Island Batik--Tool Time

Once again, I'm clocking in as the sand almost runs out on this challenge, but this quilt was worth it.  For our November challenge, we were to use a quilting tool that we might have lying around to create a quilt.  

I decided on the Creative Grids Trapezoid Ruler and this yummy strip set of the newly released Black Pearl line from Island Batik.  I used the book Jelly Roll Quilts (not an affiliate link)by Pam Lintott as a guild to put this quilt together.

From the moment I pulled this strip set from the ambassador box, I was in love with those purples and blue grays.

The Trapezoid ruler made cutting all those units a breeze.  It actually serves two purposes; to cut 2.5" strips and templates to cut the trapezoids.

It even has small circular cutouts so that your rotary cutter can cut down past the fabric with ease when cutting out your shapes.

The French Braid quilt pattern came in very handy for making sure that I got all my pieces laid out correctly and enough trapezoids cut to complete the rows.

A little pinning...

a little trimming and we have a finished quilt top.

I chose to use Aurifil 50wt #2510 Light Lilac to do a large stippling design all over the quilt top and Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 Cotton for the batting.

I couldn't be happier with the out come of this quilt!

This little lap quilt will be traveling with my daughter to school.  There is a thousand quilty hugs for her within this quilt.  A huge thank you to Island Batik for allowing me to play with these fabrics!  Now it's time to get to work on December's 3D challenge.  I hope to make something that takes you to another dimension.

UFO Busting #83

Welcome back to another week of UFO Busting.  Time to celebrate our finishes and our not quite finishes.  This week saw no finishes for me.  Just slow progress and a little rearranging of the sewing room.

I finished all the braids for the French Braid quilt!!  It should come together super quick now that all I have to do is pin those rows and sew them together.

I'm saying a little prayer with each pin that my seams match up.  I'm not too worried about it though because with all those beautiful Island Batik fabrics to look at, I don't think anyone will notice if they don't.

Knowing that this will be a bigger quilt than normal to quilt, some planning in the quilting room has taken place.  I love my Sweet Sixteen with all my heart, but it's frustrating wrestling with larger quilts and having them go off the machine table.  Lucky for me, my family let me borrow two small tables to put on either side.

The room is quite a bit cramped, but the tables fold up easily when not in use.  If this works like I hope it will, maybe Santa will have some extra work tables at the North Pole he's not using?

Now let's see what you were up to last week.  First up we have Sandy over at Sew This is my Blog and her I Spy Quilt.

What could be better than a brightly colored quilt acting as a fun child's game??  Playing I Spy with my daughter got me through many a long line at the grocery store when she was little.  She would have LOVED a quilt like this.  Make sure you pop over to Sandy's and congratulate her on this finish and check out the tiny precious recipient!

Speaking of Santa watching, Wendy at Peiceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life has been a good little girl and started working on a Christmas Quilt Mini.

She will be using Lori Holt's Vintage Christmas book to create her mini.  I can't wait to see it come together for the holidays.  Make sure you cheer Wendy on so this little mini shines this Christmas!

Now let's see what you've been up to this week.  Link up below and tell us all about it.

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UFO Busting #82

Welcome back to another week of UFO Busting, where we want you to show us your stuff!  Really anything.  What have you been up to in your sewing room, or not sewing room??  Last weekend I found myself having to work.  One of the many things I love about my new job is when I have to work weekends, they don't care if I bring quilting stuff with me.

So I used this little cubby in the front desk to hide my stuff and worked on laying out the "random" pieces to my Island Batik French Braid Quilt.

I love how all these purples and blue grays are coming together.  

I have three of the eight braids completed and am optimistic the other five may be coming together as you read this.  I'm hoping to gift this one to my daughter when it's finished.

It was also a week of fabric scores for me.  I received happy mail in the form of these lovely fat quarters I won during the #missingmarket event on Instagram.

These lovelies are from Lucy Engels and I love them dearly!  I can't wait to figure out what they will become.  I'm thinking something modern, simple and fun!

Then at guild meeting I won the fat quarter drawing and scored all of these Christmas prints!

Apparently, Santa is watching and knows I've been a very good girl.

Speaking of other good girls, Gail over at Quilting Gail was a very good productive little girl and made the most of her time at quilt retreat.

Make sure to pay her a visit to find out about the fun she had and all the projects she got completed.  I always love how organized she is down to where she stands on her stash fabrics to where projects are in the completed line up!

Next up we have Donna Lee Q and a quilt top finish and an applique project she started using Kaffe Fassett prints.

