July Island Batik Challenge

The July challenge for the Island Batik Ambassadors is called Artsy Fartsy.  What a name!

This month we are highlighting Aurifil Threads.  Aurifil is a co- sponser of the Island Batik Ambassador program and sends thread for us to work with in each of our Ambassador boxes.  This challenge was to use at least three different Aurifil Threads in some way in our project.

I had several ideas for this project.  I finally decided to make a project that would serve two purposes for me this year.  One was to make this challenge project and the other was to make a quilt for the Annual Camp Mack Festival in Milford IN on Oct 5, 2019.   Camp Mack is our local church camp and I always make a quilt for their live auction to benefit the camp.

This years quilt is called Becker Lodge and pays respect to a building that stood many years on the camp property.

The idea started with a postcard my husband had that he had sent to his mother from Camp in 1965.  I enlarged the photo and thought I would try a project with thread embroidery.

This was a new technique for me and I wasn't exactly sure how to proceed.  I'm not a fan of marking on my quilt tops, but decided to go with the blue water soluble markers.  I traced the major outlines of the building on a piece of Sprinkles Island Batik fabric which is a white fabric with tiny dots.

I wasn't sure what I would use for borders, so I just made the backing and batting larger and would decide that later.  I used Hobbs Thermore batting which is a very thin batting and should work well.

 Here you can see I started the thread embroidery with 40 wt Aurifil.

For a slightly heavier look in the stone fireplace I used some 12 wt Aurifil thread.

 I worked from one area to another adding in some detail.  I first thought about thread painting all the color of the exterior of the building, but decided that would be too heavy and I didn't have the colors I thought would work.  I finally decided to leave the building with just the outline- to somehow give the feel of remembering the building in the spot where it once stood.

Here are all the threads and colors I used in this project.  I did try a green wool thread which I thought might make the bushes "fluffy", but found it didn't work well in the machine.  What I did then was use the wool and a 40 wt thread at the same time and it worked okay for a small area.

Having never done thread painting I didn't think about using a stabilizer of any kind besides the backing and batting.  It might have been helpful as I had some puckering on the right hand side because of the close quilting in the bushes.  It mainly puckered on the backing behind the border area and didn't show on the front.

I wanted to have some color in the sky, but didn't want to make it heavy with thread, so I added a hint of blue to the sky with crayon. To finish it off I added a small light green Island Batik Basic called Ivy for piping and a dark green Island Batik Basic called Large Netting-Pineneedle for the borders.

Becker Lodge

22" x 16 1/2"

Thanks to Island Batik, Aurifil and Hobbs for supplying the materials for this monthly challenge.

Summer 2019 Island Batik Unboxing

Once again it is "Unboxing Time!"  That's the special time twice a year that Island Batik sends special boxes to their Island Batik Ambassadors.  These boxes are filled to the brim with wonderful fabrics and things for us to work with the rest of the year.

Here's my new box!  Want to see what's inside?

 Island Batik has solids in black, white and gray.  They sent generously sent us 4 yards of each.  It's great to have these on hand when we want to use them.

These are bundles of Foundation fabrics- Blenders and basics.  These fabrics blend very well with their different collections and are always available.  These bundles blend especially well with the packaged fabrics they sent this time.

 This is a beautiful bundle of 1/4 yd cuts from the Island Batik Sunny Side Up Collection.  It just makes me smile!

They always include one of their Neutral fabrics as they know we use them a lot.  This generous yardage is called Doughnut.

One of my favorite color combinations is in this bundle.  The 2 1/2" strip package is called Crystal Sea.  It came with added yardages in coordinating light and dark blues.  I'm in love!
Aurifil Threads is a partnering company with Island Batiks and sent two lovely threads that compliment this collection.

More and more lovely fabrics!  Here is a package of 10" squares from the collection called Soil and Seeds.  Lovely creams, browns and greens for fall.  They again sent coordinating yardage in a light  cream and dark brown.  Aurifil Thread sent great threads to match.  They think of everything!

Another participating Industry partner is Accuquilt Go!  This time they sent each Ambassador a new BOB die.  These are dies that contain all the pieces to make the block shown on the cover on one die.  This die is the Ohio Star block.  It makes a 12" block.  You'll see this made up in a blog post later this year.

Hobbs batting is another partner and sent us each three different battings to try.  These battings are their Cotton, 100% Wool and Cotton/Wool Blend.  There are so many different battings on the market and it is wonderful to be able to try them out.

Many, many thanks to Island Batik, Aurifil Threads, Accuquilt Go! and Hobbs Batting for sending these supplies.  Every month a blog  post will highlight a project made with these great products.  I'm excited to get started!

Woven Together- Quilter's World Autumn 2019

Quilter's World has their Autumn 2019 issue out and it includes my quilt Woven Together.  I used the Sand Bar Collection from Island Batik and Warm 80/20 batting from The Warm Company in the quilt.

Woven Together

43 3/4" x 59"

(photo courtesy of Quilter's World)

Try Something New June Challenge

The Island Batik Ambassador challenge for June is to Try Something New.  I pondered this challenge for a long time.  What sounded like fun?  What technique have I not tried yet?

I thought of a few things- some projects really fit in future challenges, so I wanted to wait to do them.  One project I actually started and it turned out much to time consuming and more of a challenge than I ever wanted to do- so I abandoned it...

I finally looked at Pinterest and saw this cute Christmas ornament made with paper and I thought - why couldn't I do something similar with fabric?

Here is my creation with a couple variations.

(Special thanks to Island Batik for supplying the fabrics thru the Island Batik Ambassador Program)

I made the ornament by fusing fabric to both sides of some fusible webbing and then cutting out with the Accuquilt Circle Die.  I used a different fabric for each side and cut out  12 small circles.  I also fused fabric to one side of fusible webbing and cut out one larger circle and one larger circle of a two sided fusible by itself.  Each small circle has two sides folded in and pressed with an iron.  They didn't press completely flat, but that is okay as it makes it more 3 dimensional.

The 6 folded circles are laid onto the larger circle with the fusible side facing up.  There is a gap in the center, but the sides all touch and then are pressed to the fusible.  The gap is covered by the button later.

I actually made two flower ornaments- using the other 6 circles and fusing them to the fusible web circle just like the first one.  Then I fused both ornaments together so that the ornament looks the same on the front and the back.

It's easy to slip the hanging string between the two ornaments when they are fused together (if you don't forget!)

Sew a button on each side thru the middle and the ornament is done!  These were fun and I ended up making 6 of them.  I used Island Batik Winter/Christmas fabrics, but they would be pretty made with any colors.  They ended up about 4 1/4" diameter.

(Can you see the mistake I made on one?  I folded the wrong side in on one circle and didn't realize it until I had fused it....)

I thought I would take an outside picture, but it was a challenge with the wind!

And no- it's not snow on the branches in June, (although that would be appropriate for the ornaments), it is cottonwood from a neighbors tree.

Of course once I made these I kept thinking of other new things to try...  I saw another idea on Pinterest and realized I'd never sewn anything with vinyl.  Those little bags are sweet and would be nice for gifts too.  I decided to give it a try.

I used a couple leftover pieces from a layer cake of Island Batik Moroccan Bazaar.  I didn't have any purchased vinyl on hand, so I improvised by cutting up a bag that sheets had come in.  After I had those pieces cut, then I made the measurements for the rest of the bag to fit around them.  I had a couple zippers in my stash and I was ready to go!  The little pouches ended up 6 1/2" x 7".

Isn't it great to see the beautiful Aurifil Thread thru the little window!  You'll always know what is stored in your little bags this way!

The sewing was quick and very easy.  I did put paper under the vinyl when sewing so it didn't stick to the sewing machine and it worked great and was easy to remove.

I will be making more of these in the future!

Walk Among the Stars Published

 Walk Among the Stars by Connie Kauffman

My quilt Walk Among the Stars has been published in the July/August 2019 issue of McCall's Quilting.

The quilt is made with fabrics from the Ditty Collection and Sprinkles from Island Batik.  The Ditty Collection is a lovely assortment of of cool- spring like colors that were fun to work with.

(Photos courtesy of McCall's Quilting)

This project was quilted by my friend Vickie Hunsberger who always does a terrific job of quilting.  I love the designs she picked for this quilt..  The magazine has three close up photos that high light the quilting.

These fabrics and magazines are in shops now- so be sure and check them out!

May- Make it Modern Island Batik Challenge

It's hard to believe it's the middle of May already.  I absolutely love Spring and have been enjoying the spring flowers, birds and all the fresh colors.  Here are a couple views from my windows in Northern Indiana.

To add to all the color explosion going on- it is time for the May Island Batik Ambassador challenge.  This month the challenge is Make it Modern with Hobbs. 

We were to incorporate one of the characteristics of modern quilts as defined by the Modern Quilt Guild- the use of bold colors and prints, high contrast and graphic areas of solid color, improvisational piecing, minimalism, and/or expansive negative space.

When I received my first Ambassador box this year I knew right away which fabrics I would use for this challenge- the Moroccan Bazaar Collection.  It is just bursting with color and I had fun pondering how I would use it for the challenge.  It also came with two coordinating fabrics.

I finally decided I wanted to do something with New York Beauty blocks to highlight the colors.

These grew into flowers with fusible appliqued leaves and stems.

Usually quilting is my least favorite part of a project, and all this background was going to need a lot of quilting!  I actually ended up having fun with the background quilting by using a variety of plastic templates from my stash and some wonderful Westalee quilting rulers.

Here are some close ups of the quilting done on my domestic machine.

And of course some beautiful Aurifil threads to quilt with.  The light  blue matched the background perfectly.

I tried Hobbs Silk batting for the first time and it quilted wonderfully.

Thanks to Island Batik, Aurifil and Hobbs for supplying the materials for this project thru the Island Batik Ambassador program.

One more time- my Eternity Garden Quilt

Trying Something New

If you have ever gone to a big quilt show- you have experienced the sometimes overwhelming feeling of SO many new projects and things to try.  One year at the quilt show in Grand Rapids Michigan I bought a pattern to make a fabric basket.  The baskets on display were beautiful and very sturdy.  I thought it would be fun to try- and maybe make a few for gifts.

The pattern is called Woven Spirals

I picked two of my Island Batik fabrics that went together nicely- much like the colors in the pattern photo.

The directions were good.  It took a very stiff interfacing that I hadn't used before, but it was easy to sew through.  You fused fabric to both sides of two pattern pieces, cut it out and added a zig zag stitch around the outside edge to finish off the edges.  You had to stitch around the outside edge two times with the zig zag stitch to make it very nice and solid.  It wasn't hard, but took a LONG time and ALOT of thread!

The end result was very nice.  It took 12 buttons to sew to the top.  It made a very nice and firm basket.  The hardest part was lining up the ends at the top evenly and stitching them down.  It took awhile and some hand sewing on my part to get it all secured.

This made a lovely basket and was an interesting technique to try.  I made it once- but didn't want to put the time and effort into making more for gifts.  This might be something you'd like to try.

The winner from my last blog post for the magazine with my pattern Popsicle pattern is OhioLori.  The magazine is on the way to her.  Congratulations Lori!