Vintage and Feedsack Fabric Quilt

A Finished Quilt.

Quick Quilt Stats

Vintage and feedsack fabrics as well as new quilting fabrics.

Quilt measures 48 inches x 60 inches.

Squares and Four-Patch design.

First, please let me thank everyone who sent an email or left a comment on the work in progress blog post for this quilt, and the many recommendations offered to remove that vintage smell from vintage fabric. There were some really great suggestions - and some age old remedies - and in the end I rewashed the quilt top by gently soaking it in a tub, then allowed it to line dry, leaving it out in the sun for several hours. It seems to have worked a treat. I have had several impartial noses smell the quilt and all have told me that the quilt smells fresh, without a hint of musty odor. So that's good news. Really good news, allowing me to move on and finish the quilt.

I have quilted this quilt by first ditch-stitching all the seam lines, and then stitching another set of edge to edge straight lines (vertical and horizontal) through the center of the squares. Simple and functional, giving the quilt a lovely texture and a very nice drape.

For the back of the quilt I have used a single fabric from the Country Girls collections by Tasha Noel. Also note that for the quilting stitches I have matched the bottom/bobbin thread color with the backing fabric (red) and used an off-white thread for the quilt top. This was a risky decision for if the sewing machine tension is not right it will quickly show; either by the bobbin thread showing on the right side (the quilt top) or the top thread showing on the quilt back. My machine is delivering a neat stitch at the moment so I was fairly confident with this decision. She did not let me down.

For the quilt binding I have used an Art Gallery Fabric ~ Squared Elements in Turquoise.

I really am very happy with how this quilt turned out! I especially love that this quilt features so many of my vintage fabrics. It is always satisfying to work with stash fabrics, but even more so when they are treasured vintage fabrics collected over a number of years. I like to think this quilt somehow represents a small catalog of fabrics from another era, again made functional for someone to enjoy.

This quilt is for sale, however I won't be updating my Etsy Store until after Spring Break/Easter.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to email me: redpepperquilts at gmail dot com.

Thank you for stopping by,
Rita

RELEVANT LINKS:
Vintage and Feedsack Fabric Quilt ~ Work in Progress
Vintage Fabric and RPQ Feedsack Projects



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

Vintage and Feedsack Fabric Quilt

Work in Progress.

Continuing on with last year's them of Use It or Lose It, this week I cut into my treasured collection of vintage fabrics and feedsack fabrics. I have accumulated these fabrics over a number of years, all were carefully washed and stored, some pieces were occasionally cut into for a project, but never a quilt using so many of these hoarded  precious and much loved fabrics.

The fabrics used to make this quilt top include vintage fabrics (from the bolt), feedsack fabrics as well as designer quilting cottons (new fabric). The variation in the weave of the fabrics - some coarse and with an open weave, others more tightly woven and fine - as well as the variable quality of the fabrics made sewing with them slightly challenging, although overall I wasn't too concerned with how the quilt top was coming together.

Although all of the vintage/feedsack fabrics had already been washed, I re-washed and tumble dried all of the fabrics prior to cutting. It surprised me to see how much red dye seeped from the large scale red gingham fabric (a vintage fabric), especially as I had previously washed it.

Once the quilt top was completed I spent some time pressing seams. I use a warm iron (on a cotton setting) with lots of steam to gently press my quilt tops. The task of pressing the seams and the quilt top itself wasn't a problem, but I was troubled by the slight musty smell coming from the quilt top and in the vapors from the iron; the smell of vintage fabric that wasn't at all obvious whilst I was working on the quilt top, still lingered in the fabric.

My plan of action is to work on removing the  smell with a natural remedy, before basting and quilting. The internet suggest baking soda, sunshine, vinegar .... If you have remedy I would love to hear it, and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated, for I can't imagine a quilt that smells "not quite right". That's just wrong!

I will be sure to keep you updated, what works and what doesn't. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Thank you for stopping by,
Rita

RELEVANT LINKS:
Feedsack and Vintage Fabrics and Projects

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

Sunday Stash #236 Feedsack Fabric and More

The Melbourne Craft and Quilt Fair was on this week and weekend (ends today) and as always is a great day spent with like minded quilting friends and fabric fiends. I spent quite some time viewing the quilts but also wandered the aisles in search of fabric ... and there was plenty to be found as well as nifty notions and gadgets galore.

