December - Lone Star Blog Hop - Island Batik Ambassador Challenge

 

 This month's Island Batik Ambassador assignment was definitely a true challenge - designing and making a Lone Star Quilt. 

A classic traditional pattern and one that requires precise piecing. Sewing lots of 45 degree diamonds even with strip piecing is not for the faint of heart but ... it does reward the brave quilter with an amazing quilt.

And it really helps if you have beautiful fabric to sew with like the Modern Opulence Collection designed by Deb Tucker of Studio 180 Design. Such an elegant palette with lovely flowers and triangles and diamonds in rich indigos, oranges, yellows, and reds!

Look at how beautiful these fabrics are! I created 4 different sets of star points

Set One

Set Two

Set Three

Set Four

TA DA!!!! The FINAL QUILT Design **I used all 22 fabrics in the collection

OPULENT LONE STAR

66" x  66"

Traditional and Original Design

Sandra Starley

December 2022

Fabrics: Modern Opulence Collection - every fabric (22 pieces)

Backing: Island Batik Linen  (Naturally Neutrals)

Batting: Hobbs Premium 80/20 Bleached Cotton Batting and 

Piecing Thread: Aurifil #50 weight

Quilting Thread: Aurifil #50 weight

75/11 Chrome Needle: Schmetz Quilting Needles 

Pieced and quilted by Sandra Starley 

***Fabrics provided by Island Batik, batting by Hobbs, thread by Aurifil, needles by Schmetz, Strip cutter and Go Cutting Machine by Accuquilt,  ***

A bit of the design process.
I first started off strip piecing a 4 x 4 diamond segment star which was pretty but not fabulous 

So I decided to turn the 8 completed segments into a 6 x 6 segment star. This was pretty tricky to do and not the recommended way to make a Lone Star. 

There are soooooo many different ways to arrange the 8 large diamonds. Here was a funky option.

And should the star be framed? Have extra piecing?

Once, I got those 8 new and improved segments done, I decided to frame them with a golden border. I think it gave it a striking finish. Hope you agree.  ***Have you ever made a Lone Star? Jump in and give it a try!

Island Batik Ambassador - Lone Star Blog Hop

It is already Week 3 of the Challenge so you will absolutely want to check back with the already posted Lone Star Quilts by my fellow Ambassadors! I am floored at the creativity, variety, and sheer beauty of all the quilts. And don't forget to catch the last few days of the Blog Hop and enter the Giveaway @IslandBatik's blog.

WEEK 3
December 19

Mania Hatziioannidi, Mania for Quilts

Michelle Roberts, Creative Blonde Gifts

December 20

Pamela Boatright, Pamela Quilts

Connie Kauffman, Kauffman Designs

Sandra Starley, Textile Time Travels

December 21

Jane Hauprich, Stitch by Stitch Custom Quilting

Lisa Pickering, Lisa’s Quilting Passion

December 22

Brianna Roberts, Sew Cute and Quirky    AND

Anorina Morris, Samelia’s Mum

Elizabeth DeCroos, Epida Studio

December 23

End of Blog Hop + Final Round Up

 BE SURE TO VISIT THE FIRST 2 WEEKS!!

WEEK 1
December 5

Maryellen McAuliffe, Mary Mack Made Mine

Gail Sheppard, Quilting Gail

December 6

Megan Best, Bestquilter

Brenda Alburl, Songbird Designs

December 7

Preeti Harris, Sew Preeti Quilts

Emily Leachman, The Darling Dogwood

December 8

Jennifer Thomas, Curlicue Creations

December 9

Blog Hop Round-Up Week 1 and Giveaway

WEEK 2

December 12

Reed Johnson, Blue Bear Quilts

Suzy Webster, Websterquilt

December 13

Gail Renna, Quilt Haven Threads

Jennifer Fulton, Inquiring Quilter

December 14

Denise Looney, For the Love of Geese

Claudia Porter, Create with Claudia

December 15

Leah Malasky, Quilted Delights

Andi Stanfield, True Blue Quilts

December 16

Blog Hop Round-Up Week 2 and Giveaway

November 2022 - Creative Christmas Stocking Challenge with Island Batik Ambassadors

 I love spreading JOY and sew I decided to make a stocking full of JOY for this month's Island Batik Ambassador Challenge - Creative Christmas Stockings. I haven't made a stocking in a long time so it was fun to stretch my creative muscles on this project.

I used my paper piecing alphabet blocks from my Love and Joy Word Play Quilt but changed up the colors and used more neutrals to frame and showcase the letters. I then added contrasting log cabin strips to each blocks. A few more strips on the block sides and the toe end of the stocking and the top was done. It was fun to use wintry greens with brighter rich pink fabrics instead of traditional red pairing.

I drew a rough sketch of a stocking on freezer paper and used it as a template for my design and played with color/fabric placement. I then refined the stocking shape to pleasing proportions of approximately 8 inches wide and 19 inches long. This improvisational piecing can lead to some make do challenges but I like the freeform piecing freedom. You can also simply adjust the stocking size to your piecework. Many different ways to make it work! 

Once I had the front done. I added Hobbs Premium  Bleached Cotton Batting and quilted with pink Aurifil thread (50 weight). 

STOCKING TUTORIAL:

Piece and quilt your stocking front. 

Trim to your chosen size. 

Use front as template to cut backing and 2 lining pieces. 

Join the front and backing, right sides together with hanger inside. 

Start at top edge of one side edge and sew around to the other side. 

Do NOT sew across the top edge. 

Join the 2 lining pieces in the same way.

*Hanging strip. 

2" x 6 1/2" folded in half twice and sewn closed along length.

Place inside, between the front and the back before sewing them together.

Make sure it is inside -not outside like in my photo or you'll end up resewing ;)

Turn the stocking (front and back) right sides out and press flat. 

Place stocking inside the lining (lining still right sides together). 

Pin the 2 units together along the top edge. 

Sew stocking and lining together. 

Start at one side of the backing, sew around the front, and to the back side. 

Leave 3" to 4" UNSEWN along top of backing to turn the stocking. 

Pull the stocking through the unsewn top edge. 

Tuck the lining inside. 

Fold the unsewn lining and backing edges together and top-stitch closed. 

Voila - a beautiful stocking for your mantle.

 STOCKING DETAILS: 

Christmas Joy!

8" x 19"

Original Design

Sandra Starley 2022

Foundation paper pieced blocks -fabrics by Island Batik: 

Lining:  IB Bubble Hole (Basics)

Batting: Hobbs Bleached Cotton Batting

Piecing Thread: Aurifil #50 weight

Quilting Thread: Aurifil #50 weight

Needle: Schmetz Quilting Needles 

                             Pieced and quilted by Sandra Starley 

***Fabrics provided by Island Batik, batting by Hobbs, thread by Aurifil, and needles by Schmetz and pressing mat by Prairie Spirit Alpacas. ***

 

To see more Creative Stockings , visit my fellow 2022 Island Batik Brand Ambassadors:

Brenda Alburl ~ Songbird Designs
Megan Best ~ Bestquilter
Pamela Boatright ~ Pamelaquilts
Elizabeth DeCroos ~ Epida Studio
Jennifer Fulton ~ Inquiring Quilter

Preeti Harris ~ Sew Preeti Quilts
Mania Hatziioannidi ~ Mania for quilts
Jane Hauprich ~ Stitch By Stitch Custom Quilting
Reed Johnson ~ Blue Bear Quilts
Connie Kauffman ~ Kauffman Designs

Emily Leachman ~ The Darling Dogwood
Denise Looney ~ For The Love Of Geese
Leah Malasky ~ Quilted Delights
Maryellen McAuliffe ~ Mary Mack Made Mine
Anorina Morris – sameliasmum.com

Lisa Pickering ~ Lisa’s Quilting Passion
Claudia Porter ~ Create with Claudia
Gail Renna ~ Quilt Haven Threads
Brianna Roberts ~ Sew Cute And Quirky
Michelle Roberts ~ Creative Blonde

