Bug City - Kansas Dugout Quilt

Bug City Kansas Dugout Quilt

As promised in my Sunday Stash blog post from earlier this this year featuring the Bug City fabric collection, today I am pleased to show you what I did with the FQ bundle that Jodie sent me. Jodie Carleton (from Vintage RicRac) commissioned me to make a quilt with her brand new fabric line ~ Bug City for Ella Blue Fabrics ~ for her booth at the Melbourne Quilt Market in late November last year.

The Bug City fabric collection features five unique designs each in up to five different color ways. The colors are pastel soft with strong contrast elements; vibrant color and strong design elements including the bold (1/2" wide) stripes. I have used all of the fabrics from the collection in this quilt and I have added a single solid fabric (Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton) in yellow to join the blocks together and as a highlight.

Oh my goodness. 💖Those bugs!!

The Kansas Dugout block is one of my favorite traditional quilt designs and the templates (pdf pattern) for this block are available for purchase from my pattern store. The pattern includes templates for three different size blocks (6 inch, 9 inch, and 12 inch block) and for this quilt I have used the 9" block templates. This is probably a good block size to start with if it is your first time working with inset seams. The templates work best when used in conjunction with the step by step tutorial for the Kansas Dugout Block that is available on my blog here: Kansas Dugout Quilt Block Tutorial. The tutorial will guide you through the process and demystify those often dreaded inset seams.

For the back of the quilt I have used a large random dot fabric by Ella Blue Fabrics. This is a 100% cotton wide back fabric - 106" wide - and perfect for this colorful quilt. And for the binding I have used my signature black/white stripe fabric, this time from the the basics range by Ella Blue Fabrics.

QUILT STATS

Bug City - Kansas Dugout Quilt

The finished quilt measures 54 inches x 54 inches.

36 Kansas Dugout Blocks made
using 9" block templates.

Fabric:

Bug City collection by Jodie Carleton

Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton

Quilting:

Ditch stitching all vertical and horizontal block seam lines

then adding additional lines through the center of all blocks.

Batting:

Low Loft Cotton Batting

With thanks to Jodie and Ella Blue Fabrics for the opportunity to work with them once again. I look forward to seeing what Jodie is up to next!

Thank you for stopping by,

Rita

RELEVANT LINKS:

Sunday Stash - Bug City by Jodie Carleton

Red Pepper Quilts Pattern Store - Kansas Dugout Templates (pdf pattern).

Kansas Dugout Tutorial (Step by step instructions to piece this traditional block with inset seams).

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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.

Sunday Stash #419 Bug City by Jodie Carleton and a Giveaway!

Bug City by Jodie Carleton

for Ella Blue Fabrics

Bug City is Jodie Carleton's most recent fabric collection for Ella Blue Fabrics - and follows the popular Bunny Trail, Cat's Pyjamas, Backyard Circus collections and more! Jodie wears many hats including school librarian, toy maker, toy pattern designer (more than 50 toy patterns are available from Jodie's online pattern store), blogger, social media enthusiast, and fabric designer for Ella Blue Fabrics. You might also like to check out Jodie's sewing related enamel pins (available from Jodie's Etsy Store).

The Bug City collection features five unique designs each released in up to five different color ways. The colors are pastel soft with strong contrast elements; vibrant color and strong design elements including the bold stripes (1/2" wide) pictured below. The fabrics with a white background are a sparkling white, and the prints feature bugs and beetles found often in our gardens.

BUG CITY BY JODIE CARLETON is due in stores this month!

SPONSOR NEWS:

The Fat Quarter Shop  20% off Basic of the Month: Butter Churn Basics by Kim Diehl, 20% off Notion of the Month: Quilt Dots/Magnets, 20% off Books of the Month: It's Sew Emma. Prices are as marked. Ends 31 January 2018.

Stash Fabrics  End of Season Clearance Sale! Up to 65% off 1000+ fabrics. Prices are as marked. AND 20% off Basic of the Month: Intermix Basics by Dear Stella coordinate with any project in a blend of playful brights and dreamy neutrals in five prints. Bundles and yardage available. Prices are as marked. Ends 31 January 2018.

Tales of Cloth  Mandolin Quilt Club 2018 - sign up closes 31 January 2018! Join me in making the Mandolin Quilt (English Paper Piecing)! This beautiful, intricate quilt has been broken down into bite size pieces for a fun and enjoyable experience, slow stitching a large quilt. 

Miss Matatabi Just in: Paper Cuts by Rashida Coleman Hale, Flutter by Melody Miller, and Sunshine by Alexia Abegg for Cotton + Steel. $15 flat rate international shipping for orders over $100.

