Leanne, from Devoted Quilter is hosting the Lazy Summer Quilt Camp. She always has fun challenges and this one peeked my interest immediately!!!
Raving Reds
Day 27: Today’s prompt is “Raving Reds”
I could only think of one red quilt that I have made … And then I went searching …
This is the one that I could think of:
This was made with many different reds … I have no idea how many. But when I washed this quilt, I ended up with a pink and red quilt. ALL of the reds had bled. Almost every single one. I was totally disheartened. I tired washing it with all sorts of commercial products and the quilt was still PINK and red. GROAN.
Then, as I was wandering through the internet, I came across somewhere that said to wash it with Original Blue Dawn. I figured it was worth a try! After the first wash, the pink had faded a lot. After the second wash, the pink was gone!!! I now have a red and white quilt. YAY!!! Blue Dawn to the rescue.
Then, as I scrolled through my pictures, I found 2 more red quilts. The first was a mystery quilt from Cindy Carter and the second was my own design, a quilt of valour, made with fabrics from the Island Batik collection “Freedom.” I obviously left out most of the blue fabrics since I’m Canadian!
Do you have a red quilt?
Don’t Forget!
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
Leanne, from Devoted Quilter is hosting the Lazy Summer Quilt Camp. She always has fun challenges and this one peeked my interest immediately!!!
By Hand
Day 27: Today’s prompt is “By Hand”
I really dislike hand sewing. It hurts. I don’t like pain. So, if I can avoid it, I will.
However, in 2021, an Island Batik challenge was English Paper Piecing … groan … I started well ahead of time, worked slowly and gradually was able to finish this table runner.
I used the book, The New Hexagon, by Katja Marek and a beautiful layer cake, I made the blocks. All hand sewn!!
Don’t Forget!
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
Leanne, from Devoted Quilter is hosting the Lazy Summer Quilt Camp. She always has fun challenges and this one peeked my interest immediately!!!
Party in the Back
Day 24: Today’s prompt is “Party in the Back”
In 2023, Kelly Young’s book, “Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs” was published. She generously supplied me with the book and I have used it to make several quilt backs! To me, the book is a MUST HAVE. Not only does she have a multitude of different ideas for backs, but she also explains how to ensure that your backing is straight! (If you wish, you can get it from her Etsy shop HERE).
Here are the fronts (left) and the backs (right):
Don’t Forget!
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
Leanne, from Devoted Quilter is hosting the Lazy Summer Quilt Camp. She always has fun challenges and this one peeked my interest immediately!!!
Pretty Shapes
Day 16: Today’s prompt is “Pretty Shapes”
There are lots of pretty shapes in quilts … squares, triangles, quarter square triangles, rectangles, hexi’s, curves …
For the longest time, I avoided sewing with curves. I HATED them!!!! Mostly because I really didn’t know any of the tricks to make curves easy! Then, I took a class and learned that for me, the most important thing was to not sew at top speed. Take your time.
During my time as an Island Batik (Lumin Fabrics) ambassador, I was given 2 Accuquilt dies with CURVES. AND I HAD to use them. oh groan!!! (This was before my curves class).
I HAD to make a quilt, using the Cleopatra’s Fan and the theme was to be “Child’s Play.” Well, I made the outside blocks and then added the butterfly to make it more ‘child-like’. In the end, I liked it a LOT!
Then, for another Island Batik challenge, I was given a fabric collection “Ohana” and the challenge was “Inspired by Nature.” I designed the quilt in EQ and went to work piecing it together. This actually became one of my favourite quilts!
So, curves are no longer hated and I really, really like the effect they provide!
Do you like curves?
Don’t Forget!
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
Leanne, from Devoted Quilter is hosting the Lazy Summer Quilt Camp. She always has fun challenges and this one peeked my interest immediately!!!
Quilts with something to say
Day 16: Today’s prompt is “Quilts with something to say.”
I don’t make political statements with my quilts. I know that many people do, but I’m not one of them. However, a few years ago, a bunch of us were at a retreat at “Over the Rainbow” and this panel was there. Well, a few of us bought it!! How could we resist? It lives with my travelling sewing machine and I use it to over my machine at night. The rest of the time it sits on the back of my chair.
