Spring Fling Blog Hop Begins

Today is the first day of the Island Batik Alumni Ambassador Spring Fling Blog Hop!

Wow, that was a mouthful!

Well, those of us who have been ambassadors do have some pieces of fabric leftover. I haven't done much with my scraps in the two years that I have been away from creating with Island Batik. I liked the opportunity to get spurred into using those beautiful scraps.

My blog post date is April 21, so come back to see what I made with my scraps (or some of them)!

In the meantime, visit the other ambassadors (alumni and current) who have some projects to show you.

Monday, April 16, 2018
Lemon Tree Snippets
Beaquilter

Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Seams To Be Sew
Mary Macks Blog

Wednesday, April 18, 2018
One Quilting Circle
Seams Like a Dream

Thursday, April 19, 2018
Tamarinis
Kathy's Kwilts and More

Friday, April 20, 2018
Inspired Layers
Kissed Quilts

Saturday, April 21, 2018
Purrfect Spots
Patchwork Breeze

Sunday, April 22, 2018
For Quilts Sake

Projects This Week

This past week I worked on a number of sewing projects.
I've been using my paper calendar to keep up on what I needed to do to keep up with deadlines.

I embroidered Michigan potholders for the shop I consign with. These take about 30 minutes each to make--AFTER I choose the fabrics and threads!

I finished sewing the long middle strip of fabric in the quilt top my daughter worked on 2 weeks ago at her house. 

She and her husband got a very pretty grey day couch for the living room and she wanted these colors in a pattern she saw on Pinterest. We drew out the design (we even got to look up the Pythagorean Theorem to find the width and length of the quilt), figured the fabric amounts, went shopping and started! 

We cut the strips and layed them out before sewing anything. 

She did change out small orange strips with the small yellows strips--there was just too much orange for her. She did most of the work, I just gave her tips for ease in making it. 

I finished squaring it up at my house. I have a 56 x 36 cutting mat on the pool table (Hubby has given up trying to keep me off of it.) and used a few rulers to get everything right. 

This weekend I will visit her and she can decide on how she wants it quilted. How would you quilt it? Matchstick, lines parallel with the base of the white side triangles? Or something all together different? 

I also am the Queen Bee of the Gridsters Bee 2018 this April. I look forward to the mail deliveries. I got 2 blocks today from Rachel. 

This is the schoolhouse friendship block I designed. When I get it the pattern corrected and the quilt done (hopefully by June) I will post the free pattern. I am keeping up with adding the sashing and using my design wall. 

And I continue to work on The Endeavourers Challenge quilt that will be revealed on May 1, 2018. The theme of "Change/Transformation" really had me pondering for a month.

What have you been working on?

Quilty Mail

This month I am the Queen Bee of the Gridsters Bee Group. The block I asked my fellow beemates to make was one I designed that I'm calling "Schoolhouse Friendship Block." I have wanted to make a schoolhouse quilt for 20 years. I thought by asking for help making the blocks, I might finally get the quilt done.

Here are the two I made when I tested the pattern. 

The roof is paper pieced and the rest of the block is pieced units. 

Here are the 4 blocks that came in the mail. 

I only expected one block from each member.

Mary made the top two. and Joan made the bottom two. 

Joan even made a pincushion with a schoolhouse. 

The pieces around the door are 1/4" wide!

I'm working on my projects for:

Island Batik Alumni Ambassadors 

Spring Fling Blog Hop

Begins April 16, 2018

The Endeavourers Quarterly Quilt Challenge

Reveal May 1, 2018

Theme of "Change/Transformation"

and 

What are you working on today?

Spring Fling Blog Hop

As a former Island Batik Ambassador, I am in the ranks of IB Alumni Ambassador. We, the Alumni, try to stay in touch and share our quilting on a private FB group. 

Fellow Alumni, Patti Bochey, wanted to get some of us together via the internet for a blog hop. We all have some pieces, bit, scraps, chunks, and such, of Island Batik fabrics left in our stashes. So the Spring Fling Blog Hop is focusing on the idea: 

 Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!

We are making small items. I really like Island Batik fabrics and have some scraps that are 2 inches and larger. I am going to use these scraps

and these larger pieces. 

I haven't used my Accuquilt Go! in a while, so I am going to cut pieces for flying geese units. I am not sure of the final project, but I will be ready to show my project on April 21. 

Be sure to follow along starting April 16. 

Here is the list of participating alumni and their post dates:

Monday, April 16, 2018 

Lemon Tree Snippets

Beaquilter

Tuesday, April 17, 2018 

Seams To Be Sew 

Mary Mack's Blog

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

One Quilting Circle

Seams Like a Dream 

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Tammarinis

Kathy's Kwilts and More

Friday, April 20, 2018 Inspired Layers Saturday, April 21, 2018 Purrfect Spots Patchwork Breeze
Sunday, April 22, 2018 For Quilts Sake

Week's Quilting Summary

My quilting accomplishments this week:

I made four hotpads for The Yellow Window Boutique with the hopes of selling them. I get loads of  free motion quilting practice when making these. My binding work is better, too!

I found these items that I began Y-E-A-R-S ago! I kept them so long, I decided I should finish them. 

The first two are quilt-as-you-go log cabin sofa pillows. I added a pocket back. They are ready for the pillow form and then I will donate them to a local charity for kids. 

I made this block in the early 80s. I heard that Y-seams had to be done by hand, not with a sewing machine. That challenged me way back then to sew the pieces with my sewing machine. The fabrics are not all cottons but that's what we had back then. (What colors!)

 I layered it and am free motion quilting on my machine! I am going to put it in a frame for "old time's sake."

I am making a T-Shirt quilt for a graduate. It took 2 days to wash, cut, attach fusible and sew the top together. It is 72" x 98", he's very tall. I only use woven fusible on t-shirts. I find it backs them very well and doesn't shred or rip. Next week I am going to my friend's to use her longarm  machine. I am only showing a bit of it for privacy. 

Upcoming Blog Hop!

I am participating in the X-Block Blog Hop hosted by Amy at Sew Incredibly Crazy. You can read about it HERE. 

I bought this template about 10 years ago with all the best intentions of using it. I haven't used it yet, but NOW I will! I am looking forward to making a small quilt. I hope you will visit and see what everyone makes. You can see what the template designer has been up to HERE.

I wish you happy quilting.