I Love Fabric  Just in: Sunprint 2018 by Alison Glass and Gleaned by Carolyn Friedlander. AND End of Season Sale now on! Hundreds of designer quilting cottons reduced to clear.

The Quilted Castle  Shop the Clearance Sale! Prices start at $4/yard.

GIVEAWAY!

Jodie is kindly giving away a Fat Quarter Bundle of the Bug City collection to one lucky RPQ reader.

To be in the draw leave please a comment on this blog post. 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 10pm (Australia EST) on Tuesday 23 January 2018, 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 Bug City Fat Quarter bundle is:

Congratulations Kirsten! Kirsten has been contacted by email.

Congratulations Jodie on the release another fun fabric collection, and thank you for allowing me to photograph and work with your fabric collection. More photos coming soon of what I have turned this bundle of fabric into.

Enjoy Sunday!
Rita

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COPYRIGHT and DISCLOSURE: Do not copy or use any content or photos from my blog without my written permission. Giveaway fabric bundle kindly supplied by Jodie Carleton and Ella Blue Fabrics. All content including photos are my own. This is original content from www.redpepperquilts.com.

Outback Wife - Courthouse Steps Quilt

Work in Progress ... lots of photos!

Outback Wife 2017 and Essentials by Gertrude Made (the solids, gingham, and yarn dyed fabrics) are the most recently released fabric collections by Cathi Bessell-Browne for Ella Blue Fabrics - Cathi is an Australian designer and dressmaker with a passion for vintage floral fabrics. It is no secret that I love fabric and even though these colors and large scale floral designs are not usual style I was immediately drawn to them, and was thrilled to receive a complimentary bundle of both collections from Cathi and Ella Blue Fabrics.

Click on any image for a larger view.

Over the festive season these fabric bundles were never far from my sight; propped neatly on my cutting table awaiting inspiration to strike. Every time I walked past I wondered if cutting the beautiful large scale floral designs into small patchwork pieces would not be the best use of these fabrics, but my instincts told me to go for it. I played with several traditional quilt designs including Log Cabin and Flying Geese blocks, before settling on Courthouse Steps blocks and working with light/dark fabrics for contrast in the design of the quilt.

The Outback Wife range of fabrics are barkcloth fabrics; soft, thick, slightly textured cotton fabric heavier in weight than standard quilting cotton, but no more difficult to handle, cut, sew, and press, than quilting cotton. The barkcloth fabric base has a gorgeous texture and is much softer than I had anticipated. The barkcloth fabrics also worked well with both the yarn-dyed fabrics and quilting weight gingham/stripe fabrics from the Essentials range. Furthermore, I did not hesitate to add several linen and linen blend fabrics (as well as quilting cottons) from stash into the mix. Texture + texture + texture!

QUILT DETAILS

Outback Wife - Courthouse Steps Quilt

Quilt top measures 60 inches x 60 inches.

36 Courthouse Steps blocks.
6 rows of 6 blocks.
 Each finished block measures 10" x 10"

[cut center square 2.5" x 2.5" and cut all surrounding

logs 1.5" wide]

FEATURED FABRIC:

Outback Wife 2017 by Gertrude Made

Essentials by Gertrude Made 

Outback Wife - Courthouse Steps Quilt

60 inches x 60 inches.

The use of the heavier weight fabrics means that this quilt top is significantly heavier than my usual quilt tops. It is heavy in a good way though ... perfect for a cold Winter's night in front of the TV and providing comfort when used on a bed. I am planning to further add to the weight of the quilt by piecing a quilt back from the larger pieces of leftover barkcloth fabrics.

RELEVANT LINKS:
Sunday Stash - Outback Wife 2017
Sunday Stash - Essentials by Gertrude Made
Outback Wife Quilt - April 2017
Gertrude Made
Ella Blue Fabrics

Thank you for stopping by and scrolling through the many photos!

More soon,
Rita

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COPYRIGHT and DISCLOSURE: Do not copy or use any content or photos from my blog without my written permission. Fabric bundle kindly supplied by Cathi Bessell-Browne and Ella Blue Fabrics. This is original content from www.redpepperquilts.com.

Sunday Stash #416 Essentials by Gertrude Made

 Essentials by Gertrude Made

 for Ella Blue Fabrics

This week I am featuring the Essentials collection by Gertrude Made which complements the Outback Wife range of fabrics, also by Gertrude Made, that I featured on last week's Sunday Stash blog post. In a color palette inspired by the Australian outback landscape, this collection has been designed for dressmakers and quilters alike.

