Road Trip!

It's hard to believe that summer is essentially over!  I'm still not entirely sure where it went!  Things were very busy at work as we moved into a gorgeous new library and I am the details person at work, so I was very involved with the move and getting ready to open.  But my family did manage to take two short trips.  I had been wanting to make the Road Trip pattern By Annie and I managed to get it done before our July trip to Ohio.

Annie's patterns are very thorough.  There are a lot of steps so they take some time, but the results are always beautiful and totally worth it.  I love this one!  There are a ton of pockets.  My vision was always to load this up with everything Fire Monkey would want for a road trip, both in the car and once we made it to our destination.  It fit everything: friends (stuffed animals), his tablet, books, extra masks.  Our car bingo set was in there too, but I don't think you can see it in the photos. There are also two other Annie bags in this one, a large clam up that holds his cars & trucks, and a pencil case made with firetruck fabric.  

The main fabric is Little Explorers by Sarah Frederking; I bought it at my local quilt shop from their sale room.  I love all the little animals in it!  The binding/coordinating fabric is Kona Enchanted, their color of the year in 2020.  The lining fabric is a fun multi-color print that was leftover backing from my Exploding Heart teacher quilt.

This is a great bag and it fits so much.  It was great for Fire Monkey to have everything right next to him in the car, and then we could just carry into the house we rented when we got to our destination and he had everything there, too.  I know Road Trip will go with us on many future trips!

 

 

Time to Quilt! A Marvelous Mini

For August, Island Batik challenged their ambassadors to make a Marvelous Mini.  We could use any techniques, the only stipulation was that it be no larger than 24" square. I have long wanted to make a quilted clock and this seemed like the perfect time. 

The products featured in this post were given to me by Island Batik, Hobbs, Schmetz, Aurifil, & Prairie Spirit Alpaca.

A Dresden block seemed perfect, and the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to make a color wheel.  As I've said before, no one can do a rainbow like Island Batik! I went through my scraps and collection of stash builder strips to choose the best color wheel I could.  I used the Chunky Dresden template from Julie of Crafty Quilter.  While I was cutting the blades, I decided to make more than one Dresden since the blades use so little fabric.  The red-orange was my limiting factor; I could only get three blades out of it, so three clocks it is!  The blades after being chain-pieced made a beautiful garland!

Once I pressed all my blades on my alpaca pressing mat from Paririe Spirit Alpaca, I assembled my fans.  I did all piecing and quilting with Schmetz needles. I decided on solid gray for the background and center circle.  I used an Elmer's disappearing purple glue stick to keep the Dresden in place while I stitched around each blade with Aurifil monofilament thread.  Then I switched to Aurifil #6726 Airstream for the quilting. 

 

The numbers were the hardest part.  I used to do a lot of rubber stamping and I still had a set of small number stamps.  I tested on some scrap and liked it, but then when I stamped on an actual wheel, it bothered me that the stamps didn't really show up well on a few of the darker colors, like the purple. 

 

I ended up printing out bubble letters from online, using a copier to get them to a size I liked, and then used my light box to trace them backwards so I could print onto heat-n-bond light printable sheets.  I then ironed onto Island Batik solid black fabric. The numbers are small enough that I did not stitch around them after fusing; I'm assuming they won't get much handling since the clock will presumably hang on a wall or be propped on shelf. 

 

Though the fabrics are all the same, I varied the starting color.  The one for me, I used purple as the 12.  The second clock is a birthday present for my friend Kate, whose amazing photographs I sometimes use here.  Kate's favorite color is blue, so her clock has blue in the 12 o' clock position.  For the third, I stuck with Roy-G-Biv and used red as the start of the wheel.I quilted each clock slightly differently.  The battings are also different, though they are all by Hobbs.  Since this was a small project, I was able to use up smaller bits.  The clock with the red 12 has Hobbs' fusible batting, which I absolutely love because it cuts out the need to baste.  The clock with the blue 12 has Hobbs bleached 80/20 batting and the purple 12 has their Thermore 100% polyester batting.  

