Island Batik

Sew Stylish Challenge with ByAnnie

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ByAnnie generously provided me with my chosen pattern and all the necessary hardware to make Switchback. The only criteria for choosing a bag was to make sure it had an Add-On Video!

Here’s a picture of everything I received from ByAnnie!

Before I began, I pressed all the fabrics with my wonderful Oliso m3pro iron!!! I LOVE this iron for quilting and used it during the making of Switchback when I needed to press a seam.

ByAnnie patterns come with a label sheet so you can label all of your cut pieces. This makes gathering the specific components easy. It is VERY important to do this. It saves lots of re-measuring and prevents future headaches. The picture below is of all my cut & labelled pieces. I pin these onto my design wall for easy access.

For the quilting, I did a wavy stitch with my walking foot. I used the same thread in the bobbin as in the top, that’s why you can see the quilting on the lining. The 2nd picture shows most of the quilted and cut pieces. Yes, I used a Schmetz needle! The 4th picture is close to the end … lots of clips to hold pieces in place! Unfortunately, I neglected to take other pictures as I went along.

Here are some pictures of the inside of the bag: Lots of pockets and extra hardware for keys or a carabiner. The 3rd pictures shows the extra hardware being used for extra security for the bag.

The Switchback can be worn as a backpack, an over-the-shoulder bag or as a cross-body bag.

Here is a picture of the finished bag! I’m loving it!

Bag Stats:

Thank you!

Thank you to the generosity of Island Batik and Industry partners! They have supplied the products for free as my role as an Island Batik Ambassador! Island Batik, ByAnnie, Aurifil Thread, Schmetz Needles, and Oliso Iron.

Island Batik Ambassadors

Visit the other Island Batik Ambassadors to see what they made this month:

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Sunday Summary: July 13

/ quiltinggail / 14 Comments

No quilting finishes

I didn’t finish any quilting stuff this week … except for my unboxing video that I showed last week … you can see 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!

  • January – June: 176 / 180 days
  • July: 13 / 13 days
  • Total: 183 / 187 97 %

Design Wall Mondays

Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing projects:

  • Purple for Rainbow Scrap Challenge
  • “Bloomers:” I decided to use fabric from the Island Batik (Lumin Fabrics) Radiant Burst collection! And the main blocks are started with Eggwhite and Solid White and the first block is done. The Hexi and half Hexi blocks are started …
  • Island Batik’s September Challenge is the Threaded Chaos Blog Hop – a Crazy Quilt using Aurifil thread … It’s in progress, but I can’t show you YET … but I can show you a picture of the fabric I’m using …

Quilting projects:

  • Splish Splash is webbed together and needs a backing, sandwiching and quilting.
  • Disappearing 9 patch using “ORANGE” and Island Batik’s solid grey for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

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!

I bought 2 yards of fabric for the backing of Splish Splash, but nothing was finished this week.

Fabric used in the last week: 8.5 yards

  • Fabric Used in 2025:     144 yards. {45 yards of non Island Batik fabric}
  • Fabric Added in the last week: 2 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    19 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:              125 yards

To Do

Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.

To Do from the last week:

  1. Sandwich and quilt Disappearing 9 patch: “ORANGE” XX NOT DONE XX
  2. Make backing, sandwich and quilt Jelly Roll Twist / Splish Splash. …. bought the backing … but need to piece it (GROAN!!!)
  3. Work on getting scraps for placemats completed … there are at least 6! XX NOT DONE XX
  4. Work on Purple for Rainbow Scrap Challenge in progress
  5. Work on Bloomers – make Hexi and half-Hexi blocks in progress
  6. Think about Island Batik September challenge. Started. in progress
  7. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE. 
  8. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE. 

To Do for this week:

  1. Make backing, sandwich and quilt Disappearing 9 patch: “ORANGE”
  2. Piece backing, sandwich and quilt Jelly Roll Twist / Splish Splash.
  3. Finish piecing Purple for Rainbow Scrap Challenge
  4. Continue to work on Bloomers – make Hexi and half-Hexi blocks and other embroidery blocks
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.

