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I have been on an extended break recently spending some time in warmer regions and now slowly getting back to work here. Upon my return to Ireland, I could see that the first hints of Spring have begun to unfold. The air remains cool and changeable--one moment brushed with soft sunshine, the next swept by sudden rain showers carried in from the Atlantic. Fields are starting to brighten with fresh green shoots, hedgerows stir with new life, and early blooms like daffodils dot the landscape with cheerful colour. We are enjoying longer daylight hours into the evenings with birdsong returning in the mornings.
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Of course, March carries a deep cultural warmth with St Patrick's Day celebrations. The 17th of March is when towns and villages come alive with music, parades, and a shared sense of pride. Altogether, March in Ireland feels like a gentle turning point--fresh, spirited, and full of promise, even as the weather keeps you guessing.
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I hope you enjoy this month's newsletter. The first two posts below (upcycling quilts and the QuiltCon event) have a connection. The runway at QuiltCon was all about giving quilts a second life. Many of the quilters who attended QuiltCon wore quilted items they had made especially to wear over the four days.
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As a reminder, Red Bridge Quilts offers free standard postage to anywhere within the island of Ireland. So those of you lucky enough to live on this beautiful Emerald Isle always have this advantage should you choose to order anything. All other destinations will incur the normal postage charge unless the total reaches the 'free postage' amount. We also offer a free local pick-up service for everyone.
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FEATURED CONTENT THIS MONTH
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Quilting news and tips
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New this month
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Following are the new posts up on the website this month. They are a gathering of various topics and articles from the world of quilting. I hope you find them of interest.
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1
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Have you been thinking of making a quilted item of clothing, or a bag, or perhaps something for your home? You may have been thinking about it for a while, but you just can’t find the time. After all, these projects require deciding on a patchwork design and then following a specific pattern to arrive at the end result. But have you thought of upcycling old quilts? This could be the solution for you.
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2
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QuiltCon is the largest modern quilting event in the world, presented by the Modern Quilt Guild. It is a quilt event full of quilters, makers, artists and vendors from all around the world!! QuiltCon features a vibrant quilt show full of competition quilts, community outreach quilts, and special exhibits. It ran this year from 19-22 February in Raleigh, NC. See the Winners Gallery.
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3
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Also at this year's QuiltCon, there was a special exhibition of the Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy from Gee's Bend, Alabama. Gee's Bend is the home of the world-famous Gee's Bend quilters. To read about this special exhibition, click the red button below. To read more about the Gee's Bend quilters, see this post from Red Bridge Quilts first posted in June 2022.
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The Songbirds Wall Hanging is back in stock! This beautiful and very popular piece looks delightful in any room of the house. It features colourful images of 15 different songbirds with their names indicated in the blocks. The outer border is spectacular, featuring various nesting birds. The hanging can be hung easily by simply inserting a dowel in the "corners" on the back. You can view this product in the Shop here.
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I am counting this next one as "finished" because it nearly is, so I wanted to include it in this newsletter. It's a beautifully quilted large throw/bed quilt that measures about 180 cm x 180 cm. This colourful quilt features a large star in the centre surrounded by a large diamond shape with parallel rows of partial diamonds extending to the corners. Look for it soon in the Shop.
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Pre-Cuts
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Undoubtedly as a quilter, you have used or at least have heard of pre-cuts. These are packs of already cut pieces of fabric with 42 pieces in each pack. The most common ones are "jelly rolls" which are 2.5" wide WOF (width of fabric) strips, "charm packs" with 5" squares of fabric, and "layer cakes" with 10" squares of fabric. They might go by other names such as strip packs, 5" squares, or 10" squares. There are two main advantages to these pre-cut packs. The first is obvious--the fabric is already cut for you, saving a lot of time. The second advantage is that these packs are curated from specific fabric lines and all the pieces are coordinated. This can save hours of time in the fabric shops trying to coordinate the fabrics needed to make a quilt.
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However, not all pre-cuts are the same! For example, some have pinked edges and others don't. It really depends on the fabric manufacturer. This can lead to questions when piecing a patchwork block, especially if we are using these pre-cuts along with other fabrics we have cut from yardage. Do we measure the 1/4" seam from the peak or the valley of the pinked edge? If we get it wrong or if we are not consistent, it could throw off the entire quilt top.
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Under my needle
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Soon to go "under my needle" is this soft and cuddly cotton flannel fabric featuring a "Hootsie" mix of multicoloured pastel owls and flowers. The backing will be a cotton flannel woodland animal print.
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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 it or exchange it. Let them decide 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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Red Bridge Quilts offers a Longarm Quilting Service. This means that if you are a quilter, and either don't have the time, are afraid of doing the quilting yourself, or you would like to have a professionally finished look to your quilt, then you might have a "longarmer" do the job for you. I have been "longarming" since 2018 and have hundreds of different designs/pantographs and more than 100 thread colours from which to choose. Contact Red Bridge Quilts for more information.
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I hope you have enjoyed reading this newsletter. Please feel free to forward it on to anyone you think might like to read it. As always, thank you very much for being here.
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Vectors designed by Vecteezy
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