Don’t Forget!
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
Leanne, from Devoted Quilter is hosting the Lazy Summer Quilt Camp. She always has fun challenges and this one peeked my interest immediately!!!
Citrus Colours
Day 16: Today’s prompt is “Citrus Colours.”
I don’t have very many quilts that are only citrus colours. Each of these was made for a challenge. So they are not necessarily what I would choose to do on my own. However, once they were made, I found that I really liked each of them. And yes, they all used Island Batik (Lumin Fabrics).
And, there are absolutely NO quilts that are mostly Lime coloured!
Do you use orange, yellow or lime as primary colours in your quilts?
Don’t Forget!
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
Leanne, from Devoted Quilter is hosting the Lazy Summer Quilt Camp. She always has fun challenges and this one peeked my interest immediately!!!
Quilted Wearables
Day 16: Today’s prompt is “Quilted Wearables.”
I made this robe using several different Island Batik (Lumin Fabrics) collections, Accuquilt dies and I LOVE it! For the pattern, I deconstructed a robe that I bought in China. The Accuquilt dies I used were the Glorified 9 patch (on the front) and Tree of Life (on the back. It is lined with rayon (the part you can see is an Island Batik rayon).
I keep thinking that I need to make a quilted jacket, but haven’t done so … yet!
Don’t Forget!
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
As an Island Batik (Lumin) Ambassador, I receive a LOT of wonderful fabric and quilting supplies from Island Batik and industry partners. This post is a compilation of the projects I created in 2025 using Island Batik fabrics. Thank you Island Batik for a wonderful year!
Here’s a l pictures of everything I received in my first January box. The 2nd box contained all the wonderful Hobbs Batting and a tool from Studio 180 Designs. You can see the video and individual pictures on THIS POST.
This was my runner for February’s Island Batik (Lumin) challenge featuring Studio 180 tool and the Radiant Burst collection. See HERE for more details.
Claudia Porter from Create with Claudia asked me to make something with her feature fabric. Of course, I said “yes.” This quilt used the beautiful Meadow Hues collection. See HERE. for more detail.
This pretty quilt was made with Jennifer Thomas’s (of Curlicue Creations) signature fabric, Sunlit Garden. See THIS POST for more details.
March’s Island Batik challenge was “It’s All Up to You.” We made anything we wanted. The choice was ours. I made this bear’s paw quilt. See THIS POST for more details.
This zipper pouch was easy to make for a quick gift. See HERE for more details.
This was my SAHRR quilt. THIS POST has most of the details, with links to other posts containing details of each round.
The Rainbow Scrap Challenge for February was Blue. This is one of the quilts I completed for February. You can read about it HERE.
April’s Challenge was to make a quilt using a Drunkard’s Path block. You can read more about it HERE.
And, here’s a smaller version!
I reviewed a book called “Picture Patchwork” and this train was one of the quilts in the book. You can read about it HERE.
This quilt was made for the Island Batik Catalogue. You can read about it on THIS POST. (photo credit: Jerry Khiev).
A 12″ mini quilt was made for the Hobbs Batting booth in Houston … It’s likely the only quilt that I’ll have that hung in that quilt show!! LOL!!!
This quilt was made for a dear relative dealing with cancer. You can read more about it on THIS POST.
This is one of the TWO quilts I made for the Irish Chain Blog Hop. You can read about it on THIS POST.
This is the back of the first quilt.
This is the 2nd quilt:
I made this little zipper pouch (front & back shown) from left-overs from the above quilt. See THIS POST for details.
The June Island Batik challenge was to make a soft toy using a Funky Friends pattern. See HERE for the adventures of these 2 squirrels!
These placemats used more of the left-overs from the Irish Chain quilts … This POST has all the details.
This was a mystery quilt from Canuck Quilter. You can read more about it on THIS POST.
I made this Swan Quilt using a pattern from the “Picture Patchwork” book. You can read about it HERE.
This quilt was made with scraps of purple and solid white. You can read about it HERE.
