Red Pepper Quilts

Sunday Stash #185 - First of Infinity by Kumiko Fujita

2013-05-19T21:25:00.000+10:00

First of Infinity - Block Letters

I am ending the week with a selection of text fabric from the First of Infinity collection by Kumiko Fujita. And let's hope that it is indeed the first of many more fabric collections by Kumiko because these are so good!

First of Infinity - Vocabulary

Each print comes in a range of saturated colors with a strong contrast text color - not all shown here - as well as text on a perfectly white background.

First of Infinity - Letters and Symbols

FIRST OF INFINITY BY KUMIKO FUJITA is now available from:

Pink Castle Fabrics

First of Infinity - Vocabulary and Alphabet Song both in White

And just in case you need a little inspiration to get started with this fabric collection you'll want to browse through the latest issue of Patchwork Tsushin (text in Japanese). Patchwork Tsushin #174 features the First of Infinity range as well as a number of pictures from QuiltCon. This magazine can be a little tricky to track down, but I have found it available from Amazon JP as well as Ebay.

Enjoy Sunday!

Rita

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The Week In Stitches

2013-05-18T11:07:00.000+10:00

I have been working on a custom order this week, an order for a quilt top only as my customer is going to be hand quilting the quilt herself. This makes a nice change from my "normal". Often whilst basting a quilt the thought I'd be quite happy making quilt tops for the rest of my life runs through my mind, and this was my opportunity to sample what I have wished for.

It does however feel quite strange to be shipping off a project that is incomplete, and I'm not sure that this is the way to go forth. But I have enjoyed the fabric play for this quilt and there are many I-Spy themes including fabrics with clothing, shoes, cups and saucers, food, bikes, bugs, and fish, and animals. There are also numerous hard to find Heather Ross fabrics as well as other Japanese imports.

221 fabric squares

and approximately 200 different fabrics,

all of which take much longer to cut than to sew back together again,

and has created a fabric mountain of gigantic proportions.

Now planning my next project,

Rita

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Fabric Fly Giveaway Winner

2013-05-17T14:53:00.001+10:00

The winner of the $50 gift certificate is:

Congratulations Lindsey! I don't imagine that you will have any difficulty

spending your gift certificate on goodies from Fabric Fly.

And in case you didn't win Laura and Sharon want you to

enjoy 10% off your entire purchase through May 22, 2013.

Use coupon code RedPepper10 at checkout.

ONLINE STORE : : FACEBOOK : : NEWSLETTER

Thank you for all of your entries and to Laura and Sharon from Fabric Fly for a generous giveaway.

Rita

Fabric Fly and a Giveaway!

2013-05-15T21:31:00.000+10:00

A SPONSORED GIVEAWAY

It is time to introduce and thank a new sponsor!

Fabric Fly was started in 2009 by two sisters, Laura and Sharon, who love fabric! After selling on Etsy for four years the time has come for Fabric Fly to move to a stand alone website: www.fabricfly.com Fabric Fly specializes in high quality designer fabrics from Riley Blake, Moda, Michael Miller, and Free Spirit ... just to name a few.

And there is much to love about Fabric Fly including:

Loyalty Points - Rewards for everything you purchase. Cha-ching!
Same day or next business day shipping. And all US orders ship for just $5.75.
Awesome customer service, always striving to please every single customer. Fabric Fly want to be your favorite local quilts store - online!

Laura and Sharon want you to

experience everything they have to offer

so they are giving away a

$50 gift certificate to Fabric Fly.

To be in the drawn please leave a comment on this blog post. Only one comment per person/email address will be eligible to enter the draw. The draw will take place at 12 noon (Australia EST) on Friday 17 May, 2013 at which time comments to this post will be closed. The winner will be announced here on my blog the same day, and will also be contacted by email.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

And in case you don't win Laura and Sharon want you to

enjoy 10% off your entire purchase through May 22, 2013.

Use coupon code RedPepper10 at checkout.

ONLINE STORE : : FACEBOOK : : NEWSLETTER

ENTRY HAS NOW CLOSED

A WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY

Good lucky everyone!

Rita

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Edges by Laura Gunn and a Flying Geese Pillow Cover

2013-05-14T13:15:00.002+10:00

This bundle of goodies arrived in the mail late last week courtesy of Michael Miller Fabrics. Edges is a new collection by designer Laura Gunn. Edges is a unique range of basic designs all of which have been hand painted by Laura. The careful brushstrokes and subtle color changes are evidence of Laura's love for hand painting and color.

