Showing posts with label Ambassador. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ambassador. Show all posts

Monday, May 16, 2016

Playful Paper Piecing with Island Batik

May's Challenge for the Island Batik Ambassadors was Playful Paper Piecing.  We had lots of options here - you could use foundation paper piecing or English Paper Piecing.  I chose to do a foundation paper piecing project, though I might throw out something using the other technique at the end of the month just for fun.  I chose to do a miniature, because for me making a small quilt is always a fun way to play!

I found some Miniature Quilts Magazines on the giveaway table at quilt guild this month and snapped them up with the intention of finding a project in one of them and giving my readers a chance to win the magazine.  After looking through them, I decided on a quick and fun little project using two foundation pieced sail boats.
All the fabrics I've chosen for this project are from the Sea Shore collection from Island Batik which are available now!  I hated to cut into my yardage of these, but for just a miniature you don't have to use too much, and I have plenty left over for more projects.  I love this collection, so many beautiful colors from pastel to dark and some lovely brights as well!

I meant to take more in progress photos, but these blocks are so quick to make that I had them both finished before I knew it!

I love the way the dark fabric looks like a wave under my boat!  And the shading of the color on the boat fabric...so perfect!  I didn't plan that at all, it just happened, but you can see how your fabric can add so much interest to a simple block!  Next I made two pinwheel blocks to go with the sailboats, then I had to choose a sashing fabric.
I love the netting look of this one, but it I thought it was too light.
 This is a fun print, but too crazy for this calm little quilt.
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This is the one I thought was just right - nice and dark to make the blocks pop with a subtle print (another colorway of that netting!).

After I added the sashing, I went through the same process to choose my border fabric and the binding.  I could have gone several ways, but these fabrics won out to finish my little sailboat quilt:



Quilting this was just too quick and easy.  a little outlining using stitch in the ditch and a swirl around the border, easy-peasy and fun as can be!  The binding was sewn on and before I knew it, this little quilt was complete!
It measures in at 14 inches square, and I used Warm and Natural Batting, a variety of Aurifil threads (for both the piecing and the quilting) and a random fat quarter from my stash for the backing.  And of course those beautiful Island Batik fabrics for the front!


Such a fun little quilt!  I think it's a lot prettier than the one in the magazine!

 I love the sunny yellow print in the pinwheel.

It's not much bigger than the magazine is!  You can see there are some lovely projects in this edition.  Wouldn't the tie quilt be fun for Father's Day?  I love the basket quilt as well.
 Since I have another copy of this magazine, I want to share this one with one of you!
If you've never made a miniature, this is a great way to start.  Or just drool over the the beautiful pictures!  I'll be giving this away at the end of the month, so go ahead and share with your friends!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Make sure you check out the other Ambassador blogs to see what kind of playful projects they are making this month!

I hope you get lots of ideas on how you can have fun and PLAY with some paper piecing!
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Friday, August 28, 2015

An Eventful Week!

Wow, has this ever been a crazy week!  It actually started off with a super busy week of working on these lovely quilts so I could get them off by my deadline.  Three identical quilts that will be awarded to some lovely volunteers.



Then I got to spend a weekend at a dear friend's new vacation house!  We had some great girl time, and it was just the ticket after a busy week of sewing.  Yep, that's me with my mouth wide open :)


On Monday I had a dental appointment, I was actually looking forward to the appointment because I had lost the temporary filling in my tooth and it was driving me crazy because it would catch every morsel of food I put in my mouth.  The appointment started out very well - I didn't have to wait in the waiting room at all, zipped right into the dental chair, shots given, and the impression started.  Then my left eye started feeling odd.  I realized that I could not blink my eye and the side of my face felt numb.  I felt like this might be important, so I brought it to the attention of the assistant.  She said that we better get the Dr. to come in and check out the situation.  He sat on his little stool and looked at my face as I tried to blink my eye and said that he thought we need to call the EMT's to come as he thought I may be having a stroke!

WHAT!!!

He left the room, the assistant started checking my blood pressure (they had checked it as I came in a few minutes earlier and it was great) and I asked for my cell phone so I could call my husband to come back to the office.  My heart was pounding, and I was so disconcerted tgat I was having trouble trying to figure out what I needed to do to contact my husband - all the while thinking that this could not be happening.  About the time I was ready to hand my cell phone over to have someone else call, the dentist came back in the room and said not to worry - it was just the anesthetic had affected the facial nerve!  He had not been informed that I had already received the anesthetic - the shot had apparently been placed too high and numbed the side of my face!  This is actually not a very common thing to happen (of course).  Just as he predicted, it disappeared after a couple of hours.  I had my procedures done, including an additional injection to take care of numbing the jaw more so they could do the filling.  Now I am not too sure of how I'll handle the next visit when they will place the permanent crown - I do suffer from a slight dental anxiety already and I don't think this will make it any better, but I'll get through it.

The rest of the week has been busy - working to finish some custom drapes, then Naomi came home for a visit and arrived Wednesday. I had to work a bit later than normal, but we've had a great time with her for the last couple of days!  On Thursday the FedEx guy brought me an exciting box of goodies!  My second Island Batik Ambassador box is here!  Oh, boy, am I ever loving these colors and I already have a plan for what I want to do with these...I can't show you all of it yet, but here is a sneak peek:

Fun time with family coming up this weekend, then back to work on Monday - wedding gowns are piling up like crazy, but I will get them done so I can get back to quilting soon!  I certainly hope next week is a lot more peaceful that this week has been.

Don't forget the Summer in the Country Blog hop is still going on!  Here is the list:



  8/17 – Island Batik
8/18 – KISSed Quilts – Part 1
8/19 – Kauffman Designs
8/20 – Adele Mogavero
8/21 – MooseStash Quilting
8/22 – Pamela Quilts
8/23 – Freemotion by the River
8/24 – The Patchwork Pearl
8/25 – Fun Threads Designs
8/26 – For Quilts Sake
8/27 – Lemon Tree Snippets
8/28 – Bejeweled Quilts
8/29 – Tamarinis
8/30 – KISSed Quilts – Part 2
8/31 – Beaquilter
9/1 – Purrfect Spots Designs
9/2 – Maria Michaels Designs
9/3 – Mary Mack Made Mine
9/4 – Made In Scraps
9/5 – Happy Cottage Quilter
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