Christmas in July Wall Hanging {Finished Project}

My Christmas in July Island Batik project is finished!

I added a penguin applique to the lower right corner of the top of the wall hanging for a little bit of fun. This is actually the same penguin that is available in our Seasonal Placemats and Seasonal Wall Hanging patterns; I simply scaled up the design.

For the quilting, I used white thread to quilt loops and snowflakes. I added eyes for the penguin with a fabric pen. 

The binding is a navy mottled Island Batik basic that I had a half yard cut of in my stash. For the backing, I used a piece of the remaining snowflake print yardage from the line combined with a half-yard of a blue dot basic that coordinated well with this line. I used a piece of the snowflake print for the hanging sleeve.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway -- it will close tomorrow at midnight!

Quilt Stats:

Name: Winter Forest wall hanging

Pattern: Self designed

Fabrics: Winter Forest from Island Batik plus Island Batik Basics

Techniques: Accuquilt cutting, applique, free motion quilting

Quilting: meandering loops and snowflakes

Batting: Hobbs 80/20 batting

Size: 36 inches square

Started and finished: July 2020

Future: Gift!

Unboxed: My Second 2020 {Island Batik Ambassador} Box!

I'm so excited to show off the things that came in my second Island Batik Ambassador shipment for 2020!

First off -- batting from Hobbs bonded fibers! Let me tell you -- living in sort of the middle of no where, it is so nice to have a few battings on hand and not have to make a special trip out to buy one, which I used to have to do quite often! I'm excited to play with the fusible batting roll -- is a jelly roll rug in my future?

I have two "surprise" packages that are soon-to-be released lines that I can't show off just yet! Just believe me when I say they are gorgeous!

I also received some half-yard cuts of batik basics that coordinate with my "surprise" packages; you can get an idea of what the color schemes will be!

Next up is a gorgeous fat quarter bundle of Catching Dreams! Love those purples.

This time around we each received a Studio 180 ruler to try! I've never used one of these before and I am excited to try it out. This was bundled with a set of 2.5" strips and coordinating cuts of yardage from the Nouveau Soul line.

I also received a 10" square stacker of the Venetian Marble line with some coordinating yardage.

And I would be remiss if I skipped over the extra large cuts of solids and basics! I have started using the solids for some of my backings on my Island Batik projects and it's worked out great!

One of my favorite things that usually makes an appearance in our Ambassador boxes are the stash builder rolls! These two are all blues and all teals, respectively, and I think a lot of those blue fabrics will be turned into a baby quilt for one of our best friends! And Aurifil thread is always a good addition!

The final thing in our boxes, which I am so excited to show, is a full kit from By Annie's to make one of their bag patterns! A while back we got to chose one of their patterns and I chose the Open Wide pouch patterns. They picked fabrics for us and all of the coordinating notions! I'm very nervous to work on this project but I am in DESPERATE need of a new set of travel toiletry bags!

I am having a giveaway on my previous post (click here to see it) that closes on Tuesday, July 28th so make sure to enter!

Chrysanthemum Quilt {Finished Quilt}

I am so excited today to show off my finished Chrysanthemum quilt!

This is my June Island Batik Ambassador project -- I used fabrics from the Primo line by Ebony Love for the piecing and solid white batik for the backing. I used stash builder strips cut in half for the binding.

For the quilting, I used a peach Aurifil 50 wt. thread in both the top and bobbin. I obviously used a crysanthemum motif for the free motion quilting!

I am pretty resolved that this year there won't be a QAL given that life has been crazy busy but that this pattern will likely be the QAL for 2021. It's just that much fun of a pattern!

I did just use the white solid batik as my backing this time around because it was basically the best choice I had on hand to back this quilt. I'm guessing if you've been like me the last few months, the name of the game in the sewing room is making due with whatever you have on hand without having to go shopping!

This will likely be a keeper quilt for me because I love it just that much!

Quilt Stats:

Name: Chrysanthemum throw quilt

Pattern: Chrysanthemum -- by me, will eventually be a real pattern

Fabrics: Primo by Ebony Love for Island Batik, white solid backing

Techniques: free motion quilting, HSTs, strip piecing

Quilting: Free motion chrysanthemum quilting

Batting: Hobbs 80/20 batting

Size: 75 inches square

Started: April 2020

Finished: July 2020

Future: TBD

Quarter Cabins in Mesa Verde {Log Cabin Blog Hop with Island Batik} + {Pattern Premiere}

Today is my day to share as part of the Island Batik Ambassador Log Cabin blog hop!