Free Sew Along

Denise at Quiltery has done a fantastic job of designing this beautiful quilt! The 1st block for appliqué is now available HERE OR … if you want to purchase the embroidery designs, they are also available to purchase for some formats. (That’s what I’m doing!)

Here’s block #1 with the first half-hexi!

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.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Funky Friends Factory

/ quiltinggail / 21 Comments

June is a fun month!! Pauline McArthur from Funky Friends Factory has partnered with Island Batik and each ambassador is to make a Funky Friend. We could choose from a LOT of Funky Friend patterns. I have made several Funky Friends in the past. This year, I chose to make Sue the Squirrel. Squirrels are famous in the quilting world … all the distractions of new projects are called ‘squirrels,’ This BLOG POST talks more about squirrels. I figured I needed a ‘real’ squirrel in my sewing area!

Sue the Squirrel is an Instant Download and you could start making yours today! See HERE.

Funky Friends patterns come with very clear directions. Sue the Squirrel also has a photo tutorial to help if you find the directions confusing! The link is in the pattern.

After I received the pattern from Funky Friends. I pressed my fabric with my Oliso M3Pro Iron (which I LOVE). and then started cutting. I decided to make 2 squirrels, a brown and a purple one.

  • Island Batik Fabrics Used:
    • Purple Squirrel:
      • Lavender (part of the Playful Purples – always available)
      • unknown purple from my scraps
    • Brown Squirrel:
      • Earthly Stories – (2) 10″ squares from a 10″ stack (a collection released this year).
      • Weave – Brownie (a blender – always available)

It is super important to mark all of the edges, so when the directions say, “Sew from F to G,” you don’t have to go back to the original pattern to figure out where F and G are. I use a Frixion pen and make sure that I mark only within the seam allowance. Normally I highly dislike Frixion pens because they can leave small white lines on the fabric. However, they are perfect to use in the seam allowance!

With a Schmetz Needle and Aurifil Thread in my machine, I started sewing. Here are some progress pictures: (the ears // arms // and the face with safety eyes already inserted)

Once they were made and stuffed, Sue (purple) and Sam (brown) agreed to a photo shoot. The first one is in the sewing room with their Simply Stuffing from Hobbs Batting. It’s wonderful and they said they really liked it! They wanted to go outside. They were really good until they decided to hide in the maple tree.

Then we went into the backyard and they posed really nicely with Daphne (our grand dog). Then they scampered away and were climbing the tree. Daphne told them “Get down!”

That was enough of their misbehaving! ** Until ** we went on a trip and they snuck into the truck! They were good travellers! But they really liked the window seats best!

Sue and Sam were really good at my sister’s and enjoyed Brûlée (a real cutie!), until they started to climb around!

We went shopping at Emmaline Bags in Spruce Grove and Sam and Sue very politely asked if they could sit in the Adirondack chairs in their Canadian display. The chairs were a perfect fit, but they were not for sale. Sam was a bit grumpy that he couldn’t take a chair home, but Sue told him that he would be better off sitting on the couch than sitting in a wooden chair!

As we headed home, they asked if they could have their picture taken at the Jasper sign. As soon as the picture was taken, they scampered off and ran up the trail towards the town. I did manage to catch up and caught a few pictures of the 2 of them …

Sam sat on a rock, enjoying the scenery while Sue sat on the bench.

And their final portrait …

Here’s a peek at my previous Funky Friend projects: Randy the Rhino, Alice Alpaca, Ella Elephant, Gregory Gorilla, and Taylor the Tiger.

funky friends
funky friends
funky friends
funky friends
funky friends

Thank you!

Thank you to the generosity of Island Batik (Lumin Fabrics) and Industry partners! They have supplied the products for free as my role as an Island Batik Ambassador! Island Batik, Aurifil Thread, Hobbs Batting, Schmetz Needles, Oliso Iron, and Funky Friends.

Island Batik Ambassadors

Visit the other Island Batik Ambassadors to see the Funky Friends they made this month:

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.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Blue Finishes

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The Rainbow Scrap Challenge for February was ‘blue.’ I made a few flimsies and finally have them quilted and bound. They will both be donation quilts for the guild. The first picture is them on the line together and the next is individual pictures.

Quilt Stats:

April’s Favourite Finish

Yvonne, from Quilting Jet Girl, has a link party each month where bloggers can share their favourite finish! Island Batik’s April Challenge was a Drunkard’s Path … I had a LOT of fun making this quilt. You can read more about it HERE.

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.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Befitting Fours

/ quiltinggail / 18 Comments

I sent this design into Island Batik in February 2024 and it was accepted for the Fall/Winter ’24 Catalogue. The quilt was made last spring and then sent to Island Batik in California for it’s special photo shoot! (Thank you, Jerry Khiev). If you recognize the pattern, it’s because it was the Fall ’23 Mystery quilt on my blog. (Pattern is now removed).

For this quilt, I used a BEAUTIFUL collection called Petal Poetry (by Jerry Khiev for Megan Best of Best Quilter) and the additional dark fabric is “Raven.”

Petal Poetry fabric should be in stores now. (see the store list below)

Here is the quilt:

And, some close ups of the free motion flower quilting:

Quilt Stats:

  • Size: 50″ x 50″
  • Fabric: Island Batik: Petal Poetry and Raven
  • Hobbs Batting Heirloom: 80/20
  • Aurifil Thread,:
    • Piecing: #2600 (Dove Grey)
    • Quilting: #4661 (mint julep – variegated)
  • Quilting: on my domestic sewing machine:
    • free motion 4-5 petal flowers with echo quilting.

I was asked to use left-over fabric from the above quilt to make a 12″ square quilt for Hobbs Batting to display in the International Quilt Show in Houston. I made this mini and sent it to Hobbs. When the Quilt Show was over, Hobbs sent it back to me. By the time it arrived at my door, UPS said that I owed $175 for customs and duty. I refused!!! The quilt was eventually returned to Hobbs and they sent it to a friend of mine. She took it to the retreat that I attended at the beginning of the month. Hobbs Batting graciously sent a crib size wool batt with the mini! (Thanks, Steph!)

Here’s a list of stores that will have Petal Poetry:

Bill Ellsworth TextilesAZThe Quilter’s StudioOH
Mill Outlet Fabric ShopCOCreekside QuiltsOR
Heart & HomeCTThe Cotton PatchOR
Close To Home-GlastonburyCTSew CreativeOR
LA HOENEMEYER LLC DBA Scrap & SewFLTennessee QuiltsTN
Sew Special HiDown Home QuiltsTX
Calico PointINOptionsTX
The Masters Quilt ShopKSMy Favorite Quilt StoreTX
Mainely Mimi MEPacific Rim Quilt CompanyWA
Smile SpinnersMNPatchwork PlusVA
Quilter’s StationMOThe Needle WorkshopWI
Beginnings Quilt ShopNC
Checker Distributors
OH

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail

Linking to:  

A Book Review

/ quiltinggail / 20 Comments

When I first saw this book, it intrigued me! I knew that the guild library was looking for new book suggestions, so I suggested it.

Wowza! Within a week our wonderful librarian (Margaret) notified me that she had it! I was able to pick it up at our next guild meeting.

This book has all the basic beginner quilting information (which, honestly, I skipped over). It also explains how to take simple cross-stitch patterns and change them into a quilt pattern. Then she has Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced quilt patterns. All of the patterns involve either rectangles or squares, with the occasional half-square triangle. There is even a complete alphabet, if one wanted to put a specific letter on a quilt!

Personally, I believe that a beginner quilter could easily complete the advanced designs. They have smaller pieces and more of them, but easily do-able.

