Little Bits Quilting Bee | talking pre-cut fabric | Squadron

by kath_red on February 10, 2012

in Little Bits Quilting Bee, Quilting

Squadron … A single bed quilt — By Kathreen Ricketson

Throughout February I will be featuring quilts from my book Little Bits Quilting Bee (published by Chronicle late last year). Because designer fabric is often only in print for one season it can be difficult for quilt designers and authors to choose fabrics that will be still available when the book or pattern is published; so to help you out I will be offering advice and alternate fabric choices for many of the quilts in my book. 

Squadron is inspired by planes flying in formation — such fun to watch — the blocks in this quilt are made with an improv method and once the blocks are done there are endless formations you can arrange them into.

For this quilt I used a Jelly Roll of Bar Harbor by Minick and Simpson for Moda. This fabric range is no longer available, I have searched out some other bold fabric ranges to use it its place – just make sure that the range you choose is not too floral as this quilt is perfect for a boy.

Here are some ideas for alternate fabrics:

  • Pezzy Print by American Jane for Moda Fabrics – this collection is a little more colourful with the addition of green and orange and yellow to the mix. (available at cotton blossom farm - pictured below)
  • Lost and Found (My Mind’s Eye) for Riley Blake Designs  – (you’ll need 2 rolls as these have only 30 strips instead of the regular 40) this collection is a little more graphic – grey and red combination — would make a great teen girl quilt using this range)
  • Stars and Stripes (My Mind’s Eye) for Riley Blake Designs  – (again you’ll need 2 rolls here as well) this collection is the closest you’ll get to the one I used – and in fact it might even be more perfect. A great mix of red, blue and white with hardly any florals at all (available soon) and some fabulous plaid, polka dot and star prints.
To make this quilt top you’ll need:
  • 1 Jelly Roll (40 strips), you’ll also need a neutral cream fabric or an unbleached muslin fabric for the background 4 1/3 yard (3.4 m) should do it. You will also need to get some extra yardage of one of the fabrics from your charm pack for the binding 1/2 yard (46 cm) will be enough, or use leftovers from your jelly roll strips or a couple of matching fat quarters to make a scrappy binding.
  • You’ll also need a copy of my book - and they are available in all good book shops and online too.
  • I quilted this in a free-style overlapping square design and used a neutral cream coloured thread so that the quilting blended in rather than standing out.
Quilt images are copyright John Paul Urizar who did a great job on the photography in the book. And thank you also to my two kids who did a great job of pillow fighting each other and getting photographed.
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What’s new, what’s old

by kath_red on February 9, 2012

in Books, Newsletter

I am excited to bring on this year, not that I want to rush into it, no, I just am glad it’s here.

This coming year for me is going to bring a few new challenges, projects and preparation — more on those aspects later in the year, but for now I want to tell you about a few things that I have been into lately, things that reenergise me and that inspire me and that you too can participate in. 

I am now on Instagram @whipup - huh! how did that happen – I know … another thing to get addicted to. But there you have it … it’s fun — what can I say!

[you can view my images in a few ways: followgram or webstagram or at instagram] [ps. That crochet there is the beginnings of a Scrappy steps afghan (it's Chawnes fault), you can grab the pattern here and watch the how-to videos here.]

Do you twitter? I do and you can follow me here: Twitter @whipup : but I what I want to talk about are the chat groups on twitter – the crafty chat groups on all sorts of topics, they are helpful, fun and energising. There is one in particular that is at a convenient time for me and on a topic that I am immersed in at the moment #talknt is all about quilt talk, it is hosted by @caraquilts and is on somewhere between tuesday night (US time) and wednesday midday (Au time) depending upon your time zone. There is a sponsor each week which is always fun, but more importantly about 50 other quilting enthusiasts join in.

