A Year End Knitting Update and 2015 Quilt Favorites

On this the last day of 2015 I thought it might be a good idea to update my knitting projects for the year. I have been knitting although it comes spurts and starts - frenetic knitting sometimes followed by frogging and long bouts of inactivity. Eventually a project comes off the needles and I wonder what took so long ...

The Pattern:  Loden Shawl by Irina Dmitrieva

My most recent finished knit is  Loden Shawl, a pattern by Irina Dmitrieva.  This shawl is a relatively easy project although it looks deceptively difficult! This shawl is worked from the edge up with botanical motifs and openwork. The pattern is charted which I prefer and involves active knitting that requires attention to the pattern detail; there’s always something happening on right-side rows, while wrong-side rows let you catch your breath.

The Yarn:  Debbie Bliss Fine Donegal in Snowdrift

This tweed yarn is perfect for this shawl. It is soft with subtle and complementary tweed flecks which adds a rustic feel to an otherwise delicate looking lace pattern. As always, blocking my knitted project is the secret to the amazing stitch/lace definition! I use blocking wires and blocking pins to block my knitted projects.

Click on any image for a larger view.

Also off the needles and freshly blocked is my Peak Color Shawl which I made over a two month period of stop / start knitting from October to December:

The Pattern: Peak Color Shawl by Plucky Knitter

This eye catching asymmetrical triangle is worked from side to side in Plucky Bello yarn. I purchased this project as a kit with set colors but I have substituted a skein of bright pink yarn for orange ~ a color I am more likely to wear. The orange yarn is Malabrigo Sock Yarn in Terracotta. Each section brings in a new color and a new stitch pattern.

The Yarn: Plucky Bello by The Plucky Knitter

This was a great easy knitting pattern - perfect for a confident beginner knitter wanting to try different stitch patterns. The pattern includes written and charted instructions and once you have established the pattern for each new stitch  quickly becomes intuitive although I did count rows and tick off charts as I progressed.

For more photos and all the details including links to the patterns and yarn please check my Ravelry page:

Loden Shawl

Peak Color Shawl

Goodbye 2015!

I have made 38 quilts this year - it has been a huge year! And considering that I spent at least 7 weeks away from my sewing machine/traveling overseas that makes it almost one quilt a week. Choosing my 2015 quilt favorites is hard for a little piece of my heart and soul are stitched into each and every quilt. These "favorites" have been chosen not only for their color, the fabric, and the design, but also for the process, the season, and the memories associated with that time... 

Click on any image for a larger view.

From left to right and top to bottom:
1.   Quarter Log Cabin Scrap Quilt
2.   Memories Quilt (pattern available)
3.   An Autumn Quilt 
4.   Irish Chain Scrap Buster Quilt (tutorial available)
5.   Fields and Furrows Log Cabin Quilt
6.   Kona Color Wheel Quilt (tutorial and templates available)
7.   Pickle Dish Variation Quilt (tutorial and templates available)
8.  The Fall Quilt - A Checker Board Quilt (tutorial available)
9.   Single Irish Chain Scrap Quilt 
10. Scrappy Quarter Log Cabin Quilt (tutorial available)
11. Worn and Washed Strip Quilt
12. Scrappy Bear Paw Quilt (tutorial available)
See all 2015 Finished Quilts HERE.

As always I am grateful for your support and encouragement, and for stopping by!

With warmest wishes for all things bright and wonderful for 2016.
Rita

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

Carkai Half Square Triangle Quilt

A Finished Quilt.

Click on any image for a larger view.

Carkai Half Square Triangle Quilt

Quilt Size: 48 inches x 57 inches

304 Half Square Triangles (HSTs)

each finished HST measures 3" x 3".

19 rows of 16 HST units.

608 patchwork pieces.

The Fabrics:

Carkai by Carolyn Friedlander

Liberty of London Tana Lawn

Oakshott Cotton - in particular the Scandinavia range.

Stash fabrics including several Cotton + Steel prints.

My last finished quilt for 2015! Despite having spent several days away from my sewing machine over the Christmas period, as well as a number of days that were unpleasantly warm thereby excluding any quilt wrangling, my Carkai Half Square Triangle Quilt is finished and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.

I have quilted this quilt first by ditch stitching the horizontal and vertical seam lines (this helps to stabilize the quilt sandwich). I then stitched edge to edge vertical lines just 1 inch apart. For this quilt I have also tried out a different batting ~ Warm & White Cotton Batting by the Warm Company. I love how it handled and how it quilted up; it is a low loft cotton batting made with white fibers, perfect for use with bright whites, pastels, and tone-on-tone fabrics. I have always preferred to use a low loft batting for my quilts and like that this batting will keep the colors of my quilts bright. As an added bonus this batting has been pre-shrunk thereby limiting the puckering of the quilt when washed ~ again, just a personal preference.

For the back of the quilt I have used my favorite backing fabric Newspaper in Spackle from the Story collection by Carrie Bloomston. And for the binding I have used Squared Elements in Lemon (Art Gallery Fabrics). 

This quilt is for sale and is listed in my Etsy Store.