I used leftover strips to make these donation placemats. See THIS POST for details:
This quilt was made for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. Orange was the colour for June … but it didn’t get finished until the end of July. See details HERE.
This is my August Island Batik Challenge: to decorate the wool Oliso carrying case. I also made a reversible bag to put my Alpaca/wool mat in. See HERE for more details.
This butterfly quilt was fun to make. See details HERE.
I made this quilt using Embroidery designs by Denise Looney and the fabrics were all from Island Batik. More details HERE.
These quilts were made for the Threaded Chaos Blog Hop, featuring crazy quilts using Aurifil Thread. THIS POST has all the details.
This quilt was made with a strip pack of the Splish Splash collection. You can read more about it HERE, and see lots of close-ups of the quilting!
The October challenge was to make a byAnnie bag. I made ‘Switchback.’ You can read about it HERE.
These were left-overs from the Splish Splash quilt (above) you can read about them on THIS POST.
The November challenge was Timeless Traditions. We were instructed to choose at least 5 traditional blocks and make a quilt. You can read about it on THIS POST.
When I made the Switchback (ByAnnie bag) earlier this fall, I had some left-over quilted fabric … one an incorrect panel. I couldn’t resist using them to make these too Clam Up bags. (See HERE for details)
December’s Island Batik challenge was totally up to us! We could make whatever we wanted. The fall colours were so vibrant this year, that I couldn’t resist making this maple leaf scrappy quilt. See THIS POST for details.
Thank you!Thank you! Thank you!
WOW!! A total of 46 projects made with Island Batik fabrics!! This wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of Lumin Fabrics and the industry partners!
The final challenge of the year allowed the ambassadors to do whatever we wanted! Sometimes, this can be very difficult and at other times it’s super easy! This time, it was easy!
I knew that I wanted to do something scrappy.
This fall, I was very inspired by the fall colours of the trees and the leaves. They seemed more vibrant than other years. The following pictures were taken by my friend, Stella MacDonald. (And, she’s hoping that me posting them will make her famous!!). Aren’t the colours rich?
I used the Accuquilt die “Maple Leaf” to cut everything out. (See HERE). This die has the blocks finishing at 8″. I used the free Accuquilt Table Runner pattern as a guide, but I doubled the size and made it scrappier!
Here is the finished quilt:
The “Oh Canada” quilting ruler (from Silly Moon) was ideal for doing an “all-over” pattern on the quilt! Aurifil Thread #4650 was the perfect variegated thread to use on this quilt. It has lots of greens, red, and yellow! I actually laughed out loud when I read that the name of the thread was “Leaves!” Hobbs 80/20 batting is in the middle.
The Janome M7 has a maple leaf stitch and I used it on the binding!
Quilt Stats:
Size: 40″ x 58″
Fabric: Island Batik: scraps and “Eggwhite” neutral
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
I finished this quilt awhile ago, but I waited until the Rainbow Scrap Challenge featured purple for the month!!! I used the Accuquilt die, “Glorified 9 Patch.” This quilt was originally started as a demo on how to use the Accuquilt. The store offered the class and my intent was to use the pieces to demonstrate how easy it is to sew curved seams. However, apparently it was bad timing and the class was cancelled. I ended up sewing the quilt together. It definitely did not take long. The quilting was easy, I just followed the curves at approximately 1/2” intervals.
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
When I made the Irish chain blog hop quilts, see HERE. I had some left-over squares. I finished this little zipper pouch … I had some more left-overs, but haven’t finished that project yet. Here’s a picture of the front and back of the zipper pouch.
This used fabric from Island Batik‘s (Lumin Fabrics) Tinsel Treasures and Midnight Blue (a foundation that is available all the time. There is Hobbs Batting 80/20 inside, Aurifil Thread #2600 (Dove Grey) and Schmetz Needles were used. The project was pressed with my Oliso Iron m3Pro.
Stitching Stuff
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
MMM’s Glowing Hearts I’m using a fat quarter bundle that I bought from Chitterchatter Fabrics called “Bluebird” by Editya Sitar. I used a total of 7 fat quarters for the hearts and 3 different fat quarters for the ‘darks.’ I’ll use a couple of the lighter fabrics for the sashing … and dark blue for the cornerstones.
