March Island Batik Challenge

/ quiltinggail

It’s a Scrapbuster Challenge!

Challenge #1

I do have a ‘few’ Island Batik scraps! I save anything that is larger than 2″. I know that some of my fellow ambassadors save scraps that are smaller … I’ll let them do that, but it doesn’t mean that I have to. When it came to deciding what to do, I immediately thought of a scrappy Irish Chain. I have made a few and I love quilting the feather wreaths in the plain white block. I started sewing my 2″ squares into 4 patches … all the while thinking about how I could make it more unique. I thought of stars … and I was happy … here’s the chain blocks with a few of the first stars I made. Yes, I liked it.

Sew, I sewed and I sewed and I sewed. I tried to count how many different fabrics there were in this quilt. I got to 150 and then I started to second guess myself: Is this one in the quilt, or is it a similar one from the same collection? I quit counting. As I was sewing this together, there were lots of memories … oh, I made a log cabin with this fabric … this was from a table runner … this fabric was in a quilt I gave as a wedding gift … Such a lot of fun!!!

There are 782 coloured 2″ squares and 136 coloured Half-Square Triangles. I did not count how many white squares, half square triangles or rectangles are in this quilt. I know there are a LOT.

Then the quilt is . Hobbs 80/20 batting was used. I spray baste my quilts together, using Odif 505 spray. It was quilted on my Janome Continental M7 domestic sewing machine using the following threads: Aurifil #5004 – Grey Smoke and #2021 – Natural White. The binding was sewn on with #2692 – Black. Each square was stitched in the ditch with the Grey Smoke. The Natural White outlined the star and each of the blocks on the white.

There is a single crocus blooming in the garden, it’s in the middle pot, just in front of the rose stems … but I can barely see it in the picture, so you’ll just have to trust me!

Challenge #2

This quilt was unexpected. It just happened. It wasn’t planned. I was to take a ruler quilting course (by Zoom) with Silly Moon Quilting Co. and I needed to make a placemat or table runner, using 5″ squares. I pulled out a couple of neutral Island Batik Stashbuilder rolls and cut them into 5″ squares. (Stash builder rolls are perfect for this since they are 5″ wide by width of fabric.) But, I really didn’t want a placemat or table runner with them. So I made a heart quilt with squares and half-square triangles. Outlined the neutrals in soft dusty blues. I was liking it!!! I ended up adding a few more borders. Then I wanted it to be a rectangle, not a square, so the borders on the top and bottom became larger than the borders on the sides.

I was sewing with a friend (Zoom) and she saw the penguins and wanted to know if it was a fabric that is currently available. It’s an older line because it was in the stashbuilder bundle. But aren’t they cute?

Hobbs 80/20 batting was used, Aurifil #2610 – Light Blue Grey, and Schmetz needles were used for piecing and quilting.

Disclosure: The fabrics, thread, batting and needles were generously supplied by the following companies:

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

41 thoughts on “March Island Batik Challenge”

  1. First, I absolutely adore your Irish chain/star quilt and want to try to make one of my own. To clarify, did you start with 2″ squares that finished at 1 1/2″, or did you start with 2 1/2″ squares and finish with 2″. I believe you started with 2″, but just want to be sure. I want to save my scraps to make a quilt like this and so want to make sure my square size is appropriate. Thanks so much!!!

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    • Hi Wendy,
      Thank you for the complement! I did start with 2″ squares that finish @ 1 1/2″. The star block was quite difficult, event though it looks easy. There was a LOT of fudging to make it fit and then I had to trim it down … Perhaps you’ll figure out an easy way for it to fit!
      Happy Quilting! 🙂

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  4. Love these! Like you, one of my favorite parts of scrap quilts is revisiting the fabrics from older projects and remembering where I used them before. I love, love, love your scrappy stars! Love the blue heart, too! I had those penguins last year and I love them too!

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  6. Your scrappy star irish chain quilt is so beautiful! I love the heart quilt as well. Isn’t it great that you can use that many IB fabrics and they look awesome together? To me, that’s one of the beauties of Island Batiks!! Thanks for sharing!

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  7. The Irish Chain Quilt with Stars is so bright and cheerful Gail. It looks even more striking by your garden bed! I’m in love with your heart quilt. The penguins ARE the perfect star of the quilt.

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  9. I love both quilts! I am guilty of saving way too many tiny pieces and I’m using this challenge to sort through them and probably redone a good amount. It’s amazing how they add up over the years!

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  10. Great job, Gail! Beautiful quilts from so many scraps. I like that you too quilt on a domestic machine. You are great inspiration for all of us FMQers!

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  13. Hi Gail! OH, your scrap buster quilt is just gorgeous! It’s amazing how 150+ different fabrics can be thrown together, randomly, and turn out so great. I think the pattern you chose really lends itself to scrappiness, too. Nice job! ~smile~ Roseanne

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  14. You are amazing! Two quilts for the challenge, and it seems to happen more often than not with you. Love them both….great use of fabrics. I agree with nothing smaller than 2″….otherwise I would need a garage to put all the teeny tiny bits in!

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  16. Love the Scrappy Irish Chain Star quilt! Love all the bright colours. You are inspiring me to try some machine wiilting on my home machine…still a bit hesitant to do more that straight lines!

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    • Hi Valda!
      You can do free motion!!! I admit, it does take practice, but if you practice consistently, it comes along pretty quick!
      Make a few practice sandwiches – or take an UGLY quilt and practice on them … soon you’ll be flying! 🙂

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  20. Your Irish Chain with the Stars is absolutely gorgeous Gail. It is my kind of quilt. I love anything scrappy and adding the Stars is just perfect. The Heart quilt is beautiful too.

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