The second half of the 2025 Island Batik Ambassador's year starts in July with a shipment of boxes full of fabric, thread and batting so we can continue working on our challenges.
We have some really fun ones coming so follow my blog and my Facebook page if you want to stay up to date with the new Island Batik fabrics and what we are doing with them and our sponsors products!
Here's a quick peak at all the items that were in the two boxes I received for the upcoming monthly challenges the 2nd part of this year.
Cooper always makes himself a star in my blog!
A very special thanks to all the sponsors of the Island Batik Ambassador program.
Make sure you are following along with the other 22 Island Batik Ambassadors for inspiration and tips!
The Island Batik Ambassador Challenge for June was sponsored by Funky Friends Factory. We had our choice of one of their patterns and I chose the Baby Bunny.
The Baby Bunny pattern is a beginner pattern and available to download so you can start working on one yourself! Here's the link below...
I used Hobbs Simply Stuffing inside the Baby Bunny and two Island Batik fabrics, Lavender and Eggplant, for the bunny's body fabric.
It didn't take long to cut the fabrics using the templates provided in the pattern. I marked all the registration points so I could place the legs, arms and ears in the correct position on the fabric pieces. Sewing was was easy and I used Aurifil 50 weight thread and Schmetz Microtex Needles.
The legs and arms are stuffed first, and I put some stuffing in the ears too. After attaching the legs, arms and ears the body is sewn together and gets stuffed, leaving an opening to hand sew at the end. This was an easy project and I high recommend it be one you choose to start with!
And the Baby Bunny was approved by Cooper, my #1 quilting inspector!
A very special thanks to all the sponsors of the Island Batik Ambassador program.
Make sure you are following along with the other 22 Island Batik Ambassadors for inspiration and tips!
This will be my second year as an Island Batik Ambassador and I’m so thrilled to have been chosen from all of the applicants who applied.
There are so many great things about being an Island Batik Ambassador. First there is the challenge they give us to grow as a quilt makers and designers. Then there's the wonderful opportunity to play with the fabulous batiks that Island Batik produces. And there's more... We are provided with the best quilting products from all the sponsors.
Here are all the items I received in my first Box of 2025 with more details!
Oliso– They sent us their small “Project Iron”. They also sent the handy carrying bag to go with the iron.
Accuquilt Go! Irish Chain – I received the AccuCut Go!me since I didn't have one. Thank you AccuQuilt!!! This Irish Chain die will be used during our May Blog Hop.
Island Batik – This Surprise Package is the fabric designed by Jerry Khiev and will be used in our May Blog Hop. The fabrics in this surprise bundle will be shipping to quilt shops in May.
Island Batik – 10″ Squares – Opulent Orange. 20 fabrics, 40 pieces.
Island Batik – Gradations – Breathtaking Brown – 2 1/2″ strips. 20 fabrics, 40 pieces.
Island Batik – Cosmic – 2 1/2″ strips. 20 fabrics, 40 pieces. Plus two yards of coordinating fabrics – Cream and Wavy Dots-Black.
Island Batik – 3 sets of Stash Builders – 5″ strips of fabric – 2.8 yards in each package. These are great as giveaways to Quilt Guilds or to use in our projects.
Island Batik – Foundations set – 12 fabrics each 1/2 yard each. Assortment of solids to gradations to mottled batiks.
Island Batik – 6 yards of a Neutral plus 4 yards each of Black, White & Gray.
Island Batik – “Fall Flair” – Fall 2024 collection by Jerry Khiev for Jennifer Fulton, The Inquiring Quilter. This fabric ships to shops in February. This is the fabric I will be using in our February Blog Hop Challenge. There are 20 fabrics, each 1/2 yard.
Aurifil– The only thread I using for my quilts! We received 3 spools of 50 weight thread, Dark Antique Gold (2372), Neon Orange (1104), and Orange Mustard (2140).
Schmetz Needles – In our Schmetz bag we received three sets of needles, Vinyl, Piecing & Quilting, and Universal. A Schmetz luggage tag, and Schmetz ABC pocket guide, and a Schmetz notepad. These are the only machine needles I use!
I should have the second box arriving this week, from Hobbs Batting and Deb Tuckers Studio 180 designs. I can’t wait to share those with you as well. Funky Factory Friends are providing a pattern for us to make a stuffed animal for one of our monthly projects.
Please visit my fellow 2025 Ambassadors to see what fabrics they received in their shipments and also to see the finished projects they make!
For our April Island Batik Ambassador Challenge I chose to make the Patch Pussy Cat pattern. Of course I didn't choose a beginner pattern, I jumped in the deep end! I've never made a stuffed animal, ever! This was a first for me!
Being new to the Ambassador program I had to choose fabrics from my initial shipment and selected a Halloween theme coloring for my cat.
I followed the instructions to the letter and it was a challenge for me since I had more experience making quilts, clothing and home sewing projects. I used buttons for his eyes and was trying to get a calico look.
All the pattern pieces were printed out on my printer to regular printer paper. I cut them out an pinned them to my fabrics and cut exactly as the directions indicated. There was also a downloadable photo tutorial which was very helpful in making this project. If you follow all of Pauline's instructions, you too will be able to create an adorable stuffed friend. Do go to the Funky Friends website to see all the downloadable patterns available. There are so many to choose from! If this is your first time at making one, do start with a beginner pattern!
