Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Raspberry Delight -Quiltmaker Sept/Oct

My quilt Raspberry Delight is in the Sept/Oct 2020 Quiltmaker Magazine.

 Photo courtesy of Quiltmaker Magazine

I used the Sunset Plumes Collection by Kathy Engle.  It is an interesting selection of raspberry and shades of teal.
Raspberry Delight
Designed and made by Connie Kauffman
36" x 36"

Quiltmaker Magazine generously sent me two copies of this issue as giveaways.  Enter a comment below and I will select two winners in the next week.  USA residents only.  Make sure I am able to reach you if you are a winner.

Monday, July 27, 2020

More Unboxing Videos

If you enjoyed watching my unboxing video of Quilting Goodies - here is a listing of all the Island Batik Ambassadors and when they are posting their videos.

Unboxing Schedule.
Each Island Batik Ambassador will share their unboxing information on social media. Watch them all here:

Thursday, July 16th

Carolina Asmussen @ Carolina Asmussen Designs
Megan Best @ Best Quilter
Pamela Boatright @ Pamela Quilts

Friday, July 17th

Jennifer Fulton @ Inquiring Quilter (that’s me!)
Vasudha Govindan @ Storied Quilts video
Carla Henton @ Creatin in the Sticks

Monday, July 20th

Connie Kauffman @ Kauffman Designs
Emily Leachman @ Darling Dogwood
Denise Looney @ For the Love of Geese

Tuesday, July 21st

Leah Malasky @ Quilted Delights
Sally Manke @ Sally Manke
Maryellen McAuliffe @ Mary Mack

Wednesday, July 22nd

Thursday, July 23rd

Jennifer Strauser @ Dizzy Quilter
Jennifer Thomas @ Curlicue Creations
Alison Vermilya @ Little Bunny Quilts

Friday, July 24th

Suzy Webster @ Webster Quilt
Janet Yamamoto @ Whispers of Yore

Monday, July 27th

Sandra Walker @ mmm! Quilts
Gail Sheppard @ Quilting Gail

Tuesday, July 28th

Joanne Hart @ Unicorn Harts
Mania Hatziioannidi @ Mania for Quilts
Michelle Roberts @ Creative Blonde

Friday, July 24, 2020

Christmas in July Challenge


Well, it's towards the end of July already.  What a month it has been!  With the virus and social distancing, mask wearing and making...it is all rather sad.  A bright spot for all the Island Ambassadors has been the arrival of boxes of lovely fabrics and supplies for us to use the next 6 months in our monthly challenges.

Our challenge for this month is called Christmas in July and it was truly a unique challenge.  Accuquilt Go!  which is one of our sponsors, supplied each Ambassador with a Go! Me Fabric Cutter Starter Set.


This is just the cutest little Accuquilt Go! Cutter.  Very small and very portable.  It has the same great cutting performance as the larger Go! cutters, but is small enough to travel with. This size is great if you have a small sewing area, or if you just don't want a large cutter taking up space.   If you've been interested in purchasing a cutter, but weren't sure- this is a great size to try out, and there are loads of other dies that you can use in this machine.

This Starter set comes with two dies, a cutting mat, instructions and a few patterns.

The most interesting part of our July Challenge is that we were instructed to make a small project like a table runner and give that -AND- the Go! Me away!  We could choose someone we thought would enjoy the cutter and give it away sometime during July.  We got to feel like Santa Claus!  Thanks Accuquilt!

First I'll show you the table runner I made using the two dies that were included in the set.  The dies were for 3" finished half squares and  3" finished quarter square blocks.  I like that size for something like a table runner.  I used fabrics from the Sunset Blooms Collection by Kathy Engle (in your stores now).  The Go! Me made the cutting and piecing go quickly.

Hobbs Cotton Batting is always a plus.


I thought it looked very nice on my coffee table.



I used two colors of Aurifil thread for quilting.  The brownish color on the right is # 6010.  This is one of my favorite colors as it seems to blend with almost anything.


Now my project was made- who to give it to?  Having so many quilting friends, it was a hard decision for me to make. They all would have loved to have it.  I finally decided to gift it to my quilting friend Elaine.  She is a gifted quilter and has grandchildren that I thought would also enjoy using it.

The day arrived and the packages were wrapped for the big surprise.


Elaine had no idea- boy was she surprised!


 She loved the Go! and the table runner.  She said she felt like she had won the lottery!


A few days later I saw one of her posts on Facebook.  Her grandson who is a sewer had already been using the cutter, so I know it will get a lot of use at her house!  Merry Christmas Elaine!


Thanks to Island Batik, Accuquilt Go!  Aurifil Threads and Hobbs Batting for the products used in this challenge.

*The winners from my July 14 Blog are  Mary Q and Pamela.  Your issues of McCalls Quilting Sept/Oct will be arriving soon.