For me it was all about feedsack fabrics ...

Feedsack fabrics featured here are pieces from American vintage sacks. I don't have a project in mind for these fabrics as yet, but they are so lovely and still in great condition (no stains or tears) so I will definitely need to think of a project to feature these precious pieces.

I also met Leslie Keating, owner and designer behind Maze and Vale and picked up these beautiful hand printed fabrics. Leslie uses natural fibers upon which to print her own designs using environmentally friendly inks and fine cottons (as well as linen blends). Leslie is now also running workshops in block printing and freeform patchwork from her Melbourne based studio.

Japanese Fabric by Yoshiko Jinzenji for Yuwa 

Also this week - arriving by mail - these text and low volume prints by popular Japanese fabric designer Yoshiko Jinzenji for Yuwa which are available from:

Miss Matatabi (Etsy)

Enjoy Sunday!
Rita

Sunday Stash #204 - Vintage Fabrics

A Piece of Cloth - Images from RPQ on Instagram 

Early October my sister and I set out on a short road trip to A Piece of Cloth in Fyansford, Victoria (a suburb of Geelong - and about an hour from Melbourne CBD by car). A Piece of Cloth is a vintage and antique textile sourcing business with fabrics and quilt tops sourced internationally and for sale directly from the studio or online.

Our visit to the studio was very interesting and the store owner was knowledgeable and informative; happy to share all that she knew about the history of feedsack fabric and their use over the many decades.  I picked up a very nice selection of vintage fabrics in various sizes.  

*the bottom fabric (floral fabricwith blue background) is also a "new to my stash" feedsack fabric, but was purchased from an Etsy store.

My favorite purchases from our day trip are these gorgeous blue prints, they're so unique and despite their age the colors are still vibrant. Some of my fabrics needed a wash (and some a long soaking) but all have survived my challenging cleaning regime and are now ready for use.  We had such a great day that I am sure we will venture out to A Piece of Cloth again.

Completely unrelated to our day trip and purchased from LittleTeaWagon (Etsy Store) are these vintage pillowcases.  Again these are in great condition (perhaps the colors are gently faded), arrived freshly laundered, and ready for some sewing action.

Enjoy Sunday!

Rita

[workinprogress]

I am re-visiting an old friend this week - the humble half square triangle (HST). I really love this versatile unit and have made numerous quilts in various designs from this simple block (see Half Square Triangle label to browse through all HST projects).

This time I have used a traditional block - featuring nine the same HST units in a nine patch arrangement.  The HST units each feature a dark fabric and a light (low volume) fabric.  The dark fabrics that I have selected for this quilt generally have a retro feel about them.  

Several of the large scale fabrics are indeed reclaimed vintage linens as well as authentic feedsack fabrics.  I love that these pre-loved fabrics from another era blend so well with our "modern" fabrics.  All of the fabrics are from stash, although I had to dig deep to audition and find the right fabrics for this project.

30 HST nine-patch blocks

270 Half Square Triangle Units

each and every unit over-sized and trimmed for accuracy.

Now ready for basting and quilting.

Thank you for stopping by,
Rita

RELEVANT LINKS:
Retro HST Quilt - A Finished Quilt and Quilt Pattern (pdf file)

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[workinprogress]

Saturday, Sunday and Monday in pictures ...

I have had a wonderful time on the weekend digging through both my stash and scrap bin, creating huge piles of messed up fabric.  My search was for just the right prints to create the vision of a quilt that has been whizzing around in my head.  Something "low volume" but with a hint of color and definitely scrappy, very scrappy.

It feels like I am on the right path.  It's definitely scrappy, and I have included a wide variety of fabric designs, styles and fabric types, including hand screen printed, vintage (reclaimed bed linens), Japanese imports,  feedsack fabric, as well linen, and modern quilting cottons.

I finished sewing the quilt top on Sunday evening, but promptly decided that bigger would indeed be better.  So, today was spent going through my fabric stash once again, cutting more squares and re-jigging the layout.  

An usually productive weekend!

For now ... it's back to my design floor.
Rita