Positively 3D--Island Batik Challenge

This month's Island Batik challenge had me virtually smiling almost every day.  For the month of December the ambassadors were to create a 3D project and they totally left the definition of 3D up to the creator.  I've seen all kinds of amazing projects, from quilts to actual 3D objects like purses and bags.

I tend to think of creating quilts as a 2D process, much like drawing or painting, even though you can hold a quilt.  So I chose to use the fabrics in my wall-hanging to give the illusion that the pattern on my quilt was popping off the surface.  After doing a little research, I decided to base my wall hanging off of a graphic design I found while surfing.

Digging into my Island Batik box, I knew that the solid black and white batiks would be perfect for allowing highlights and shading to the quilt.  Design wise, the quilt was created by using lots of squares, rectangles and half square triangles.

It didn't take long for the design to come to life.

As I pieced this one, I knew immediately how it would be quilted...lots of straight lines that would hopefully guide the eye adding to the illusion.

The wall hanging was basted together with a gray solid batik for the back and Hobb's Heirloom cotton batting.

The quilting lines were stitched using Aurifil 50wt threads that matched each of the fabrics; 2783 Medium Delft Blue, 2715 Robins Egg, 2692 Black and 2024 White.

To finish things off, I chose to do a flange binding using the dark blue batik and solid gray.  I absolutely love when a project comes together just like I imagined in my head.

I was a bit sad to finish this challenge.  This will wrap up my ambassador term for Island Batik.  I hope that in the future I will be able to team up with them again.  I absolutely enjoyed spending a year creating with their beautiful fabrics.  A huge thanks to Island Batik and their affiliates Aurifil Thread, Hobbs Batting and AccuQuilt for allowing us to create using their amazing products!

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.

Happy--Artsy Fartsy Challenge

Artys Fartsy was the name of the game from Island Batik and Aurifil this month.  The challenge was to create a quilt with thread being our main focus.  They encouraged us to think of it as fabric is our canvas and thread is our paint.  Our only rule was to use at least 3 different weights of Aurifil thread...challenge accepted!

Passion Flowers Fat Quarter Fun

A few months ago, while part of the 2018 Aurifil Artisan team, I was offered the chance to play with fat quarters from Anna Maria Horner's Passion Flowers line of fabric.  Oh my yummy goodness!

Make It Modern-Hearts on Fire

First up a thousand apologies that this post hasn't gone live until June 3rd.  The challenge quilt was actually finished before the end of May but really icky weather and a head cold that came from no where really put the post on hold.  Hopefully all the quilty fun makes up for it.

Island Batik-Magnificent Minis

I'm so excited to show you my first complete challenge for Island Batik.  This month our challenge was to create a miniature quilt no larger than 24" square for the Magnificent Mini Challenge using fabrics provided to us by Island Batik.

Island Batik---the Magic Boxes

This is the moment you have been waiting for.  A huge moment.  A box of fabric you have been anticipating for a week arrives and your mind is blown the moment you cut the tape sealing the box.  It's like Christmas, your birthday and any other present receiving holiday all wrapped up into one.  It's the moment your first shipment of fabric from the Island Batik Ambassador program arrives.  All you can do is sit and bask in the glowing light that is all those beautiful hand dyed fabrics.  Wait, what's that noise?  Is that actual angels singing?  You are paralyzed...you can't...even...anything...

Then you slap yourself back to reality, grab the camera and start snapping pictures because fabric this beautiful...must be shared! (Warning what follows is a post full of many pictures of beautiful fabrics!)

Look at all that quilting yumminess!!!

When You Wish-Mountaineer Style

This is my first official finish for 2019!!  At the beginning of January I issued my quilt guild's first challenge project (with hopes to do a total of four this year); make anything but only using two colors.  You can use various shades of the two colors but only two colors.  I decided it get working on mine ASAP.

I have been crushing on this free baby quilt pattern called When You Wish at Bonjour Quilts for a while now and decided now is the time.  I am happy to report that this mini quilt is 100% from the stash.  No new fabrics were purchased to make this quilt.  For my color scheme, I went with one of my favorite combos...blue and yellow/gold.  Queue the WVU fight song!

Baby Quilt Finish

I'm celebrating a quilt finish today and it feels good.  As of right now, it doesn't have a name.  This was due to be the next quilt pattern release for Wonderland, but due to some technical difficulties, that has been delayed, but we won't get into that.  It's neither here nor there.  I still want to share this fun finish.

SS Playtime Plus--Finished

I have to admit this quilt has been finished for weeks now, just waiting for me to talk about it.  This is my finish for Sandra at mmm!quilts Playtime Plus QAL.  I call it the SS Playtime Plus, short for Sexy Sophisticated Playtime Plus.  Red, black and white are just timeless classic colors.

Alexandrite and Pearls

I'm not sure where to start because I'm so in love with this little 16" mini quilt.  Let's start with technically, it is not my quilt...legally only half mine.  Sorry, bad joke.  This little quilt is the brain child of my husband, Dave the Quilt Engineer and will be his entry in our guild's Birthstone Challenge.

When the challenge was issued, he decided to go with one of the designs from his sketch book.  The birthstone(s) for the month of June is Pearls and the more modern Alexandrite in beautiful purples and turquoise.  When he showed me the fabrics he had picked out, I knew no matter what he created it was going to be beautiful!  Plus there was a bit of jealousy because all I had to work with was reddish brown on mine.