 

solid gray on the back, quilting from the Dresden blades

I bought 14" artist's canvases and Husband helped me staple the quilted sandwich to the canvases.  If I had it to do over again, I probably wouldn't have layered and quilted the clock, I would just staple the top to the canvas.  The bulk of the batting plus top & backing made for a lot to staple, especially in the corners.  The clock mechanisms were pretty easy to install. 

I'm so happy with my finished clocks!  Marvelous Mini was a fun challenge!

Island Batik bonus

When Island Batik sent out our ambassador boxes, the summer pre-cuts weren't ready yet.  Shipping delays are still pretty common.  So last week I got a bonus package, a strip pack of the Emperor's Treasure collection!  Emperor's Treasure is a beautiful collection of purples and greens, one of my favorite color combinations.  My coordinating yardage is from the always-available Foundations collection; I got two yards each of Lemongrass and Frog.  

Aurifil also sent 4 spools of thread!  I was not expecting thread, so it was fun to find such bright colors in my package.

And lest you think that I am the only one in my household who enjoys packages from Island Batik, here is Buttercup playing with the Island Batik twill tape that wrapped the strip stack with the yardage.

I completely forgot to pick a winner of the fabric from the Woodblock Bouquets collection, from my June Prickly Pear New York Beauty project.  I was supposed to pick a winner on July 1st and completely forgot.  Fortunately, the fabric bundle re-surfaced in my sewing room and reminded me.  The lucky winner is Wendy of Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life.  Wendy & I have been quilting friends for several years so I was thrilled when it was her number.  I'll get these beauties mailed off to Wendy this weekend so that I can spread the Island Batik happy mail.

My NYC blog hop - I Heart New York

During my last year and a half of college and a few years after, I dated a guy who was born & raised in New York City.  I visited him & his family a total of 3 times while we were together and loved the city each time.  So I was thrilled when Jennifer of Dizzy Quilter asked me to join in a blog hop celebrating Gotham Quilts' first fabric line, My NYC.  The line has so many visuals that are classic New York, including taxis, the Statue of Liberty, pigeons, the skyline, and even pizza rat!

 

I was generously sent a bundle of fat quarters of the 11 prints in the collection and told I could make whatever I wanted.  I love the prints so much that I wanted something that kept them in fairly large pieces to show them off.  The iconic I 💗 NY logo kept creeping into my head, so I decided on Paper Hearts from The Jolly Bar Book, though I changed it somewhat.  I love these fabrics in heart form!

I wanted the My NYC fabrics to shine so I needed a background fabric, and I settled on a navy blender.  I quilted with a dark grey thread in organic wavy lines.  I used one of the text prints as the binding.  The text print is super clever; check it out!  The print is in two colors and the dark creates a skyline!  I believe the words are all subway stops.

I don't have access to the New York City skyline but I did get a picture with my skyline: that's Charlotte, NC.  

 

 

Be sure to check out all the projects this week that use My NYC.  There will also be a giveaway next week; keep your eye on Jennifer's posts for details.  The giveaway is on Instagram, so I am not participating but most of the other makers are.

August 1		Dizzy Quilter	www.dizzyquilter.com
August 1		Sugar Sand Quilt Co.	www.sugarsandquilts.com
August 2		Go-Go Kim	www.gogokim.com
August 2		Fish Museum and Circus	www.fishmuseumandcircus.com
August 3		The Darling Dogwood	http://thedarlingdogwood.blogspot.com/	👈That's me!
August 4		CDM365 Studios	www.cdm365studios.com
August 5		Powered By Quilting	www.poweredbyquilting.com
August 6		Lovingly, Lissa	www.lovinglylissa.com
August 6		Geometry and Joy	www.geometryandjoy.com
August 7		Slice of Pi Quilts	https://www.sliceofpiquilts.com/

To close, here are my two favorite hearts, taxis and pigeons:

Forest Jewels

This month, Accuquilt is celebrating Christmas in July.  They sent each Island Batik ambassador their new Tree of Life BOB die and tasked us with creating something to then gift to someone who needs joy.  When I got the challenge details, I spent some time thinking about what to make and who to gift it to.  And then, practically all at once, I knew what I wanted to make, who I wanted to give it to, and that I was setting myself up for a capital-C challenge.  

