Row by Row Island Batik Blog Hop

Today is the start of the first Island Batik Blog Hop of 2022.  See below the announcement from Island Batik as well as the full listing of the new fabrics and what days each Ambassador will be posting.  Be sure and check out the listings that start today!

My day to post is Feb 8.

Row, row, row your quilt… Yes, it’s the theme of the new Island Batik Ambassador Blog Hop! This month is all about Row by Row quilts, boasting fun rows of quilt blocks or components, each distinct from the others. We are excited to see how the Ambassadors create these rows in their own unique ways, with different themes and different Island Batik fabric collections. hat variety is really the best part of our Blog Hops!

The fabrics, featured in this Blog Hop, are from the new Fall 2021 Island Batik Collections, that will start appearing in your favorite fabric stores very soon! To find your local Island Batik shop, visit the Store Locator on our website, plug in your zip code, and your local shop will appear on the map! Super easy and helpful!

Every Friday we will be posting round-ups of the quilts featured during the previous week and give away bundles of the new Island Batik collections, highlighted during the hop.

Below you will find a lineup of quilters who will be sharing their amazing row quilts with us during the event. Check out their blogs to read the stories behind each project, see their progress and tips along the way AND enter their bonus giveaways for a chance to win something great!

January 31:

Jennifer Thomas, Curlicue Creations
Denise Looney, For the Love of Geese 

February 1:

Pamela Boatright, Pamela Quilts
Andi Stanfield, True Blue Quilts

February 2:

Megan Best, Bestquilter

February 3:

Maryellen McAuliffe, Mary Mack Made Mine
Brenda Alburl, Songbird Designs

February 4:

Blog Hop Round-Up Week 1 and Giveaway

February 7:

Emily Leachman, The Darling Dogwood
Leah Malasky, Quilted Delights

February 8:

Suzy Webster, Websterquilt
Connie Kauffman, Kauffman Designs

February 9:

Reed Johnson, Blue Bear Quilts

February 10:

Brianna Roberts, Sew Cute and Quirky
Sandra Starley, Textile Time Travels

February 11:

Blog Hop Round-Up Week 2 and Giveaway

February 14:

Michelle Roberts, Creative Blonde
Jane Hauprich, Stitch by Stitch Custom Quilting

February 15:

Claudia Porter, Create with Claudia

February 16:

Anorina Morris, Samelia’s Mum
Preeti Harris, Sew Preeti Quilts

February 17:

Elizabeth DeCroos, Epida Studio
Gail Renna, Quilt Haven Threads

February 18:

Blog Hop Round-Up Week 3 and Giveaway

February 21:

Gail Sheppard, Quilting Gail
Jennifer Fulton, Inquiring Quilter

February 22:

Mania Hatzioannidi, Mania for Quilts
Lisa Pickering, Lisa’s Quilting Passion

February 23:

End of Blog Hop and Final Round-Up

Row by Row Blog Hop starts on Monday, but we are kicking off our first giveaway today! Two lucky winners will each get a Fat Quarter bundle of a complete Island Batik collection by Kathy Engle – the patriotic white-red-and-blue Americana or the fresh and romantic Chantilly, designed for Karen Overton of The Quilt Rambler!

Be sure and go to the Island Batik blog and enter their fabric bundle drawings!

Jan 2022 Island Batik Boxes

 A new year as an Island Batik Ambassador brings great surprises in big boxes delivered right to my door!  This time they came in mid Dec. late at night.  I left the light on for the delivery lady!

Each year the Ambassador program is full of different challenges and new fabrics and supplies to work with.  Watch the video and pictures  below to see what I will work with the first half of this year.

I made a mistake at the beginning of my video and said the boxes were for the year 2021!  Oops- some of the collections are 2021, but the products sent in the boxes are for me to work with in the first half of the year 2022.

Here are some still photos of what was in the boxes:

A fat quarter bundle of Gradations called Ravishing Reds.  A beautiful collection of 20 fat quarters in differing shades of red.  Yardage of these fabrics are available now.  Island Batik carries 10 different Gradation collections in other colors.  Check out the other Ambassadors to see the other color collections.

Fat quarter bundle of the collection called Contempo by Kathy Engle for Kate Colleran Designs, along with yardage in  light and dark.  I just love these bright fabrics!  I'll be making something with these fabrics for the February Blog Hop.

A wonderful bundle of several fabrics from the Batik Foundations.  The Island Batik Foundation fabrics are always available.

Aurifil is one of the Sponsors in the Island Batik Ambassador program, and they sent a box of three threads.  We'll be having a challenge using Aurifil threads in March.

There were two bundles of the Stash builder rolls.  Each roll has 4 fabrics that are 5" by width of fabric.  These rolls are a great way to add variety to your fabric stash.

We're always given a generous supply of Island Batik fabrics in white, black and gray.  These are wonderful to have on hand.  Also yardage in a Neutral.  This one is called Whipped Cream.  The photo doesn't do it justice.

A 10" precut bundle of the collection called Wondrous by Jerry Kiev.  These are really lovely.  They also sent additional yardage in light and dark colors.

The surprise bundle was wrapped in paper that was shredded, so I can't show you the package- or the fabrics!  The fabrics are a Winter 2021 collection that is not in the stores yet.  You can see what they are and what I make with them in the  May Blog Hop.

