Thursday, May 14, 2015

A Custom Quilt ~ Work in Progress

A quilt in pictures.
Pretty Patches - A Custom Order Quilt in Progress | Red Pepper Quilts

This week I have been working on a custom quilt. My brief is for something pretty and floral, but other than that I have been largely entrusted to create, choose fabrics and colors as I wish. And just like that I am again in my comfort zone. My happy sewing space.

Pretty Patches - A Custom Order Quilt in Progress | Red Pepper Quilts
Pretty Patches - Liberty of London Tana Lawn | Red Pepper Quilts
Pretty Patches - A Custom Order Quilt in Progress | Red Pepper Quilts

QUICK QUILT STATS
324 patchwork squares
3 inch finished squares
100+ different different cotton fabrics from stash 
including Liberty of London Tana Lawn and
Liberty Lifestyle (Bloomsbury Gardens & Stile) Collection
Quilt measures 54 inches x 54 inches (138cm x 138cm)

Pretty Patches - A Custom Order Quilt in Progress | Red Pepper Quilts
Pretty Patches - A Custom Order Quilt in Progress | Red Pepper Quilts

Notably absent:  text fabric! It was hard for me not to include any text fabric in this quilt instead the prints used are almost all small to medium scale floral designs, with the addition of a sprinkling of stash basics.

Pretty Patches - A Custom Order Quilt in Progress | Red Pepper Quilts

A productive week so far - with thanks to some cold, wet and windy Melbourne weather - and more time at the sewing machine yet to come.

Pretty Patches - Liberty of London Tana Lawn ~ Alice in Wonderland (Spring/Summer 2015) | Red Pepper Quilts
Liberty Tana Lawn - Alice in Wonderland (Spring/Summer 2015)
Thank you for stopping by,
Rita

RELEVANT LINKS:
Strip Piecing Tutorial (I used 3.5" x 11" strips for this quilt)
More RPQ Custom Quilts

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17 comments:

  1. so pretty, rita! you have such a way with fabrics!

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  2. Beautiful fabrics, and I am sure, another beautiful RPQ quilt!!!

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  3. I love this quilt - so pretty

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  4. I'm curious--when you make a quilt like this, do you lay out all the squares to decide on an arrangement, or do you do smaller sections, and trust that an arrangement of them will work? pgold[at]knox[dot]edu

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    1. Hi Penny - thank you for stopping by! I did strip piece this quilt using strips measuring 3.5" wide x 11". Sew four strips together and cross cut at 3.5" intervals (the process is the same as per my tutorial here:

      Checkerboard and Strip Piecing Tutorial

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  5. Such a pretty quilt! I love the little Alice in Wonderland block. It's so strange to not see text fabric though, that's sort of your signature it seems like! Lol. :)

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  6. This quilt is SO gorgeous, I'm drooling over it. Just beautiful!

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  7. I had the same question as Penny! Your points where all the squares connect are always so perfect. What's your trick? I love a patchwork quilt but am not that great with getting everything to match so nicely. Any tips would be appreciated! shopgirl7232 at yahoo dot com

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    1. Hi Janet - I strip pieced this quilt (see Tutorial: Strip Piecing Tutorial and above comment for strip measurements). This doesn't however ensure matching seams. Pressing seams to the side (rather than pressing open), and "nesting" seams works well for me. As does not using pins, instead sewing from one nested seam to the next, aligning and matching as you go. I hope that makes sense? Rita

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    2. Thanks Rita! That's a much faster way than piecing each square. I appreciate your response. Love your work!

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  8. another question for you - your "wip" always look so starched and nicely pressed....do you use starch? And if so, which brand????

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    1. Hi Anne - thank you for stopping by! I rarely use spray starch (only when there are lots of bias edges or off-grain fabrics used in the quilt top). No starch was used for this quilt top, but I do have a favorite top of the range iron with lots of steam - I have only ever used Philips brand irons. My preferred brand of spray starch is Crisp, made in the UK. Rita

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  9. thanks - I can't believe you don't use starch! That's amazing! well done!!! keep posting please I've learned a lot from you and have made many of your patterns!

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  10. Oooh, I love this! That Libery floral with the blue background (showcased in the 2nd and 3rd pictures) is one of my favorites!!

    Another beautiful patchwork. Thanks for sharing with us. You are always a positive inspiration to me.

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