Gail Sheppard ~ Quilting Gail
Andi Stanfield ~ True Blue Quilts
Jennifer Thomas ~ Curlicue Creations
Suzy Webster ~ Websterquilt

October 2022 "It's In The Bag" Challenge with Patterns By Annie and Island Batik

 This month's challenge with Island Batik's Brand Ambassador Program is a partnership with fellow Utahn Annie Unrein of ByAnnie.com. I picked the Contain Yourself pattern and paired it with the Beehive Buzz Collection by Kathy Engle to create 3 cool containers. *I was harvesting my pumpkin patch and I think there may have been a garden stowaway.

From our partner By Annie -I received the Contain Yourself basket pattern and this generous kit with everything needed to create 3 baskets: Annie's own's Soft and Stable stabilizer, Fusible Interfacing, and Vinyl (for label pockets). And Island Batik sent 3 sets of beautiful Beehive Buzz fabrics. I added interest by choosing some pairs with strong contrast and others without.

 3 Containers - small 2" x 4", medium 6" x 6", large 11" x 11"

Sandra Starley 2022

Contain Yourself Pattern ByAnnie 

Fabrics by Island Batik: (Beehive Buzz Collection)

Piecing Thread: Aurifil #50 weight

Quilting Thread: Aurifil #50 weight

Needle: Schmetz Quilting Needles  

                                        Pieced and quilted by Sandra Starley  (I quilted the medium and large main fabrics to add stability - optional step).

***Fabrics provided by Island Batik, pattern - stabilizers and vinyl

 from By Annie, thread by Aurifil, and needles by Schmetz. ***

I am pretty new to bag making - haven't made one in years but I found the ByAnnie pattern to be extremely user-friendly and easy to follow.  I made handles and sewed on vinyl, etc. - things outside the regular quilt skills. It is always good to work your brain and learn new things.

And to make things even easier, the pattern included a coupon for a fabulous BONUS; an "Add-On Video Tutorial". This is a series of videos that show you how to create the containers. Here's a pic of me following along with the video (top 1/2 of photo) with my fabric and pattern. 

Annie demos a section of the pattern on the video and then you do that step on your own box and then come back for the next step.  Annie shares lots of great tips to make the process doable for bag newbies like me.  For example: using an edge stitch foot for sewing the faux binding (final seam).

 And using lots of clips when sewing that seam and using your machine in free arm mode.

One more bonus - the pattern not only includes instructions for 3 different sized/shaped containers but directions on making your own custom sized soft sided bins. What a cool pattern! Thanks Annie!

To see more awesome bags and containers from By Annie, visit my fellow 2022 Island Batik Brand Ambassadors for the It's in the Bag Challenge:

Brenda Alburl ~ Songbird Designs
Megan Best ~ Bestquilter
Pamela Boatright ~ Pamelaquilts
Elizabeth DeCroos ~ Epida Studio
Jennifer Fulton ~ Inquiring Quilter

Preeti Harris ~ Sew Preeti Quilts
Mania Hatziioannidi ~ Mania for quilts
Jane Hauprich ~ Stitch By Stitch Custom Quilting
Reed Johnson ~ Blue Bear Quilts
Connie Kauffman ~ Kauffman Designs

Emily Leachman ~ The Darling Dogwood
Denise Looney ~ For The Love Of Geese
Leah Malasky ~ Quilted Delights
Maryellen McAuliffe ~ Mary Mack Made Mine
Anorina Morris – sameliasmum.com

Lisa Pickering ~ Lisa’s Quilting Passion
Claudia Porter ~ Create with Claudia
Gail Renna ~ Quilt Haven Threads
Brianna Roberts ~ Sew Cute And Quirky
Michelle Roberts ~ Creative Blonde

Gail Sheppard ~ Quilting Gail
Andi Stanfield ~ True Blue Quilts
Jennifer Thomas ~ Curlicue Creations
Suzy Webster ~ Websterquilt