What a YEAR!!!
This has been a year of growth for me as a quilter. Becoming an Island Batik Ambassador has been a highlight of my year! Thanks to the monthly challenges, I stepped outside my comfort zone and made things that I NEVER would have. As well, a short photography class helped me go beyond my “quilt on a clothesline” photos!
Island Batik provided all of the fabrics for the quilts and projects this year. My heart is over-filled with gratefullness for their generousity and that of the co-sponsers (Aurifil, Hobbs batting & Accuquilt). I was totally spoiled this year by being an Island Batik Ambassador!
I am also grateful to my fellow Island Batik Ambassadors! They offered a ton of support and encouragement. Not to mention the plethora of ideas that flowed … it’s been a fun year!
February: Magnificent Mini
The first challenge for the year was to make a mini. I wasn’t sure what to do … My love of fall colours and the desire to make something I would use, lead me to make this Suduko mini quilt. For more details, go HERE.
On the huge boulders on the side of our yard.
March: Vintage Re-Imagined
What happens when you have beautiful fabric, an idea and EQ7? Stars on Ice became the reality of that dream. See HERE.
April: Accuquilt Baby Quilt
All ambassadors received an Accuquilt cutter and dies. I used the 8″ cube dies to make this beautiful baby quilt. See HERE.
May: Make it Modern
Me? Make a modern quilt??? Find out more about how it came about HERE.
Christmas RAPPing
This table runner was made for a Blog Hop celebrating the book “Christmas RAPPing” by Margaret Brewster Willingham and Nan Baker. You can see the blog post HERE.
June: Try It
We were challenged to try a new technique … sew, I used one of Angela Walters quilting tutorial series and this table runner was born. See HERE.
A Zipper Pouch
This little zipper pouch was made with my embroidery machine, using an AnitaGoodesign pattern. For more details see this POST.
July: Artsy Fartsy
I do not do Artsy-Fartsy … I’m a more traditional quilter. However, this project was enlightening. I remembered how to do some simple embroidery stitches … and with it being “Artsy-Fartsy” I didn’t need to worry about it being exact. You can read about it HERE. This bag was made for travelling and I used it on my month long trip to Europe & Africa.
Quilt of Valour
One of my fellow Island Batik Ambassadors organized a group of us to make Quilts of Valour out of a wonderful line of fabric called “Freedom.” It had lots of red, white & blue fabric. Since I was making one for a Canadian veteran, I just wanted to use the red and white. I did have to dip into the blue fabric for a few squares (scattered randomly) and the binding. It is my own pattern. Read more about it HERE.
August: Beat the Heat
This was made for a blog hop. The line is “Soil & Seeds.” I loved the line and wanted to be able to showcase each fabric. This quilt was perfect for that. For more details, see HERE.
September: Child’s Play
This quilt used the Accuquilt Die “Cleopatra’s Fan.” It was an intimidating block for me to make: it had CURVED piecing. However, I did learn that with the die, the pieces are cut perfectly and sewing the curves was not all that difficult. It was fun to design the butterfly. Except for the antenna, the butterfly was cut with the Accuquilt 8 ” Cube dies. You can read about the post HERE.
Biscournu Pin Cushions
These little pin cushions were made with the “mistake” blocks from making the Christmas Rapping table runner (May). I think they are so stinking cute! And a fantastic way to use up those orphan blocks. For more details see HERE.
October: Top it Off – using Applique!
Nothing says “October” to me more than pumpkins. I had some great orange fabric, a great background fabric, my embroidery machine and this table runner fell into place. For more details, see HERE.
Island Batik Rayon
I needed new clothes … I had an ancient T-shirt pattern, I had this beautiful rayon fabric … SEW this top, which fits me perfectly, was made! Check it out HERE.
November: Tool Time
We needed to use our favourite tool. My favourite is the Tri-rec ruler … and the Shape-cut ruler … and … a zillion other tools that are necessary for my quilt making … Visit THIS BLOG POST to see a video on how I used these tools.
The Tool Time Mistake
I forgot to take pictures as I was making this quilt. And it can easily be made with the Accuquilt Go, 8″ Cube dies. See HEREand HEREI love how this quilt used the same fabrics as the quilt above, but with a white background instead of black. It certainly gives the quilts a very different look!
Randy the Rhino
Many fellow Ambassadors made various “Funky Friends” for quilt market. After my trip to Africa, I just HAD to make the Rhino! See this POST for more details.
December: 3D Challenge
This quilt pattern has always spoken “3D” to me. It was the obvious choice for a quilt! See HERE for more details!
Sewing Machine Cover: 3D Challenge #2
I needed to make sewing machine covers for all of my machines. I used the extra fabric from the 3D quilt to make this serger cover. To find out how I did it, go HERE.
Snowman Table Runner
You can call it a squirrel, you can call it a DrEAMI, but I’m calling it DONE. Check out the details HERE.
Alice Alpaca: 3D Challenge #3
Alice was fun to make! See this POST for more details!
Disclaimer: The products featured in this Blog post were given to me by Island Batik, and their co-sponsers Aurifil, Hobbs Batting & AccuQuilt! And the Patterns for the Stuffed Animals were from Funky Friends.
One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!
Happy Quilting!
Gail
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Linking to:
- Midweek Makers@ QuiltFabrication
- Wednesday Wait Loss@ Inquiring Quilter
- Andrée / Free Motion Mavericks@ Quilting & Learning – What a combo!
- Put your Foot Down@ For the Love of Geese
- TGIFF@ Home Sewn by Us
- Can I get a Whoop Whoop?@ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
- Michelle@From Bolt to Beauty
- Off the Wall Friday@ Creations – Quilts, Art, Whatever
- Peacock Party@ Wendy’s Quilts and More
I completed 2 UFOs this month! YEAH!!! To see close-ups of these 2 quilts visit the original blog posts 
I stitched in the ditch along each seam and extended out into the borders. In the sashing, I sewed wonky ¼” seams. (I call them wonky because they were not all perfectly straight! grin!) I thought I was done quilting, until I looked at it closely and saw that the 2 brown fabrics, although quite different, read almost the same colour. As well, one of the oranges had a lot of green in it, and definitely did not read the same colour throughout. No Problem! I decided to just quilt a tiny motif in each block to hopefully define each colour … Thankfully, I have lots of Aurifil thread in many colours … SEW that was easy. Then I had to decide which motif to use. Eventually, they all spoke to me and soon it was done! This little mini measures 22″ x 22″.
Quilting Gail 