December Island Batik Ambassador Challenge

This is the last Island Batik Ambassador Challenge of 2024 and my last official ambassador post. After 3 years (2022,2023, and 2024), I won't be returning for 2025. I've had a lot of fun, learned a lot, made many quilts and other items, and it has definitely been challenging. Stay tuned - who knows what I'll be doing next? Probably more antique quilts and patterns and likely more Island Batik projects too.

This month's Island Batik Ambassador Challenge is another fun and open challenge - It's All Up to You (ME). We could make anything we wished and use whatever Island Batik fabric we wanted to work with. Since it is the holiday season, I chose to make a Modern Christmas Tree pattern with colors that will work all year long! 

The design would work perfectly in SEW MANY ways. As a cute wall quilt OR

 A fun table runner OR

                           A super cute pillow that works for the holidays and year around!

 A Dozen Little Trees Pillow

16" x 16"

December 2024

Sandra Starley

Machine piecing

Original Design

Here's what I used to create my pillow.

Fabrics: Peach Blossom Strip Stack (2.5" strips) **All 20 fabrics**

Backing: Ice - Bodacious Blacks -IB Gradations

Batting: Hobbs Thermore Poly Batting and 

Piecing Thread: Aurifil #50 weight

***Fabrics provided by Island Batik,  thread by Aurifil, needles by Schmetz and Smart Iron by Oliso. ***

I had fun experimenting with making free-form improvisational trees. I cut strip pieces approximately 3.5" x 2.5" and sewed 2 longer strips diagonally from top center to bottom corner to make a triangle tree top. Here's what they look like from the back before trimming. So sew 1 strip on one side, press towards center/tree and trim, then add 2nd strip from center to other bottom corner. Press.

Then I made tree trunks - 2.5" H by 1" or 1.5" ish and added background squares/rectangles to brown trunks.

You can see I had a variety of block sizes and trees and trunks.

I started trimming blocks and ended up with all being 3.5" (3" finished width).

And then I kept on tree trimming or trunk trimming ... If you look at the finished trees, some have really short trunks. I think those look cuter. But you can experiment and have FUN!

 For more inspiration and delight, see all the amazing variety of wonderful quilt projects, my fellow Island Batik Ambassadors made in December celebrating their favorite holidays and just having fun making whatever made them smile!!!!!

Brenda Alburl ~ Songbird Designs
Renee Atkinson ~ Pink Tulip Quilting

Megan Best - BestQuilter
Pamela Boatright ~ PamelaQuilts
Susan Deshensky ~ Lady Blue Quilts
Brittany Fisher ~ Bobbin with Brittany

Preeti Harris ~ Sew Preeti Quilts
Mania Hatziioannidi ~ Mania for quilts

Jane Hauprich ~ Stitch By Stitch Custom Quilting
Kim Jamieson-Hirst ~ Chatterbox Quilts

Victoria Johnson ~ Forever Quilting for You
Connie Kauffman ~ Kauffman Designs

Connie Kresin Campbell ~ Freemotion by the River

Emily Leachman ~ The Darling Dogwood
Denise Looney ~ A Quiltery
Leah Malasky ~ Quilted Delights
Maryellen McAuliffe ~ Mary Mack Made Mine

Lisa Pickering ~ Lisa’s Quilting Passion
Sarah Pitcher ~ Pitcher’s Boutique
Lana Russel ~ Lana Quilts

Julia Schweri ~ Inflorescence Designs
Gail Sheppard ~ Quilting Gail

Carol Stanek ~ Stitch with Color
Sandra Starley ~ Textile Time Travels
Jennifer Thomas ~ Curlicue Creations
Suzy Webster ~ Websterquilt

December Monthly Color Challenge

  For the 5th year, I'm joining in on a fun project run by Jen of PBJ, Patterns By Jen; her awesome free mystery quilt - the 2024  Monthly Color Challenge  ***December Block***  The Star Pattern is free during December so visit her page after you look at my cute little star block and learn more about it and the Challenge.

This year's inspiration is nature but not the usual - it is creatures of the sea - tropical FISH.

December's inspiring fish is the MARIGOLD WAG SWORDTAIL

                                                                  Photo from Liveaquaria

As always, I tend to go more toward the orange shades but I captured that wonderful black pointed tail with my Island Batik Fabrics from the new Flora Nova Collection! I think Ollie Owl approves.

Jen provides great instructions for each monthly free pattern - they are easy to follow and she also includes a video! Be sure to visit her in December for your free block (see pattern link above).

And you can pick up the patterns for prior blocks for just a $1 each from her blog.

Here are the links for all 2024.

November - Gourami (Teal) - link to pattern and fun pinwheel block by Jen

October - Wrought Iron Butterfly (Black)  link to pattern and block by Jen and another for

October - by Becca Fenstermaker of Sugarsandquilts.com

September - Kuhli Loach (Brown) link to pattern and block by Jen and 3 blocks for

September by Malgorzata Banjo of Polaquilting.com (She shares 3 versions of the block)

August - Purple Dottyback (Purple) block by Jen and 2 blocks for

August by Patti Carey of Pattis Patchwork - (She shares 2 versions plus same for first 7 months)

July - Duboisi Cichlid (Silver) block by Jen and another for

July by Amanda of Be Mandy Things

June - Harlequin Rasboras (Raspberry) link for pattern and block by Jen and another for

June by Raylee of Sunflower Stitcheries 

May - Electric Yellow Lab (Yellow) link for pattern and block by Jen and 3 blocks for

May by Kathy by KathyKwilts and More (she shares 3 versions of the block)

April - Electric Blue Hap (Blue) link for pattern and block by Jen and another for

April by Gail of Quilting Gail.com (she also shares prior months' blocks)

March - Cherry Barb (Red)  link for pattern and block by Jen and another for

March by Marlene of Kissed Quilts

February - Discus (Orange)  link for pattern and block by Jen and another for

February by Anja of Anja Quilts

January - Green Tiger Barb (Green)  link for pattern and block by Jen and another for

January by Joanne of Everyone Deserves a Quilt

I hope you will visit Jen soon and try some of these blocks. They are really fun and easy to make!

HAPPY QUILTING!