Monday, August 23, 2021

Try a Tool Blog Hop with Moonlight Sky

 Hi, and welcome to my day on the Try a Tool Studio 180 Blog Hop with Island Batik!  



This month the Island Batik Ambassadors are trying a new (to us) tool from Deb Tucker and Studio 180 Designs, and using the Spring 2021 Collections.  We hope to inspire you to check with your favorite Island Batik retailer and use a new collection for something fun.  Island Batik provided us with the tool and the collection, plus 2 yards of dark and light fabrics, and Hobb's Batting, along with Schmetz needles and Aurifil thread.  

I was sent the Moonlight Sky collection for Kate Colleran.  It's a pretty grouping of cobalt blue, apple green, aqua, and shades of purple, plus black and white designs.  The tjaps include fronds, stars, moons, and various other geometrics, as well as a checkerboard design, triangles and doves.



I was sent the Rapid Fire Hunter's Star Petite tool and Hidden Treasures Book to inspire the design.
I like using Studio 180 Tools. They make me a better piecer, and work in a variety of sizes.  I have quite a few of them that I've purchased, and Hunter's Star was a bucket list quilt.  This tool has you cut the trapezoid shape as a precision size, with oversized triangle and diamond shapes that you trim down.  The book's instructions suggest 7" blocks, but I decided to make 8".  The chart included with the tool has the cutting suggestions for the 5-8" finished blocks.  I do like to go big, lol.  

I looked at all of the designs in the book, and I have another pattern that uses the larger Rapid Fire Hunter's Star, and kept coming back to La Caribe.  It's also in blue, aqua and lime, which may have influenced my decision, but I liked the layout, and that it was different from the traditional look. I did choose to do the alternate layout (lights and darks are reversed), and picked the blues, aqua and lime shades of the collection.  I picked Sprinkles for the background.  
From Hidden Treasures

To test out the tool, I cut enough pieces for a few blocks, and was happy with the mix. I continued to cut pieces from 9 fabrics from the collection, plus the blue Cheerio fabric and Sky for the borders, as well as one of the 1/2 yard collection pieces, Apple, that was in the latest box.  I was quickly able to assemble 48 blocks.  With the borders, it finishes at 74 by 88"
All pieced and trimmed, and perfect because the tool makes it easy!
I think the quilt looks like it belongs at my local pool!  

Or by the mural of the beach scene on the bathhouse at the pool.
Rath Park in Franklin Square, NY.  Thanks to the lifeguards who cooperated and held the quilt for photos!  I wanted to get someone jumping off the diving board for a splash, but no one was on line.  The colors work so well with the location! 

Sun Deck at the pool. 


I used Aurifil Forty-3 in  2710 Light Robin's Egg with Kim's Feather panto on my Handi-Quilter Amara with Prostitcher.  Hobb's Heirloom Bleached Cotton 80/20 is inside, and a grey swirl wide back is on the back.  



I used the Apple fabric to make a faux piped binding.  I love the spark of green at the edge. 

Please visit Jane's blog to see what she's done with her tool and this collection. 

And the rest of the blogs this week! 

August 23:

Maryellen McAuliffe, Mary Mack Made Mine

August 24:

Megan Best, Bestquilter
Janet Yamamoto, Whispers of Yore

August 25:

Claudia Porter, Create with Claudia
Michelle Roberts, Creative Blonde

August 26:

Leah Malasky, Quilted Delights
Andi Stanfield, True Blue Quilts

August 27:

Blog Hop Round-Up Week 3 and Giveaway

August 30:

Joanne Hart, Unicorn Harts
Connie Kauffman, Kauffman Designs

Please leave a comment telling me your favorite color, and I'll send you something if your name is drawn at the end of the hop.  Please have a US address, or be willing to pay the additional shipping to your country.  Please follow my blog, look for me on Instagram and Facebook.  Click on the Rafflecopter link to win a gorgeous precut from Island Batik!  



Thanks so much for visiting and leaving a comment!  
Maryellen

35 comments:

Kathy R. said...

Beautiful Quilt! Looks great by the pool. My favorite color is purple. petuniakr@aol.com

Gene Black said...

My favorite color (at the moment) is Purple. I have never taught anyone to quilt that wasn't already started. But I have helped as many as possible along the way.

Jennifer Fulton Inquiring Quilter said...

How clever of you to photograph this by the pool! It looks perfect there. Lovely quilt.

Joyce Carter said...

Your quilt is really gorgeous Maryellen! I love the layout and the fabrics. I would love to make a Hunter's Star quilt someday. I think this tool would be the perfect one to get me started.
My favorite color is green. Thank you for the chance.

Bonnie58 said...

Beautiful quilt. Blues in all of their shades are my favourite colour. Thanks

Carol Ethier said...

Beautiful work ME, and you always pick the best locations for your photo shoots! I LOVE the apple green accents-it really pops whenever I use it too! Really like it combined with black, orange and purple at Halloween too!

Nancy Angerer: SewingGranda@gmail.com said...

My granddaughter wanted to know how to quilt, but she only had 2 weeks before she had to return to college, so I suggested a placemat which would include all the steps. She did a great job, but she is a knitter, and that is where her heart is. So she is not now quilting.

mumbird3 said...

Lovely quilt - the colors are fabulous!!! Especially love the quilting pattern .

Uniquely Yours Creations said...

Your quilt came out absolutely gorgeous! The lime green and blue are my favorite colors!

Lori Smanski said...

wow your quilt is lovely. I love these fabrics. what a fun tool.
I taught my daughter to machine quilt when she was in high school. How she found the time is still beyond me. She is now 33. She is extremely busy with her career right now. But she does have all the skills and she works on things a little at a time.
My mother taught me when I was in high school, but she taught me hand quilting. Things took way too long to see wonderful results. And I was a (ok still am) a bit of a perfectionist. So I stopped. When both of our two kids were in school full time, I took a quilting class at church. They were making baby blankets for women in crisis pregnancy that the church supported. I made a lot of baby blankets and learned a lot. That is when I truly fell in love with quilting. I am now 62 and still love to quilt. My get away from the world and a chance to create for family and friends.
quilting dash lady at comcast dot net

Darlene S said...

Absolutely stunning Maryellen. Beautiful design, fabric, piped binding, quilting. I love it. I have this tool and have such a design on my bucket list. Hopefully in the next year. I think I love all colors, so not sure I have an absolute FAV. But lately I've been drawn to shades of sea blues.

Quilting Tangent said...

Pretty design! Purple is one of my favorite colors. 24Tangent@gmail.com

Quilting Tangent said...

I have not had the chance to teach anyone how to quilt.

OhioLori said...

What a Gorgeous quilt!!! My favorite colors too!! Blues & Greens are always a Tie!!

Cindy Shelley said...

Royal blue is so rich.
Love the reverse of the lights and darks of your quilt.

@lutzcats said...

OoooooLaaaaLaaaa that's so very pretty! I recently dyed fabric with my niece, 15, and we planned a design in EQ8...so next I'm teaching her to make a quilt!!!

Cecilia said...

Beautiful quilt! My favorite color is red.

JANET said...

Any colors from the blue family. Your quilt is beautiful!

Nancy L said...

I love your quilt. Anything blue is a favorite of mine.

Julie said...

Love your quit. Purple is my favorite color.

tac73 said...

Love these colors but my favorite color is burgundy.

Jollygirl said...

My favorite color is purple. I love your quilt.

Homesewn said...

Love the quilt ! Pool setting is perfect. My favorite color is teal.

Ellee said...

Looking forward to teaching my 7-, 5-, and 2-year-old granddaughters to sew and quilt. -- soparkaveataoldotcom

Jane, Mulberry Patch Quilts said...

So beautiful! The colors are gorgeous.

Jennifer Schifano Thomas said...

Another beautiful quilt! I love the colors in this collection. It looks perfect poolside. What a unique place to do a photo shoot. Very fun!

Michele T said...

Gorgeous quilt, love the pretty pattern too! I taught a co-worker to quilt and she made many quilted gifts for her family and friends!

Sues said...

Fabulous!!! I love the blues and apple green. Great location shots at the pool!!! And That faux piping is the perfect finish!!! *applause*

Jambearies said...

Absolutely beautiful!

cjmont said...

my favorite color is aqua

Dawn F said...

My favorite color is purple. I love your quilt and the location of you photo shoot!

Sharon Aurora said...

My favorite color is constantly changing. I guess I love all the colors. Your quilt is beautiful and it brings out the colors so well.

Barb said...

My Granddaughter and I made a doll quilt together. She had fun picking out the colors.
barbkaup(at)(yahoo)(dot)(com)

Pamela said...

Thank you for sharing your beautiful quilt Maryellen, and the process that you used to make it! The colors and design are just gorgeous. My favorite color is purple, but I love blue and green too!

Unknown said...

My favorite color is red. I do love the blues in this quilt, I must say--I grew up by the ocean, and a great many swimming pools, and seeing your quilt is as refreshing as any of them on a hot summer day. Thank you for sharing.