Sunday Stash #35

It's great to be stashing again.

Anna Maria Horner 

Little Folks (voile) wich comes in three palettes 

Sugar Cookie, Moonlight & Playground.

 From left to right:

Forest Hills in Sweet

Coloring Garden in Berry

Baby Bouquet in Sweet

From left to right:

Forest Hills in Citrus

Coloring Garden in Sea

Little Honey in Meadow

Little Folks - Voile - is a lightweight, free flowing cotton fabric with a high thread count.  It has a really beautiful drape and is suitable for clothing and soft furnishings but surely also quilts!

Little Folks fabric stash was purchased online at Hawthorn Threads and Sewmamasew.

I can't wait to cut into these!

Just a reminder that the comments/entries to win the Bricks and Stones Quilt as detailed in the GiveAway post will be closing tonight, Sunday 10 January at 12 midnight AEDT.  The draw will take place on Monday, and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter. Good luck everyone!  Your enthusiasm and support has been totally overwhelming and much appreciated.

Bricks and Stones Quilt Pattern

Writing a quilt pattern was on the list of things to do in 2010.   I can hardly believe it myself that I have accomplished one of my main New Year's Resolutions within the first two weeks of the year!

Writing a pattern posed as one of those almighty mental hurdles, and after much encouragement from family, friends, and blog readers, I decided earlier this week just to start writing.  I have been best buddies with my computer ever since (although we certainly had our ups and downs!).

Bricks and Stones Quilt Pattern - PDF File

The Hope Valley Quilt featured in the GiveAway post has been renamed Bricks and Stones Quilt.  The pattern is suitable for beginner to intermediate sewers, and includes step by step photo guide and many of my own tips and hints to enjoy success in making this quilt. The pattern comes in a PDF format only and is available for immediate download upon receipt of payment ~ from my Etsy Store.

Thank you also for your incredibly positive response to my GiveAway post!    Good luck to everyone who has entered the draw, and to those of you who have not as yet already done so, it is not too late to leave a comment on the GiveAway post, and be in the running to win the actual Bricks and Stones Quilt. 

All Red Pepper Quilts patterns are now also available here:

Rita

Hope Valley and a GiveAway!

Happy New Year! It is great to be back from a short break, and I am certainly looking forward to all that 2010 may bring.

Last year was a wonderful year; blogging has not only created some great opportunities, it has also introduced me to some really creative and supportive bloggers, some of whom I have had the pleasure of meeting in person.

I am completely overwhelmed by how widely read, followed and commented upon my blog is! Please forgive me if at times I have not replied to your comments or responded to an email in a timely manner. I am grateful for all of your visits, regardless of whether you comment, follow, subscribe to, or have bookmarked this page.

So, as a token of my appreciation and thanks to all who read this blog, I am having a giveaway! There is much to celebrate:

218 posts

600+ followers

thousands of comments

231,000+ visitors

( The interest in numbers/stats lingers from my Accounting past!)

The back of the Hope Valley Quilt

To be in the draw all you have to do is leave a comment on this post, with the only requirement being that you provide either in your profile, or in your comment, an email address so that I can contact the winner!  International visitors are very welcome to enter!  Only one comment per person/email address will be eligible to enter the draw.

And the prize? The first name drawn will win the quilt featured throughout this post. Made with fabrics from the Hope Valley collection by Denyse Schmidt, machine pieced and quilted with straight line quilting.  This is an original design/layout,  and comprises some very traditional but simple piecing.

 First Prize - Hope Valley Quilt

The second name to be drawn will be sent 18 fat eights from the Hope Valley fabric range, more than 2 yards of fabric.  A great starter pack for a quilt, or this bundle makes for a great way to start adding to the fabric stash in 2010, if you have not already done so.

 Second Prize - 18 fat eights - Hope Valley by Denyse Schmidt

The draw will take place Monday 11 January 2010, at which time comments to this post will be closed. The winners will be announced here on my blog, and also contacted by email.  Good luck everyone!

ENTRY TO GO IN THE DRAW FOR THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.  

Farewell 2009!

"Sewing fills my days,

not to mention the living room,

the bedroom, and every closet!"

Words more true could not be spoken!

1. Red Patch Quilt - the front  2. Around the Block - december 09  3. Scrapbuster Quilt  4. Aqua and Red Baby Quilt  5. Pieced Border Scrap Quilt  6. Spring Patchwork Baby Quilt - Front  7. Simplicity Quilt  8. Fresh Cut Quilt  9. Scrap Quilt  10. Scrap Quilt  11. Oranges Lemons and Limes Quilt 12. French Country Quilt  13. Baby Quilt  14. Strawberries and Cream  15. Half Square Triangles Galore  16. Strips and Bricks Quilt - Quilted  17. Quilting  18. Binding  19. Baby Girl Quilts  20. Gelati Log Cabin Quilt Top  21. Nine Patch Quilt - Strawberry Patches  22. Detail of "Spot On" Circle Quilt  23. Two Baby Quilts  24. Back of Coin Quilt  25. Modern Brown and Aqua Baby Quilt

2009 has been a wonderful and creative year and I am looking forward to 2010.  Thank you again to everyone who has stopped by to read my blog thereby encouraging and inspiring me to continue to journal and share my quilting adventures. 

Enjoy your New Year's Eve!  