Before I left for my retreat, I cut out 3 quilts from the book: The swan, the train and the butterfly. The swan I cut into smaller pieces than the book suggested. The train was cut into larger pieces than instructed and the butterfly was cut as directed. Here’s pictures of the kits.

The train was pieced at a quilt retreat. The background is Island Batik’s ‘Fondant’, the black is an Island Batik solid and the prints are left over from an older line called “Midnight Dazzle.”

And then it was sandwiched and quilted once I got home. And the monkey was from a quilt that was being quilted at the retreat and the block was cut wrong … he fit into the conductor’s window perfectly!

  • Quilt Stats:
  • Fabric: Island Batik: The background is ‘Fondant’, the black solid and the prints are left over from an older line called “Midnight Dazzle.”
  • Size: 38″ x 43″
  • Thead: Aurifil Thread: 50 weight
    • Piecing & Quilting: #2600 (Dove Grey)
  • Batting: Hobbs 80/20 Black
  • Silly Moon Rulers: Rocket and Beanie
  • Schmetz Needles: Universal 80/12
  • Oliso Iron

The swan was partially pieced at the retreat and I’ve finished piecing the top. These are all from Island Batik blue, teal and neutral scraps, along with solid red and black.

And the butterfly is waiting for it’s turn. It hasn’t progressed out of the bag. It’s time will come!

My opinion on this Picture Patchwork should be obvious since I’ve plunged into doing 3 quilts from the book. I think it’s a great book, with many easy patterns in it!

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.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

It’s All Up To You: March’s Island Batik Challenge

/ quiltinggail / 22 Comments

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:

Thank you!

Thank you to the generosity of Island Batik and Industry partners! They have supplied the products for free as my role as an Island Batik Ambassador, making it possible to make this project! Island Batik, Aurifil Thread, Hobbs Batting, Schmetz Needles, Oliso Iron, and Accuquilt,

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.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Sunday Summary: March 9

/ quiltinggail / 14 Comments

Yup … I probably have a few “WHIMM” and have forgotten what it was, it was so very hidden!

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!

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!

  • January – February: 58 / 59 days
  • March: 9 / 9 days
  • Total: 67 / 68 98 %

Design Wall Mondays

Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing projects:

  • Blue Blocks: Making blocks with 2 1/2” squares … Picture below … still have several 16 patch blocks to make and then add sashing around the 4 patch blocks … this will make a decent sized comfort quilt. (All the squares are from my Island Batik stash!)
  • IB April Project: as leaders & enders … and no picture!
  • Yellow – I’ll be cutting up my scraps for something … I don’t know what, yet!

Quilting projects:

  • 2 Blue Charm Star quilts – the borders are from Stash Builder rolls! No yardage cut for either of these quilts … well, except for the solid white background fabric!
  • Blue Blocks: sandwiched …

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!

I was able to show you 2 finishes this week. I was very thrilled with each of them. They used signature collections from Island Batik. The first one is Meadow Hues, designed by Jerry Khiev for Claudia Porter of Create with Claudia and the 2nd one is Sunlit Garden, also designed by Jerry Khiev for Jennifer Thomas of Curlicue Creations. You can read about them HERE and HERE. The fabrics should be in stores now.

  • Fabric used in the last week: 20.5 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2025:     31 yards. {3 yards of non Island Batik fabric}
  • Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    0 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:              31 yards

To Do

Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.

To Do from the last week:

  1. Sandwich & Quilt Blue charm star quilts. in progress. Partially done. One is sandwiched
  2. Get Blue 2 1/2” squares to flimsy stage. √   DONE
  3. Quilt Guild Hospice Quilt. in progress.
  4. IB April Project: get to flimsy stage in progress.
  5. Cut up Yellow scraps and decide what to make … in progress. decision made … now to cut!
  6. Sandwich and Quilt Guild Hospice Quilt in progress. Quilt sandwiched
  7. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE. 
  8. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE. 