This quilt is going to be eye popping beautiful!  I can't wait to cheer her on and watch it come together.

Now it's your turn.  What have you been up to this week.  Link up and tell us about it below.

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On a personal side note.  It finally happened.  I'm officially an empty nester.  I thought the fabrics would be flying in my sewing room with all my new free time, but no.  However, the tissues have not been flying so that's a good thing.

This week I delivered the Tisha-spawn and her fish to her new destination for the next few years.  I'm so excited for her and the new adventures and experiences she will have.  It's sad to see them leave, but ultimately, we want them to grow to be successful and productive and I couldn't be more proud of her.  So for me, I will open a bottle of wine and figure out my new chapter of life.  More quilting!

  

UFO Busting #81

Welcome back for another edition of UFO Busting, where we celebrate all things UFO and not UFO.  We are basically just partying and calling it something...tell everyone!  This week Island Batik kicked the party off with the A Piece Of blog hop. 

This blog hop will be highlighting all the beautiful Summer 2019 collection fabrics soon to be in stores near you and the lucky ambassadors chosen to work with these collections!  This week, Black Pear (Janet and Emily), Blue Sea (Dione and Laura), Islander (Anja and Lori) and Little Sir Little Miss (Suzie and Alison), were highlighted.  Make sure you hop over to Island Batik and the above ambassador's pages to see these beautiful fabrics and finds some awesome giveaways!

This week, I found myself working with a strip set of the mouth watering Black Pearl fabric line.  I will be using it to complete the Tool Time challenge for those of us not in the blog hop.  I'm just braiding away over here.

I can't wait to tell you about the cool ruler I'm using to make this friendship braid come together.

With no finishes to celebrate in my quilt room this week, let's look at some people who had finishes last week.  First up we have Wendy at Pieceful Thoughts of my Quilting Life.  With her finish, Wendy reminds us of some important advice...

Make sure you hop over and tell her "good job!" and read about how she created the pop effect with those letters with her background quilting.

Next up we have Chris at Chris Knits Sews and a UFO finish...that she wasn't even expecting to finish!

Piecing this Bonnie Hunter QAL quilt was her OMG for the month.  Not only did she get it pieced, she got it quilted!  You go Chris!  To read more about this funny story...(funny why? because she was avoiding quilting in the first place) click on over to Chris and tell her congratulations on this unexpected finish.

Now it's your turn.  Link up below and show us what you have been up to this week.

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UFO Busting #80

Happy November to everyone!  What a week weather wise.  Earlier this week, it was all fall and a warm fuzzy 70F.  Last night, woo we, hello thirty and a spitting of the white stuff (nothing on the ground though).  I do have to share the scariest Halloween picture I saw on Facebook.

This picture of terror was posted by my friends Roseanne and Sue over at Home Sewn By Us.  I know it made me hide in my bed with my head covered.  Ladies I do hope if you are reading this you are staying warm.  Actually, it's quite a beautiful picture.

This week, I finished my Island Batik October challenge, Top It Off.  While most ambassadors where dreaming of big fat turkeys or the jolly ol' fat guy, I was feeling the love over here.

I went with Valentines Day, hearts and sexy quilting.  Momma needs some romance in her life.  If I quilt it, maybe he will come?  You can read more about this creation of love here.

Last weekend, while finishing up the quilting of the table runner, I joined in on the fun that is #missingmarket over on Instagram.

If you've never heard of this event, check out my post here; read about the fun photo challenges and how you can win prizes and make new friends, just by posting to Instagram.  It's a great time and hosts Kim (gogokim) and Natalie (sewhungryhippie) always do an amazing job keeping the energy going!

This week, I'm celebrating the Top It Off event.  Two other Island Batik Ambassadors linked up last week.  First up we have Kathleen at Kathleen McMusing and she went full on Halloween!

Not only did she create one super cool Halloween topper, but she created a second one as well.  Now get on over to visit her and check out the second one!  Don't forget to say "Trick or Treat!"

Next up is another, two toppers in one month rock star, Sandra at mmm!quilts.  She celebrated October with fun Thanksgiving themed table runners.  Since the US celebrates ours in November, let's take a look at her Greta the Gobbler.

I just love that 3D beak!  Sandra also created another table runner Giving Thanks, but with beautiful turquoise and orange pumpkins.  Don't take my word for it.  Go check it out!  I know I'm thankful everyday, I have her in my life.

So now it's your turn.  Let's see what you've been up to this past week.  Link up below and tell us all about it.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter