Friday, February 26, 2016

Sea Salt Sandy Surprise

Extra! Extra! Sea Salt Sandy is Awesome!

I'm thrilled to be an Island Batik Ambassador.  Look at the gorgeous fabrics I get to see before they come to your quilt shop, or seen at Market.  This is NEW and so different from your usual batiks.
Sea Salt Sandy  is a gorgeous collection of blenders with a sandy fun visual texture, by Kathy Engle.

The design kind of reminds me of the speckled Boontonware Melmac bowls from the 1950's (My mom has a few, but this is a web photo).  


I was given an assortment of colors, with 2 different textured designs.  One is more dotted than the other, but the colors and dots coordinate.

Want to see my inspiration?

Do you have your passport ready for a Bucket List vacation stop? Somewhere sandy??  To see something geometric?

http://www.thinglink.com/scene/510514548650803201
Pyramids of Giza
http://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions-/pyramids-of-giza-egy-giza-giza.htm

Let's go see some pyramids!  Photos of the Pyramids of Giza from the above web sources.
I've never been, but would love to see them in person.

I've also wanted to make a Pyramid quilt.  I recently got a Quilt In A Day 60* Equilateral Triangle ruler.  I played with it for one runner, but wanted to make something fun that would look 3-D if I planned the colors correctly.  I have a new Great-Nephew, and was thinking of something like this for a baby quilt for him.  I'm not sure if I'll use this for him, or make something similar to what I made for his bigger brother.  But I digress...



I picked 7 colors, in both textures, for a total of 14 FQs.  I cut 2 6 1/2" strips from each (by 18") and was able to get 6 triangles and extras for the ends.  Although I played with a design on EQ7 first, I ended up changing a little after I sewed the triangles into strips.  I may eventually write a pattern for this, but it was an interesting learning experience (lots to think about while sewing the strips and making the top).  I made sure I had the flat top (tips cut off) part of the triangle either N or S on the strip, and alternated the 2 designs in the same color for each strip.  I chain pieced, using 2 colors as leader-ender.  When one strip was done, I started the next color.

My hint here:  Make sure you know where the 1/4" seam line should be, as your tips need to hang out a bit.  Adding the leftover ends from cutting the triangles out of the 6 1/2" strips allows for a straight edge.  When sewing the rows together, I started by matching the triangle points, not the edge of the "starting" shape (the leftover, kind of like a trapezoid).


Close up of the top (on my ironing board, after I trimmed the top/bottom straight.) 
You can see how the different designs in Sea Salt Sandy play against each other to give a 3-D effect.  

 The whole top, done!  It measures about 44 by 48" (I left 1 1/4" beyond the last triangle to make it longer, and use most of the trapezoid shape.  It's a little more than 1/2 a triangle.
 An angle view, with a  great look at the visual effect of the fabrics playing with their match.
Another up close shot.  The photo of the fabrics spread on the table was taken outdoors, in natural light.  These last 4 were taken in a room (it's been a long day, and I wanted to share this top!) So, the colors are not as beautiful in these last 4 photos.   I'll share more after I decide how to quilt it.  I do plan to use a scrappy binding, with all the colors in the top.  I'm not adding borders.

Any suggestions on quilting?  I don't have a long arm: I use my Viking Sapphire for all my quilting.  I do plan to get Minkee for the backing, though.  It's a great design for a baby.  I know I have the perfect colors of Aurifil thread in my stash. 

So, my pyramids from Sea Salt Sandy.  I love it!

I also had some purple/lavender/magenta colors of Sea Salt Sandy.  I'm planning a table runner with them.  Maybe with a smaller triangle.  You'll be among the first to know (if you follow my blog).


Stop by the other blogs for today!  I'm sure you'll LOVE Sea Salt Sandy and find more inspiration, fun, and give-aways.
Friday, February 26 – Sea Salt Sandy
Tamarinis
KISSed Quilts
Moose Stash Quilting
Pamela Quilts
Bejeweled Quilts

And if you haven't already entered,
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks so much for visiting.  I hope you've seen my last post about Coral Reef, and left a comment there.  Enjoy your weekend, and remember there's more hopping on Monday. And check with your favorite fabric store to find Island Batik.  Ask them to carry Sea Salt Sandy.  

I hope you spend time quilting!

Maryellen

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Island Batik Planes Trains and Automobiles Blog Hop

Hi, and welcome to all my new visitors.  I'm SEW excited to share my project with you, as you hop along with the Island Batik Ambassadors.  I hope your passport is up to date, because we're going on a tropical vacation, to explore some coral reefs.  