To Do for next week:

  1. Sandwich & Quilt 2nd Blue charm star quilt.
  2. Sandwich & Quilt Blue 2 1/2” squares
  3. Finish Quilting & Bind Guild Hospice Quilt
  4. IB April Project: sandwich and quilt
  5. Cut up Yellow scraps
  6. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  7. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.

Don’t Forget

I am 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.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Runner Up – Studio 180 Design Tool

/ quiltinggail / 46 Comments

I was sent the beautiful collection called “Radiant Burst” by Jerry Khiev. This fabric will be shipping to stores this month!

Here’s some of the instructions that we were given:

Project Type: Table Runner or Bed Runner
Size: Runner
Fabric: Must use Fall 2024 fabric bundle (see the season of your collection bundle on the sticker!)
Must use as many collection SKUs as possible
Pick any size unit that you want to work with
Must use at least 12 units total, made with the Studio 180 Design tool you received. (If you received a Rapid Fire® Lemoyne Star or Wedge Star tool you only need to make at least 3 full blocks for your project)

I received the Rapid Fire® Lemoyne Star tool to use with my Radiant Burst collection! Studio 180 has free Downloads on how to use the tools and links to instructional videos where Deb Tucker explains the process very clearly!! By following the instructions (either by video or paper) it makes the process of using the tools easy. Please note: I did say EASY, not fast and quick!

Since I am not a precision quilter, I’m always amazed at how great the units and blocks turn out when I use a Studio 180 tool!

Here are pictures of the components of the Lemoyne Blazing Star in progress (a technique sheet … you can find it HERE.) The first picture shows the Studio 180 Magic Wand being used to mark the 1/4” for accurate piecing. I used my wonderful Oliso M3Pro iron. I LOVE this iron!! The last picture shows the finished component prior to trimming and adding the background pieces.

I made 8 basic components for Blazing Lemoyne Stars There are basically 4 different layouts in the following 3 pictures. The middle one has 2 (blue & purple centres and the one on the right is a combination of the Left one and the centre one).

I paired the Lemoyne Stars with Platinum (a neutral I received in my January boxes).

Now, I know that the instructions said that if I was using a Rapid Fire® Lemoyne Star, I could just make 3 stars. But, if I made 3 blazing stars (that finish at 12″), that would only use 9 of the fabrics in the collection. When it’s a blog hop, I make it a personal challenge to use as many of the 20 fabrics as possible. So I made 8 – 6″ stars, using 2 fabrics each from the collection. They were fun to make! In total, I used 19 of the fabrics in the collection for the stars. The 20th fabric I used on the back and with self-binding, there are a total of 20 fabrics seen on the top! YAY!!!

The backing is the only fabric that I didn’t use in the stars: Camellia Flower-Pink. I did a self-binding and it also is on the front:

The runner fits perfectly on my deacon’s bench!!

My grand-dog is guarding the bench!

And a couple of close-ups of the quilting. I used Silly Moon‘s “Rocket” to outline the centre star and the curved edges for the small sides of each piece. Then a simple meander for the background pieces.

Preeti, from Sew Preeti Quilts also received Radiant Burst. Make sure to visit her blog to see what she created!

Quilt Stats:

Radiant Burst Give-away!

I am giving away 19 fabrics from the Radiant Burst collection … the smallest is 10″ x 13″ and the largest is 10″ x 16″. Leave a comment stating what you might do with these fabrics. The winner will randomly be chosen on February 26 and notified by email.

Unfortunately, this is ONLY available for those in Canada 🇨🇦 . Thank you for understanding!

Island Batik Ambassadors

Visit the other Island Batik Ambassadors to see the runners they made this month:

Thank you!

Thank you to the generosity of Island Batik and Industry partners! They have supplied the products for free as my role as an Island Batik Ambassador! Island Batik, Aurifil Thread, Hobbs Batting, Schmetz Needles, Oliso Iron, Studio 180 Designs,

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.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:  

Island Batik projects 2024!

