Scrapbuster Express: An Island Batik Challenge

The Island Batik Ambassador challenge for March is scraps, or scrap busting.  I *love* scrap quilts and make a lot of scrappy quilts.  Oddly enough, that made this challenge even more challenging.  I think since I make a lot of scrappy quilts naturally, I felt like this one had to be different or special.  I finally came up with an plan that I think is really fun.  I give you the Scrapbuster Express.

The products featured in this post were given to me by Island Batik, Hobbs, Aurifil, and Schmetz.  

I have AccuQuilt's train die and it's really fun.  I decided to make scrappy trains and surround the trains with super scrappy pieces sashing.  All the pieces in the borders are 2 1/2" (unfinished) squares, also cut with the AccuQuilt.  There are so many different fabrics in this!  I kept out pink and purple, as this is likely to be a donation quilt and I know a lot of places will not give a quilt with even a little pink or purple to a boy.  Beyond that, there's a little bit of everything in here!

I used the neutral Coconut as the background for the train blocks.  The binding is black with circles in it--there were several strips of the same print in my stash builder rolls, and those rolls are perfect for cutting in half and using as binding. I did both piecing and quilting with Aurifil 2000 Light Sand, though I admit that the bobbin thread varied.  Scrappy quilts are great for using up those not-quite-empty bobbins of Aurifil thread in various colors.  I used Schmetz super nonstick needles; they are great with the fusible from applique shapes; there is no gumming of the needle at all.  The batting is Hobbs heirloom 100% cotton.

trains in progress

My favorite part of this was not part of the original plan.  When I cut the trains, I had an engine that was too close in color to the caboose of another train, and with them going different directions, that was too much same together for me. I cut another engine, no big deal.  But the other engine was already cut and had fusible on the back.  So the next morning, I asked my son if he had anything that needed a train on it.  He brought me a plain sweatshirt and I appliqued the train on it.  The train die has a square to be used as a window.  When I went to make a window for his engine, I remembered that I had some penguins from a Glacier View fabric, so I fussy cut a penguin to drive the train.  He loved it.  Thought a penguin driving the train was the best thing ever.

Lucky for me, I had enough penguins to put them on all the trains!!  So each train has a penguin conductor driving and more in the caboose.  It's a fun touch and it makes me smile every time I see the penguins in the train. And the penguins were leftover from this tree skirt I made last year, so they still fit the scrap theme.

Penguin Conductor

It's always fun to play with Island Batik scraps!