Day 1 Little Gems Blog Hop

Welcome to Day 1 of the Little Gems Blog Hop!

I am Connie Kauffman - author of Little Gems.  This book is published by Martingale and just came out this February, so it's brand new!  I'm excited to be hosting this blog along with 8 other Island Batik Ambassadors and our three sponsors:  Island Batik, Martingale and Ackfeld Manufacturing.

The patterns in this book are all paper pieced and measure 12" x 12".  Even if you've never paper pieced before, give these little projects a try.  There is not a lot of fabric required, so these projects are great for using bits and pieces from your scrap stash.

Images from Little Gems by Connie Kauffman, Martingale,2015:  used by permission.
Photos by Brent Kane.  All rights reserved

Each day an Ambassador will be making one of the projects in the book using only Island Batik fabrics in a different colorway.  I love batiks and feel very privileged to be one of Island Batik's Ambassadors. Working with their fabrics is a real joy!

Before I show you the quilt I recreated with Island Batik fabrics for this blog hop, I want to let you know a little known secret about the book.  There is actually a 16th project!  I had too many projects to fit in the book.  If you purchase the book, this is a free online project.  It's called Cornered.  I made it with whites and reproduction prints.

Images from Little Gems by Connie Kauffman, Margingale, 2015:  used by permission.
Photos by Brent Kane.  All rights reserved.

I selected the quilt Serenity from the book as my project to recreate with Island Batik fabrics.
Here is the project from the book done with taupe fabrics.

Images from Little Gems by Connie Kauffman, Martingale, 2015:  used by permision.
Photos by Brent Kane.  All rights reserved.

I love this quilt ( I love them all- each one has something special about it).  This quilt is easy in that it only has two block patterns and you can use about any color combination you'd like.  Decide what colors you want to use and gather all your scraps together and just get started.  You don't have to worry about where each color goes, or whether it is light or dark.  It all mixes up beautifully.

To recreate this pattern with Island Batik fabrics, I picked out fall colors of greens, browns and oranges.

What do you think of this one?
Leave a comment below to be entered to win a free Little Gems ebook

Be sure to visit all the blogs through the 18th.
Enjoy!

April 8        www.kauffmandesigns.blogspot.com   Quilt- Serenity
April 9        http://blog.shopmartingale.com/
April 10      www.conniekresin.com   Quilt- Playing With Plaids
April 11      www.bejeweledquilts.blogspot.com   Quilt- Spinners
April 12      www.sixgablesdesigns.blogspot.com   Quilt- Daisy Daze
April 13      Ackfeld Wire hosted by www.kauffmandesigns.blogspot.com
April 14     www.tamarinis.typepad.com   Quilt- Forest Fire
April 15     www.teachpany.blogspot.com   Quilt- Radiance
April 16     www.beaquilter.com   Quilt- Star Burst
April 17     www.onequiltingcircle.com   Quilt- Tranquility
April 18     www.islandbatik.com/news   Quilt- Cotton Candy

*All winners will be chosen, notified and announced Monday April 20, 2015

Little Gems Blog Hop

Welcome to the Little Gems Blog Hop!

 Little Gems is the most recent book by Connie Kauffman published by Martingale and just released this February. The book features 15 mini paper pieced quilts.  Quilts measure 12" x 12" and can be made with a small amount of fabrics.

Island Batik is one of the sponsors of the Blog, and 8 of the Island Batik Ambassadors are taking part.  Each Ambassador selected one project from the book Little Gems and has recreated it using Island Batik fabric.  Be sure and check back each day to see the quilts made in new colorways with these beautiful batiks.  Look for a special prize of a bundle of Island Batik fabrics!

Martingale is another one of our sponsors.  They are giving away a free ebook at each Ambassadors
Blog.  Be sure and go to each site to enter.

Ackfeld Manufacturer is our third sponsor for the Blog.  They create the great wire stands for each "little gem" you see in the book.  They are giving away a free stand - be sure to enter for that- all the "gems" look great displayed on the wire stands!

Our Blog Hop is 11 days of interesting projects, beautiful fabrics and great prizes.  Be sure to visit a new site every day.

April 8        www.kauffmandesigns.blogspot.com
April 9        http://blog.shopmartingale.com/
April 10      www.conniekresin.com 
April 11      www.bejeweledquilts.blogspot.com
April 12      www.sixgablesdesigns.blogspot.com
April 13      Ackfeld Wire hosted by www.kauffmandesigns.blogspot.com
April 14     www.tamarinis.typepad.com
April 15     www.teachpany.blogspot.com
April 16     www.beaquilter.com
April 17     www.onequiltingcircle.com
April 18     www.islandbatik.com/news

Vera Bradley raffle quilt update

I've been madly working on the Vera Bradley Pink Swirls of Hope raffle quilt for breast cancer.
Here are a couple photos of the quilt progress.
In the first photo I'm playing around with color placement and possible buttons.  Don't you just love buttons!

The next photo shows more of the layout.

I'm actually further along than this.   Right now I just need to make a label and get a  finished photo.  I'll post a finished photo soon.

What do you think?  Lots of color in this quilt!

Sneak preview- Little Gems Blog Hop

This is a sneak peak about the Little Gems Blog Hop.  It starts next Wednesday and features my new book Little Gems by Martingale.  Be sure to check in each day for views of special projects, beautiful fabrics and lots of prizes!

Vera Bradley raffle quilt

This is the second year that I've been asked to design and make a quilt using Vera Bradley fabric for a raffle quilt for their Breast Cancer Foundation.   Last week I received the fabrics for this years quilt.

Aren't they just lovely!  This is the Pink Swirls fabric line.  Lots of pink and orange...not what I'd normally put together, but it looks great with the purples, teals, greens and white.

The quilt ties in with the Elkhart County Quilt Garden Tour (you really must come see all 19 of these beautiful gardens if you are in the Northern Indiana area this summer).   I helped to design the quilt garden at Linton's Enchanted Gardens which ties in with the flower designs in the fabric and the quilt.  Linton's is heading up the raffle quilt this year.  If you are interested in buying a raffle ticket you can contact them at:  1-888-779-9333
http://www.lintons.com/

See more info on the quilt gardens here:
http://www.amishcountry.org/explore-the-area/quilt-gardens/

You can also see the finished quilt (I HOPE to have it finished by then!) at The Gathering on Saturday April 18 at the Northern Indiana Event Center (RV & MH Hall of Fame Complex) 21565 Executive Parkway, Elkhart, IN.

See more info on the Gathering here:  www.25thAnnualGatheringofQuilters.org

This will be the first time the quilt will be displayed and raffle tickets sold.  Did I tell you the tickets are $5?

I'll keep you posted on the quilt's progress- so stay tuned.

Island Batik Ambassador 2015

It was a fantastic experience for me last year, to be an Ambassador for Island Batik.  I love, love, love batik fabrics.  Being able to work with this great company and designing and creating with their fabrics was thrilling!  I'm happy to announce that I've been accepted as an Ambassador again for 2015!  I'm just overjoyed!

One of the exciting things about being an Ambassador is getting to see the new fabrics and having some arrive right at our doorsteps!  This is what arrived at my door just yesterday

My mind is already whirling with ideas on how to use these beauties...

Butterflies and Fabric winners

Here's a photo of the progress on the Island Batik butterfly blocks.  They are so fun to make.  I have over 20 already!

Winners from the  Four Island Batik Fat Quarters are:  Regina and Sharon.  Please contact me within 3 days with your full name and address so that I can send your fabric.  If I don't hear from you in three days, new winners will be announced.