August Island Batik Challenge- Quilt As You Go

The Challenge this month for all the Island Batik Ambassadors was to make something using the Quilt As You Go technique.  I had heard of this many years ago, but I was surprised as I looked into it for this challenge, that there are several different techniques now that are called Quilt As You Go.  It is interesting and you can pick and choose which works for you and your project.

I picked out a variety of bright Island Batiks to make a table runner.

I picked out a simple block that had either 3 or 4 pieces and printed out the templates.

This method is really basically stitch and flip.  You cut a backing square and batting square- layer therm and sew the pieces to the top.  Sew and flip, sew and flip.  I found I needed to pin the backing and batting to make sure it didn't slip while handling the block and sewing.

Here's a front and the back of one completed block.

You actually have your quilting all done unless you want to add more.  I added more quilting after the top was finished.

Lay out your blocks into rows

I added the sashing strips- one on top of a block and one on the bottom.

That block is sewn to the next block- by sewing the top sashing to the next block, but not the bottom sashing.  Turn the block over and you can fold over the back sashing and sew it down just like you sew a hem.  You are basically finishing each seam this way.  You sew the individual blocks together, then you can sew a whole row of blocks together the same way.

I don't mind doing some hand sewing like bindings, but this seemed like a lot of tedious sewing...

I did add some simple quilting once the top was together.  I used a lovely Blendable thread from Sulky (4126) that had primary colors for the quilting.  I used a Westalee 12 x 3" straight edge ruler and a 3.5"  Simple Circle ruler from Sew Steady for some of the quilting. These rulers are great and so quick and easy to use!

Once you have the ruler foot for your domestic machine you can use a range of quilting rulers.  I also used a curved ruler from Dusty Farrell called Flourish.  The ruler foot I have for my machine is a low shank foot so I have to use the thinner quilting rulers- 3mm thickness.  I was pleased to find out that Dusty Farrell also makes all his rulers in both sizes.  

Here is my finished runner (33" x 11") - front and back. It's very colorful!  

Close up of quilting.

You might want to give Quilting As You Go a try!

Big Book of Table Toppers

Recently Martingale came out with this book - The Big Book of Table Toppers.  My table mat called Basket Weave is one of the 56 patterns in the book.

The book is FULL of wonderful patterns in all shapes, sizes and colors.   Many of them are quick and easy.

Two ladies from my local quilt guild made patterns from the book.

This is Barb Duesler's quilt she made from the pattern Harvest Time by Heather Mulder Peterson.

Elaine Egging (above) made her runner from the pattern Simply Simple by Cindy Lammon.

My sister and I made the runner from the pattern Pie Birds by Kim Diehl.  I made mine a bit smaller to fit the place I wanted to use it.  We spent a fun day going thru a box of her scraps and cutting out strips.  We had enough to make two table runners!

Here is Jody Warner's Pie Bird runner.  Aren't the colors lovely!

I made my runner a little smaller by not adding the last row around each block.  Not the greatest photo- sorry about that!  My sister's photo shows the colors in a better light.

 I used the Circles on Quilts/Spinning Wheel 36 ruler from Westalee with the Westalee ruler foot to do some of the machine quilting.

The quilting doesn't show up well on the scrappy quilt top,  so here is a paper example of the quilting

Front

Back

I'm finding more ways to use these great rulers and I love how much it speeds up your quilting and how little you have to mark to use them.

Saturday Surprise- Island Batik box 2

I knew it was coming but expected it a few days later....

As an Island Batik Ambassador- each year we get two boxes of beautiful fabrics to work with.  I knew that this second box had been shipped, but didn't expect it until Monday. So....I thought it would be great to do up a bushel of apples into applesauce on Saturday so I would be free to dive into the fabrics on Monday when they came.

Well....I was up to my elbows in applesauce when the box arrived on Saturday!

Yumm!  Can you smell it?  I used Lodi apples and it came out so creamy and delicious!  Lucky for me - I had a few minutes while the next batch was cooking so that I could open my box.  I just couldn't wait to see what was inside!

