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October is my favourite month of the year. Okay, my birthday falls in October as do the birthdays of two of my three children. However, that's not my real reason. I love this golden month because of its beauty and the obvious changing of the seasons. October brings crisp air, golden leaves, and the comfort of cosy nights--perfect for slowing down and savouring the beauty of autumn. October also brings the excitement of Halloween with its playful spookiness. One of my new products reflects the Halloween spirit. You can read about it below.
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October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. See this post for eight free breast cancer quilt patterns. You might find one you would like to make for a breast cancer fighter or survivor.
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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 just purchased a new sewing machine and want to get the most out of it? Or perhaps you're still not familiar with your current machine. Do you hate to read instructions? You set the manual aside and figure you'll refer to it when you actually have the need to do so. After all, you are simply anxious to get going with your project and don't have time to read the manual. Read these tips for sewing machine success.
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2
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A story of one woman's memories of her childhood spent with her quilt-loving Grandma in the early years of the 20th century. These stories are taken from a series written in a quilter's magazine during the 60's and 70's. The nostalgic stories are always very interesting and show that Grandma had a sense of humour. Let's see what happens when Grandma decides to take a shortcut home from a quilting bee.
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3
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Quilters understand the value of complementary colours in quilting. It is one of the most valuable tools in quilt making. Are you good at choosing colours? Some of us might need a bit of help, and a colour wheel is an excellent aid, especially when choosing complementary colours. In this post, Jane Haworth gives an invaluable lesson on how to choose complementary colours. She also shares several of her beautiful art quilts.
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The "Trick or Treat Wall Hanging" features a glowing haunted house, a gnarled spirit-filled tree, jack-o'-lanterns in the garden, and bats flying across an orange sky. Finished with a bold border of tiny black bats on orange, this piece adds the perfect spooky touch to any Halloween décor. It's available in the Shop now.
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This handmade Spring Dreams Throw Quilt (120 cm x 150 cm) celebrates spring with soft cotton fabric covered in blossoms of pink, green, blue, yellow, white and orange. The backing features fresh spring green cotton scattered with tiny white and green ferns, creating a charming balance of colour and detail. Lightweight yet cosy, it brings both comfort and cheer to any space. (The colours are actually softer than they appear in the photos.) It's never too early to dream of spring. Read more about this quilt in the Shop.
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I have made this wall hanging before and it sold very quickly. This quilted rendition of Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss" is beautiful. The strong colours closely resemble the original painting. In fact, one could be fooled into thinking that it is the actual painting hanging on the wall. This particular one is already sold, but I will have another one in the Shop in the near future.
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Rounded Corners and Bias Binding
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Have you ever tried rounding the corners of your quilt instead of using the traditional mitred corners? Rounded corners are a lovely alternative to the usual squared-off corners. Plus, they are easy to make! However, if you make rounded corners you will then need to make a bias binding. Cotton fabric cut on the bias will actually have a stretch to it. This stretch will allow you to round those corners without the binding bunching up.
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So why not try rounded corners on your next quilt? Don't be intimidated! They are easy to make and look especially sweet on a baby quilt. Stacey Lee has a very good video tutorial which shows exactly how to do this.
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Photo from "Stacey Lee Creative"
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Under my needle
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Under my needle at the moment is this Pumpkin Table Runner. Nearly finished, it will be in the Shop soon.
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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 many different patterns and thread colours from which to choose. Contact Red Bridge Quilts for more information.
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Here are photos of a longarm job I finished recently:
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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 Freepik and/or Vecteezy
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