I have been hard at work on this quilt this month -- featuring the new line, Mesa Verde! As an Island Batik Ambassador, I am provided with samples of various lines of Island Batik fabrics, Aurifil thread, Accuquilt products, and Hobbs Batting to use and share with you!

This line is a fun Western-inspired collection featuring greens, creams, golds, and browns!

For my quilt, I am using our new Honey, Bunny, and Doll pattern, Quarter Cabins, to show off these lovely fabrics! 

I used the 20 fabrics to make 25 blocks for this quilt, which finishes at 51" square.

For the quilting, I used a gold-brown Aurifil thread for the quilting and did meandering across the quilt. For the batting, I used a wool blend Hobbs Batting. Thank you to Aurifil and Hobbs Batting for sponsoring the Island Batik Ambassador program!

Frankie the bunny had to inspect the quilt after it was trimmed before the binding was added!

I used one of the dark brown prints for the binding.

This pattern is also now available on our Etsy and Payhip sites! Pick up a copy of this super easy and fun pattern for your next quick project!

I also have a giveaway today -- of a big pile of my Mesa Verde scraps!

Update: the giveaway is now closed and Stephanie is our winner!

You can enter up to twice, leave a comment for each entry! Giveaway will close on March 1st.

1. Leave a comment telling me your favorite new Island Batik collection. You can see all of the collections here.

2. Leave me a comment telling me which fabrics (any maker is fine!) you'd use to make your own version of our new Quarter Cabins pattern!

Make sure to check out all of the lovely Log Cabin quilts made by my fellow Island Batik Ambassadors!

Progress Potpourri {Borders, Blocks, and Batting}

I didn't have a ton of motivation (or time) to sew this weekend, but I did manage to get a few productive things done, even if it wasn't just finishing a quilt.

First, I made bias binding from a fat quarter and added it to a baby quilt that I quilted *last* week. I am hand stitching the binding by hand, so expect that finish later this week or early next week.

Next, I used the backing cut-offs from the aforementioned baby quilt as the (first) border of my Ribbons quilt.

I maximized the width of border I could add using this fabric (2.25" was what my scraps would allow) and now I will decide if I will add another border or not. I have one brown and green fabric that might work, but I think I want something blue for the border so I will need to go shopping.

Next, I pulled out the scraps from my Baseball Baby Quilts. I had strip pieced these quilts, so I actually had rather large strip pieced chunks left over! I found that I could undo a few seams and end up with four 16" blocks. 

I pieced these together and used the last bit of the remaining white print as a border. I still have some of these fabrics left, probably enough of to make a small table runner or topper. I will probably donate this quilt once finished. This is a small quilt -- only about 37" square.

Finally, I layered and basted my Radiant Jewel quilt. I ordered the backing fabric for this quilt about a month ago. The fabric is actually from a holiday line from Robert Kaufman but is just a black and metallic gold marble print, which looks great with the other fabrics of the quilt, which are also RK prints (just very, very old!). I have enough to also use it for the binding.

In this picture, you can also see something else -- the black batting! I got a black queen-sized batting from Hobbs in one of my Island Batik Ambassador boxes this year and I used a sizable chunk of the batting for my Plus Sign quilt in May.  I pieced the batting scraps together (I had two large pieces of the batting to work with) and was able to layer and pin this quilt on Saturday. 

That was slightly for naught because I do not have a thread color in my stash that I am thrilled to use with this quilt. I am thinking either a goldish cream like the fabric in the center of the stars -or- a lavender-pink like the background fabric, but leaning towards a goldish-cream. I think I would get more mileage out of cream thread. What do you think? Pink or cream?

Have a happy Monday!

Sharing at What I Made Monday! 

Ohio Star Quilt {Finished Quilt}

Hip hip hooray -- another finished quilt to cross off my list!

As I shared earlier this week, I quilted this quilt over the weekend. I used a tan/gold Aurifil thread for the quilting in both the top and the bobbin. It's slightly darker than the background fabric, but blends well with the block piece and on the back. I had a perfectly sized Hobbs Cotton/Wool blend batting to use with this quilt too.

A simple meander is sometimes all you need for a beautiful quilt!

For the binding, I used the leftover green fabric from the backing. I had originally set aside a piece of purple fabric for the binding, but liked how the darker green fabric finishes the quilt.

This mushroom print is my favorite of the prints that I used on the back that didn't make it in the top of the quilt. I have set aside all of the leftovers from this quilt for a giveaway -- keep your eyes peeled for that sometime next week!

As an Island Batik Ambassador, I am provided with samples of various lines of Island Batik fabrics, Aurifil thread, Accuquilt products, and Hobbs Batting to use and share with you!