The Essentials collection consists of bark cloth solids in rich and saturated colors, as well as impeccably woven yarn dyes, old style tickings and trusty denims, each woven by the finest mills in Japan. Click on any of the photos for a larger and check out the detail of the texture of the various fabric bases.

I am excited to see the introduction of black gingham style woven fabrics - pictured above - as well as the beautifully textured yarn-dyed fabrics - pictured below - which are great background and contrast fabrics.

Yarn Dyed - Essentials by Gertrude Made 

Outback Wife - Alys and Elizabeth

in Cotton/Merino Twill 

Last, but certainly not least, the Outback Wife collection also includes 2 designs - each available in 3 colorways - printed on a luxury cotton/merino twill fabric base. It is so incredibly soft and proudly made here in Melbourne.

Essentials - Solids by Gertrude Made

Wishing all my readers a warm and wonderful Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Rita

RELEVANT LINKS:
Sunday Stash #415 Outback Wife 2017 by Gertrude Made
Outback Wife Quilt - April 2017
Gertrude Made
Ella Blue Fabrics

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COPYRIGHT and DISCLOSURE: Do not copy or use any content or photos from my blog without my written permission. Fabric bundle kindly supplied by Cathi Bessell-Browne and Ella Blue Fabrics. This is original content from www.redpepperquilts.com.

Sunday Stash #415 Outback Wife 2017 by by Gertrude Made

Outback Wife 2017 

by Gertrude Made - Cathi Bessell-Browne

for Ella Blue Fabrics
(Click on any image for a larger view.)

Cathi Bessell-Browne, farmer’s wife and the hands and heart behind Gertrude Made, continues her ode to the strength, passion and courage of rural women across Australia with another stunning Outback Wife collection. 

Anna 

Inspired by the beautiful floral bark cloth fabrics of the 1940s and 1950s, the details of this collection have been carefully considered to create a range with an authentic vintage voice. The hand-painted floral designs are printed on an exclusive cotton bark cloth base and tell the story of  rural women.

Rachel

Alys

This year, the exquisite hand-painted designs are woven with the stories of the rural women from the station country of the Gascoyne Region in Western Australia’s north-west. And it has been quite the journey; it has taken five different mills to create both Outback Wife and the Gertrude Made Essentials collection that complements it. (More on the Gertrude Made Essentials collection next week).

Elizabeth

The fabrics are 150cm (60 inches) wide, are lightly textured, a medium to light weight (they are slightly heavier than quilting cotton) with a soft hand and medium drape. The bark cloth fabric is carefully woven to create a vintage feel and the quality of the prints are exceptional. I adore Cathi's collection of floral prints and the quilt that I made from the original collection released earlier this year is one of my favorites makes this year.

 Aggie

Christine

OUTBACK WIFE 2017 BY GERTRUDE MADE is due in stores soon and will be available from:
Stash Fabrics - now taking pre-orders

I will be updating this list as details become available.

Genni

SPONSOR NEWS

Miss Matatabi  $15 flat rate international shipping for orders over $100.

DuckaDilly  New Limited Edition Liberty of London Tana Lawn now in stock.

I Love Fabric  Just in: Modern Retro by Makower UK and For Fox Sake by Dear Stella. AND On Sale: Literary by Heather Givans and Wonderland by Rifle Paper Co.

Kiwi Fabrics  Spectacle by Christian Robinson for Cotton + Steel now available for pre-ordering.

Lady Belle Fabric  30% off selected bundles. Prices are as marked.

Pink Castle Fabrics  Introducing the Kona Complete Club starting in 2018 - collect all 340 Kona colors. You choose your preferred size (Fat Eighth, FQ, Half Yard, or One Yard bundles). Sign up before 31 December 2017 and get a FREE updated Kona card featuring all 340 colors ($35 value).

Craftsy  Snag any of your favorite Craftsy classes for under $US20.00. Ends midnight Monday 18 December 2017.

To read the fascinating stories of the rural women that have inspired these floral fabrics, grab a cup of tea or coffee and click on the name links below each of the above fabric photos. 

Enjoy Sunday!
Rita

RELEVANT LINKS:
Outback Wife Quilt - April 2017
Gertrude Made
Ella Blue Fabrics

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COPYRIGHT and DISCLOSURE: Do not copy or use any content or photos from my blog without my written permission. Fabric bundle kindly supplied by Cathi Bessell-Browne and Ella Blue Fabrics. This is original content from www.redpepperquilts.com.