Monday, July 20, 2020

2020 Second Ambassador Boxes

Two large Ambassador Boxes arrived the end of June.  Island Batik Ambassadors receive boxes of supplies twice a year to use in making projects for monthly blogs. I was so excited I forgot to take a photo of the boxes on the porch.  They were big!  Due to the corona virus I bring all boxes into the garage for a quarantine time.  Because I had a hard time waiting to see what was in the boxes, I opened them in the garage- left the boxes there for quarantine and brought the treasures inside!

Here is a photo when I first opened the first box.  What treasures!


The second box was the same size and full of batting from Hobbs- one of our sponsors.

I tried something different this time- I made some short video clips to show you what was in all the boxes.



Aurifil Thread is one of the Island Batik Ambassador sponsors and sent each of us a beautiful selection of their 50 wt thread.  The 50 wt thread is on their orange spools.  This is my favorite weight to use.  This time we were even allowed to select the colors we wanted to go with some of the fabric we were receiving!


These are two bundles of Island Batik Foundation collections.  These are a combination of Blenders, Solids and Basics that they always have in stock.  They have a big variety and they work well with the collections.

This lovely fat quarter collection is called Whispering Feathers by Kathy Engle and is in stores now.   I already have a plan on what to make with them!


This 2 1/2 strip pack is the Island Batik Collection called Floralicious. by Kathy Engle.  This is a Spring 2020 release.  I love the color run!  It came with yardage in light and dark to match - both from the Basics Collection.  The light blue is called Icicle and the dark is called Waterfall.  They go really well together.

The Wing Clipper Ruler and thin Quilter's Magic Wand are from Deb Tucker's Studio 180 Design.  They are a new sponsor and the Ambassadors were given different rulers to work with.  I've never used one of these before- so you will be seeing what I create with these rulers in a few months.


Here's a close up of Floralicious- isn't it lovely!


Here's the second video clip.



There were two packages of Stash Builder Rolls.  Each package contains 5 rolls of fabric.  Each roll has 4 strips of fabric 5" x WOF.  These are a great way to increase the colors in your collection.  


The colors in these packages were sort of creamy yellows and black and white mixes.


A large 4 yard piece of one of the Island Batik Neutrals called Rice.  I love this color- it is a very soft blue and sort of creamy spotted fabric.  It will be great to work with and four yards goes a long way!


Once again Island Batik sent yardage in their White, Black and Gray Solids.  They know we use these solids the most!

Here's a clip of another one of our new Sponsors - By Annie



ByAnnie sent each of the Ambassadors a pattern to make a bag and all the materials needed to make it, along with the yardage of Island Batik fabric to make the bag.  I have to tell you this is a super fun project.  We were even able to choose which bag we wanted to make!  I got the pattern Take A Stand. Let me tell you this is a BIG bag full of fun things to work with.  I can't wait to get started on it!





Let me tell you- it was really great to have all these supplies  provided.  You can find all the supplies at her website so you can have one stop shopping!




These two bundles are fabrics that haven't been released yet, so they are surprise bundles that I can't show now.  The blue bundle has half yard cuts of a new Spring Collection.  You will see what I make with these fabrics in October.  The pink bundle had half yard cuts of a new Summer collection and you will see my project with them in November.



Hobbs Batting is once again a sponsor and sent a large box with these battings.  There is a 80/20 Black Batting - Queen Size, a Fusible Cotton Batting - Queen Size, a Tuscany Silk Blend Batting - Throw size and a roll of Fusible Batting Strips - 2 1/4" x 25".  I haven't used some of these, so it will be great to  try them out!

There is nothing like having batting on hand when you need it!

Yet one more sponsor sent a box.  This is from sponsor Accuquilt Go!-  A Go! Me Fabric Cutter Starter set.


This Starter Set will be featured this month in my July Challenge in just a few days.

Many, many thanks to Island Batik and the sponsors Aurifil Thread, Hobbs Batting, Studio 180 Design, ByAnnie and Accuquilt Go! for the wonderful products they have sent for the Island Batik Ambassador program.

Stay tuned to  my blog to see some fun creations made from the above products from now thru December.




Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Pineapple Dreams

The latest issue of McCall's Quilting Sept/Oct issue has my quilt Pineapple Dreams.

Photo courtesy of McCall's Quilting

This quilt is 39 1/2" x 39 1/2" and used the Island Batik Prairie Skies collection by Kathy Engle and Hobbs Heirloom Natural Batting with Scrim.  The pattern looks a bit challenging but only uses 5 different paper pieced blocks with different colorations.  Even the inner border is included in the paper pieced block which makes it very simple.

Log cabin blocks are great and the fabrics in this collection make the center whites glow.

McCall's was very generous and sent me two magazines as a giveaway.  Just enter a comment below and I'll choose two winners with Random.org this weekend.