I was immediately taken by the range of colors in varying shades, especially the softer colors (so pretty!). Out came the rotary cutter and together with a wide selection of black/white (predominantly white) fabric for contrast I got busy making flying geese in a similar style to those made as part of the Marcelle Medallion Quilt.

50 Flying Geese each measuring 2 inches x 4 inches and made into a pillow cover.

As usual there was the battle of the bulky seam when quilting, but I pushed on and have quilted with a grid of lines just 1 inch apart.

For the back of the pillow cover I have used a home decorator weight fabric - Artemis in Black by Alexander Henry.

The pillow cover is ready for shipping! I have updated my Etsy Store. You can find the listing here: Modern Patchwork Pillow Cover.

EDGES BY LAURA GUN IS NOW AVAILABLE FROM:

Hawthorne Threads

Fabric Worm

The Fat Quarter Shop

My thanks goes to Michael Miller and Laura Gunn for the sampling of the Edges collection. I have enjoyed the fabric play and plan on adding a few of these prints to my stash - in particular the light greys, soft pinks and the neutrals.

Rita

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Hand Quilted With Love by Sarah Fielke

2013-05-12T10:52:00.000+10:00

Hand Quilted With Love by Sarah Fielke

Welcome to my stop on the Hand Quilted With Love book tour! I am a huge fan of Sarah's work and love Sarah's unique design style and use of scrap fabric. Rather than lead you through the chapters of the book I have taken snippets of the quilts, the color and the detail; a feast for the eyes, and a little temptation...

There's something there for everyone including designs ranging in difficulty, useful tips for successful completion, and oodles of inspiration!

Sarah's quilts are beautifully hand quilted. For newbie quilters Sarah has a very helpful free video over at Craftsy where she shows some of the secrets of hand quilting, as well as an Online Quilting Class featuring techniques such as step-down piecing, needleturn applique and hand quilting with perle cotton:

Congratulations Sarah on another great publication!

GIVEAWAY

--------------

Happy Mother's Day! I am giving my copy of Hand Quilted With Love away to one lucky reader. Please leave a comment to enter, and everyone is welcome to enter. Please be sure your email address is available on your profile page or leave it with your comment.

The winning entry will be drawn at 10am Tuesday morning (Australia EST) 14 May 2013 and will be announced by edit to this blog post. The winner will also be notified by email.

ENTRY HAS NOW CLOSED.

Thank you for all of your entries!
The winner of the book Hand Quilted with Love by Sarah Fielke is:

Maggie has been contacted by email.

Happy Mother's Day.

Rita

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Giant Dresden Plate Quilt - A Finished Quilt

2013-05-09T14:39:00.000+10:00

I have finished my Giant Dresden Plate quilt. Thank you for all of your suggestions with regard to appliqueing the Giant Dresden Plate Block onto a background fabric. For a while there I thought perhaps that this giant block may remain a work in progress, and I spent quite some time ~~agonizing~~ contemplating the most suitable applique process for me - the no hand stitching route.

I started by tucking under the 1/4 inch seam allowance of the center circle by first pressing with a hot iron and then using fabric glue to ensure the seam stayed firmly in place. I taped the white background fabric to the floor (in much the same way as when basting a quilt) and centered the circle on top.

I then used basting spray to adhere the circle to the background fabric. Now basting spray and I aren't the best of friends so I also basted the two layers by hand stitching long running stitches from the center out as well as right around the edge of the circle.

Once basted I top stitched the two layers (the white background fabric and the Dresden Plate Block) together by machine, stitching lines in concentric circles at regular intervals. Happy that the two layers would now not shift I basted the quilt top like you would a normal quilt - with batting and backing fabric.

I also made the decision to leave the outer tips of the Dresden Plates unsecured. They add another dimension to the quilt as well as texture.

The quilting involved a lot of turning the quilt, stitching up to the edge of the circle - underneath the loose tips - turning the quilt around and stitching back to the quilt edge again. Most of the quilting lines were marked onto the background fabric with a Clover Hera Marker as there were no existing lines on the quilt for me to use as a stitching guide. More concentric circles were also quilted on the Dresden Plate Block. I have used a walking foot for all of the quilting.

Dresden Plate Quilt - pre-binding.

Drying on a delightful Melbourne Autumn day.

For binding fabric I have chosen a sunny yellow fabric from the Carnaby Street Collection by Pat Bravo.

And for backing fabric I have used a floral print from the Posy collection by Aneela Hoey; this one is a favorite!

Finished Quilt size: 41 inches x 51 inches

I have updated my Etsy Store and you will find this quilt listed here: Giant Dresden Plate Quilt.

