jansdotter Collection

Echo Quilt

Bella by Lotta Jansdotter Collection

Shelburne Falls - A Finished Quilt

A Reproduction Vintage Star Quilt

I have finished my quilt!  It has been a huge week of persevering: sewing, pressing, quilting and binding.  This quilt was time consuming to make and some of the units were endlessly repetitive, or so it seemed. I found myself easily distracted.  

Behind the scenes I have made a dreadful mess with discarded foundation papers scattered on the floor (I always start off with a rubbish bin nearby ... I have good intentions), and threads traipsed up the stairs and down the hallway.  What can I say?  A quilter lives here.

The quilt top came together remarkably well, matching most seams by "locking" opposing seam allowances, although not all.  I will have to re-work my pressing of the seams for this quilt block.  For binding I used a wider than usual black and white stripe fabric to lift energy of this quilt another notch.  And for the back of the quilt I have used a yellow polka dot fabric on a cream background (as pictured above).

It is difficult to see in the images, but I have limited the quilting to ditch stitching all of the edge to edge straight seam lines, both horizontal and vertical.  In this instance the quilting is purely functional rather than decorative, and although the quilting doesn't add detail, it does add texture.

I have had many requests for a pattern for this quilt design and have scheduled in writing the pattern for early next year - hopefully January 2013. The pattern will include both foundation paper piecing patterns as well as template patterns if you prefer to machine (or hand?) stitch.

Just in time for Christmas ....

the finished quilt has been listed in my Etsy Store. 

The listing details can be seen here:  Reproduction Vintage Star Quilt

Ready for shipping.

Thank you for stopping by,

Rita

Relevant Links:
Shelburne Falls - Fabric Collection
Work in Progress
Etsy Store

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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.

Liberty Lifestyle - Stile Collection

A Finished Quilt

Quilt making is a little like riding a bike, you don't forget.  Getting back behind the sewing machine this week has been without hiccup and it felt a little like I was never away.  I am a little shocked that it is almost December. 

I have enjoyed working with the Liberty Lifestyle - Stile Collection, and although the sewing was straightforward this traditional quilt has a classic and elegant look about it. 

I spent a little extra time on the quilting detail by stitching diagonal - edge to edge - quilting lines through the center of all white squares (cross-hatching), creating an on-point grid and an interesting quilt back:

I also pieced a scrappy binding with the leftover pieces of fabric, which I think it another highlight of this quilt:

And the finished binding - there's something about the edges of a quilt that I can't get enough of ... I have many more images just like this:

Just in time for Christmas ....

the finished quilt has been listed in my Etsy Store.  

The listing details can be seen here:  Modern Patchwork Quilt

With thanks to Liberty Lifestyle for giving me the opportunity to preview and sample the Stile collection.

Thank you for stopping by,

Rita

RELEVANT LINKS:

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Liberty Lifestyle - Stile Collection

RPQ Etsy Store

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

MACHINE STITCHED BINDING:  (see tutorial)    

Image from The Melbourne Modern Quilt Guild

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

Headliner Text Quilt

Read all about it : )

I have started the new week with my foot to the pedal!  My traditional log cabin quilt featuring numerous text prints is now finished.  Although my quilts are rarely finished with a border, this quilt looked unfinished and plain without it. Adding a border of half square triangles has given this quilt a little zing and movement.  

Details of some of the fabrics used can be found in this blog post:

http://www.redpepperquilts.com/2012/09/workinprogress.html

My love for popular text fabrics continues, and I hope to add a wider variety of text/letters/numbers to my  fabric stash as they become available.  I enjoy reading all of the little messages, quirky stories and headlines that  cover this quilt.  The back of the quilt also (in part) features a text print - Memoir in White from Madrona Road by Violet Craft.

Quilted in simple straight lines -   vertical, horizontal, as well as diagonal - and bound with a black/white stripe fabric (no surprises).   The dark(er) black and white border and binding both complement and frame this quilt; adding another color at this finishing stage wasn't a workable option.  

As usual, I have listed this quilt in my Etsy Store.  

You can find the listing here :  Modern Patchwork Quilt. 

Thank you for stopping by,

Rita

Relevant Links:

Sunday Stash #159 Umbrella Prints

[workinprogress] September 28, 2012

Etsy Store Listing :|:  Modern Patchwork Quilt

A Little Folks Baby Quilt

Last week a quilting and blogging friend welcomed a sweet baby girl into her family. Even though I know that this is one baby girl who will be surrounded by much handmade and quilted goodness, I figured a girl can never have too many quilts. 

My fabric of choice was Little Folks - Voile - by Anna Maria Horner.  This fabric is buttery soft and fly-away light weight, and therefore perfectly suited for little ones as well as being suitable for a warm/hot climate.

This design is a repeat of earlier Little Folks Quilts made in 2010 (see here and here), although this time I decided to omit the binding.  I have previously made quilts without binding using a "bagging out" technique by sandwiching the layers together, stitching around the outside edges, and then turning the quilt inside out through a gap left for this purpose.  (See detailed tutorial here:  A Quilt Without Binding).

I love the looks of these edges!  So sleek and modern, but also colorful when contrasted with the backing fabric.   I have used a 100% cotton batting, which is my standard batting of choice; it is a low loft, natural fiber, batting.

All of the images here are of the hand washed quilt (in a small tub with Soak Wash - a no-rinse gentle cleansing formula), and then tumble dried in a dryer on a normal setting.  I anxiously waited for the quilt to come out of the dryer however could not have been happier with the result:  the fabric stayed true to color (without color run) and a gentle crinkling of the quilt.  

Super light weight  - weighing in at less than 250 grams.

Happy Stitching indeed!  This baby quilt is now making it's way across the country, and ready for sweet baby dreams, baby cuddles, snuggling, even nappy changes ....

Welcome to the world baby Olive!
Rita



COPYRIGHT: Do not copy or use any content or photos from my blog without my written permission.