Textile Time Travels

Friday, August 25, 2023

August Island Batik Ambassador Challenge - It's All Up To You (Pumpkin Pillow)

This month's Island Batik Ambassador Challenge is an open challenge - It's All Up To You. Each ambassador gets to decide the fabrics, the technique, the size of the project, etc. etc. I decided to make a pillow inspired by my garden and featuring pumpkins and gourds that I am growing now.

The new Celtic Fields Collection just screams Autumn Garden! I was able to use all of the yummy colors to create my paper pieced pumpkins (a set of 5 for each gourd) and I repeated a few for a mini center pumpkin. Here's the 20 different fabrics in the collection.

You can find Celtic Fields at the following shops:

Creekside Quilts

Bird in Hand Fabric

Cary Quilting Company

I drafted six inch blocks for the large pumpkins and then made a tiny 1.5" finished pumpkin for the corner stone. Isn't it too cute!!!

The blocks were all paper pieced using the strip pack strips. Here's a shot of the design process, figuring out the perfect combinations of colors.

And here's a close up of another block. The Aurifil Golden Shrimp Plant Collection had just the right orange for the quilting. I quilted curves over the pumpkin/gourds with a walking foot in a freeform unmarked experiment. I like how it added subtle motion and interest to the fruit.

The full quilt/pillow before stuffing. It would be a fun wall quilt too or a cheery set of placemats.

Pumpkin Patch Pillow

16" x 16"

August 2023

Sandra Starley

Foundation paper piecing

Machine Quilting

Original Design

Here's what I used to create my pillow.

Fabrics: Island Batik Celtic Fields 2.5" Strip Pack

All 20 fabrics

Batting: Hobbs 80/20 Cotton/Poly Heirloom and

Piecing Thread: Aurifil #50 weight

Quilting Thread Aurifil #50 Golden Shrimp Plant

***Fabrics provided by Island Batik, batting by Hobbs, thread by Aurifil, needles by Schmetz ***

For more inspiration and delight, see all the amazing variety of wonderful quilt projects, my fellow Island Batik Ambassadors made in August.

Brenda Alburl ~ Songbird Designs
Renee Atkinson ~ Pink Tulip Quilting
Pamela Boatright ~ PamelaQuilts
Susan Deshensky ~ Lady Blue Quilts
Brittany Fisher ~ Bobbin with Brittany

Preeti Harris ~ Sew Preeti Quilts
Mania Hatziioannidi ~ M ania for quilts
Reed Johnson ~ Blue Bear Quilts
Victoria Johnson ~ Forever Quilting for You
Randi Jones ~ Randi’s Roost

Connie Kauffman ~ Kauffman Designs
Emily Leachman ~ The Darling Dogwood
Denise Looney ~ Quiltery – 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
Sarah Pitcher ~ Pitcher’s Boutique
Claudia Porter ~ Create with Claudia
Lana Russel ~ Lana Quilts

Elita Sharpe ~ Busy Needle
Gail Sheppard ~ Quilting Gail
Sandra Starley ~ Textile Time Travels
Jennifer Thomas ~ Curlicue Creations
Suzy Webster ~ Websterquilt

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Friday, June 30, 2023

June Island Batik Ambassador Challenge - Fly Away aka Flying Geese!

Since I first discovered this special zigzagging Flying Geese quilt top years ago, I’ve wanted to figure out how it was made and make my own version. The June Challenge for Island Batik is Fly Away Flying Geese - the perfect excuse to finally figure out this antique top! Note- I’ve studied it many, many times before and always ended up with a headache. I knew discovering how to recreate it would definitely be a Challenge.

We could use any of our precut fabrics and with the red zigzag sashing of the antique, I had to choose this super happy "Make A Wish" Collection. It has cheery balloons and candles. Again perfect for my birthday month of June. And Island Batik had already paired it with a wonderful red batik fabric and sent it along with Make a Wish. It seemed like I was destined to make this quilt!

Just look how good the new fabric looks with the antique quilt (above and below).

I paper pieced or foundation pieced the geese, my favorite construction method. I scaled the blocks down in size (about half size) and choose to make fewer blocks than in the antique original. As I sewed I kept trying to figure out how I was going to set together the blocks.

Just look how great the blocks look against the red.

It was super challenging!!! But I am proud of myself for persevering and figuring out how to make it work! Many of the sashing seams are regularly sewn but there were quite a few tricky Y seams required to get the blocks set in like in the original quilt. I definitely do not like Y seams but I do have a newfound respect for people who routinely use them and it is pretty amazing what you can create with them. Clearly a skill that everyone should have in their quilting toolbox.