If you have any questions, please let me know and if appropriate I will answer them in reply to your comment.

The tutorial for the Giant Dresden Plate Block can be found here: http://www.redpepperquilts.com/2013/04/giant-scrappy-dresden-plate-block-and.html

Thank you for stopping by,

Rita

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Mother's Day Crafting with Briar Rose

2013-05-07T09:40:00.000+10:00

Get ready for picture overload!

Rather than leaving it till the last moment as in previous years, I got started on my Mother's Day sewing last weekend. I quite enjoy small sewing projects (although I have discovered that small project doesn't mean quick and easy).

For the oven mitt I have used an oven mitt template from the book Quilts by Denyse Schmidt. I have made numerous projects from this book and found that again the instructions for this pattern -the Too Hot to Handle Oven Mitt - were well written and sufficiently detailed to complete the project successfully.

Denyse Schmidt Quilts: 30 Colorful Quilt and Patchwork Projects

I did make a few minor alterations to the oven mitt pattern including patchwork piecing the lower end of the mitt, adding a layer of Insul-Bright (in addition to the layer of batting) and finishing the edge with bias binding.

To complete the project and to make a functional - two piece - set I also made a potholder, again using Insul-Bright for insulation from heat as well as a layer of batting. The four layers made for bulky basting and quilting. I pin basted the layers with just a few pins around the edges which seems to have been sufficient, and then quilted with closely spaced lines.

For the quilting I used a 90/14 size needle although if I'd had on hand a heavier needle I would have used it. I increased stitch length to 4.5 as well as increased the presser foot pressure significantly to help assist with moving the bulky layers evenly through the machine.

I made my own bias binding by cutting off-grain strips of fabric 2.25 inches wide, a standard width which I also use for my quilt binding. Trimming the potholder's corners to a smooth curve (for which I used a dinner plate) was my challenge task in this project. Not so much the trimming, but binding the curves. The bias binding proved to be really easy to use and hugged the curved edge beautifully, the extra bias stretch allowed for the fabric to ease in and out of the curve with a smooth and even overall result.

Whilst I hand stitched the binding on the inside of the oven mitt I machine stitch the binding for the potholder. I found it useful to glue down the back of the binding before machine stitching with a Sewline Fabric Glue Pen; another first.

A Few Fabric Details:

Robert Kaufman Essex Yarn Dyed in Flax
Flower Sugar by Lecien - backing and oven mitt lining fabric
Lecien Dot in Mint for binding fabric
Briar Rose by Heather Ross for Windham Fabrics.

Are you crafting for Mother's Day?

Rita

Note: Briar Rose 5 inch square fabric samples were supplied without obligation by Windham Fabrics. The images, text and opinions expressed are however my own.

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Sunday Stash #185 Shades of Black

2013-05-05T10:34:00.000+10:00

Shades of Black by Me & My Sister Designs for Moda Fabrics

It pains me a little to not post Sunday Stash images of fabric with glorious color but this bundle of black, white, and grey fabric immediately called me name.

Whilst I use a lot of color in my quilts, I often also use a black or grey fabric as an accent fabric; a distinctively patterned design that stands out and gives the eye a place to rest.

Shades of Black by Me & My Sister Designs is a collection of 32 prints and are a new take on favorite coordinate prints from previous collections - classic stash basics that readily mix with other collections.

Shades of Black by Me & My Sister Designs yardage is due for arrival in stores in this month - May 2013.

Shades of Black Pre-cuts are available now from:

Fat Quarter Shop

The Intrepid Thread

Pink Castle Fabrics (use code BUNDLE20 to take 20% off all pre-cuts and bundles this weekend only.)

Southern Fabric

For those of you who may have counted the fabrics in the top image you will have noticed that there are two fabrics missing in action. My fat eighth bundle of Shades in Black has been sitting around for a few weeks and in the throes of creating I have cut into the following two fabrics for this quilt and this quilt, and subsequently they have missed this photo opportunity:

I'll be needing yardage of both of these!

Enjoy Sunday!

Rita

A Low Volume Custom Quilt

2013-05-03T13:32:00.000+10:00

IN PICTURES

A custom order quilt made with a selection of relatively low volume fabrics, and you could be forgiven if this quilt leaves you with a feeling of déjà vu; it is indeed a quilt not unlike the one that I made in March 2013, which was my brief.

Lots of fabric favorites here, but to name a few that stand out:

Kerchief Girls in Black and Red (now hard to find)
Red Bicycle as well as the Bees fabric- Everyday Favorites by Mary Lake-Thomspon for Robert Kaufman
Sheep - Locally Grown - Sheep Parade by Creative Thursday
Glasses - Geekly Chic
Large Dot on Green or Blue background - Half Moon Modern by Moda

Backing fabric: Pinhead in Ebony by Michael Miller

Binding Fabric: Black and White Stripe by Timeless Treasures

Finished size of the squares: 4 inches x 4 inches.

Now ready for shipping.

Thank you for stopping by,

Rita

RELEVANT LINKS:

Low Volume Half Square Triangle Quilt

Work in Progress of this Quilt: In Stitches

Liberated Star Quilt - Collage by Carrie Bloomston

2013-04-30T11:27:00.000+10:00

Collage by Carrie Bloomston for Windham Fabrics

"In the spirit of collage the debut collection by Carrie Bloomston is filled with letters, textures and hipster imagery .. with an essence of handmade and artful."

At first glance I felt a little intimidated by this out of my comfort zone collection, but on the other hand I was immediately taken by the unique designs, and even more so by the fun use of a letters and text. With twenty 10 inch squares to play with it didn't take long to start creating.

Liberated Quiltmaking II by Gwen Marston

Inspired by the Liberated Star Block from the book Liberated Quiltmaking II by Gwen Marston as well as quilts from the Liberated Quilts Flickr Group (in particular this one and this one), I cut into my Collage fabrics in a style that isn't often seen here. Liberated. Improvised. Freehand.

Unfortunately my plan of action at first proved to be a little wasteful of the fabric, but along the way I did salvage a few pieces and learned to make fabric placement more efficient with less to trim off. Not a scrap was wasted. I have added several fabrics from stash, including matching solid fabrics in purple, red, teal, and lime green.

This freehand style of fabric placement and piecing does not come naturally to me, and there were moments along the way where I felt entirely out of my depth. It helped to take a step back - breathe - and not over think the process.

For the back of the quilt I have used a single black/white text fabric by Kumiko Fujita (from the Infinity Collection), which I thought appropriate for the overall style of the quilt and also complements the design of the fabric.

Quilted with a grid of intersecting straight lines (one inch apart): the lines were not marked on the quilt, instead I used seam lines as a guide as well as a quilting guide attached to my walking foot once the distance from the seam lines became too great to judge the accuracy of the spacing.

For the binding I have used a solid purple fabric from stash, and have also added small pieces of solid fabrics used in the quilt as a fun extra detail.

I have listed this quilt in my Etsy Store. You can view the listing details here: Modern Liberated Star Quilt.

Collage by Carrie Bloomston fabrics supplied by Windham Fabrics without obligation. All other fabrics and supplies are from my stash.

Thank you for stopping by,

Rita

RELEVANT LINKS:

Collage by Carrie Bloomston for Windham Fabrics

Liberated Quiltingmaking II by Gwen Marston

Red Pepper Quilts Etsy Store

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Sunday Stash #184 Briar Rose by Heather Ross

2013-04-28T11:41:00.000+10:00

Some surprise goodies arrived in the mail this week from Windham Fabrics: samples from the soon to be released Briar Rose collection by Heather Ross and Collage by Carrie Bloomston.

Briar Rose by Heather Ross for Windham Fabrics

Long awaited and much anticipated Briar Rose is Heather's first collection for Windham Fabrics and it is everything we have come to expect from talented and highly regarded illustrator, author, and fabric designer, Heather Ross.

Briar Rose - Stawberry in Pink, Green, Orange and Lilac,

and Calico in Lilac, Brown, Pink, Blue and Orange.

The collection consists of 20 fabrics in six different designs ranging in scale from small to medium. The designs are printed on what feels like a great quality base cloth - read suitable for children's clothing and accessories - and the colors are clear and saturated. As much as I love the adorable frogs and bees I have fallen heavily for the berries and the small scale floral prints.

Briar Rose by Heather Ross is expected to arrive in stores in July 2013.

Available for Pre-Order:

Pink Castle Fabrics
Hawthorne Threads
Westwood Acres (Etsy)

More about Collage by Carrie Bloomston is yet to come ~ I have already cut up, stitched up, and quilted my Collage layer cake. I'll leave you with a snippet:

Enjoy Sunday!

Rita

Note: these fabric samples were supplied without obligation by Windham Fabrics. The images, text and opinions expressed are however my own.

