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Happy May! The days and weeks seem to be passing so quickly, and now we are once again in a new month. The days are longer and milder, with more consistent warmth and fewer cold snaps. Trees are fully in leaf, and gardens begin to fill out. We're spending more time outdoors. Spring is still present, but summer is starting to feel close. What's not to love about May?
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Did you know that most of the posts from each monthly Newsletter are not lost once the email goes out? If you delete the Newsletters after reading them, you can always find the posts in the News & More section of my website. So should you remember something that you would like to read again, you will be able to find it there.
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The post about Manx quilting in last month's newsletter got a response from one of my subscribers. She had been to the Isle of Man some years ago and actually had a lesson on how to do Manx quilting. The post brought back many memories of her time spent on this beautiful island.
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The craft fair season is starting up again for the year. Red Bridge Quilts will be participating once again in the Burren Arts & Craft fair in lovely Ballyvaughan (Clare). The craft fair is held every Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. in the village hall. I will normally be participating every other weekend beginning this Sunday, May 3rd. If you are in the area, please stop in and visit all the lovely stalls.
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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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There may be an issue with the link on the first post below which I cannot seem to fix. Apologies if that's the case when you attempt to follow it.
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1
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Did you know that folding a quilt into a square or a rectangle can actually cause unsightly wrinkles? If you want to store your quilts, either temporarily or permanently, there is a better way to fold them. Folding quilts on the bias will prevent those deep wrinkles that make them unsightly when wanting to display them again. Once you get the hang of it, you will find it easy to do and will use this method every time.
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2
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How much do you know about the history of quilt blocks? Back in the days of the Homestead Act in America, families were given the opportunity to migrate west and settle on land they could call their own. Quilting was a popular and necessary part of a pioneer woman's life on the prairie. The history of the quilt blocks used at that time tell the history of America. These blocks are still popular today.
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3
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Immunizations against common contagious diseases were unheard of years ago. Quarantines were in place in affected homes. But a quilt in quarantine? This Grandma story tells how she had to deal with a quarantine in her home when her granddaughter became ill with a contagious disease. Of course, there would be a quilt involved. What happened then to Grandma's quilt in quarantine?
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A slightly different version of the Lil' Llamas Baby Rag Quilt is in the Shop this month. It's made with the same three cotton flannel fabrics as the one featured last month but with a slight difference. With the first one, I chose the white dots on green for the borders. However, for this one I chose to use the fabric featuring various leaves for the border. Check it out in the Shop. I have enough for a third quilt and will probably change it up again.
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Three new tote bags are being added to my inventory. The first is a delightful "hen" tote featuring colourful hens on top and a field of lovely flowers on the bottom.
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The second new tote features turquoise and pale green dragonflies on top with packed yellow-green and turquoise daisies on the bottom.
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The third tote combines a lovely pastel floral print on top with a collage print of tiny pink flowers on the bottom.
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All three totes are made with 100% cotton fabrics and have a handy inside pocket. These totes will land in the Shop very shortly.
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Which Machine Needle Should I Use?
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Are you ever confused about which type and size of needle or which thread is best to use for the job you are doing on your domestic sewing machine? Whether it's piecing, machine appliqué, hand appliqué, machine quilting, or hand quilting, you need to choose both the needle type and the needle size. The needle type depends on the job you are doing. The needle size depends on the thread size you are going to use for that job. Don't you wish you had a handy go-to reference guide to help? Well, Meg Leach at New Threads Quilt Shop (UK) has an excellent guide with charts and detailed explanations to help you with this. Check it out here. Better still, print it out and keep it near your machine.
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Under my needle
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Under my needle FINALLY is this soft and cuddly cotton flannel fabric featuring a "Hootsie" mix of multicoloured pastel owls and flowers. The fabric is cut and the squares laid out. I just need to sew them together, add the wadding and backing, and then quilt it. The backing will be a cotton flannel woodland animal print. It's going to make a very soft and cosy baby quilt.
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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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