My collection is CORAL REEF, and the colors are bright and fun and perfect for our tropical trip, with time on a sunny beach, and some snorkeling and scuba diving thrown in.  Have you ever gone Scuba diving?  I did, and it was awesome.  I swam through a sunken ship on a coral reef, near St. Thomas Virgin Islands.  We saw fish in so many beautiful colors, and the reef and the blue water, and gorgeous turquoise sky.  It was a perfect day.  


(Photo from web, ScienceClarified.com, not my photo)



This is my favorite from the bundle I received:
This print is also in the bright pink colorway, too.  
The dragonflies and butterflies are so cute!  I would wear this as a shirt or skirt, too. 

There are so many great fabrics in this line!  I had used the Coral Reef purples for this table runner, for a previous hop (See HERE for that post)

So, this time, I wanted to use the orange, yellow, red, and pink fabrics and make something that reflects the fun and scenery of the coral reef, with a block that ties into our destination. 
I made Ocean Waves on the Reef.





The background is GLAZE

I quilted it with Aurifil 50wt in 3840, the pale variegated lavender thread named French Lilac, and used 4225,  eggplant, for the borders.  I stitched waves on the smaller triangles, and feathers in the border, and plan to add shells, fish and other Coral Reef inhabitants on the larger purple/white sections.  I needed to get photos done for this post, so I'll add finished detail photos when the quilting is done.  

(Thanks, Mom, for being a trouper and holding my quilt while I took photos at the Freeport Nautical Mile, Long Island, NY)

There are several free versions on Ocean Waves blocks and quilts online.  
Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville has THIS scrappy version, with smaller blocks.

Eleanor Burns and Quilt In A Day had a larger size block in Quilts from El's Attic now in preorder. I love both of these versions, and the directions.  I'm a member of Eleanor's block party series, and I had a copy of the directions from that, which I used to assemble my 20 blocks.  But I wanted my blocks to be larger (Hers are about 8 1/2") , so I went to EQ7, and drew the block design, and played until I had a 12" block.  I made the larger triangles 2 colors, to get the different blocks in the center, and made sure the corner triangles were the same, so I could create pinwheels where the blocks meet.  I love secondary designs! 

For a 12" block, you need 10 assorted HSTs (half square triangles) measuring 3 1/2" (3" finished), plus 2 light triangles (cut a 4" square in half, once on the diagonal) and 2 dark triangles (vary these, but again 4" square cut on one diagonal).  You'll also need the larger triangles.  Cut 7" triangles on one diagonal.  I used 12150719, and each square cut was enough for 2 blocks (I needed 10 7" squares of purple, and 10 white for the whole quilt).  

CORAL REEF - 12150719



Lay out your HST units like this, with the 2 light triangles at the bottom in rows 1 and 2, and the darks at the top in 3 and 4.  

Follow Eleanor's video to sew the block together.  
Ocean Waves is the second half of this show.  Trim the tips and the block shape.  
 To sew the large purple triangle and the background triangle, fold the triangle in half, to find the center of the long side.  Finger crease this.  Put a pin about 1/4" from edge at this fold, and use the tip of the pin to locate the match point on the block, the place where the triangles and square meet.  Wiggle the fabrics together until your pin is straight up and down, and the edges are even.  Stitch.  Remember to sew the dark triangle to the side with the light HSTs and the light triangle to the darks (in my case, the purples).  Also, notice that the top left HST is red/purple (the same in each block) and the bottom right HST is the multi-colored print that looks speckled.  These form the pinwheels when sewing the block together. 

I did put a pin at the center, to make sure, when I trimmed my block to 12 1/2", I would have enough on the corners.  I only needed to really trim these last 2 large corners to make the block square.  
I made 20 blocks, and added 3" strips (6 strips cut) for border.  I used 6 2 1/2" strips for binding, using a variety of the other prints for a scrappy look. 
My quilt measures about 54 by 66".  

I think my larger block really shows off the design and the gorgeous colors in this collection.  
So, now for some hopping fun.  I hope you've visited the other blogs, so here's the list.  

