Welcome to the Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Blog hop! All of the Island Batik Ambassadors have been anticipating the start of this blog hop, and I am excited to share with you the project I created using some of the Caribbean Splash line. These fabrics are coming to your quilt shop right now! I haven't found it locally yet, but you can see it on the Island Batik Website.
The moment I saw these fabrics I knew I would have to make a water quilt. The Caribbean is a great place to scuba dive, but you can't get there by train or automobile, so HOP on board a plane to the Caribbean, then strap on your fins for a dive "Under the Sea"! 
I have had this idea for a fish quilt running through my head for many years, so it was a thrill to finally make it come to life! I received the perfect selection of fabrics for my project. I had 5 blue fabrics in a nice range form dark to light, two yellow and blue fabrics, one green and blue, one dark green and one light green plus two yellow fabrics. I knew I wanted to do an on-point setting using four-patches and nine-patches, so I turned to EQ7 to begin the design process. First I designed several fish blocks, then I imported the fabric images. After that it was an easy process to color my blocks and place the desired fish in the water background:
I started out by making my fish and placing them on my design wall, then started making the background water - here are a few pictures of my progress:
Then the real fun started, quilting this with lots of fun swirls and watery looking motifs, plus adding detail to the fish! I used three shades of Aurifil thread in blue, a bright yellow for the fish and an olive green for the plants. The fish were so fun to quilt!
I absolutely love working with Island Batik fabrics! They have a wonderful hand to them and vibrant, rich color that just makes your projects pop! Plus that, they quilt like a dream :)
I am giving away a set of four Sea Salt Sandy Fat Quarters (you'll see that project in a couple weeks) plus some of my extra pieces from that project just for fun! I love that bright green!
Don't these have great texture? So much fun to use!
I am giving away a set of four Sea Salt Sandy Fat Quarters (you'll see that project in a couple weeks) plus some of my extra pieces from that project just for fun! I love that bright green!
Here is the schedule for the rest of the hop - you won't want to miss any of these terrific projects, plus there are giveaways as well!
Tuesday, February 16 – London Fog
Moose Stash Quilting
Moose Stash Quilting
Thursday, February 18 – Crystal Cove
Freemotion by the River
Freemotion by the River
Friday, February 26 – Sea Salt Sandy
Tamarinis
KISSed Quilts
Moose Stash Quilting
Pamela Quilts
Bejeweled Quilts
Tamarinis
KISSed Quilts
Moose Stash Quilting
Pamela Quilts
Bejeweled Quilts
Monday, February 29 – Jersey Shore
Tuesday, March 1 – Tuscany Sun
Tammy Silvers
Tammy Silvers
Thursday, March 3 – Fire Island
KISSed Quilts
KISSed Quilts
Friday, March 4 – Tinsel, Holiday Happenings
Purrfect Spots Designs
KISSed Quilts
Moose Stash Quilting
Purrfect Spots Designs
KISSed Quilts
Moose Stash Quilting
In addition, Island Batik is sponsoring a giveaway for a Fat Quarter Bundle of French Roasted!
Make sure you enter here:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I'd better hop back on my plane and get back to my sewing room, I've got another project to show you next week, and I still need to quilt it!