Quilting projects:
Swan. needs sandwiching
Canuck Quilter Colour Value Mystery, needs sandwiching
Sunday Stash
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!
The little zipper pouch used 0.5 yards
Fabric used in the last week: 0.5 yards
Fabric Used in 2025: 119.5 yards. {30 yards of non Island Batik fabric}
Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
Fabric Added this year: 13.5 yards
Net Fabric used: 106 yards
To Do
Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.
To Do from the last week:
Canuck Quilter Colour Value Mystery. Finish making the extra blocks to make the quilt bigger √ DONE
Sandwich Swan.XX NOT DONE XX
Plan something for “Green” Rainbow Scrap Challenge. XX NOT DONE XX
Get MMM’s Glowing Heart’s quilt to flimsy stage. In progess
Quilt Friend’s quilt √ DONE. (I’ll show you if I get permission!)
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √ DONE.
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.√ DONE.
To Do for this week:
Canuck Quilter Colour Value Mystery. Sandwich it!
Sandwich Swan
Plan something for “Green” Rainbow Scrap Challenge.
Get MMM’s Glowing Heart’s quilt to flimsy stage
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.
Free Sew Along
I have done several of Denise’s Sew Alongs and they are always AWESOME!!! I’m going to be doing this one!! Are you going to join me???? I promise, it’s a beauty!!
Don’t Forget
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
You know you are a quilting addict when you take a break from a big quilting project and relax by working on a different quilting project.
This is so me!
A Double Finish for a blog hop
These are the 2 quilts I made for the Island Batik Irish Chain blog hop using the Accuquilt die. Read more about it HERE.
And the backs …
Stitching Stuff
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
Canuck Quilter Colour Value Mystery. Putting the extra blocks together.
MMM’s Glowing Hearts I’m using a fat quarter bundle that I bought from Chitterchatter Fabrics called “Bluebird” by Editya Sitar. I used a total of 7 fat quarters for the hearts and 3 different fat quarters for the ‘darks.’
Quilting projects:
My priorities have shifted. I’m quilting (slowly) a beautiful quilt that a friend of mine made. I’ll show pictures when it’s done.
Swan
Sunday Stash
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!
The finished quilt (above) used 10 yards. I did buy the fireside backing.
Fabric used in the last week: 16 yards
Fabric Used in 2025: 119 yards. {30 yards of non Island Batik fabric}
Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
Fabric Added this year: 13.5 yards
Net Fabric used: 105.5 yards
To Do
Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.
To Do from the last week:
Canuck Quilter Colour Value Mystery. Finish making the extra blocks to make the quilt bigger √ DONE
Sandwich Swan.XX NOT DONE XX
Plan something for “Green” Rainbow Scrap Challenge. XX NOT DONE XX
Get MMM’s Glowing Heart’s quilt to flimsy stage. In progess
Quilt Friend’s quilt In progess
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √ DONE.
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.√ DONE.
To Do for this week:
Canuck Quilter Colour Value Mystery. Web the quilt, get it to flimsy stage
Sandwich Swan
Plan something for “Green” Rainbow Scrap Challenge.
Get MMM’s Glowing Heart’s quilt to flimsy stage
Quilt Friend’s quilt
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.
Blog Hop
The Irish Chain Blog hop is complete. And WOW!!! There are some beautiful quilts!! Visit Island Batik’s Blog (Lumin Fabrics) to see all of the quilts HERE.
Also on Monday, May 26, visit Island Batik’s blog to vote for YOUR favourite Irish Chain quilt. It’s a Viewer’s choice … so take a look and vote for YOUR favourite!
Don’t Forget
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
I received the blue wrapped “Surprise” package in my January box. I didn’t look at the label and was very pleasantly surprised when I saw what was in the bundle!!! It’s Tinsel Treasures, designed by Jerry Khiev. It is accompanied by 2 yards of Cornflower (blue) and 2 yards of Coconut. I was excited to get started on this quilt! Isn’t it a beautiful collection? (Tinsel Treasures is a signature collection designed by Jerry Khiev for Sarah Fabian of Quilt Basket)
Each ambassador received the 10″ Irish Chain BOB (Block on Board) Accuquilt die. (You can purchase it HERE)
After searching various Irish chain patterns, I decided on the “GO! Scrappy Irish Chain Throw.” It’s a free pattern from Accuquilt and it’s also on the die packaging. You can get it HERE.