I have planned to make my best friend Laura a bed-sized quilt for a while.  I started one for her years ago, but fell out of love with it many years ago and my skills have progressed significantly since I stared it.  She has had some real challenges in recent years so she fit the "needs joy" criteria, though I will not share her story.  And she happens to have a PhD in forestry.  And I had to use a tree block.  The best, and simultaneously most challenging part, is that I was going to see her the second weekend in July.  I live in North Carolina and she lives in Massachusetts, so we aren't frequently in the same place.  But I didn't yet know when I would receive the die, so I didn't know how long I would have to make the quilt. 

In front of the Upside-Down Tree, Kenyon College

I did, however, have the prefect fabric, a 10" stack of Jewel Quest, a collection from early 2021.  Jewel Quest is a stunning collection of purples and greens.  It may be important that Laura and I share the favorite color of purple. And to further cement Jewel Quest as the perfects fabric collection for this project, many of the prints have trees and/or leaves on them.

Trees & Leaves in Jewel Quest

Accuquilt has a printable coloring sheet for the Tree of Life block, so I figured out my placement while waiting for the die to arrive.  My version has 71 pieces in each 14" block.  And I would need 16 blocks!  Fortunately, the Accuquilt makes cutting a breeze and cut all my Jewel Quest fabrics in one evening, then cut the background and trunk fabrics in a second cutting session.  I used solid Black for the background and the basic Cinnamon for the trunks.   

Laura's favorite block

One of my favorites

Laura's second favorite, but she kept changing her mind!

While piecing and pressing, I used my new pressing mat from Prairie Spirit Alpaca.  The mat does make a difference in pressing, as the pieces get the heat from top and bottom, since the mat retains heat.  The mat is a generous size, too, so I could press the longer seams that ran the width of the 14" block and it fit on the mat.  For quilts with a black background I absolutely Hobbs black batting and I was lucky to have gotten a queen size of it in my most recent ambassador box.  I don't like using black thread with black fabric, so I both pieced and quilted with Aurifil color 2784 Dark Navy and of course Schmetz needles, my favorite needles and the only ones I use. 

On the pressing mat

I started cutting out the blocks on June 30th and finished the quilt on July 11th, giving me 3 days to spare before my trip. Yup, I made a bed-sized quilt in 12 days!  I've never done that before, and I don't ever plan to do it again!  But it was totally worth it.  Laura loves it. 

 

We took pictures together as best we could. We were on our college campus and there is a somewhat famous tree there, called The Upside-Down Tree by students.  We took the tree quilt to the tree for photos, and the best ones came from inside the tree.  I named this Forest Jewels, a nod to the trees, Laura's degree in forestry, and the beautiful Jewel Quest fabrics.  

 

 

For a week after we saw each other, I got a message each day with some sort of praise or story about the quilt in her day.  She agrees it was perfect, the trees, the purples, all of it.  Her 11-year-old daughter has threatened to steal it, but I'm confident she will not be successful. 

blocks laid out on my floor

The products featured in this post were given to me by Island Batik, Accuquilt, Schmetz, Aurifil, Prairie Spirit Alpaca, & Hobbs.

 The quilt inspector approves!

Buttercup approves

While it was a bit of a challenge to get it finished in time, I love it and I love that Laura loves it.  Thanks, Accuquilt & Island Batik, for creating the perfect challenge for me to finally make a quilt for this amazing person in my life!

 

 

Island Batik Unboxing #2

With summer comes one of the best times of the year: the second ambassador box from Island Batik!  Talk about Happy Mail!

I filmed an unboxing video, and since I've gotten comments before on low volume in my videos, I finally bought a lapel mike.  This did mean more technical support from Husband, but hopefully the sound is better this time around.  Take a look at what I got!