Giant Scrappy Dresden Plate Block and Tutorial

2013-04-26T13:44:00.001+10:00

Whilst awaiting the arrival of a backing fabric for my current work in progress I decided to whip up (what I thought would be a quick project) a Dresden Plate block. I have never made a Dresden Plate block and my only wedge ruler has been sitting idle since 2008, although on several occasions I have read the instructions but have always promptly resumed my usual sewing schedule.

Marilyn Doheny's 9 Degree Circle Wedge Ruler

I have used a 9 degree Circle Wedge Ruler by Marilyn Doheny to make my Giant Dresden Plate Block (the two pieces on the left lock together to make a 15.5" wedge, measured from top to bottom through the center). I have seen quilts made with this wedge ruler with amazing spiraling circles and dazzling movement - which prompted the purchase of this ruler - but I decided that perhaps I should start at the beginning with a very simple pieced circle.

tutorial

You can use any Wedge or Dresden Plate ruler and apply the following instructions. The wider the wedge the less wedges you will need to make. My wedge ruler is a 9 degree wedge and therefore a total of 40 wedges are required to make a full circle. A 10 degree wedge ruler will require 36 wedges to make a full circle, etc.

Sew 8 strips together measuring 2.5 inches x 4 inches (or strips to suit the size of your wedge/ruler). Press all seams in the one direction. To ensure that these horizontal seams lock with the adjoining wedge you will need to alternate the direction of the seams. For half of your wedges press seams in one direction and for the other half of wedges press seams in the opposing direction. For example, if you are making 40 wedges, press all seams up for 20 wedges and press all seams down for 20 wedges.
Place wedge ruler on top of fabric strip. My wedge ruler has horizontal lines at 1 inch intervals which make placement easy as you can match seam lines with lines on the ruler; helpful but not necessary to complete this project.
Trim away excess fabric.

Turn the wedge right side out and press. If needed use a sharp tool to shape and sharpen the point.

Make 40 wedges and sew wedges with opposing seams together to make a full circle. I pieced four 1/4 circles first and then joined them to make a full circle.

THE STATS

40 wedges.

320 pieces of scrap fabric rescued from my scrap bin.

Circle Diameter: 36 inches.

My next dilemma is how to best applique a center circle, and/or even how best to applique this entire (large ~ 36 inch diameter) block onto a background fabric. Applique is not one of my strengths and a machine technique would be preferred. All suggestions are very welcome!

Rita

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Fabric2Go Giveaway Winner

2013-04-26T13:18:00.000+10:00

The winner of the $50 Fabric2Go Gift Certificate is:

Congratulations, Jessica. Happy fabric shopping!

Thank you for all of your entries and to Clare from Fabric2Go for a generous giveaway!

Rita

Fabric2Go - A Giveaway!

2013-04-24T11:24:00.002+10:00

A sponsored giveaway.

Fabric2Go is an Australia based online fabric store that carries a variety of sophisticated, fresh and modern fabrics and coordinating trims. Specializing in both Riley Blake Designs and Alpine Fabrics you'll find cotton, flannel and laminate fabrics for all of your projects; allow the unique interactive design wall to help you mix and match the contents of your shopping cart.

So many options! You can choose to order fabric by the meter, rolie polie, fat quarter, 10" stacker, or 5" stacker, and then complete your project with coordinating trims and buttons.

Based in Australia but shipping world wide with Australian customers enjoying free shipping for all orders of $50. And if you order before 2pm your order will be shipped the same day.

By way of introduction, Clare from Fabric2Go is giving one lucky RPQ reader a $50 Fabric2Go Gift Certificate. To be in the running please leave a comment on this blog post. All readers are welcome to enter. One comment/entry per person. If you are a no-reply blogger please be sure to also leave your email address.

A winner will be announced on Friday 26 April 2013 (Australia EST).

ONLINE STORE :: NEWSLETTER (sign up to keep up with the latest arrivals and sales information)

ENTRY HAS NOW CLOSED
A WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY

Be in it, to win it!

Rita

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In Stitches [workinprogress]

2013-04-23T13:47:00.000+10:00

A peek at what I have been up for the last few days - pulling fabric, rotary cutting, arranging and rearranging, and stitching - including some late night work. I seem to be so much more productive in the small hours of the morning!

I am working on a custom order for a low volume quilt with a balanced splash of color to set the tone for a pretty quilt with prints that tell a story. The quilt top is made up of many of my "fabric favorites"; some of which have been around for quite a while and are now highly sought after and hard to find, and some very new.

The quilt top, measuring 64 inches x 80 inches, is finished and I am waiting for the backing fabric to arrive. In the meantime I am toying around with a wedge ruler and my fabric scraps and can offer you a peek at my first ever Dresden Plate project:

Ten wedges pieced (and 80 fabric scraps rescued from my overflowing scrap bin) and thirty more wedges to go. Keep Calm and Sew On.