Hobbs Batting is another sponsor and they once again sent a great supply of battings:

80/20 Bleached Cotton- Queen Size

Premium Poly - Queen Size

Premium Cotton - Queen Size

Premium Wool Queen Size

Fusible Batting Strips

It's wonderful to be able to try the wide variety of battings that Hobbs carries.

It is so inspiring to see all these fabrics and supplies we are sent to use with the Ambassador program.  I hope you stay tuned to see what everyone creates this year!

Check out the listing of the 2022 Ambassadors and their unboxing videos listed below.  

THURSDAY, JANUARY 20TH

Brenda Alburl @ Songbird Designs
Megan Best @ Best Quilter
Jennifer Fulton @ Inquiring Quilter

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21ST

Preeti Harris @ Sew Preeti Quilts
Jane Hauprich @ Stitch by Stitch Custom Quilting
Reed Johnson @ Blue Bear Quilts

SATURDAY, JANUARY 22ND

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

MONDAY, JANUARY 25TH

Leah Malasky @ Quilted Delights
Maryellen McAuliffe @ Mary Mack Made Mine
Lisa Pickering @ Lisa’s Quilting Passion

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26TH

Claudia Porter @ Create with Claudia
Gail Renna @ Quilt Haven Threads
Brianna Roberts @ Sew Cute and Quirky

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27TH

Andi Stanfield @ True Blue Quilts
Sandra Starley @ Textle Time Travels
Jennifer Thomas @ Curlicue Creations

THURSDAY, JANUARY 28TH

Pamela Boatright @ PamelaQuilts
Suzy Webster @ Webster Quilt
Elizabeth DeCroos @ Epida Studio

FRIDAY, JANUARY 29TH

Mania Hatziioannidi @ Mania for Quilts
Anorina Morris @ Samelia’s Mum
Michelle Roberts @ Creative Blonde

MONDAY, JANUARY 31ST

Gail Sheppard @ Quilting Gail

January 2022 Island Batik Challenge

Aurora

45" x 64"

By Connie Kauffman

The January Challenge for the 2022 Island Batik Ambassadors is called the Step by Step Challenge

We were to use the fat quarter bundle of Foundation Gradation Island Batik fabrics we received in our first Ambassador box for 2022 (be sure and see my unboxing video on Jan 22 to see what else came in my boxes).

I received the Ravishing Red collection of 20 fat quarters in various shades/steps of red.  There are 9 other collections of gradations in different colors.  Other Ambassadors got different color bundles, so be sure and check them out to see what they received and what they made with their collections.

These fabrics are available in shops now.  

What to make with these fabrics?  They ranged from almost tan to peachy to red to orange/red to purple and almost mauve.  I knew it would work well with a bargello style quilt, but I didn't want to do anything that traditional.

My son was home on vacation and he helped me play around with some possibilities.  I decided to use 15 of the 20 fabrics.  I knew I wanted to use black Island Batik with them to make the reds really pop.

I ended up sewing the fabrics together into strips similar to a bargello quilt, but separated them with black and varied the placement and widths of the strips.

As always- the scraps are pretty too!

I used a black batting from Hobbs that came in my box last year.  Black batting is great to use when you have a dark background and backing, because there are no bits of batting poking thru with the quilting to show up on the back.

Four Aurifil threads worked well for the straight line quilting.  

I used Schmetz needles in my machine.  Schmetz is one of our sponsors and they are the only needles I use.

Thanks to my sister Jody for naming this quilt.  She's great at coming up with names!

January 22 I'll be posting my unboxing video so you can see the other lovely things I have to work with the first half of this year!

All products for this project were provided by Island Batik, Aurifil Thread, Hobbs Batting and Schmetz Needles thru the Island Batik Ambassador program

2022 Island Batik Ambassador

This year has started out great with the announcement that I am once again an Ambassador for Island Batik!  The 2022 Ambassadors are listed below.  There are 5 new and 20 returning Ambassadors this year.  It looks to be an exciting year full of new fabric creations!

From left to right:

Brenda Alburl ~ Songbird Designs
Megan Best ~ Bestquilter
Pamela Boatright ~ Pamelaquilts
Elizabeth DeCroos ~ Epida Studio
Jennifer Fulton ~ Inquiring Quilter

Preeti Harris ~ Sew Preeti Quilts
Mania Hatziioannidi ~ Mania for quilts
Jane Hauprich ~ Stitch By Stitch Custom Quilting
Reed Johnson ~ Blue Bear Quilts
Connie Kauffman ~ Kauffman Designs

Emily Leachman ~ The Darling Dogwood
Denise Looney ~ For The Love Of Geese
Leah Malasky ~ Quilted Delights
Maryellen McAuliffe ~ Mary Mack Made Mine
Anorina Morris – sameliasmum.com

Lisa Pickering ~ Lisa’s Quilting Passion
Claudia Porter ~ Create with Claudia
Gail Renna ~ Quilt Haven Threads
Brianna Roberts ~ Sew Cute And Quirky
Michelle Roberts ~ Creative Blonde

Gail Sheppard ~ Quilting Gail
Andi Stanfield ~ True Blue Quilts
Sandra Starley ~ Textile Time Travels
Jennifer Thomas ~ Curlicue Creations
Suzy Webster ~ Websterquilt