This is just a quick sneak peak.  The bundles inside are from some of the newest lines that won't be out until later this fall.  On top is a light neutral that I just love- I use a lot of neutrals.  The dark navy print is actually a rayon.  Island Batik also make beautiful rayons- you can see them on their website.  This is enough to make some kind of a top.  I haven't made clothing in awhile, so this will be another challenge.  Once again Island Batik sent fabrics in colors that I especially love.

I'll share more about all these beautiful fabrics in future posts.  Meanwhile- you might want to search out some Island Batik fabrics at your local shops and select some of your favorite colors to create with!

July - Oh Baby Island Batik Challenge

The July challenge for the Island Batik Ambassadors was to make some kind of a baby quilt.  What a great challenge!  Who doesn't like to make baby quilts!

Once again, my mind was spinning with what to make with the fabrics I'd been given.  I wanted to do something with a lot of color, so I went to some of the small strip pieces we'd been given.  They were about 3" x 10".   That gave me some nice color.  I should have taken a photo of the colorful strips- but I jumped into cutting before I thought about it.  I cut the blocks 3" x 3".

What pattern to use?  I usually make baby quilts that look very cute and baby-ish.  This time I was still thinking about the modern challenge we had a couple months ago, and thought maybe I'd do something with squares and with more of a modern look.

Have you ever gotten ideas in your head that don't go away?  When we had the modern challenge, there were all sorts of patterns I thought about using.  Then we had the curves challenge and all I could think about were curves - ha!  This baby quilt let me use one of the modern patterns that I liked.

Here is a photo of the finished quilt - with a little friend.

The quilt measures 37" x 37".  This quilt was different for me as I didn't start with a pattern.  I started with the colored block size and went from there.  I used a yellow  batik called Swirl Leaf - Blond Ale  from the Twilight Blush collection for the sashings, center squares, backing and binding.

It usually takes me awhile to decide how to quilt, but this time I knew from the start that I wanted to use straight cross hatching.  I used a nice Blendable thread from Sulky. - 4126 for the quilting.  You can't really see it from the photo, but it picked up the colors in the blocks, and looked nice on the back too.

This is a great quilt for using scrap blocks.  It goes together easily.  

Do you need a quick baby quilt?  Give it a try!

Quilt Garden Quilt- quilting with rulers

In my post a week ago, I showed you the local quilt garden and my quilt Crossroads that goes with this years garden block.

I wanted to show you some of the quilting that is on the quilt.  I used some of the new Westalee Rulers for domestic machines.  They are SO wonderful- I can't say enough about them.  I was able to do a variety of quilting designs using them on this quilt and they make quilting so lovely and SO much easier!

Here is a photo of the feathering done on the green fabric- it is very hard to see, but looks very nice.  I used the feather and straight ruler for this area.

Here is a photo of the corner blocks where I used a circle ruler.  These turned out great.  I added a small button to the center for embellishment.

The red area was fun using circle rulers and large arc rulers.  The Spin-E-Fex Ruler No. 4 worked perfectly in the yellow center.

If anyone is interested in learning to do machine quilting on a domestic machine using rulers, be sure and check out the Ruler Foot and Westalee Rulers at SewSteady.com 

McCall's Quilting- Guest Blogger

Today I'm a guest blogger with McCall's Quilting Editors Blog.  Check it out at:
http://www.mccallsquilting.com/blogs/blog/2017/07/13/16975/#more-16975
and be sure to enter the drawing for a strip pack of the lovely Island Batik Surf & Sand fabrics.

McCall's Quick Quilts - Waterway

My quilt Waterway has been published in the Aug/Sept 2017 issue of McCall's Quick Quilts.

The cool refreshing look of this quilt comes from the Surf & Sand fabrics by Island Batik.  I especially loved the focus fabric that had the blue/green curvy lines that looked like seaweed in motion.  I quilted along those lines which made the quilting fast and easy.

You can find more info on the quilt and purchase a digital copy at McCall's Quick Quilting.

McCall's has provided two sample issues as a give-a-way.  Just leave a comment below to be entered. USA residents only please.