The fabric, thread and batting used to make this stocking were given to me by Island Batik as part of their Ambassador 2021 program.
Hey Guys,
Welcome to my Island Batik July post, This months challenge is “Never too Early” For this project we had to make something Christmas, I chose a oversized stocking, you cant tell how big this is in these photo’s, i must get another shot holding them when the rain stops!
I used a selection of pink fabrics and my Accuquilt Go 2 1/2″ strip cutter along with the Go Cube to cut my strips and squares, it makes the cutting out so much quicker!
I added a little applique tree detail to each side which i fused onto Heat N Bond lite and then onto the stocking and straight stitched down 1/8″ from the edge (so once washed a couple of times, the edges will fray).
Fot the piecing and quilting i used Hobbs 80/20 Batting, Schmetz Microtex Chrome needles and Aurifil 50wt thread in colour 2024
I bound the top edge and added a little pom pom trim.
Its been another really fun make! i think im going to put this away and gift it to mom with her presents inside on christmas day xx
The items used to make this quilt were supplied to me by Island Batik as part of their Ambassador 2021 program.
Hey Guys!
Welcome to my June Island Batik Ambassador challenge! This month we got to try out a new BOB die from Accuquilt. The one i recieved was the Arkansas Traveller, its a really pretty block that finished at 12″ square. The BOB die boards are great, you can cut all the fabric you need for each block in one hit! They are really easy to use and they even cut off the little dog ears too which makes them super easy to line up for more accurate sewing.
The brief this month was to create a quilt using the new die we recieved but to also include another die aswell. The other block i used was the Ohio Star block. I used a selection of low volume and solids for the background and a selections of pinks with a few tiny pops of yellow and green to create a modern looking, fun, girly quilt.
For the piecing and quiting, i used my go to Aurifil 50wt thread in colour 2024 and Schmetz Microtex Chrome Needles.
For the batting i used Hobbs 80/20 Bleached, a great choice for lighter coloured quilted.
The name of this challenge is called “Spread Love and Joy” with Accuquilt and one of the requirements was to gift our finished quilt. Im gifting this one to my Mom, She kinda already claimed it whilst it was in construction and has been super excited to see the finished article. It will take pride of place on her sofa and will be a snuggle quilt xx
Im super excited to share with you, I have been selected to be an Island Batik Ambassdor for the year of 2021, This will be my third year, I have loved being a part of this amazing group and cannot wait for the year ahead. I recieved my first 2 boxes a couple days ago and heres what i recieved…….
4 yards each of White, Grey and Black Solids and 6 yards of a neutral fabric, this one is called Coconut.
2 Yards of this beautiful Rayon, a lovely mid blue called Iris Paisley.
A pack of precut 10″ squares from the gorgeous collection “Painted Blossoms” designed by Kathy Engle for Kate Colleran of Seams Like a Dream Quilt Designs. This pack also came with 2 yards each of a dark and light coordinating fabric. This collection will be shipping to stores in Feb.
Another Precut pack, this time 2 1/2″ strips from the collection “Farm Fresh” designed by Kathy Engle, again with a light and a dark coordinating fabric, 2 yard cuts of each. This collection will be shipping to stores in May.
This gorgeous Half yard bundle of “Painted Blossoms” designed by Kathy Engle for Kate Colleran of Seams Like a Dream Quilt Designs with 2 yards each of light and dark coordinating fabric.
A selection of foundations in half yard cuts, 12 pieces in total consiting of solids and prints.
2 packs of Stash builder rolls, each pack consists of 5 rolls with 4 pieces of 5″ x WOF in each roll, I love recieving these in our boxes and they are super handy to have around.
And finally on the fabric front is a suprise, its a new collection that i cant share with you just yet. Stay tuned for the reveal in May, i have had a quick peak and its gorgeous!
Now onto Industry Partners……
Hobbs Batting always send us a great selection of batting to use in our projects and this year is no different! We have 4 packs of queen size batting, each one measuring 90″ x 108″, Natutal cotton with scrim binder, Premium Cotton, 80/20 Black and Premium Polyester which i am yet to try. Thankyou so much Hobbs Batting.
Aurifil thread sent us 7 large spools of their 40wt and 50wt 100% cotton threads, One is a varigated thread which i love! Im looking forward to using these! Thankyou Aurifil.
Accuquilt sent us all a new die, I recieved the Arkansas Traveler, this will be used in one of our challenges. Thankyou Accuquilt.
Schmetz sent us some new needles to use, i’ve really enjoyed using the chrome range, they are super sharp, we also recieved a pocket guide, colour chart, note pad and cleaning cloth. Thankyou Schmetz.