/ quiltinggail / 20 Comments

I have been an Island Batik ambassador since 2019 and have a bit of a stash of Island Batik fabrics (And I LOVE it!!!). Aside from the monthly projects and challenges, I often use Island Batik fabrics for other projects. I absolutely LOVE the richness of the colours and the quality of the fabric. Below is an example of what I made this year.

January

I worked on this Helen Godden topper while Zoom quilting with my sister (she did the same one at the same time!). The details of where you can get the pattern and instructions are on THIS POST. I used Island Batik’s solid white for the background, coloured it with Sharpie Stained markers and used a dark green for the binding.

White Rabbit Blog Hop. This was a super fun quilt to make!! You can read about it HERE.

February

Island Batik Blog Hop Log Cabin Challenge. You can read more about these 2 quilts on THIS POST.

And the directions for how to make the diagonal backing is HERE.

This was a retreat bag I made … see HERE for details.

This heart quilt was made for the “It Moose Be Love” blog hop. The informal instructions and details can be found HERE.

March

The Island Batik challenge for March was all up to us. I got carried away and made these 3 quilts using greens from my Island Batik Scraps. I did use yardage for the borders of the one on the right and left. You can read more about them HERE.

This purple / blue quilt was made for the Fast and Fun Blog Hop sponsored by Villa Rosa. It is their Gypsy Rose pattern. See THIS POST for more details.

The Stay at Home Round Robin wrapped up in March. You can read about it and access the links to the various prompts HERE. (And yes, we’re doing it again in 2025!)

The Give it a Whirl blog hop had me making this fun quilt. Details and close-ups are available HERE.

April

Making a Funky Friend was April’s challenge. This is Taylor the Tiger. It was challenging to make, but fun! He had a few adventures and you can read about them on THIS POST.

May

The first weekend in May was the Boundary Bay Quilt Guild Show. The Baby Challenge was “Forest Friends”. This was my entry … You can read about it HERE.

This Fall Mystery Quilt was finished in time for the Boundary Bay Quilt Show. You can read about it HERE and see other Mystery Quilts that were at the show.

The May Island Batik challenge was to Paper Piece a quilt for a celebration. I chose Christmas and made a tree skirt. You can read about it HERE.

I made a rocket quilt for the “On the Road Again” blog hop. It was about transportation … you can read about it HERE.

June

Island Batik’s June challenge was to make a quilt for the Sleep in Heavenly Peace charity. You can read about it HERE.

A fellow Island Batik ambassador (Denise Looney) offered a free quilt-a-long making a St. Paddy’s quilt. You can read about it HERE.

A former Island Batik ambassador (Claudia Porter) had a signature collection and asked if I wanted to participate in a blog hop. This is the quilt I made, using “Prisms.” You can read about it at THIS POST.

July

Nothing like celebrating Canada Day with a red maple leaf! You can read about it HERE.

These next 2 quilts were a pattern by mmmquilts and you can read about them HERE. I love how the same pattern with different fabrics look so different!

This whale was made for the “Something Smells Fishy” blog hop and you can read about it HERE. And also find a link to the free pattern!

August

These were 2 mini quilts that I made. Read about it HERE.

This quilt used left-overs from a Lone Star quilt … the fabric is from the Pin Dot Floral collection. You can read about it HERE.

September

This was a very fun quilt to Applique! This POST has all the details.

I made a bunch of tissue holders. You can read about them on THIS POST.

October

Island Batik’s October challenge was a ByAnnie bag. I chose to make “Payday” in the small and large size. You can read about them on THIS POST.

I was invited to make a quilt using “Twilight,” a signature fabric collection for Claudia Porter. I ended up making 3 quilts. Read about them HERE.

This little mini was made for Hobbs Batting and hung in their booth at the Houston Quilt Market. See THIS POST for more details.

November

Island Batik’s Challenge for this month was Dresden Plates. I made this vase with flowers … you can read more about it on THIS POST.