I started by dividing the collection into light (with white background), medium blue and dark blue. I chose the “Pine Needles Long-Blu” to be the binding.
Using the die, I started cutting each of the pieces for the main blocks. Each of the rectangles and squares have the corners notched. This made sewing the pieces together so EASY!!!
A decision was made to use Island Batik’s solid white for the sashing and the Dark Blue fabrics for the cornerstones. Wanting the quilt to be a little bigger, I opted to put an extra row of sashing on the top, bottom and each side.
A close up of the quilting:
A picture of the back: I did the ‘magic’ sew a rectangle 4 blocks by 8 blocks, cut it and re-sew and you end up with the blocks on point.
Quilt Stats:
Size: 60″ square
Fabric: Island Batik: “Tinsel Treasures” by by Jerry Khiev for Sarah Fabian of Quilt Basket along with Island Batik’s solid white.
The Irish Cain Accuquilt die actually has a LOT of versatility!
For my second quilt using the Irish Chain Accuquilt die, I was inspired by a quilt on THIS VIDEO (around 39:30) and there is a free pattern HERE (designed by Barbara G Harper).
In the middle picture, you can see the back of a block … and if you look closely, you can see where the corners are trimmed at a slight angle. This made strip piecing a dream, lining up those corners! And it reduces a bit of the bulk.
The dark blue is ‘Midnight Blue’ from the Brilliant Blues collection and the sashing is Island Batik’s solid white. The binding is scraps from the medium and dark fabrics in the collection.
Here’s a picture of the quilting on the back. I didn’t have enough of the Midnight Blue, so I added a diagonal piece of solid black as well as on the top right & bottom left corners.
Quilt Stats:
Size: 60″ square
Fabric: Island Batik: “Tinsel Treasures” by by Jerry Khiev for Sarah Fabian of Quilt Basket
Hobbs Batting: Heirloom 80/20 Black. (I wanted to make the white solid less bright, but it didn’t work! Island Batik is such a great fabric that even black batting doesn’t dull the colours!)
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
From the mess in my studio, you can bet there is a LOT of creativity happening!
A Special Finish!
This has been gifted – so I can show it off. It’s a bitter sweet quilt. The reason is bitter, the sweet is who it went to and the quilt itself! Read more about it HERE.
Stitching Stuff
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
Canuck Quilter Colour Value Mystery. Putting the extra blocks together.
MMM’s Glowing Hearts I’m using a fat quarter bundle that I bought from Chitterchatter Fabrics called “Bluebird” by Editya Sitar. I used a total of 7 fat quarters for the hearts and 3 different fat quarters for the ‘darks.’
Quilting projects:
My priorities have shifted. I’m quilting (slowly) a beautiful quilt that a friend of mine made. I’ll show pictures when it’s done.
Swan
Sunday Stash
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!
The finished quilt (above) used 10 yards. I did buy the fireside backing.
Fabric used in the last week: 10 yards
Fabric Used in 2025: 103 yards. {30 yards of non Island Batik fabric}
Fabric Added in the last week: 4 yards
Fabric Added this year: 13.5 yards
Net Fabric used: 89.5 yards
To Do
Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.
To Do from the last week:
Canuck Quilter Colour Value Mystery. Make the extra blocks to make the quilt bigger in progress
Sandwich Swan.XX NOT DONE XX
Island Batik May finish quilting and do the photoshoot. √ DONE.
Plan something for “Green” Rainbow Scrap Challenge. XX NOT DONE XX
Get MMM’s Glowing Heart’s quilt to flimsy stage. XX NOT DONE XX
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √ DONE.
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.√ DONE.
To Do for this week:
Canuck Quilter Colour Value Mystery. Finish making the extra blocks to make the quilt bigger
Sandwich Swan
Plan something for “Green” Rainbow Scrap Challenge.
