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I hope you are all well and enjoying some beautiful spring weather. It's hard to believe that April is here already! It brings longer days and a real feeling of spring. And traditionally more rain showers!
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Unfortunately, I am still experiencing an issue on my website which prevents my posts from appearing on the "News & More" page of the website. However, you will still be able to read this month's posts highlighted below simply by clicking on the "Read more" buttons.
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Red Bridge Quilt's Shop will be closed from 2-15 April while I take a little break. Orders can still be placed, but they won't be posted until the Shop reopens. Thank you for your understanding.
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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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*Just a note to say that I am having a small issue with my website where the News & More section (where the following posts are found) is displaying a blank page. The following new posts are readable when clicking on the red "Read more" buttons, but aren't accessible directly through the website at the moment. I hope to get this issue sorted soon. I often wish I had a degree in IT!
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1
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QuiltCon is the largest modern quilting event in the world. The Modern Quilt Guild hosts this huge international event every year. This year's event took place in Phoenix, Arizona, from 20-23 February. Competitions, lectures, workshops, vendors--you name it--it was there. Undoubtedly the biggest attraction is the quilts. The "Best in Show" was no exception. See this amazing quilt and judge for yourself.
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2
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Safety is of the utmost importance when changing a rotary cutter blade. These blades are very sharp. Even a dull blade can cause harm if not handled with care. Do you know how to tell when your blade needs changing? Do you resist changing the blade because it's expensive? Check out this post with video to find out why this is not a good idea and to see how to safely change a rotary cutter blade.
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3
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A grandmother compares life to making a quilt. Her philosophy of living was much like putting a quilt together. Or as she called it "building a quilt". This wise woman's philosophy holds true even today. In her day, this grandmother used old patches of fabric to build her quilts. She compares choosing the patches or scraps of fabric to the choices we have in life. Very wise words indeed from a wise grandma.
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A new tote bag, perfect for spring and summer, is now in the Shop. The Pink Butterflies Tote Bag is made with beautiful cotton fabrics featuring watercolour-like images of butterflies and blossoms on the upper part. The lower part is a pink collage mix of tiny mums. Similar to other RBQ tote bags, it is very roomy and has a handy interior pocket. Take a closer look at this new tote bag in the Shop.
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"Hearts and Sheep" is the newest baby quilt which will soon be in the Shop. It is a lovely and warm rag quilt made with 100% cotton flannel. Three coordinating fabrics in pinks and greys come together to create this latest rag quilt. It also has an added border all around to give it a more finished look. This is a very special quilt perfect for a baby girl. See a more detailed description with more photos in the Shop soon.
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Strip Quilting
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Strip quilting is a quick and efficient method of assembling a quilt. Instead of cutting out individual squares or rectangles to make a quilt block, strips of fabric are first cut across the width of fabric. Then these strips are sub-cut according to the size required. Or, several strips can be sewn together and then sub-cut to make individual units to use in a quilt block. This method makes the assembly go much faster. See the photos in "Under my needle" below where I use this method to make a Rail Fence quilt.
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Eleanor Burns, the Queen of Quilting, made strip quilting popular with her "Quilt in a Day" series back in 1978. And she had fun doing it! With her not so subtle double entendre, Eleanor would cut strips of fabric and toss them one at a time over her back in a sort of dancing/stripping motion. She would also often wear a feather boa around her neck and twirl the end of it. Take a look at this video to see her in action. No one ever said that quilting was boring!
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I am currently working on a throw quilt featuring the Rail Fence pattern. This pattern uses the strip quilting method explained in the Technique section above. Before you ask, no, I am not dancing while making this! I was hoping to have it finished and added to the Shop in time for this newsletter, but it just didn't happen. It's a wild mix of colours and patterns that will match almost any décor and will add a bright focus point when tossed over a sofa or chair. Look for it soon in the Shop.
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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.
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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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