Kauffman Designs

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

2021 Island Batik Ambassadors Announced

Say hello to our 2021 Island Batik Brand Ambassadors! This group of 24 talented creatives will bring you inspiration, tutorials, and humor in the coming year.

From left to right:

Megan Best ~ Bestquilter
Pamela Boatright ~ Pamelaquilts
Elizabeth DeCroos ~ Epida Studio
Jennifer Eubank ~ Archipelago Quilting
Jennifer Fulton ~ The Inquiring Quilter

Preeti Harris ~ Sew Preeti Quilts
Joanne Hart ~ Unicorn Harts
Mania Hatziioannidi ~ Mania for quilts
Jane Hauprich - Stitch By Stitch Custom Quilting
Connie Kauffman
 ~ Kauffman Designs

Emily Leachman ~ The Darling Dogwood
Denise Looney ~ For The Love Of Geese
Leah Malasky ~ Quilted Delights
Sally Manke ~ Sally Manke, Fiber Artist
Maryellen McAuliffe ~ Mary Mack Made Mine

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
Jennifer Thomas ~ CurliCue Creations
Suzy Webster
 ~ Websterquilt
Janet Yamamoto ~ Whispers of Yore

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

December Challenge - Medallion Quilt

December Medallion Quilt

Sedona Sunrise by Connie Kauffman

It's hard to believe it is December already! This is the last challenge of the year for the 2020 Island Batik Ambassadors. This month the challenge was to make a Medallion Quilt.

I don't think I've ever set out to make a Medallion quilt. Looking at a lot of different quilts I got many ideas for blocks and borders.

I decided to use the 2 1/2" strip pack of Floralicious Island Batik designed by Kathy Engle for this project. These fabrics are in the shops now. I just LOVE this collection. You can see how beautifully they are displayed in the package. Have you ever gotten a package like this and not wanted to open it up for fear you'd lose the arrangement of the colors? I wanted to keep the colors in this arrangement, so I just took out the strips on one side of the package to use to begin with. (You can also just take a photo of the package for future reference!) I have to say the 2 1/2" strip packages are my favorite precut.

Because I wanted to use the 2 1/2" strips- this limited the size of the blocks I could use in the quilt. I don't mind smaller blocks, but I did have to think about the size of each one. I decided on 4 different borders with 4 small unpieced borders.

I also received two other fabrics to go with this collection - a light blue and a dark blue. This was great as they could be used where I needed more than just the precut strip. They also helped to tie all the colors together.

I picked the flying geese in the outside border especially to showcase the colors in the arrangement that was in the package. I did have to leave out a couple colors due to how many flying geese I needed. Because I wanted to use these- I actually did the outside border first! Not always advisable, but by making them with paper piecing, I knew the measurements would turn out correctly.

I'm sorry I don't have any photos of the quilt in progress - sometimes I get to involved and just forget to take photos!

I used a beautiful selection of Aurifil thread that matched the fabric colors perfectly. Isn't this just eye candy!

Hobbs Cotton Batting and Schmetz Chrome Microtex needles were also used to complete the project.

It has been a very interesting and challenging year this year as an Island Batik Ambassador. I've loved the challenges and working with all the creative Ambassadors and sponsors in the program. Thanks to Island Batik, Hobbs Batting, Aurifil Threads and Schmetz Needles for suppling the materials for this project thru the Island Batik Ambassador Program.

The sponsors this year along with Island Batik Fabrics were:

* The winner from the Inspired By Nature Blog Hop drawing on my blog was Diantha. The fabrics are on the way to her- congratulations!

Monday, November 23, 2020

My Quilted Garden- Inspired by Nature

November Inspired by Nature Blog Hop

My Quilted Garden by Connie Kauffman

The November Island Batik Ambassador Blog Hop has the theme Inspired by Nature. I love this theme and had so many ideas of what to do. First I waited to see what fabrics were in my surprise bundle that I was to use for my project. My fabrics were from the Tiki Punch Collection designed by Kathy Engle for Kate Colleran of Seams Like a Dream Quilt Designs.

I was excited by this bundle as they were so lovely and bright. So inspiring!

I used all but two of the fabrics in the quilt.

I decided to go with a garden theme as these reminded me of sunshine and flowers.

I don't know about you- but I have block patterns that I collect when I see something I might like to make someday. I also have favorite block designs of my own that I like, but have only used once. This seemed like a great time to pull out some favorite blocks and see what I could do with them.

I started this project VERY early and it's a good thing I did. This quilt took a long time- but it was a labor of love.

I picked blocks that were things in my garden or symbolized things found in my gardens. Once I decided on what blocks I wanted to use I had to decide the overall size and design of the quilt. I had been thinking about a medallion design with borders around a central block, so I decided to put a birdhouse in the center and have my garden blocks surround it. I don't have a bird house- but I do have several bird feeders.

One thing that took a long time was resizing most of the blocks to fit the quilt. I only had a couple blocks that would work without resizing. Then came the fun part- choosing the colors to go with the different blocks! I did add a couple fabrics from the Island Batik Basics collection (cat and squirrel and bird beaks and part of bird house)

I had a wide variety of blocks using both paper piecing and fusible applique. I used Schmetz Super Nonstick Needles which work really great with the fusible applique.

I still had some of my favorite batting to use - Hobbs 80/20 Fusible Cotton Batting. I can't say enough about this batting. It is so easy to use and saves so much time not having to baste! It's a winner!

Aurifil threads in many colors added to the quilt. It's great to have a selection on hand.

It was fun after the quilt was finished to add many different buttons and beads for embellishment.

My garden does have daffodils, forget me nots, daisies, iris, leafy ferns and beautiful butterflies. We have many birds- cardinals and orioles are some of the favorites. We also have several cats that visit our yard- none of which are ours! One of them is black.

Squirrels scamper all around- they especially like all the birdseed the birds drop from our feeders. This squirrel likes nuts.

Here in Northern Indiana we have some squirrels that are black. Some people have never seen black squirrels. I sat by the patio door one day to get a photo to show you.

And of course- what is a garden without bees and bugs!

I had the top finished in time to get a photo outside with some Black Eyed Susan's while they were still blooming.

Many thanks to Island Batik, Hobbs Batting, Schmetz and Aurifil for supplying products for this Inspired By Nature project.

I have a drawing for two full half yard cuts of two lovely fabrics from this Tiki Punch Collection

Please leave a comment about what is in your garden to enter. USA entries only due to postage. Winner will be drawn by Random.org at the end of the blog hop.

Be sure to enter Island Batik's Bog Hop drawing to win one of two fat quarter bundles-Venetian Marble or Tiki Punch- they are great!

Check out the other Ambassador blogs- there are only a few days left in the blog hop. Suzy Webster has a post today also using the Tiki Punch Collection- be sure and visit her site to see what she made.

Suzy Webster, Websterquilt

Here is one more photo of the quilt top with my petunias to leave you with.

"My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece" Claude Monet

"Earth laughs in flowers" Ralph Waldo Emerson

"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need" Cicero

(I might add fabric to this list!)

Monday, November 9, 2020

Inspired by Nature Blog Hop

Today starts the November Island Batik Blog Hop -Inspired by Nature. This is a great theme and for the next three weeks you'll want to check out what the Ambassadors do each day with the newest fabric releases.

There will be lots of drawings on the different blogs and you can also enter each week for a great drawing of batik bundles at the Island Batik Blog- be sure to enter! This week the prize bundles are from the collections William's Garden and Peacock Galore.