Get MMM’s Glowing Heart’s quilt to flimsy stage
Quilt Friend’s quilt
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
Visit Island Batik’s blog to WIN a fat quarter bundle of Bright Tidings or Earthy Enchantment! This Post
Don’t Forget
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
This was my Island Batik challenge for April. I used Drunkard’s Path blocks to make all the animals. See this POST for more details … and for a link to the original pattern. And yes, some of my birds and animals were my design … and the quilting on the animals was also my own designs. I used the 7″ finished Drunkard’s Path Accuquilt die to cut these blocks.
and then I made a mini quilt using the smaller (3 1/2“) Drunkard’s Path blocks (cut with an Accuquilt die).
Retreat!
These are the projects that I took to the retreat … I didn’t touch the Butterfly one, The Swan got partially done, the misc projects weren’t touched, the train got done to flimsy stage, and the Island Batik May and June projects got partially done. I will show a video of the projects (but not mine) that were worked on at the retreat on Tuesday.
Stitching Stuff
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
Canuck Quilter Colour Value Mystery. The first clue is sewn.
Swan – still piecing it
Island Batik May
Island Batik June
Quilting projects:
Train
Yellow – rectangles
Sunday Stash
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!
Well, I made it 3 months without buying fabric!!! The wagon broke and I fell off!! I knew that when I went to the retreat at Over the Rainbow, I’d likely buy fabric … and I did. The top 2 fabrics are flannel and the bottom fabrics will back the yellow rectangles and the train. A total of 9 1/2 yards.
The following quilts used a total of 12 1/2, 8, and 3 yards, for a combined total of 23 1/2 yards.
Fabric used in the last week: 23.5 yards
Fabric Used in 2025: 76.5 yards. {22.5 yards of non Island Batik fabric}
Fabric Added in the last week: 9.5 yards
Fabric Added this year: 9.5 yards
Net Fabric used: 67 yards
To Do
Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.
To Do from the last week:
Pack. √ DONE. (and the unpacking is done!)
Work on projects at the retreat. in progress
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √ DONE.
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.√ DONE.
To Do for next week:
Canuck Quilter Colour Value Mystery. Catch up on the clues
Get Swan to a flimsy stage
Island Batik May – get to a flimsy stage
Island Batik June – get ready to stuff (It’s a Funky Friends Pattern)
Sandwich and Quilt Train
Sandwich and Quilt Yellow Rectangles
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.
Leaving Comments on my Blog
I appreciate each of you that leaves comments on my blog!! It’s fun to read about YOU!!
However, I know that many of you have difficulty leaving comments and I honestly do not know what to do about it. I moderate each of the comments (that’s why they don’t show up right away) so that you don’t have to read about the ugly stuff / junk that some try to slip in!
Anyhow, I notice that the vast majority of comments are “anonymous” and I have no idea who you are. If you could simply put your name after the comment, I’d appreciate it! Thank you! And Thank you to those that leave your name!
Don’t Forget
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
We were given lots of links for inspiration and of course, Pinterest has a plethora of whatever you might be wanting to look at! A Drunkard’s Path block is typically a quarter circle with an inner circle and the outer portion.
When I saw this “Wee Animal Quilt Tutorial” I just KNEW that this would be my inspiration for what to make!
Once I had my inspiration, I arranged to borrow the Boundary Bay Quilt Guild’s “Drunkard’s Path” Accuquilt dies. The large die cuts blocks that are 7″ finished and the small die cuts blocks that are 3 1/2” finished.
Using my Accuquilt and the guild’s dies, I got to work cutting some Drunkard’s Path with the Island Batik solids. I used the Solid White for the background and the following solids for the animals & birds.
Black
Green
Pink
Colbalt
Grey
Red
Dark Grey
Lime Green
Turquoise
Fushia
0range
Yellow
Somewhere, either on our Island Batik Facebook group or when we were zooming, someone mentioned gluing the blocks. I tried gluing the centre notches and it worked like a charm. Gluing more than the centre did not work for me. And, as usual when sewing curves, I had to take my time. Lots of time!!! I certainly can’t sew at 100 miles an hour when sewing these blocks. LOL!!!
