StitchWithColor: quilting

Showing posts with label quilting. Show all posts

Thursday, November 13, 2025

November Island Batik Timeless Tradition Blog Hop

Welcome to the November Timeless Tradition Blog Hop!

Island Batik Ambassadors were challenged with using 5 different classic, traditional quilt blocks.

First we received the Secret Bundle to be used in this Blog Hop with our July shipment.

The fabric collection in the surprise bundle was Paisley Parade, designed by Jerry Khiev. This collection is shipping to stores now!

Let's see if you can guess which quilt blocks I chose to make!

As a foundation paper piecing instructor, I chose to paper piece most of my blocks printed out from Electric Quilt.

Foundation paper piecing creates precise and perfect star blocks!

Then there are some blocks you can just sew the fabrics together and cut to size. These were my Four Patches.

During this challenge project I was supervised by my favorite quilt inspector, Cooper. He kept me company and somehow managed to keep me on schedule too!

And here are the 5 blocks I completed. Trust me, your eyes are not playing tricks! There are 5 traditional blocks... the pinwheel, flying geese, star block and I combined the half square triangle with the four patch as one block! I made a total of six 4" blocks for each one below.

After playing with the blocks on the design wall, I ended up adding a 6th traditional block to my quilt, the Churn Dash. I took 2 of my 4" blocks and put them in the center of the Churn Dash blocks turning them into 8" blocks. After playing with the blocks on my design wall, this is the final order I decided to go with.

Once these blocks were all sewn together, and I added the border fabric, sandwiched the backing fabric and quilt top with Hobbs Thermore^®Batting, which is a low loft batting and perfect for miniatures and runners.

I turned these blocks into a beautiful patriotic table runner that measures 20-1/2" X 52-1/2".

We'll see you next month with the results of a brand new challenge!

💖

A very special thanks to all the sponsors of the Island Batik Ambassador program.

@islandbatik @aurifil @accuquilt @oliso @Schmetzneedles @hobbsbatting @byannie.com

@funkyfriendsfactory @debtuckersstudio180design

Make sure you are following along with the other 22 Island Batik Ambassadors for inspiration and tips!

Brenda Alburl - https://songbirddesigns.blog

Renee Atkinson - https://wordpress.com/posts/pinktulipquilting.studio

Susan Deshensky - www.ladybluequilts.com/blog

Tina Dillard - https://quiltingaffection.blogspot.com/

Brittany Fisher - www.bobbinwithbrittany.com

Kimberly Flannagan - https://www.kimberlysquilts.com/blog

Preeti Harris - https://sewpreetiquilts.blogspot.com

Mania Hatziioannidi - www.maniaforquilts.com

Kim Jamieson-Hirst - https://www.chatterboxquilts.com/blog

Connie Kauffman - Kauffmandesigns.blogspot.com

Connie Kresin Campbell - https://conniekresin.com/

Emily Leachman - https://thedarlingdogwood.blogspot.com/

Denise Looney - https://quiltery.com

Leah Malasky - www.quilteddelights.com

Susan Michaels - https://dragonflyfiberart.blogspot.com/

Lisa Pickering - https://lisasquiltingpassion.blog/

Sarah Pitcher - www.pitchersboutique.com/blog-1

Gail Sheppard - https://quiltinggail.com/

Carol Stanek - stitchwithcolor.blogspot.com

Solomae Stoycoff - https://cuddlecatquiltworks.com

Jennifer Thomas - https://curlicuecreations.com

Suzy Webster - www.websterquilt.com

Be sure you’re following me on Facebook and Instagram so you won’t miss out on what I’ll be creating next!

#timelesstraditionsbloghop #islandbatikambassador #islandbatik #Iloveislandbatik #luminfabrics #aurifil #aurifilthread #oliso #createwitholiso #olisohome #olfacreates #bernina #electricquilt #followers #everyone

Monday, September 22, 2025

September Island Batik + Aurifil Threaded Chaos Blog Hop

This month’s Island Batik challenge is the Threaded Chaos Blog Hop, a creative adventure in partnership with Aurifil thread. This challenge gave me the opportunity to use all those fancy stitches that come with my Bernina sewing machine! I'm going to challenge each of you to do this challenge too. I found it to be fun and learned a lot about those unused stitches and find many stitches I love and will use them again!

This challenge started with the fabric collection provided to me to use in this challenge, Island Batik's GEODE GLOW Collection.

I love these fabrics and the rich colors!

Then there's the threads provided by Aurifil, a great selection of colors that go really well with these fabrics! Aurifil is the only thread I use when making quilts. Here's the color information on the 4 thread colors used for this challenge: #1100 Red Plum, #2135 Yellow, 2545 Purple, and

#2785 Dark Navy

I pressed and cut my fabrics into 7 inch squares to start and used a plastic template to cut my uniform pieces for the 6" finished blocks. After the fabric squares were stacked and cut with the templates, i then shuffled each stack so each of the blocks would have different fabrics in each block.