See all the listing details here:  

Modern Half Square Triangle Quilt

Ready for shipping.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year! I love these slow post-Christmas days as we approach the new year ... the Summer holiday schedule (or the lack thereof), reading, knitting, and sewing, all at a leisurely pace. But it is also a time to reflect, make plans, and start anew. I hope 2016 brings you everything you wish for and more.

Rita

RELEVANT LINKS:
Red Pepper Quilts Etsy Store
Carkai Half Square Triangle Quilt - Work in Progress
Sunday Stash #312 - Carkai by Carolyn Friedlander
Sunday Stash #274 - Oakshott Scandinavia
Oakshott Scandinavia Half Square Triangle Quilt

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

Sunday Stash #313 Cotton + Steel ~ Clover & Penny Arcade

Clover by Alexia Abegg 

for Cotton + Steel 

It's always exciting when the new release Cotton + Steel collections start arriving in stores and subsequently is added to my stash. This week for Sunday Stash I am starting with what is probably my favorite (ever) Cotton + Steel collection ~ Clover by Alexia Abegg, although I may well have several more "favorite" collections with this new release.

Oh those sweet little lambs! The Clover collection is inspired by a sweet little lamb and all of the sights she sees while exploring a quaint European village in the countryside. I love the inclusion of the softer colors; the pastel pink, sweet blue, and light grey prints which I know I will use as stash basics.

Next up is Penny Arcade by Kim Kight. For this collection Kim turned to her childhood memories of family outings and school field trips.

Penny Arcade by Kim Kight

for Cotton + Steel 

Penny Arcade conjures up the sights the sounds, and the smells of those grand and magical trips. Kim reminds us how to see the world through a child's eye, and the power of nostalgia to keep the magic alive. The collections includes several great small scale stash basics in signature Cotton + Steel colors which provides opportunity for mixing and matching these new collections with all previous collections.

The 4TH COTTON + STEEL COLLECTIONS are in store now and available from:

Stash Fabrics

The Fat Quarter Shop

Lady Belle Fabric 

Miss Matatabi (Etsy)

Fabric Bubb

Pink Castle Fabrics

GJ's Discount Fabrics

The Quilted Castle

Penny Arcade by Kim Kight 

SPONSOR NEWS

*Expired coupon codes and sales/promotions have been deleted.

Clover by Alexia Abegg

Enjoy Sunday!
Rita

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

Quilt Local by Heather Jones - A Book Review and Giveaway!

Quilt Local: Finding Inspiration in the Everyday

 by Heather Jones

I am excited to share with you today a book that resonates with me ~ Quilt Local: Finding Inspiration in the Everyday by Heather Jones. The book features twenty projects -  quilts and pillow covers - each in two color ways, with complete instructions for each, as well as stories about their inspiration and color and fabric choices.

Quilt Local is Heather's first book and I am excited to share it with you for the assertion behind the book - finding inspiration in everyday - is one that I practice myself; to actively find inspiration in your environment, observe rhythmic pattern and graphic beauty in simple shapes, irregular lines, and the joy of color play in our surroundings.

Heather brings a fresh perspective to quilting with her minimalist quilting style - including the use of bold color and large scale blocks - and shares five habits that are useful when looking for design ideas and how to go about translating inspiration into finished quilts using sketches and simple math.

Heather also outlines the basics of color theory ~ how to create color palettes and color stories in quilting ~ and simplifies the process of choosing colors for the design. I love that all the projects are presented in two colorways for this illustrates perfectly how different the same layout can look when you change the color/fabric combination. Heather explains her color choices and each unique color palette becomes a mini lesson in color theory and fabric selection.

Heather takes us on a journey from inspiration to finished quilt providing all the information required along  the way, including a chapter on basic quilt construction, to ensure successful completion of your project.

Central Parkway Quilt by Heather Jones

All of the projects in the book are beautifully photographed (by Jenny Hallengren) in delightful landscape and indoor settings which makes this book not only a great quilting information resource but may visually also be the spark that ignites your own pathway for original design, or at the very least serve as a gentle reminder to practise mindfulness; to live with your eyes wide open.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

Merry Christmas! The team at STC Craft (Abrams) are kindly giving away a copy of the book to one lucky RPQ reader.

To be in the draw please leave a comment on this blog post. Only one comment per person/per email address - email me if you are not able to leave a comment (redpepperquilts at gmail dot com) and I will leave a comment on your behalf. International entries welcome!

The draw will take place at 10am (Australia EDT) on Sunday 27 December 2015, at which time comments to this  post will be closed. The winner will be announced by edit to this blog post, and will also be contacted by email.

Thank you for all of your entries!

ENTRY HAS NOW CLOSED.

The winner of the book Quilt Local by Heather Jones is:

Andrea has been contacted by email.

Shellshock Quilt by Heather Jones

Congratulations Heather on the release of your book and thank you to the team at STC Craft for kindly giving away a copy of the book.

Good luck everyone and wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!
Rita

RELEVANT LINKS:
Amazon: Quilt Local: Finding Inspiration in the Everyday by Heather Jones

COPYRIGHT: Do not copy or use any content or photos from my blog without my written permission. With thanks to STC Craft for permission to take photographs of the quilts in the book and to use those images here on my blog. Original photographs of the quilts in the book are by Jenny Hallengren.