Monday, February 15  – Caribbean Splash
Bejeweled Quilts
Pamela Quilts
Tuesday, February 16 – London Fog
Moose Stash Quilting
Wednesday, February 17 – French Roasted
KISSed Quilts
Made In Scraps
Happy Cottage Quilter
Thursday, February 18 – Crystal Cove
Freemotion by the River
Friday, February 19 – Florida Oranges
Fun Threads Designs 
Kauffman Designs
Tamarinis
Monday, February 22 – Coral Reef
Mary Mack Made Mine  You're here!
Purrfect Spots Designs
Tuesday, February 23 – Sweet Georgia Peach
One Quilting Circle
KISSed Quilts
Wednesday, February 24 – Hollywood Hills
The Fit Quilter
Maria Michaels Designs
Thursday, February 25 – Desert Rose
For Quilts Sake
Lemon Tree Snippets
Monday, February 29 – Jersey Shore
Beaquilter
Lemon Tree Snippets
Tuesday, March 1 – Tuscany Sun
Tammy Silvers
Wednesday, March 2 – Lavish
Freemotion by the River
Moose Stash Quilting
Thursday, March 3 – Fire Island
KISSed Quilts
Friday, March 4 – Tinsel, Holiday Happenings
Purrfect Spots Designs
KISSed Quilts
Moose Stash Quilting
And Island Batik has a give-away, too!  

AND, leave a comment on my blog to be entered in a give away from me!  I'm not sure what it'll be yet, except that it's Island Batik fabric, at least 4 FQs or some fat 1/8's!  I recently moved, and my studio isn't set up yet.  I have a little more painting to do, and then I'll share my new space.  My Island Batik collection is in that room, somewhere! (It's in a special bin, but just not within reach!).  Now that this quilt is (almost) done, I can get back to painting and setting up the space.  This give-away closes on the last day of the hop, March 5, and I'll ship international if you don't mind paying the additional charge in postage.  

Thanks for hopping along, and I hope you enjoyed our little scuba excursion!  You can find Island Batik at many great online shops, but please also ask your favorite shops to carry it.  I promise you'll love it! 

Maryellen

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Island Batik Planes, Trains and Automobiles Blog Hop

Hi!
I hope you're stopping by with your favorite mode of transportation to the Island Batik blog hop!
These fabrics are currently in shops (or will be arriving soon) so make sure you get into your favorite shops and check them out!

My online friend, Phyllis of Jambearies on Etsy, has a few of the collections in stock, and is always getting more.  Check out her shop, HERE.  Also, Quilt In A Day, and Hancocks-Paducah usually carries Island Batik, too.  And there's a way to search on Island Batik, as well.  Make sure your store carries it, and tell them which collections you want to see.

Today's featured fabric isLondon Fog

I'm currently using this collection for a project I'll share next month, but let me just say that the colors are gorgeous, they work so well together, and the fabric is wonderful.  I LOVE using it, because it doesn't fray much.  You can handle the pieces without worrying you'll have tons of loose threads on the back of your quilt top to trim before layering it.  I'm always surprised when I go to another brand's fabric after working with Island Batik.  I forget about worrying about fraying, and when I use something else, and it frays (sometimes excessively) I'm surprised.  I wish all fabric companies produced a product as good as Island Batik's.

So, join the hop!  Get a chance to win some gorgeous fabrics.

Here’s the schedule:
Monday, February 15  – Caribbean Splash
Bejeweled Quilts
Pamela Quilts
Tuesday, February 16 – London Fog
Moose Stash Quilting
Wednesday, February 17 – French Roasted
KISSed Quilts
Made In Scraps
Happy Cottage Quilter
Thursday, February 18 – Crystal Cove
Freemotion by the River
Friday, February 19 – Florida Oranges
Fun Threads Designs
Kauffman Designs
Tamarinis
Monday, February 22 – Coral Reef
Mary Mack Made Mine
Purrfect Spots Designs
Tuesday, February 23 – Sweet Georgia Peach
One Quilting Circle
KISSed Quilts
Wednesday, February 24 – Hollywood Hills
The Fit Quilter
Maria Michaels Designs
Thursday, February 25 – Desert Rose
For Quilts Sake
Lemon Tree Snippets
Monday, February 29 – Jersey Shore
Beaquilter
Lemon Tree Snippets
Tuesday, March 1 – Tuscany Sun
Tammy Silvers
Wednesday, March 2 – Lavish
Freemotion by the River
Moose Stash Quilting
Thursday, March 3 – Fire Island
KISSed Quilts
Friday, March 4 – Tinsel, Holiday Happenings
Purrfect Spots Designs
KISSed Quilts
Moose Stash Quilting
And Island Batik has a give-away, too.  
a Rafflecopter giveaway

I can't wait to show you what I'm doing with Coral Reef!
Thanks for hopping along with us!

Maryellen