Now the sewing beings... I did a lot of chain stitching which speeded up the process of sewing the units together. Thirty-six individual blocks were made, pressed with my Oliso iron, and then placed onto my design wall so I can play with block and color placement. Once I had every block in place, I started to sew the blocks together into a small quilt, 6 blocks across by 6 blocks down.

And now the real fun starts! I layered the quilt with HOBBS Thermore Ultra Thin Batting and a backing fabric and was doing all the creative stitches also as my quilting stitches. I tried almost every special stitch that I thought would be interesting in a Crazy Quilt. Here's some close up photos of several of the selected stitches. It did took several days of of working on this quilt using the creative stitches as my quilting!

I'm sure many of you out there when working on finishing a quilt find that your feline quilt inspector has to test out the quilt and let you know they're approval of these quilts. Well, I stepped away for a moment and came back to find Cooper totally satisfied with this month's challenge quilt!

Now for the BIG REVEAL ... Here's the finished Crazy Quilt!

We'll see you next month with the results of a brand new challenge!

💖

A very special thanks to all the sponsors of the Island Batik Ambassador program.

@islandbatik @aurifil @accuquilt @oliso @Schmetzneedles @hobbsbatting @byannie.com

@funkyfriendsfactory @debtuckersstudio180design

Make sure you are following along with the other 22 Island Batik Ambassadors for inspiration and tips!

Brenda Alburl - https://songbirddesigns.blog

Sarah Pitcher - www.pitchersboutique.com/blog-1

Gail Sheppard - https://quiltinggail.com/

Carol Stanek - stitchwithcolor.blogspot.com

Solomae Stoycoff - https://cuddlecatquiltworks.com

Jennifer Thomas - https://curlicuecreations.com

Suzy Webster - www.websterquilt.com

Be sure you’re following me on Facebook and Instagram so you won’t miss out on what I’ll be creating next!

#luminfabrics #islandbatik #iloveislandbatik #islandbatikambassador #Aurifil #Aurifilthread #oliso #createwitholiso #olisohome #hobbsbatting #hobbsinside #threadedchaosbloghop #olfacreates #bernina #followers #everyone

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Island Batik Ambassador - Accuquilt – Irish Chain May Blog Hop

The May 2025 Island Batik Challenge is a Blog Hop sponsored by AccuQuilt! We received the GO! Irish Chain die to cut our fabrics for the May Blog Hop challenge.

This challenge features the classic Irish chain block, and no matter the layout, it can come together in a fraction of the cutting time with our sponsored Accuquilt Irish Chain 10-inch Finished Die.

Thanks to AccuQuilt, making an Irish Chain quilt has never been easier or more fun. The die makes precise cuts that help you get perfect seams and beautiful blocks, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned quilter. Plus, the shapes can be used for so much more than just the Irish Chain, there’s plenty of room to play and experiment.

As you follow along with the blog hop and see all the stunning quilts the Ambassadors create, you're encouraged to stop by your local quilt shop and let them know how much you love all the new Island Batik fabrics and the new collections featured during the Irish Chain Blog Hop. Supporting local shops and sharing what inspires you helps keep our quilting community thriving!

In my January unboxing we had a “Surprise” fabric package. This fabric was intended for this May challenge.

The fabric that I was received is

Cutting my fabrics took a quick evening which I loved! Plus sewing the blocks was so easy and quick!

After I finished sewing my blocks using my favorite Schmetz Microtex 50 Sharp needles with Aurifil 50 weight white thread, I knew my quilt design need a bit more to it. So I decided to foundation paper piece trees for the blocks in between the chained blocks.

I pressed my blocks with my Oliso iron and assembled them. But they still needed something else. So I decided to add a little bling to the trees which gave the trees the sparkle they needed!

Once the quilt top was ready to be quilted with Hobbs Batting. I did very simple quilting, as I am not a long arm quilter, but I gave it my best! The quilt went through it's normal quilt inspection by Cooper, the head quilt inspector! He loved it so much that he didn't want to release the quilt!

And now for the result of my Island Batik - Accuquilt - Irish Chain Quilt...

Remember to enter this week's giveaway at Lumin Fabrics "Island Batik"!

Link to Island Batik Blog

You will also have a chance each week, and again in the with the final vote!

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!

Brenda Alburl - https://songbirddesigns.blog

Sarah Pitcher - www.pitchersboutique.com/blog-1

Gail Sheppard - https://quiltinggail.com/

Carol Stanek - stitchwithcolor.blogspot.com

Solomae Stoycoff - https://cuddlecatquiltworks.com

Jennifer Thomas - https://curlicuecreations.com

Suzy Webster - www.websterquilt.com

Be sure you’re following me on Facebook and Instagram so you won’t miss out on what I’ll be creating next!