Note: I got the top done and now I need to get to quilting. I'm excited to quilt it with Hobbs Thermore batting which is perfect for wall quilts and use Aurifil Thread and Schmetz needles.

Zigzagging Flying Geese!

36" x 36"

Original Design

Sandra Starley 2023

Batiks: (Make A Wish Collection)

Backing: Beige (Foundation Basics)

Batting: Hobbs Thermore Poly Batting

Piecing Thread: Aurifil #50 weight

Quilting Thread: Aurifil #50 weight

Needle: Schmetz Quilting Needles

***Fabrics provided by Island Batik, batting by Hobbs, thread by Aurifil, and needles by Schmetz . ***

I took my new quilt out to the barn before doing my chores for a homespun photo shoot. Yes, I do have a horse and do chores.

For more inspiration and delight, see all the amazing Flying Feese quilt projects, my fellow 24 Island Batik Ambassadors made in June

Brenda Alburl ~ Songbird Designs
Renee Atkinson ~ Pink Tulip Quilting
Pamela Boatright ~ PamelaQuilts
Susan Deshensky ~ Lady Blue Quilts
Brittany Fisher ~ Bobbin with Brittany

Preeti Harris ~ Sew Preeti Quilts
Mania Hatziioannidi ~ M ania for quilts
Reed Johnson ~ Blue Bear Quilts
Victoria Johnson ~ Forever Quilting for You
Randi Jones ~ Randi’s Roost

Connie Kauffman ~ Kauffman Designs
Emily Leachman ~ The Darling Dogwood
Denise Looney ~ Quiltery – 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
Sarah Pitcher ~ Pitcher’s Boutique
Claudia Porter ~ Create with Claudia
Lana Russel ~ Lana Quilts

Elita Sharpe ~ Busy Needle
Gail Sheppard ~ Quilting Gail
Sandra Starley ~ Textile Time Travels
Jennifer Thomas ~ Curlicue Creations
Suzy Webster ~ Websterquilt

Monday, May 8, 2023

Island Batik Studio 180 Design - Tool Craze Blog Hop - Maple Island Table Runner

This month's Island Batik Ambassador Challenge is sponsored by Deb Tucker and Studio 180 Design. Each of us is working on a "Tool Craze" project using a new Island Batik Collection and a ruler tool from Studio 180 Design.

The brief was to use the assigned new collection: Maple Island (a beautiful grouping of pinecones and maple leaves and aspen trees)

and the Studio 180 Design ruler. I received the Four Patch Square Up Ruler which makes 4 patch blocks in 12 different sizes from 1/2" finished to 6" finished. I needed to make at least 30 units and at least 2 different sized blocks.

I ended up making 60 units and 6 different blocks in 4 sizes.
1" finished (4 Patch and Offset)
2" finished (4 Patch and Offset)
3" finished (4 Patch)
4" finished (4 Patch)

Look at those teeny 4 Patches on the back - a key to the tool's precision is to spin and press the seams or intersections.

*I used the extra Technique Sheet for Offset Four Patch using the same tool. The Offset or uneven blocks add extra interest and pizzazz to the regular Four Patches. I made regular and offset Four Patches that finished at just ONE inch!!! See those little 4 patches in regular and the double 4 Patches (offset).

I was really impressed with the accuracy I achieved using the Four Patch Square Up tool even working with those tiny pieces.

Walking Through the Woods

16" x 28"

Original Design

Sandra Starley May 2023

Batiks: Maple Island Collection - every fabric (20 pieces)

Backing: Pincecone (Foundation Basics)

Batting: Hobbs Heirloom Cotton/Poly Bleached Batting

Piecing Thread: Aurifil #50 weight

Quilting Thread: Aurifil #50 weight

Needle: Schmetz Quilting Needles

Four Patch Square Up Ruler: Studio 180 Design

***Fabrics provided by Island Batik, batting by Hobbs, Four Patch Square Up Ruler/Tool by Studio 180 Design, thread by Aurifil, and needles by Schmetz

GIVEAWAY

I have lots of little pieces cut from my experimenting with the tool and design process, Leave a comment for a chance to win. USA addresses only. Please make sure I can reach you if you win. I'll do a random drawing at the end of the blog hop - end of May. And visit Island Batik's blog for their weekly giveaway.

To see more of the new Island Batik Collections and what my fellow ambassadors are making with them and the Studio 180 Design Rulers/Tools AND to have chances to win new Island Batik fabrics, follow along with this month's Blog Hop. Some of the other ambassadors are doing giveaways too (links below).

WEEK 1

May 1