There are many crafty twitter chats and parties … which ones do you host or participate in – I would love to know! Do you know of any yarn/knitting/crochet twitter chats? Here are the few that I know about:

  • #talknt is a weekly quilting chat hosted by @caraquilts
  • #CraftSocial is a monthly chat with a changing topic each time, it is co-hosted by @penguintrax and @sisterdiane. The next one is February 14th from 2-3pm EST and the topic is polymer clay.
  • #crafterminds is a twice weekly craft/business chat (Monday at 4pm EST and 8pm EST) hosted by one Crafterminds.
  • #CraftChat is hosted by Craft Critique and is held every Wednesday at 1pm CST. A list of topics for the month is posted on the blog.
  • #omhg is hosted by @ohmyhandmade. They meet every Thursday from 1-2EST to chat about a monthly theme usually to do with building your business or improving your skills.

What is a twitter chat? A tweet chat or party is an organized group conversation which discusses a specific topic, it makes use of a hashtag (#) so everyone can participate. The chats are hosted by people with an interest in a topic and often pose questions to the group to build up a dialogue.

How to join in on a twitter chat: I use either my iphone or TweetDeck or TweetChat and then just search for the hashtag that the chat is using to keep track of and join in to the conversation – it is pretty easy but does take a bit to get used to the speed that conversation goes at sometimes.

——–

This Week I introduced a new series coming up over the next month here on whipup — and it is about my book  Little Bits Quilting Bee and pre-cut fabric: I’ll be discussing which fabrics you can use to make the quilts in my book and will be showcasing a few of the quilts. I was inspired by Weeks Ringle who has been showing the quilts from her latest book on her blog and discussing the design decisions behind each one.

In last weeks newsletter I introduced you to some dinner ideas – this week I am going introduce you to chocolate sheet cake: — inspired by this but using this recipe – chewy and fudgy at the same time – an instant winner!

And this week at whipup we had some guest posts: Baroque punk embroidery :: Valentines bracelets :: Mushroom love brooch.

I am reading… 

  • The big book of small business is written by a fellow Australian Andrew Griffiths (published by Allen and Unwin) — it claims to be the ‘Silver bullet to give you a competitive edge’, I am not sure there is such a thing — hard work, dedication, building relationships, creativity — those are the silver bullets. However it does have thoughtful, practical and useful guidance  – a checklist for success, and it does help you to ask yourself some hard questions. I am gladdened to read that I am on the right path … it is good to know when to stand firm and when to make changes … some valuable advice.
  • Graham Leslie McCallum has a useful series of books featuring various motifs: Flower & Plant Motifs,  Pattern Motifs, Art Deco Motifs and Japanese Motifs. These books include a CD of motifs and which can be manipulated and adapted for your own projects.
  • Sweat Shop Paris: Lessons in Couture from the Sewing Cafe by Martena Duss and Sissi Holleis (published by Andrews McMeel Publishing 2011). This indie style sewing book is written by the gang from the Paris based social sewing shop: ‘Sweat Shop’, it’s a cafe — a social sewing drop-in centre. The designs featured in the book are unusual and unique, hippy and punk and rock n roll diy — utilising refashioning and deconstruction, knitting and crossstitch, beading, glueing and stitching techniques to make a variety of hip and fashionable clothing and accessories as well as a bunch of playful things too.

[Thanks to publishers and distributors for sending me books to review, I don't get paid to post reviews but I am an amazon affiliate] (Australian’s can purchase craft books online through can do books or booktopia or else browse booko for the best prices.)

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Little Bits Quilting Bee | talking pre-cut fabric | Cloud Song

by kath_red on February 8, 2012

in Little Bits Quilting Bee, Quilting

Cloud song … A cheerful wall hanging or lap quilt by Kathreen Ricketson

 

Throughout February I will be featuring quilts from my book Little Bits Quilting Bee (published by Chronicle late last year). Because designer fabric is often only in print for one season it can be difficult for quilt designers and authors to choose fabrics that will be still available when the book or pattern is published; so to help you out I will be offering advice and alternate fabric choices for many of the quilts in my book. 

Cloud song was made as a toddler quilt, it is so cheerful that it is perfect for a bedroom or playroom, the cartoon style clouds and bold rain drops were inspired by children’s drawings and give this quilt a dream like character.

I used Robert Kaufman Solids charm packs (colours pictured below) for Cloud Song, and luckily they are still available, (I also like their organic solids for this quilt too) in fact pre-cut solid fabrics have since become so popular that many other fabric manufacturers are making them too – there is so much to choose from.