Downunder Christmas 09

It is starting to feel a lot like Christmas around here, with the obligatory last minute trips to shopping centers and their overflowing car parks, postal delivery delays and also some really beautiful Christmas light displays, food preparations and gift wrapping.

It does not leave a lot of time to devote to my sewing and my blog.  I am therefore going to take a short blogging break to spend time preparing for Christmas and enjoying seeing in the New Year with family and friends.  2010 promises to be a wonderful year for Red Pepper Quilts, and cannot wait to see how it all works out.

 Hope Valley by Denyse Schmidt

I will be returning on Wednesday, 6 January 2010 with a GiveAway post!  Besides it being the start of the new year, there is much to celebrate.  Since starting blogging in April this year, I have posted more than 200 posts, received way more comments than I could have ever anticipated, and have had more than 550 followers sign up to follow my blog!  Every reason to celebrate and it is going to be worth the wait!

In the process of posting about my quilting journey I have learned so much; about computers, blogging, photographing quilts, sewing, quilting, and sharing information, but best of all I have made some amazing new friends, likeminded bloggers and quilters without whom Red Pepper Quilts would not be the same. Thank you to everyone who has supported me, or stopped by my blog just to see what I have been  up to, I look forward to seeing you all again in 2010!

Merry Christmas

and a Happy New Year

from Rita at

Red Pepper Quilts

Sunday Stash #34

The recent spate of re-organizing has also brought to my attention the rather numerous long term unfinished projects that are floating about.  Although I do not allow these projects to weigh heavily upon my mind, I am conscious of a need to finish what I have started.

Babette Blanket designed by Kathy Merrick

Published in Interweave Crochet - Spring 2006

I absolutely love this yarn!  It is Koigu Wool Designs KPM, 100% merino wool, purchased from Purlsoho,  quite some time ago.  Very well stashed but definitely in need of being used to make the Babette Blanket.  More Babette projects can be seen in the Babette Blanket Flickr Pool.

And of course, some obligatory fabric stash:

These are from Kaffe Fassett's very recent range of fabrics.  Called "Plink" in White and Magenta, these are pretty and have blended well with my stash.  I am always inspired by Kaffe's fabrics and all of his quilts/knitting, but do not always find that his fabrics work all that well with my stashed fabrics. I enjoy the challenge though and have a significant Kaffe stash.

More Sunday Stashers here.

My Creative Space #2

At this time of the year I am definitely starting to slow down, organizing stash, sorting through the scrap bin, and generally re-arranging books, threads, etc so that I can start the new year fresh and rearing to go.

Christmas preparations are in full swing, and I really am too busy to accomplish much sewing.  The new Hope Valley stash, however, has been calling, and could not be resisted.   I have tentatively cut into it, and am enjoying the easy piecing and playing around with the layout.

This fabric range was much anticipated, but not an immediate favorite.  I am slowly warming to the color palette and the small scale print of many of the individual fabrics within the range, and even  starting to play favorites.

The Red Patch

The Red Patch quilt is finished.  I have really enjoyed the fabric play for this quilt, combining the many different reds which all work together surprisingly well.  This quilt also includes some fabrics by talented Australian designers, including Susie from FlowerPress, Kristen Doran, and Shannon Lamden from Aunty Cookie.

The back of the quilt features an amazing fabric by Saffron Craig, another great Australian fabric designer passionate about creating unique and contemporary fabrics.  Printed in red and orange "Owls Nesting" works well on the back of this quilt, and not only makes an impressive and unique quilt back, but also makes this a truly reversible quilt.

This quilt has been quilted with simple straight vertical lines 1.5 inches apart and bound with a red and white stripe fabric.  I have again chosen to use the 100% cotton batting as it gives the quilt a lovely drape and doesn't over emphasise the quilting, thereby allowing the fabrics to shine through.

I have updated my Etsy store to include this quilt.

NOTE:  This quilt was sold and sent to Italy - unfortunately it never arrived at its destination.  Please, if you see this quilt for sale, or anywhere else, please notify me at redpepperquilts@gmail.com 

After 2 1/2 months of missing in action, the parcel landed back on my veranda, undamaged and unopened.  It remained uncollected in Italy for exactly 2 months and was then returned to sender, arriving back in Oz just 6 days after being sent back.

Ishbel

Besides sewing I also enjoy a spot of knitting.  I caught the lace knitting bug about a year ago, and have since knitted several shawls including Laminaria by Elizabeth Freeman, Shetland Triangle and Swallowtail Shawl both by Evelyn Clark.

Ishbel by Ysolda Teague was a joy to knit, the charts were easy to read, and the knitting was rather easy.  Lace knitting looks far more complicated than what it actually is.  The same can be said for reading the lace knitting charts.  Although a level of concentration is required the process is simple if taken one step at a time.

I have used Malabrigo Sock yarn for this project in the colorway Alcaucil.  It is a soft merino yarn which has been kettle dyed to give it a deep rich color with subtle shadings.

Ishbel was a quick knit and will be found by a family member in a Christmas stocking soon!

Ishbel, the pattern, can be found here.  My finished knitting projects can be seen on Ravelry.

Nice!

Tuesday is parcel day, yet again!

 

Nice!

Very Nice!

 Nicey Jane by Heather Bailey. 

Purchased from Fabricpalooza on Etsy.