#luminfabrics #islandbatik #islandbatikambassador #loveislandbatik #irishchainbloghop #accuquilt #accuquiltgo #createwitholiso #olisoconnects #aurifl #aurifilthread #schmetzneedles #bernina #hobbsbatting #hobbsinside #followers #quiltersoffacebook #quiltersofinstagram

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Island Batik Ambassador "Drunkard Path Block" April Challenge

I hope you see birds flying away. That's what I was aiming for!

This is my finished quilt for the April Island Batik Ambassador Challenge.

We were to use the Drunkard Path blocks for this challenge.

The fabric I used for this quilt was Island Batik's 10" Squares of the ESSENSE Collection which is coming to quilt shops in September 2025.

I started cutting out the 10" squares using the AccuQuilt Go Me! It made the chore of cutting fabrics go so fast. I had all my "ready to sew" pieces done in an less than an hour and started sewing right away!

I worked on this project using Aurifil thread, pressing with my Oliso iron, until I had all the drunkard path blocks completed... These are 3" finished drunkard path blocks. I sewed 4 blocks together to get my birds making the finished bird blocks 6". Then the blocks went onto the design wall to be arranged in a pleasing (to me) pattern! This took some time arranging and rearranging the blocks and stepping back to review. I wasn't satisfied until I had all the blocks in an order from light to dark so it would look like the birds were flying away with the lightest blocks at top showing distance. Then all the blocks were sewn together and this is the quilt top before I quilted it.

I finished the quilt with purple backing fabric and binding. I echo quilted the rows of birds in a heavier variegated thread. Then there was the Cooper quilt inspection....

The quilt PASSED INSPECTION!!!

I hope you enjoy it too!

A very special thanks to all the sponsors of the Island Batik Ambassador program.

Please visit my fellow 2025 Ambassadors to see what projects they’re working on!

Brenda Alburl - https://songbirddesigns.blog

Sarah Pitcher - www.pitchersboutique.com/blog-1

Gail Sheppard - https://quiltinggail.com/

Carol Stanek - stitchwithcolor.blogspot.com

Solomae Stoycoff - https://cuddlecatquiltworks.com

Jennifer Thomas - https://curlicuecreations.com

Suzy Webster - www.websterquilt.com

Be sure you’re following me on Facebook and Instagram so you won’t miss out on what I’ll be creating next!

#luminfabrics #islandbatik #islandbatikambassador #loveislandbatik #createwitholiso #olisoconnects #aurifl #aurifilthread #schmetzneedles #accuquilt #bernina #hobbsbatting #hobbsinside #followers #quiltersoffacebook #quiltersofinstagram

Monday, March 24, 2025

Island Batik "It's All Up To You" March Challenge

This month the Island Batik Ambassadors were allowed to make a project of their choice, using Island Batiks fabrics. We could do the project in any size using any technique.

As many of you may know I’m also a BeColourful Authorized Teacher do trunk shows and workshops with quilt guilds and quilt shops, plus I’m required to attend a master class every year with Jacqueline de Jonge, the pattern designer of BeColourful quilt patterns. I am currently working on the “Catch Me” pattern for my upcoming master class I will be in the beginning of June. This pattern has been consuming the majority of my sewing time and so this month Island Batik challenge project is small! The next few months will be super challenging!

For the March Island Batik challenge I choose Island Batik’s JUBILANT batik 2 ½ strip set. This collection I thought would be perfect as stained glass. I created my own foundation paper pattern to create my project.

The full fabric collection

Here's the finished table topper

Here's a close up of the individual block

This table topper was made with Island Batik Jubilant strip set (1/2 pack) and solid black batik, foundation paper pieced with Aurifil 50 wt thread, sewn with Schmetz 70/10 Microtex needles, pressed with my Oliso Mini Pro Iron, and quilted on my Bernina using Hobbs fusible batting. The table topper measures approximately 18 x 21 inches.

A very special thanks to all the sponsors of the Island Batik Ambassador program.

Please visit my fellow 2025 Ambassadors to see what projects they’re working on!

Brenda Alburl - https://songbirddesigns.blog

Sarah Pitcher - www.pitchersboutique.com/blog-1

Gail Sheppard - https://quiltinggail.com/

Carol Stanek - stitchwithcolor.blogspot.com

Solomae Stoycoff - https://cuddlecatquiltworks.com

Jennifer Thomas - https://curlicuecreations.com

Suzy Webster - www.websterquilt.com

Be sure you’re following me on Facebook and Instagram so you won’t miss out on what I’ll be creating next!

#luminfabrics #islandbatik #islandbatikambassador #loveislandbatik #createwitholiso #olisoconnects #aurifl #aurifilthread #schmetzneedles #bernina #hobbsbatting #hobbsinside #followers #quiltersoffacebook #quiltersofinstagram