To Boston With Love

2013-04-23T00:32:00.000+10:00

In collaboration with the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild quilters, sewists and crafters are making flags to bring peace and love to those affected by the tragic events that have unfolded in Boston over the last week. A public exhibition of flags strung into banners to be displayed in Boston is planned for early June 2013.

The overall idea is to provide Boston with an uplifting experience from quilters and sewists around the world; a message of hope, love and support. The more flags the greater the impact.

All of the details including the design guidelines, specifications and step by step flag making instructions can be found here:

http://vancouvermodernquiltguild.ca/blog/2013/04/to-boston-with-love/

My patchwork heart flag is already on the way. I hope that you too will join in.

Rita

Sunday Stash #183 Field Study Linen and Boho by Urban Chicks

2013-04-21T11:57:00.000+10:00

Field Study Linen by Anna Maria Horner

Parenthetical in Potpourri (left) and Deep (right)

These large scale designs are printed on beautiful quality linen base cloth and are a indeed a little outside of my comfort zone, but I found them impossible to resist The feathers are up to 14 inches tall.

Field Study - Flower Circuit in Sunny

The fabric is what I would call a light-weight home decorator fabric (55% linen, 45% cotton and 54"/55" wide), with a lovely soft drape and a smooth, lightly textured touch. I immediately pictured myself making a skirt (and that would be a first) and have purchased yardage accordingly. But don't be surprised if you see these fabrics cut up into pieces and made into a quilt.

Field Study Linen by Anna Maria Horner is available from:

Intrepid Thread

Westwood Acres (Etsy)

Boho by Urban Chicks for Moda

I also picked up a select few prints from the recently released fabric collection ~ Boho by Urban Chicks. These funky, retro inspired prints in a glow soft colors complement my fabric stash and I am looking forward to including these in my projects.

Boho by Urban Chicks is available from:

Pink Castle Fabrics (20% off in stock bundles use coupon code BUNDLE20)

The Fat Quarter Shop

Pink Chalk Fabrics

I also went to the Australasian Quilt Convention this week and enjoyed a day spent with like-minded family and friends. There were many inspiration quilts on display, made with techniques and skills that were awe inspiring.

Southern Stars by Karen Malone. Some machine piecing, foundation piecing. Machine quilted. 6300 pieces and 2 years in the making.
Flying Colours: Budgies Uncaged by Brenda Gael Smith. Free form piecing.
First Blush by Karen Terrens. Trapunto and free motion quilted whole cloth. Best of Show 2012 Victorian Quilter's Inc Showcase.
Cock of the Walk by David M Taylor. Hand applique, machine quilting.

Cock of the Walk by David M Taylor
A close-up of the rooster's eye ~ The stitching detail, fabric coloring and placement were incredible.

But the quilt that really caught my eye and made me go back for a second and third look was this quilt from the Quilts from Korea exhibition : : Work I by Jae-Young Eom ~

Quilts from Korea - 2012 Work I by Jae-Young Eom.

Quilter's Statement: "Freely configured the quilt by lines and surfaces.
Machine piecing, machine quilting, cotton, hand dye fabric".

The colors of this quilt were so striking and the longer I looked at it the more there was to see. Improvisational piecing doesn't come naturally to me but this may have inspired me to step outside of my square and dabble with a little less structure.

Enjoy Sunday!

Rita

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Patchwork Please!

2013-04-17T19:39:00.000+10:00

Patchwork, Please! by Ayumi Takahashi

I am a huge fan and regular reader of Ayumi's blog - Pink Penguin - as well as a stalker of Ayumi's Etsy Store, so when Ayumi's book hit the stores I was on to it. It arrived in my mail box late last week and I can tell you that the projects in the book reflect Ayumi's fun and playful style. Ayumi has a unique eye for color and her quirky vintage patchwork style is one that I rather adore.

Patchwork, Please! includes a chapter on Tools and Materials but importantly also a section on Techniques (including comprehensive Paper Piecing instructions). The projects in the book are divided into categories: for the kitchen, for kids, for the home, going places, and for crafting. It is in the for crafting section that you will find the Prettified Pincushion - also featured on the cover of the book - which I just had to make. Or three ...

The instructions were clear and accurate - and although I wasn't confident that I could assemble the sides as neatly as pictured in the book, by simply following the step by step instructions I was able to complete the project successfully and eagerly made two more pincushions.