Some more options for you include:

  • Silent film kona packs – this would make a moody cloudy quilt – you could mix these up with a more colourful set or have a monochrome quilt. (Try Kona Ash for the background and Pepper for the binding)
  • I quite like these 1930s Bella solids (Try Bella Solids Grass for the binding and Hometown sky for the background)
  • As well as these Bold designer solids pack from Free Spirit (although you’ll need 3 packs of these) — both great choices for this quilt. (Try Free Spirit Grey for the background and Kiwi for the binding)

To make this quilt top you’ll need:

  • 2 packs (65) charm squares, you’ll also need a pale fabric for the background 1 1/2 yard (1.4 m) should do it. You will also need to get some extra yardage of one of the fabrics from your charm pack for the binding 1/2 yard (46 cm) will be enough.
  • You’ll also need a copy of my book - and they are available in all good book shops and online too.
  • I quilted this in a whimsical free-style cloud design and used a neutral cream coloured thread so that the quilting blended in rather than standing out.
Quilt images are copyright John Paul Urizar who did a great job on the photography in the book.
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Guest post | Baroque punk machine embroidery

by contributor on February 7, 2012

in Art+Design, Guest Blogger

Niamh O’Connor is a stitch artist and designer working at Urban Threads, where they are revolutionizing machine embroidery one edgy, elegant, innovative, and/or offbeat design at a time.

When I first started designing for embroidery as a freshly graduated illustrator, I was often frustrated by what did and did not translate into thread. Stuff that would look fantastic on paper would just not work out the same in embroidery. Small details, print effects like halftone and offset printing, large designs… it was all limited by thread detail, trims, and hoop size. I would sometimes find myself wishing that embroidery could do more.

Over time, I’ve learned that you can pull out some truly gorgeous stuff if you just learn to design to its strengths, instead of fighting against its weaknesses. With this series, Baroque Punk, I wanted to focus on the one thing embroidery does better than anything: stitch dimension.

Beautiful, textural satin stitches can catch the light and make embroidery look like a sculptural relief when done right. It’s a technique that was common in the regal days of old, but oft forgotten in today’s modern machine designs. When researching embroidery through the ages, I was taken by the ornate qualities of the Baroque period. I thought it the perfect example of a “tapestry” of stitches and depth, and I wanted to bring that back.

This Baroque Punk series juxtaposes those ornate sculptural qualities of Baroque art with tattoo design. While still honoring embroidery’s roots, I wanted to make it fresh and modern by changing up the subject matter. Besides, we can’t seem to miss the chance to throw a skull into things now and then.

To leave the usual “kitsch” association with machine embroidery behind as far as possible, we at Urban threads decided to pair these designs with something you don’t often see machine embroidery on: modern couture fashion — proving that these kinds of designs would hold up to that kind of application, and to show that machine embroidery can be a lot more elegant than its often thought to be. To bring the project to life, we collaborated with celebrated fashion designer Laura Fulk, whose modern and edgy line has appeared on countless catwalks in the Midwest and to rave reviews at local fashion shows. Her classic yet slightly offbeat aesthetic was the perfect style to match the paradoxical Baroque Punk designs.

Together we hit upon the idea of a sharply tailored and asymmetrical jacket mixed with raw edges and patchwork. We wanted to offset the classic look and give it a grunge feel. The layers of fabric would also help to emphasize the overall deep texture we were going for, in both the jacket and the designs.

The blazer came to life in pieces. Laura hand-dyed and marked out her patterns on large swatches of fabric, and then mailed it to me for the embroidery. Using mostly templates, I experimented with placement, size and mirroring effects to get the overall tapestry look I was going for, and embroidered everything over the course of two late nights. Once back in Laura’s hands, it was crafted into the finished jacket and then given a second dye bath, to give the colors a richer, grungier hue.

The whole project took about three weeks from the first sketch to the final shot. This collaboration, along with a few others we have done over the past year, are all part of a larger project we call The Lab, an initiative to experiment, collaborate, and innovate to see just what can be done with the art of embroidery. We’ve had great fun working with other talented people and love finding out just what this medium can do. We plan for many other projects in the future!