Here’s the blocks as I was preparing to assemble the various animals and birds.
I had to fill in a lot of the gaps with white blocks and strips.
It was a fun quilt to quilt. The background was loops within loops and the quilting of each one was different. There was a LOT of quilting. I used at least 7 bobbins!
And here’s a closeup of all the individual animals/birds:
There was talk about how the little Accuquilt Drunkard’s Path blocks were way too hard to piece. Of course, knowing me, I took that as a challenge!! Here’s a picture of an unfinished 4″ and 7 1/2” block. They will finish at 3 1/2” and 7.”
Although, I did not want to make a lap sized quilt with small Drunkard’s Path blocks, I did make a small wall hanging.
I did not find that the smaller blocks were any harder to piece than the larger ones. As with any curved piecing, you just have to take your time. Again, I put a tiny dab of glue on the notches and sewed the blocks.
Of course the quilting was simpler with the smaller blocks and only used 2 bobbins.
You will notice that the smaller quilt is a bit different than the bigger quilt.
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
Here’s what Island Batik had to say about our March project:
March brings a free month for you to determine your own project of any size, using any theme and any technique!! This is an opportunity for you to express your creativity without guidelines. Have fun!
Almost the minute I saw this 10″ stack, I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to make!
It’s called, “Earthly Stories” by Jean Wells of The Stitchin’ Post and was paired with 2 yards of Weave-Brownie (Blenders) and 2 yards of Cornsilk (Neutral) [Both are available year round]. Pre-cuts and yardage of Earthly Stories is available in stores now. Here’s a picture of all of the fabrics in Earthly Stories:
I wanted to make a “Bear Paw” block (with a difference) … I’d use the Cornsilk for the background and sashing. The Weave-Brownie would be used for some of the cornerstones and the binding. Unfortunately, I did not put my ideas in EQ and my plan turned out different than I thought. However, I do like the end result!!
First, I cut 6 1/2” squares from 24 of the darkest 10″ squares. From the remnants of the squares I cut, I used the Accuquilt, Qube 8″, die #5, to make 2 1/2” unfinished half-square triangles (HST), pairing them with the Cornsilk fabric. Then 3 HST were sewn together and added to one side of the 6 1/2” squares. 3 more HST were sewn, along with a cornerstone and added to the adjoining side. Throughout the process, I used my Oliso M3 ProLight Iron. (I LOVE ❤️ this little iron!!!)
Once I had the 24 blocks done, I arranged them on my design wall. If you look closely, you will be able to se that some of the blocks were not square and needed to be trimmed by about 1/4” on the 2 sides without the HSTs. I wanted to add some “Brownie” cornerstones, but only in select areas.
While I was working on the sashing, I had this niggling feeling that I might not have enough of the Cornsilk fabric for the cornerstones… groan …
And yes, the niggling feeling was correct! What to do? Make the quilt smaller? I didn’t like that idea … use the left-over 10″ squares as cornerstones? I neglected to take a picture, but it looked way too busy! I auditioned the Weave-Brownie and immediately thought, “YES!!!” So, that’s what I used!!
The quilting: I used Silly Moon‘s Rocket to outline the bear claws (stitch in the ditch) and Beanie 2/6 to make the flowers in the brown cornerstones and the main squares in the bear claw.
And yes, there is a flange binding:
Here’s a picture of the finished quilt:
Quilt Stats:
Size: 60″ square
Fabric: Island Batik: “Earthly Stories” by Jean Wells of The Stitchin’ Post and with Weave-Brownie (Blenders) and Cornsilk (Neutral)
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
Emily chose to end with the same letter that she started with … she’s doing a kite block. I was going to go with “G” and do more geese blocks, but it just didn’t want to come together nicely. So, I opted for a ‘kite’ block. I used the Accuquilt dies #14 and #15 in the Qube 8 Companion set. I forgot to take a picture at this stage, so you have one picture that is quilted and the 2nd one has the binding on. In the 2nd picture, you can see how the kite’s changed direction in the middle. This quilt is HUGE!!! It’s
For my SAHRR 2025, I am using the Island Batik fabric collection “Poetic Bouquet,” designed by Kathy Engle for Heidi Pridemore of The Whimsical Workshop and Island Batik’s solid white. Although, I ran out of blues for the kites and had to dig into my Island Batik blue scraps!