The Jelly Roll mystery quilt reveal. See this post and the links to all the clues.

December

I made this Christmas card using Island Batik fabric and a MSQC Template. You can read about it HERE.

This table mat used various Island Batik fabrics, Hobbs batting and Aurifil thread. The bows and poinsettia were cut out using Templates from Missouri Star Quilt Company. You can see more details on THIS POST.

I made 2 large Clam-up ByAnnie bags for the Butterfly Haven blog hop. See HERE for more details.

This was the block of the month Colour Challenge, hosted by Patterns by Jen. It was a fun BOM to do! You can read about it on THIS POST.

It was up to us to make whatever we wanted for the December challenge. I made this quilt using Peppermint Sprinkles. You can read about it on THIS POST.

Floral Fusion was a free quilt-along by Denise Looney!! I LOVE her patterns, so I had to sew along. I really really like the final quilt! This POST has all the details.

My last project of the year was super simple … you can read about it on THIS POST.

Thank you!

Many Thanks to Island Batik and Industry partners that made all of the projects possible. They supplied the products for free as my role as an Island Batik Ambassador! Island Batik, Aurifil Thread, Hobbs Batting, Schmetz Needles, Oliso Iron, Studio 180 Designs, and Funky Friends.

 One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

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Sunday Summary: March 10

/ quiltinggail / 18 Comments

Can you relate to this?? I certainly can!

March’s Island Batik Challenge

March’s Island Batik challenge was to make what we wanted. I have LOTS of Island Batik scraps and I am really a fan of scrappy quilts. I also like to have two colour quilts … so these 3 quilts were born. I had a lot of fun making them!! You can read about the process HERE.

Hobbs Batting, Aurifil Thread and Schmetz Needles were used in the making of these quilts! And my new Oliso iron was used for all the pressing.

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!

I had some wonderful company this past week and missed one day of sewing! Oh, but it was a ton of fun catching up!!

  • Jan – Feb: 1-28: 51 / 60 days
  • Mar 1 – 10: 9 / 10 days
  • Total: 60 / 70 85%

Design Wall Mondays

Judy, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing projects:

  • Island Batik April project. Here’s a picture … yes, it’s going to be blue!

Quilting:

  • Fast and More Fun: blog hop project – almost done!
  • 2023 Fall Mystery Quilt. I have the backing now … no excuses! Yes, I know I’ve said this for a few weeks now!
  • Finish Quilting “Gardenia“

Binding:

  • Give it a Whirl: blog hop project

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!

No shopping this week, so nothing added! My 3 Island Batik quilts used a lot of fabric. Even though I used scraps, it’s still counted as fabric!

  • Fabric Used this week:  17 yards
  • Fabric Used in 2023:     45 yards  from non-IB: 17
  • Fabric Added this week: 0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:     8 yards 
  • Net Fabric used:              37 yards

To Do

Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.

I have a bit of progress on many things … but nothing completed …

To Do from the last report:

  1. Quilt and Bind “2023 Fall Mystery Quilt” sandwiched, not quilted
  2. Continue to work on SAHRR ’24 finish quilting and binding √   DONE
  3. Finish Quilting “Gardenia“. not done
  4. Finish IB March project √   DONE
  5. Finish Fast and More Fun: blog hop project. in progress.
  6. Finish Give it a Whirl: blog hop project. in progress.
  7. Start IB April project in progress.
  8. Think about April Showers: blog hop project √   DONE The thinking was easy … but no decision is made yet!
  9. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √   DONE
  10. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes. √   DONE. 

To Do for next week:

  1. Quilt and Bind “2023 Fall Mystery Quilt”
  2. Finish Quilting “Gardenia“
  3. Finish Fast and More Fun: blog hop project.
  4. Finish Give it a Whirl: blog hop project.
  5. Work on IB April project
  6. Make a decision on April Showers: blog hop project
  7. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  8. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.

Upcoming Blog Hops

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

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