If you want to grab the designs yourself, you can get them all right here. See more about this project over on our blog Stitchpunk, or take a peek at a behind the scenes look of the making of the jacket and the embroidery.

Credits: Model: Lucie Mulligan || Photography: Burt Edwards || Hair/Makeup: Sara Capers

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Little Bits Quilting Bee | talking pre-cut fabric

by kath_red on February 6, 2012

in Little Bits Quilting Bee, Quilting, Sewing+Fabric

Throughout February I will be featuring quilts from my book Little Bits Quilting Bee (published by Chronicle late last year). Because designer fabric is often only in print for one season it can be difficult for quilt designers and authors to choose fabrics that will be still available when the book or pattern is published; so to help you out I will be offering advice and alternate fabric choices for many of the quilts in my book. You’ll also need a copy of my book to make the quilts – and they are available in all good book shops and online too.

What is pre-cut fabric?

Pre-cut fabrics are a series of co-ordinating fabrics — usually from a single collecton — especially cut and packaged by the manufacturer. Using these pre-cuts has a few benefits:

  • 1. You get a whole bunch of different fabrics at once – making it easy to build up your stash. You can use them together in one quilt or mix them with other fabrics from your stash too.
  • 2. Coordinating fabrics and colours for a quilt is easier.
  • 3. The packs are cut into handy pieces allowing you to whip up  a quilt very easily and quickly.

Do I need to pre-wash pre-cut fabric?

Pre-cut fabrics are a little difficult to pre-wash, because the pieces are so small they get tangled up in the wash and are time consuming to iron. I usually don’t worry about pre-washing my pre-cuts – however there are a couple of exceptions:

  • 1. You should pre-wash hand dyes and batiks as the colours are likely to run.
  • 2. You should pre-wash dark colours – especially red, purple and navy as these are more likely to run.
  • 3. You should pre-wash reds especially if you are using them with lighter colours.

If you didn’t pre-wash your fabric before making the quilt and you are worried the colours might run (especially if you have a white background) — all is not lost, there are a few things you can still do to ensure the colours in your quilt do not run the first time you wash:

  • 1. Wash your quilt in cold water on a gentle cycle and throw in some colour catchers to soak up any dye that might come out.
  • 2. Wash your quilt in cold water with vinegar – the vinegar will set any colours that are likely to run.
  • 3. Use a product such as synthrapol in the wash, this special detergent is used to remove unattached excess dye.

In my book Little Bits Quilting Bee, I use four different types of pre-cuts to create the 20 unique quilts: Fat Quarters, Charm Squares, Jelly Rolls and Layer Cakes.

Fat quarters:

Fat Quarters are the most widely available and used pre-cut fabric. A fat quarter is literally a 1/4 of a yard of fabric, but it is not cut selvedge to selvedge it is cut by cutting half a yard of fabric in half widthways. Fat quarters are generally 18 inches by 22 inches. Most fabric companies offer Fat Quarter bundles, which contain every print in a collection.

Charm Squares:

A charm square is a 5 x 5 inch square of fabric, and are great for easy patchwork quilts. Charm packs are made up of about 40 pieces of  5 inch squares and are equal to approx 3/4 of a yard of fabric.

Jelly Rolls:

Jelly Rolls are a Moda invention, but are available under other names from different fabric manufacturers: Bali pops, Design rolls, Strip-tease buns, Sushi Rolls, and Roll-ups are just some of the names these are sometimes called. They usually contain forty strips (well 40-44 strips — but check before buying how many are included as different manufacturers offer different amounts of strips) and are a standard 2 ½ inches wide. These are perfect for binding and sashing but are also great in any strip type quilt design.

Layer Cakes:

Layer cakes are 10 inch square packs of fabrics, containing usually 40 squares. The total fabric yardage is about 3 1/2 yards. Layer cakes are fun to use because they are so versatile, you can use them as they are and they make for a quick and easy quilt, but you can also cut them into squares and triangles or use them for applique too. Various fabric companies, as well as Moda, offer these 10 inch square packs under other names, but the amount of squares in a pack may vary.

All images are copyright John Paul Urizar who did a great job on the photography in the book. 

 

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