Thats my first 2 boxes complete, Thankyou so much to Island Batik for all the wonderful goodies and for having me on the team again, Its going to be another fun year of making! The challenges look great and i hope you follow along with me to see what i make.
Take care and Happy Sewing! x
Jo x
PS please do check out my fellow Ambassodors here, they have also shared what they recieved in their boxes via youtube, blog and facebook xx
The items used to make this post were supplied to me by Island batik as part of their Ambassador 2020 program.
Hey Guys,
Im back with another Island Batik challenge and this month is a really lovely one! The challenge is “Christmas in July” with Accuquilt. We got given an Accuquilt GO! Me fabric cutter starter set and with this we had to make a gift for a special person and also gift them the GO! Me cutter too! This set consists of the cutting machine, 2 dies to cut 2 different sized HST’s and a cutting mat. It really is a great starter set for a newbie quilter especially if you havent managed to get your hands on all the fancy tools yet.
I knew straight away i wanted to gift mine to my niece Katie, she has recently gotten into sewing and got her first sewing machine last year, and this cutter set will set her well on her way to making her first quilt and more!
So for the gift i decided to make her a wall hanging for her bedroom, Purple is her favourite colour and amazingly i recieved a bundle of stash builder rolls in guess what colour?…. Yes purple!
I made the wall hanging in the style of a banner with a heart in the middle, the Go! cutter made quick work of the cutting out and i had it whipped up in no time! For this project I also used Hobbs 80/20 batting, Aurifil 50wt thread and Schmetz needles.
Now all that was left for me to do was to get gifting! We met up in our local park on Sunday were we had a lovely family walk and i was able to suprise her with this fab gift, I think she was pleased and I cant wait to see what she makes 🙂 xx
Thankyou so much Island batik and Accuquilt for this absolutely lovely and thoughtful challenge, It was so fun to make and even better to gift!xx
The items featured in this post were gifted to me by Island Batik as part of their ambassador 2020 program.
Hey Guys,
Its that time again when I recieve very happy mail from Island Batik in the form of 2 giant boxes filled with goodies. This is the second and final shipment of the year filled to the brim with new fabric and awsome products from industry partners and will see me through the rest of the years challenges. Here’s a little peak at what i got…….
A super fun and bright fat quarter bundle of a collection called Color Pop designed by Kathy Engle.
A gorgeous (and i think my favourite from this this box) 2.5″ strip pack of Mandala Magic designed by Jackie Kunkel of Canton Village Quilt Works.
A selection of basics to tie in with the fabric collections we have received. A total of 6 yards.
4 yards each of black, white and grey solids and 4 yards of Almond from the neutrals range.
2 packs of these stash builder rolls, each strip is 5″ wide x WOF, you get 4 pieces in each roll and 5 rolls in each pack. These come in super handy!
And finally on the fabric front, I recieved these 2 suprise packages that I can not share with you just yet, but do stay tuned for the reveal later on in the year. Now onto industry partners…….
6 spools of Aurifil Thread 50wt in colours 2600, 2625, 2692, 4026, 1133 and 2134.
A selection of Hobbs Batting, Fusible cotton, 80/20 Black, Silk blend and Fusible batting strips, I haven’t tried any of the fusibles yet so I’m super excited for that!
A new industry partner this year is By Annie, I got to choose one of her patterns and received the full bag making kit, I’m looking forward to making this one.
Another new industry partner this year is Studio 180 Design ltd, I received Deb Tucker’s Diamond Rects ruler and will be using this one very soon in our next challenge.
And last but definately not least, I recieved the Accuquilt Go Me fabric cutter starter set. The challenge for this one is so lovely and I cant wait to share it with you, I’m working on it right now x
So thats everything I recieved in my second box, i’m once again blown away by all the stuff I recieved! Thankyou so much Island batik and industry partners Hobbs Batting, Accuquilt, Studio 180 design Ltd, By Annie and Aurifil thread! Im excited for the scond half of the year and I hope you will follow along with me to see what I make.
The items used in this post were given to me by Island Batik as part of the 2020 Ambassador program.
Hey guys,
Its that time again when I get to complete a new monthly challenge as an Island Batik Ambassador. This month we had to use the BOB (Block on board) die from Accuquilt we received in our January box. I got Hatties Choice.
The brief this month was to create a quilt using the primary block design, I decided to go quite uniform with my fabrics and just adding a few pops of colour to add a little more interest, the fabrics I used are Grey, White and Black from the solids line, Mustard, Bluebird, Fern Leaves and Lemonade from the basics line.
