I'm an Island Batik Ambassador for 2024 - Unboxing Photos

 I'm excited to announce that I am a brand ambassador for Island Batik again for 2024. 

Here's my unboxing photo gallery. It is really fun to get a box jammed full of beautiful fabrics from IB and wonderful tools for our industry sponsors. Above is the full box of treasures revealed.

Let's start with the beautiful Island Batik fabrics.

The new Fall Gatherings Collection  10" squares with coordinates of Flour and Bluegrass

2 collections of IB Gradations - Glorious Greens 1o" squares and Naturally Neutral 2.5" strips plus 4 yard cuts of solids in black, white, and grey.

A Surprise package -a beautiful collection that will be revealed in May. Plus a dozen half yard cuts of solids, neutrals, and prints.

 

Three sets of stash builder strips - strips are 5" wide by 42" and there are almost 3 yards in each package!

Another awesome new collection - Flutter Wings with orange and brown coordinates.

A fabulous new collection: in 1/2 yard cuts: Zen Funk designed by Kathy Engle for Jackie Kunkel with light and dark coordinates. And in the back a yummy neutral Mocha, 6 yard cut.

And now from our sponsors

The awesome Oliso Smart Iron!

Another sponsor is Funky Friends Factory. This is Ollie I made 2 years ago and I'll be making a new Funky Friend for him. And I'm excited to start working with my new Split Rects ruler from Deb Tucker of Studio 180 Designs.

And our long time sponsor - Hobbs Batting sent two batts, one silk and one cotton. And last but not least, is Schmetz Needles who sent a great selection of needles and other treats. Hobbs will be sending more batting later and we'll also be getting Aurifil Thread.
 

Thank You!

December Challenge - Celebrations - Island Batik Ambassador- Double Churn Dash

In honor of the many holiday celebrations that occur in December, this month's Island Batik Challenge is Celebrations. We could do any holiday from New Year's, Easter, Diwali, Channukah, etc.

I do love Christmas and the traditional red and green color scheme along with the classic Churn Dash quilt block. If you've been following me at all, you know I really like recreating and giving new life to old blocks and I really enjoy using batiks to give a modern look to traditional blocks. Churn Dash is one of my favorites and I really like my variation of the Double Churn :) 

Double Churn Dash Christmas Pillow

16" x 16"

December 2023

Sandra Starley

Machine piecing

Machine Quilting

Original Design

Here's what I used to create my pillow.

Fabrics: Assorted Island Batik Fabrics

Batting: Hobbs Thermore Poly Batting and 

Piecing Thread: Aurifil #50 weight

Quilting Thread Aurifil Aurifil #50 weight

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

If you want to want to make your own Double Churn Dash pillow - you can find the pattern for the block here. Add 2 1/2" strips to all 4 sides and add a backing and you'll have your own super fun and easy holiday pillow.

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.

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 ~ Mania 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

November Blog Hop -- It's In The Bag - ByAnnie Bags - Island Batik Ambassador

Welcome to Week 2 of the "It's In The Bag!" Blog Hop!!! After you read about my adventures be sure to visit Island Batik's Blog each week this month for links to all the stops on the BLOG HOP and for weekly GIVEAWAYS !!

Night and Day -Green version of Tote and  Purse

Night and Day -Blue version of Tote and Purse

This month's Island Batik Ambassador challenge is a partnership with ByAnnie Bags and Island Batik with the Ambassadors receiving new IB Collections and a pattern  and all the hardware and supplies to make a bag from ByAnnie.com

From our partner By Annie -I received the Night and Day pattern and this generous kit with everything needed to create 2 bags: Annie's own's Soft and Stable stabilizer, Fusible Interfacing, handle strapping, magnets, clips and other metal hardware.

 And Island Batik sent several sets of beautiful Flour Sack fabrics. I added interest by choosing a couple of pairing with strong contrast and lots of FUN!

I consider myself a newbie when it comes to making bags. I made a few eons ago and I made some basic but easy containers in last year's challenge. This year I was a little braver and I learned a lot. I tried a lot of new things like sewing zippers, sewing straps, adding hardware and sewing in magnets!! Thank goodness my sister Donna, who's made several ByAnnie Bags, helped me make this set. It was great to have someone to guide me through all the new techniques. The pattern also comes with a coupon for the ADD-ON Videos that help walk you through the tricky parts of constructing the bags.

Here are the 2 sides/sections of the Night and Day tote - joining the two sections together.

then the 2 sections wrong sides out need to turn right sides out through the bottom of that pocket.

\

Working them through ...

Here's me birthing them through the pocket. It looks weird and is a bit tricky but its works! You just have to trust Annie! She really does know what she's doing.

And now the 2 sections have become ONE and are ready for the final joining. This ingenious method creates a reversible bag with all finished seams. And the bottom of the pocket gets sewn in the final joinder. Annie thinks of everything.

Here are some of the parts for the clutch purse of the set, the second bag I made. The flap with sewn in magnet. I feel sew accomplished after sewing with all these new to me materials. My handy Schmetz Needles got quite a work-out!! I needed to use a couple.

Sewing on D rings for the cross body strap. It can be used on both bags.

Making box corners on the purse, before and after.  This creates finished seams and a third pocket and a bag that can stand up.

Here's the finished set!

And the reversed tote

Look at all those beautiful ByAnnie zippers :)

 Night and Day Bags - Reversible Tote 9" x 16", 

Purse w/magnetic flap 6 1/2" x 12"

Sandra Starley 2023

Night and Day Pattern ByAnnie 

Fabrics by Island Batik: (Flour Sack Collection)

Piecing Thread: Aurifil #50 weight

Quilting Thread: Aurifil #50 weight

Needle: Schmetz Quilting Needles  

                                        Pieced and quilted by Sandra Starley  (My stunt double quilter (sister Donna) quilted the main bags fabrics).

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

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

The purse fits in the tote so you can have an extra bag for your purchases or extra supplies.

I love the new Flour Sack Collection. I like how the bags are different but work together well. Flour Sack is a lovely collection!

Look for Flour Sack at your local quilt shop

Visit Island Batik's Blog each week this month for links to all the stops on the BLOG HOP and for weekly GIVEAWAYS !!

October Challenge - Falling for AccuQuilt: North Carolina Star - Island Batik Ambassadors

 Since it is Fall -this month's challenge is "Falling For AccuQuilt". A partnership with Island Batik and AccuQuilt. As Island Batik Ambassadors, we received the AccuQuilt North Carolina Star Die for cutting with our AccuQuilt Machine. The die is for a 12" finished block and is a BOB die meaning all the pieces for making a block are together and can be cut in one pass through your cutter.

Here's our brief:  "You don’t have to make a North Carolina Star block, feel free to come up with a new block design using the pieces of this die! There is no requirement to what kind of project you make: table runner, wall hanging, throw quilt, sleeping bag, tote bag - let your imagination run wild!"

To start, I cut out the pattern/die pieces from paper so I could really see them and play with them. I also printed out their on-line pattern guide and the block coloring sheet. I got out my coloring pencils and got to work! Sometimes, old-school methods are just right. 

I decided to eliminate quite a few pieces by making those quarter-square triangles into squares. I then watched the AccuQuilt Video for the NC Star die and saw a new arrangement that I liked.

Luckily, I found a few pieces of Fall Fabric :)

You can find Celtic Fields at the following stores:

Creekside Quilts

Bird in Hand Fabric

Cary Quilting Company

                                                                Here's my photo shoot

Falling For North Carolina Stars

28" x 28"

October 2023

Sandra Starley

Machine piecing -AccuQuilt Cutting

Machine Quilting

Original Design - Adaptation of NC Star

Here's what I used to create my wall quilt.

Fabrics: Island Batik Celtic Fields 2.5" Strip Pack

Assorted other Island Batik fabrics

Border - Dot Multi Green - Maple Island

Backing - Porcelain - Naturaly Neutrals

Batting: Hobbs Thermore - polyester and 

Piecing Thread: Aurifil #50 weight

Quilting Thread Aurifil #50 Golden Shrimp Plant

Schmetz Needles

Who says you have to paint a barn quilt - I sewed this one!

Stop by all the other Island Batik Ambassadors' blogs to see their amazing North Carolina Star projects. Everyone pieced and colored the stars in very different ways and made unique items. They range from full size quilts, to wall quilts, table runners, place mats, pillows, project bags, and boxes.

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 ~ Mania 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

September Island Batik Blog Hop - Pieced to Perfection

 This month’s challenge for Island Batik Ambassadors is “Pieced to Perfection”. We each had a specific new fabric collection to use and were to make a lap size or larger quilt using paper piecing - either foundation paper piecing (machine) or English paper piecing (hand). I used foundation pp which is one of my favorite techniques for accuracy and sharp points.

Look at these beautiful fabrics! I love the yellowy butterfly print.

.

I received the Buds and Blooms Collection by Kathy Engle for Swan Amity Studios.  Such yummy garden prints.

I usually use paper piecing for tiny projects like the little 1.5" pumpkin from myAugust project but this time I used it to go big - 15" Rolling Stone Blocks (one block is almost as big as my entire pumpkin pillow :) It was fun using the technique for big blocks. Rolling Stone is one of my favorite quilt patterns especially in antique signature quilts. Here's one from my collection - it is inspired my new quilt.

I played with block placement and how to make the each block pop and shine. This was one choice.

And here's the full quilt. I really felt like the fabrics needed the green garden fabric to highlight each lovely pair of pretties. And I got to use the 19th fabric of the collection for the corner stones.

Rolling Stone Flower Garden

55” x 55”

September 2023

Sandra Starley

Foundation paper piecing

Machine Quilting

Original Design

Fabrics: Island Batik Buds and Blooms Collection

19/20 fabrics

Batting: Hobbs Tuscany Cotton Wool and 

Piecing and Quilting Thread: Aurifil #50 weight

The Blog Hop just started. This is Day 2

Check out Sarah Pitcher's blog for her amazing dog portrait made with the same collection I used. You won't believe how cool it is.

 And visit the Island Batik Blog all month to follow along and enter the great giveaways