Quilt stats:
Name: Ohio Star Baby Quilt
Pattern: None, Ohio Star blocks sashed with 1.5" strips
Fabrics: Quiet Shades fabrics from Island Batik
Techniques: Accuquilt cutting, free motion quilting
Quilting: all over meander with gold Aurifil thread 50 wt.
Size: 53" square
Batting: Hobbs Cotton/Wool blend
Started: August 2019
Finished: September 2019
Future: TBD

Sharing at Brag About your Beauties, Peacock Party, and Moving it Forward!

PS. Join me for a fall QAL featuring our Faceted patterns!

Sharing at Show Me Something {Purple} at Sarah Goer Quilts for January 2020!

On the Plus Side {Finished Quilt}

This has been a very busy month and I'm relieved that I was able to finish this quilt up over the long weekend!

But first, take a quick peek at the pictures I showed yesterday -- does anything look different in my final quilt?

Yes, I added a grey border all the way around the quilt. No, this wasn't a part of my original plan and I'm very glad that my spontaneous decision worked!

The main reason I didn't add a border when I was finishing the quilt top was that I wasn't sure that I had enough backing fabric to accommodate a border. After I finished quilting the black small plus blocks, I had the quilt laid on the floor and realized that I had enough backing and batting on all four sides to add a bit of a border. I cut 4" strips of grey solid and added them to the quilt using the quilt as you go method and used black thread in the bobbin so that the stitches would be less obvious on the backing.

In the grey areas, I did swirls with grey thread and in the orange plus blocks in the corns, I used a bright orange Aurifil to quilt wishbone-style loops.

For the binding, I used a yellow floral batik and did the binding entirely by machine.

Here's a full shot of just the back of this quilt.

The quilting with the black thread is nearly invisible in the full quilt picture above, but is visible below.

I'm not exactly sure what this quilt's future will be but for now it might get hung in my sewing room. While not among my most ambitious undertakings quilting-wise, I'm rather pleased with how it turned out.

As always, a big hip hip hooray to Island Batik for allowing me to be an ambassador and tasking me with these fun monthly projects and a special thank you to Hobbs Batting for providing all of us Ambassadors with lots of great battings and sponsoring this month's project.

As an Island Batik Ambassador, I am provided with samples of various lines of Island Batik fabrics, Aurifil thread, and Hobbs batting to use and share with you!

Quilt stats: 

Name: On the Plus Side

Pattern: Modified version of Cheryl and Paige's Modern Plus Sampler

Fabrics: Island Batik basics and solids

Batting: Hobbs 80/20 batting in black

Quilting: various free motion fillers, some threads Aurifil, some Connecting Threads

Techniques used: strip piecing, FMQ, machine binding

Size: approximately 56" square

Started: April 2019

Finished: May 2019

Future: TBD

Sharing at:
Wait Loss Wednesday
Needle and Thread Thursday
Put Your Foot Down
Brag About Your Beauties
May Favorite Finishes
What I Made Monday

On The Plus Side {Quilt Top + Quilting}

I had to do a *tiny* bit of finagling and planning to sew this top together because it isn't just a traditional grid, due to the tiny plus blocks surrounding the center five blocks. I first sewed the tiny plus blocks into sections, then sewed the sections of plus blocks to the larger strip blocks and rick rack blocks. From there I was able to sew things into rows, and then sew the rows together. I spent a significant amount of time thinking about how to press my blocks and attempting to have as many interlocking seams as possible and it was well worth the effort for this top.

Since this Island Batik Ambassador challenge is also sponsored by Hobbs batting, I pulled out my box-o-batting from my closet and decided on using some of the *black* batting for this project! I've never used a black batting before, and since my backing fabric is black, I thought this would be the perfect choice. As an Island Batik Ambassador, I am provided with samples of various lines of Island Batik fabrics, Aurifil thread, and Hobbs batting to use and share with you!

For the backing, I decided that I would use the remainder of the black batik solid for my backing on this project, since I am not planning to give this as a baby quilt. I had to do some quilty math to determine how to most efficiently piece the backing -- it has two seams instead of one, but it did actually stretch the fabric further this way.

I am planning to quilt this in a similar fashion to my Meadow quilt -- with various simple fillers from the center out, however, I will be using multiple colors of thread for this project. The only caveat to my (current) plan is that I am going to leave the white areas unquilted.

To start, I used a orangy-red Aurifil thread in the red and orange stripes of the center blocks to quilt simple dense loops.

Tomorrow I'll have the finish of this quilt to show off -- and it might look a little different than you might expect!

Happy Tuesday! Sharing at What I Made!