Getaway Blog Hop for Island Batik - French Blue

Hello and welcome, are you ready for another excursion on the Getaway blog hop?   I am so excited to share about the lovely fabric I received to use from Island Batik! As an Island Batik Ambassador, it's always fun to participate in these blog hops to introduce the new fabrics coming to your quilt shops, and it's definitely an adventure and a Getaway from the ordinary.

The fabric in my surprise package was French Blue!  Ooh la la - so cheerful and happy - I am in love with the combination of blue and yellow!  About this time of year we are usually hungering for some sunshine and blue skies, and long to Get Away from the rainy days.  (How is that for a tie-in with the blog theme?)   Click the picture to go see all the individual fabrics in the French Blue collection on the Island Batik website.



I was inspired to make a two color quilt with a positive/negative effect.  It was really fun to play with these happy colors to make my quilt.  I can definitely see a french influence in the prints!

I really enjoyed creating different combinations of the varying shades of color and pattern in the fabrics.

I did a lot of arranging, and rearranging before I decided on the final layout. I really loved the interplay of light and dark in this quilt.  It was so fun to take it out and get some shots of it in the sunshine - after all, that's what the yellow and blue colors make me think of.  The grass and fence were very wet, but the sun was out and that was what I was after!

Such a happy quilt!  I used Aurifl 50 wt thread in white for all of the piecing, and a pale yellow (also 50 wt) for quilting.  Hobbs natural cotton batting was the perfect weight for this quilt.  I wanted it to be lightweight and soft and definitely achieved that with a nice large meander over the entire quilt.

I can't even begin to tell you how much I adore all of these fabrics.  I ended up making 30 blocks from my 18 half yard cuts and I have some scraps left (make sure you read all the way to the end of my post and I'll give you a chance to win them!)  Since there are more blues than yellows, the yellows have more repeats in my quilt, but I loved seeing how they go with the different blues.

After traipsing around outdoors in the wet, I had to give my quilt a trip through the wash.  Can you see the lovely crinkle?  I just love a soft, crinkly quilt to snuggle with!  The backing is Parchment - the perfect soft yellow for this project.

I'm delighted with my soft, bright and happy quilt!  It measures 60 x 72 inches, a nice large lap size.  I finished it off with a scrappy binding using some of the leftover fabric strips, and the rest are going to a lucky winner - keep reading to find out how.

 I'm calling this quilt Intermingle and have also written up a pattern for you!  It will be available for free in my payhip store until the end of the blog hop.

Intermingle Quilt Pattern

Are we to the end of my post yet?  Do you want to hear about my giveaway?  I'm giving away a bundle of scraps left over from my quilt!  I have some 2 inch strips, 2 1/2 inch strips and some more bits and pieces left and I will send them all to one winner!  Sorry, only US entries for this giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget that Island Batik also is giving away two awesome bundles of fabric!  See their giveaway on the Island Batik Blog.  Here is the schedule for the rest of the week of the hop - I can't wait to see what the rest of the Ambassadors have come up with to show us!

WEEK 4

Monday, January 28

Pamela Boatright – PamelaQuilts

Joyce Mullis– Hearts Creations

Tuesday, January 29

Kathleen McCormick – Kathleen McMusing

Connie Kauffman– Kauffman Designs

Wednesday, January 30

Jen Shaffer– Patterns by Jen

Jeanette Jones– Inchworm Fabrics

Thursday, January 31

 

Sally Mannke– Sally Manke Fiber Artist

Joan Kawano– Moosestash Quilting

Friday, February 1

Mania Hatziioannidi Candy Cane Lane- Mania For Quilts

Barbara Gaddy – Candy Cane Lane  –Bejeweled Quilts by Barb

Friday, February

Terri Vanden Bosch Icicle – Meanderings along Lizard Creek

Anne Wiens- Icicle – Sweetgrass Creative Designs 

Thanks for reading! Glad you came to visit, hope you enjoyed it!