Congratulations, Ayumi on a really great publication! There are many more projects in the book that I have bookmarked for making including the Swedish Bloom Quilt as well as a new set of potholders for my kitchen.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Also finished this week is a custom order; a re-make of the Liberty Patchwork Pillow Cover made earlier this month, and already on it's ways across the ocean.

This time around I have used a special hand screen printed fabric by Umbrella Prints - Perfect Circles Printed in Lily White on Natural Organic mid-weight cotton for the back of the pillow cover.

RELEVANT LINKS:
Patchwork Please! by Ayumi Takahashi
The Pink Penguin - Ayumi's blog
Linen Fabric used for Pincushions : : Essex Yarn Dyed Linen in Flax
Liberty Patchwork Pillow (April 5, 2013)

Thank you for stopping by,
Rita

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Modern Half Square Triangle Quilt - A Finished Quilt

2013-04-15T10:21:00.000+10:00

MONDAY IN PICTURES

What better way to start the week than with a finished quilt (and already planning the next). This quilt again showcases an extensive selection of low volume printed fabrics interspersed with more colorful prints; and most of those with a light/white background.

The finished size of this quilt is 63.5 inches x 86.5 inches and is one of the largest quilts that I have quilted myself. Although I again thoroughly enjoyed the fabric play and even the sewing and trimming of the Half Square Triangles, basting this quilt was a whole other matter.

With the HST units set on point and many directional printed fabrics cut on the bias (off grain) the quilt top had a lot of movement and "elasticity" in it. Pulling the quilt top taut for pin basting resulted in much displacement and it became clear that I had to baste this quilt one row at a time, starting at the top and working my way down. There were moments there where I was ready to be defeated by this quilt ...

Having said that the quilting went really well, and I encountered no movement of the layers, fabric puckering or tucks. The quilt is quilted with a grid outlining the seam lines of the Half Square Triangle units as well as a set of vertical lines; a lot of big quilt, quilt wrangling.

For the back of the quilt I have used a red polka dot fabric by Tanya Whelan from the Delilah collection.

And I have finished the quilt with a pretty binding fabric - a soft baby pink and white stripe by Lecien from the Color Basics collection.

My favorite part of this quilt is the corners!

(the mitered corners were not as tricky as they look!)

I have updated my Etsy Store and the listing for the quilt can be found here:

Modern Patchwork Quilt - Red Pepper Quilts SOLD

Thank you for stopping by,

Rita

RELEVANT LINKS:

Red Pepper Quilts Etsy Store - Modern Patchwork Quilt

Half Square Triangle Quilt - in progress

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Sunday Stash #182 - Glimma by Lotta Jansdotter

2013-04-14T11:01:00.000+10:00

Glimma is Lotta Jansdotter's third fabric collection for Windham Fabrics - following the debut Echo collection and then Bella.

What I like most about Lotta's fabric collections is that although they are all unique and complete in their own right each new collection has continued to be in the same large scale and contemporary style.

The colors from the collections don't necessarily match but I think you'll agree that they do indeed coordinate:

Here's one I made earlier ...

using a selections of fabrics from all three of Lotta Jandotter's

fabric collections: Glimma, Bella and Echo.

Glimma by Lotta Jansdotter is now available from:

Hawthorne Threads

Fabric Bubb (Etsy)

The Intrepid Thread
Fresh Squeezed Fabrics (Etsy)

The Quilted Castle
Fabric Worm

Sew Modern Online

Pink Castle Fabrics

The Fat Quarter Shop - special shipping offer until 16 April 2013 for orders over $40. No coupon code required.

Westwood Acres (Etsy)

Contemporary Cloth - type 50ship in order form comment box for half price shipping.

Pink Chalk Fabrics

Enjoy Sunday!

Rita

RELEVANT LINKS

Bella by Lotta Jansdotter

Echo by Lotta Jansdotter

Baby Quilt - pictured above - using all three Lotta Jansdotter fabric collections.

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Inside Voices III ~ A Low Volume Fabric Bundle

2013-04-12T19:40:00.000+10:00

I couldn't wait until Sunday to show you the next installment of the Inside Voices ~ a fabric bundle cleverly collated by Amanda from Westwood Acres and kindly delivery by my postie today.

Inside Voices III

It is no secret that I am in currently fascinated by low volume fabrics (call it what you may ~ low contrast, white background, pastel, ... ) and I was ~~lucky~~ quick enough to pick up this bundle to add to my growing collection of low volume fabrics.