If you don't want to watch the video, or if you just want some close-ups of the fabulous fabrics and supplies I was sent, here is a closer look.  First, the fabric.  My collection for the September blog hop is Prairie Blue by Kathy Engle.  It's an absolutely gorgeous variety of blues featuring animals and plants native to the prairie. 

Next there was a 10" stack of Honeycomb, a brilliant assortment of yellows, oranges, and pinks.  There is also coordinating yardage, 2 yards each of Sunny and Dandelion in Pumpkin.

There was also a surprise bundle, which I can't share yet.  My secret collection will be featured in November.  I also received supporting yardage from the Foundations collection, fabrics that are always available, that coordinate with Prairie Blue and the surprise collection.

And then I had two packages of Stash Builder Strips.  These are 5" by WOF and are super versatile.  It's fun to see the different colors in each pack!

Of course great quilts depend on great background fabrics!  I have 4 yards each of solid white, black, and gray, as well as 6 yards of the neutral Rice.

Here's all that fabric laid out together:

 

And then there are the goodies from Island Batik's industry partners!  Accuquilt sent one of their new BOB (Block on Board dies, for the traditional Tree of Life block.  Deb Tucker's Studio 180 Design sent a ruler, mine is for split rects, or half-rectangle units.  And new partner Prairie Spirit Alpacas sent a pressing mat. 

 

Hobbs sent a variety of battings, as well as a roll of fusible batting strips perfect for jelly roll rugs or other strip-based projects.

 

Each ambassador got to pick one of the patterns designed by Annie of Patterns By Annie, and Annie created a kit to make the bag!  I picked Double Zip Gear Bag and am committed to making all 3 sizes!  I chose fabrics from the upcoming Bee Kind collection and am so excited to make these bags!  This kit has everything I need, including Soft & Stable to give the bags body, zippers, mesh, and more.

 

As always, I am overwhelmed by the generosity of Island Batik and all the wonderful sponsors!  I can't wait to play with all of these goodies!

Exploding Heart

In January, I started the Exploding Hearth Quilt Along with Laura of Slice of Pi Quilts.  I've loved this pattern since she first released it.  I wanted to sew along in 2021 but was too swamped with other projects, so I was excited when she did it again this year.  I kept up pretty well at the beginning but then other deadlines got in the way.  I'm excited to say that I did finish, though, and I love it!

I used the Island Batik collection Contempo, a signature collection for Kate Colleran Designs.  Contempo is an absolutely beautiful fabric rainbow and I knew it would make a fabulous Exploding Heart.  

 

I was still deep in teacher quilt mode, and one of Fire Monkey's teachers said "I love all the colors" when asked her favorite color, so Contempo + Exploding Heart was a perfect plan.  Except Laura's quilt is 72" x 72", which is larger than I wanted for the teacher quilts. (I was aiming for close to 60" x 60".)  She is open that Exploding Hearts can be cut with Accuquilt dies, specifically quarter square triangles finishing at a 4" square.  I did the math at how big it would be if I cut with the 3" QST die, and that would give me a top 54" square.  I could easily size that up a tad with borders, so that's what I did.  My quilt is smaller than hers, but only because I made my units smaller; I followed her assembly chart exactly as is.  

I did add a few other Island Batik fabrics in with Contempo, though I kept to the same rainbow look.  I used what little leftover I had to make a rainbow binding.  This is actually one of the projects I took on my two-person quilting retreat back in March!  I quilted it there and sewed on the binding, but then noticed a dirt spot on the top.  I washed the dirt off and hung it in the shower to dry, and I love this photo with the partial binding hanging down!

The teacher this was destined for LOVED it.  She even posted  it on her own facebook page.  

Ms. B with her quilt.  Photo posted with permission.

I used my favorite organic wavy line quilting, but I did it at an angle.  I really like how it looks.

The backing is a fun multi-colored print wide back from Backside Fabrics.  I bought several backs for the teacher quilts during their black Friday sale, and this was the one I planned for Exploding Heart.

rainbow goodness on the back

I absolutely LOVE how this came out.  The pattern is easy to follow.  I've seen a lot of different versions and they all look great.  I will definitely make this one again!