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