The Schedule
January 13: The links for the Centre blocks are on THIS POST.
Here’s Fauntie’s with the slash squares and the stars in the same round!
Robin’s going to put her quarter logs on the top and bottom.
Looks like Judy is going to do the same!
Carolyn’s blocks may stay as the bottom row of the quilt. She’s waiting to see what this week’s prompt is!
Jacomina sent 2 pictures and said, “Not yet sure how these block will all get used but at least I got to use my fun fabric with chairs and Vespas to offset the flower fabric from the church’s now defunct quilting group. “
We have Sponsors!
We reached out to several companies that we all LOVE and many of them agreed to sponsor the SAHRR 2025!!! We will keep track of all of the participants that link to our Linky parties each week. We will make a list and use a random number generator to choose the winners for each prize! So, if you link up to 3 Linky parties, you will have 3 opportunities to win! If you don’t have a blog or Instagram account, contact me, or one of the other co-hosts and we will post your SAHRR on our blog. This way you still have an opportunity to win!
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
I used my Accuquilt Qube 8 to cut out the HST and made the friendship star. The blocks are 6 1/2” unfinished and will finish at 6″ in the quilt. (The HST are 2 1/2” unfinished, the centre square and the corner squares were cut at 2 1/2“) I was totally amazed that with the small coping strip, the stars came out just right!!
And, if you’re having difficulty deciding how to do your stars, The Quilter’s Cache: Quilt Blocks Galore has lots of star blocks. As well, visit each of the other SAHRR hosts (see the Schedule below).
For my SAHRR 2025, I am using the Island Batik fabric collection “Poetic Bouquet,” designed by Kathy Engle for Heidi Pridemore of The Whimsical Workshop and Island Batik’s solid white.
The Schedule
January 13: The links for the Centre blocks are on THIS POST.
March 24: Parade: showing all of your finished SAHRRs!
Link Party
Here is the Link for the Party for Round #3. If you are unable to blog, IG or FB a picture, please email me a picture by Saturday, midnight, and I will post it next week!
I received a message from Eva, via another blogger. She was unable to comment on my blog, but this is what she said:
Here’s the pictures that I received this past week. I am willing to post your picture on my blog, but it must. be sent to me by Saturday at midnight.
Don’t you just LOVE all the variety?
Donna said, “Since my name begins with a D, I chose to do Dutchman’s Puzzle for my round 1.”
Liz said, “The Kings crown round: I used my initial E for embroidery as the 2 sort of parts of a crown (?) were made in the hoop on my embroidery machine. So was the centre block.”
Susan said, I combined week 1 (“S for squares”) and 2 HST to show this week. I’m thinking I may have to sub the tiny basket with green; it stands out too much”
Jacomina said, “With the grandchildren due to arrive any moment for the weekend I won’t have more time to play with outlays”
Judy has added pinwheels to the bottom of her first 3 blocks.
Robin also added pinwheels!
Fauntie said, “I learned this week that to make them go around the quilt evenly you must have an even number of blocks! Who said you can’t teach an old dog a new trick”
Carolyn H said, “Here is this week’s half square triangles. I’m going to use them for cornerstones on each block so I don’t know if I have enough or will have to make more. “
Kristi says, “I mused on this round all week and finally decided to keep this round simple. A few triangles and adding the pop of orange in the corner!”
We have Sponsors!
We reached out to several companies that we all LOVE and many of them agreed to sponsor the SAHRR 2025!!! We will keep track of all of the participants that link to our Linky parties each week. We will make a list and use a random number generator to choose the winners for each prize! So, if you link up to 3 Linky parties, you will have 3 opportunities to win! If you don’t have a blog or Instagram account, contact me, or one of the other co-hosts and we will post your SAHRR on our blog. This way you still have an opportunity to win!
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
Quilting Gail 