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The February Newsletter
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by Patrick Joseph Tuohy (1925)
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Hooray! February has arrived! January seemed to go on so much longer than usual this year with its darkness arriving so early in the afternoons, not giving way to daylight until late in the mornings. Happily, February will bring more signs of spring, and will even give us an extra day this year.
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Spring reminds me that the craft fair season will begin soon, and I must get busy. It has been a bit of a slow start getting motivated and back into my quilting routine this new year, but I have made a start. I have finished a custom order which came in just before Christmas, and you can read about it below.
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New this month
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Following are the new posts up on the website this month. I hope you find them interesting.
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FEATURED CONTENT THIS MONTH
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Quilting news and tips
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1
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Homespun fabric is a woven fabric that is typically made of either cotton, wool or linen. It's a simple weave, with the front indistinguishable from the back. Read the post and be sure to see the "New Products" section below.
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2
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Do you know how to fold a quilt for storage? As you're putting away your seasonal quilts, remember to take all the necessary steps to keep them in pristine condition for next year! Bias folding is a great technique to help you accomplish this.
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3
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Are you taking the simple measuring tape for granted? Have you ever thought about its origins? No matter what, everyone needs at least one of these in the home. Find out more about the origins of this very simple household tool.
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Recently finished for a custom order is this Dr. Seuss Book Quilt. Red Bridge Quilts has made several of these over the past few years, and they never last long in the shop! A special feature of this quilt is the pocket stitched onto the back which holds a large paperback copy of "The Cat in the Hat". Children love to cuddle up with a quilt and read!
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Work began on this homespun rag quilt throw a couple of weeks ago. I featured the fabric for this throw in January's newsletter, and an explanation on rag quilts appeared in this post from last month. RBQ makes rag quilts from either cotton flannel or from cotton homespun. They are not difficult to make, but they do require a good amount of time cutting the fabric and then snipping the seams for ragging. This particular rag quilt throw was made with cotton homespun fabric. You can read about cotton homespun fabric in the first post above. See the "Technique" section below to learn about the difference between a homespun rag quilt and a cotton flannel rag quilt. This lovely throw, made with a medium-check homespun in blue and off-white and a small check homespun in green, blue, red and beige, is finished and will be landing in the shop very soon.
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Using Homespun for Rag Quilts
Other than the fact that a lot of fabric is required (nearly six meters), there is also a lot of thread needed to complete one of these. And a lot of cutting!
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First, the homespun squares are cut out of two different but coordinating fabrics. Each quilt block "sandwich" is still made up of three layers, as in a cotton flannel rag quilt; however, cotton wadding is used as the middle layer in a homespun rag quilt. This wadding needs to be cut smaller than the two homespun squares in order that it does not peek out after all the stitching and ragging is completed.
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The three layers of the blocks are held together by stitching diagonal lines from corner to corner. Then the finished blocks are assembled, the seams are snipped, and the quilt is washed in cold water and tumble dried to achieve the ragged edges.
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Under my needle
I have begun working on a very colourful wall hanging featuring Aboriginal art from Queensland, Australia.
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Specifically, it features a bird called the Jabiru and how he performs a special dance for his one true love.
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I think it's going to be spectacular!
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Looking for a Gift?
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Do you know someone who loves quilts? Or someone who appreciates a handmade item for the home? A Gift Card from Red Bridge Quilts takes away the hassle of trying to choose just the right gift. You won't have to worry if they will like what you choose or will want to return or exchange it. Let them choose what they'd really like!! See RBQ's Gift Card options.
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Did you know?
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With every online order from Red Bridge Quilts you will receive a free quilted glasses case. These sturdy 100% cotton cases will protect reading glasses as well as sunglasses. The photo shows a few of the cases from the current selection.
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I hope you have enjoyed reading this newsletter. Thank you very much for being here.
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Julie
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