Clockwise starting from the top green (trees) fabric:

Just Wing It by MoMo for Moda
Jubilee by Bunny Hill Designs for Moda
Polka Dot Stitches by Lori Holt for Riley Blake Designs
Love Notes - Doily in Cream - Echo Park for Andover Fabrics
Quilt Blocks by Ellen Luckett for Moda
The Good Life -Flower in Yellow by Deena Rutter for Riley Blake Designs
Posy - Story in Daisy by Aneela Hoey for Moda
Little Red Riding Hood - Mushrooms by Tasha Noel for Riley blake Designs
...
Glamping - Old Lace Miss Daisy in Shasta Pink by Mary Jane Butters for Moda
Geekly Chic - glasses - Riley Blake Designs
Little Red Riding Hood - Stripes by Tasha Noel for Riley Blake Designs
Bon Appetit from Michael Miller.
Maritime Modern - Chevron Wave by Marin Sutton for Riley Blake Designs

(I have no details on fabric #9 ~~and fabric #13~~ (with kitchen utensils) but please feel free to fill in the gaps for me.

Once again this ~ the third installment ~ of Westwood Acres ~ Inside Voices has not surprisingly sold out quickly.

To keep up with the very latest Westwood Acres news

Add Westwood Acres to your Etsy Store favorites
Like Westwood Acres on Facebook
or you'll find Amanda on Instagram

Rita

RELEVANT LINKS

Inside Voices II - A Fabric Bundle by Westwood Acres

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Fashionable Fabrics Giveaway - Winners

2013-04-12T11:44:00.001+10:00

Thank you for all of your entries to win a $50 Fashionable Fabrics Gift Voucher!

And the two lucky winners are:

ONLINE STORE :: TWITTER :: FACEBOOK

PINTEREST :: BLOG :: NEWSLETTER

Thank you to Fashionable Fabrics for a generous giveaway!

Fashionable Fabrics - A Giveaway!

2013-04-10T18:50:00.002+10:00

Dennis and Tonia from Fashionable Fabrics

have kindly offered to sponsor a giveaway.

Fashionable Fabrics is your source for the latest in fashion fabric from your favorite designers. They feature designer fabric for quilters and crafters looking for prints and patterns that are often unavailable in traditional outlets. You'll also find a really large novelty section, an always growing remnant section, as well as a neat Fabric by Theme section that makes it easy to find the fabric you might be looking for.

And a flat rate shipping offer!

US Customers can order from 3 to 200 yards and still

pay just $4.95 shipping. Shipping policy details here.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

Fashionable Fabrics are giving away a $50 gift certificate to TWO lucky Red Pepper Quilts readers, good towards anything in the store! And in case you find something you'd like to purchase now, don't wait! Dennis is happy to refund the winner's purchases up to the value of the gift certificate amount for any purchase made during this giveaway period.

To be in the draw all you have to do is leave a comment on this post (please ensure that an email address is available on your profile or is included in your comment - NO EMAIL ADDRESS = NO VALID ENTRY). International visitors are very welcome to enter! Only one comment per person/email address will be eligible to enter the draw.

The draw will take place at 11 am (Australia EST) on Friday, 12 April 2013, at which time comments to this post will be closed. The winners will be announced here on my blog the same day, and will also be contacted by email.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

5% off orders

use coupon code: 5forRPQ

Coupon Code Valid until 11 am (Australia EST)

on Saturday 13 April 2013.

ONLINE STORE :: TWITTER :: FACEBOOK

PINTEREST :: BLOG :: NEWSLETTER

ENTRY HAS NOW CLOSED AND

WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY

Thank you to Dennis and Tonia for a generous giveaway!

Good luck!

Rita

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A Half Square Triangle Quilt in Progress

2013-04-09T20:56:00.000+10:00

[WORK IN PROGRESS]

300+ Half Square Triangles set on point.

100+ different fabrics.

It's been some time since my last Half Square Triangles quilt project [and I have made quite a few (here and here and here and here - way back in 2009)] and it felt like it was time to revisit the HST unit with a not quite low volume selection of fabric combined with a variety of neutral solid fabrics (much like the Strips and Bricks Quilt made in 2010).

From a selection of more than 140 different printed fabrics I have made 300+ Half Square Triangle units, each one laboriously trimmed for accurate piecing. Although not immediately obvious from these images the HST units have been set on point. For most directional printed fabrics (fabrics with a design that have a definite up or down) I have tried to ensure the "correct" placement of the print by cutting fabric on the bias (off grain).

Quilt top measures 64 inches x 86 inches.

More soon.

Thank you for stopping by,

Rita

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