The Accuquilt Go cutter is great for making a quilt with a continuous pattern, you are able to cut all the pieces in no time at all! and each piece is always perfectly cut, I find my self using it more and more.
The die board is clearly labelled and is so simple to use! it even gives you instructions on what size to cut your fabric.
For this project, i also used Hobbs Batting Premium Cotton batting. I pieced and quilted with Aurifil 50Wt 2024 and Shmetz Microtex Chrome 80/12 needles.
As always, its been another super fun make, thankyou so much Island batik, Accuquilt, Hobbs Batting, Aurifil and Schmetz for supplying all the awesome tools to work with.
Thankyou so much for reading guys! I hope you are all staying safe! xx
The items in this post were given to me by Island Batik as part of their 2020 Ambassador program.
Hey Guys,
I’m super excited to share with you, I have been selected to be an Island batik Ambassador again this year! Island Batik are such a wonderful company to work with, the Ambassador program is really great and I had so much fun making with them last year! The program this year looks even better so I cant wait to get started!
My first box arrived a couple of weeks ago and here’s what I recieved:
A whopping 6 yards of a neutral fabric, this one is called Almond, I love dots on fabric and this one is covered in them!
Next up we have a bundle of 12 foundations and I’m super excited about some of these as they are from the new solids range and the colours are so vibrant! I have Pink, Fuschia, Green and Yellow.
The remaining 8 foundations are:
Ivy – Basics
Foulard – Grass
Cat Scratch – Smore
Navy – Basics
Dandelion – Wisteria
Pumpkin – Basics
Geranium – Basics
Mini Flower – Carnation
I received half yard cuts from the Bloomers Collection designed by Kathy Engle which is a lovely selection of pinks and purples and 2 yards each of a light and dark co-ordinating fabric to go with them called Wildflower – Thistle bloom and Tossed Feather – Grape Juice. This gorgeous collection will be shipping to stores in February.
Next we have a rainbow pack of 10″ squares from the Kismet collection designed by Tammy Silvers of Tamarinis, again with co-ordinating 2 yard cuts each of a light and a dark called Bubbles – Salmon and Mardigras – Basics. This collection also ships to stores in February.
Next is the Sundance collection designed by Kathy Engle. I recieved a pack of 2 1/2 strips with 2 yard cuts of co-ordinating fabric called Mustard – Basics and Large netting – Brownie. This ones a bit out of my comfort zone, I’m not used to sewing with these colours so hopefully I can do them justice. This collection is part of winter 2019 and ships to stores in May.
I’m always so happy to receive these stash builders! they come in so handy, adding a little extra to your project when needed, here we have 2 packs with 5 rolls in each pack, each piece is 5″ wide x WOF and you get 4 pieces in each roll.
Next I received 2 yards of a Rayon, this one is called Floral Petals and each year all ambassadors recieve a rayon scarf, this year I got this pretty blue one xx
And finally on the fabric front, I received 2 surprise packages that I can’t share with you just yet, this is a new collection not yet released but stay tuned for the reveal in May!
Now onto the Industry Partners…… Schmetz Needles are new on board this year which is very exciting, Ive used Schmetz needles for as long as I can remember but I have never tried any of the selection we received. Also included in the package is a super handy pocket guide explaining which needles are best for each technique. Also a sturdy plastic colour code chart which shows which needle you have in your machine which is so great! I’m always forgetting which one I have in mine!
Hobbs batting are partners again this year, I love them! and we got 2 kings sized 100% cotton battings in this box.
Accuquilt are a returning partner again, I had a great time last year cutting fabric with their Go cutter and this year I received the Hatties Choice (BOB) block on board die, I love this pattern and cant wait to use it!
Aurifil are back on board with us, and this year we get to try their new colour builder boxes, I couldn’t be happier with the 2 chosen for me, I got Verona Mauve and Sardina Pink and each one has 3 large spools of 50wt thread.
And that’s a wrap on my first box! So much goodness to play with! Thankyou so much Island batik, Schmetz Needles, Hobbs Batting and Aurifil Thread xx
I would also love to introduce you to my fellow Ambassadors, head on over to see them and see what they received in their boxes xx
Thankyou so much for reading guys, I hope you will follow along with with me to see what I make this year xx
The items used to make the quilt in this post were given to me by Island Batik.
Its Island Batik time again and November’s challenge is “Tool Time”.
The Brief:
Lap size or larger.
Use special quilting tool like speciality rulers, templates, dies etc.
For this challenge I decided to use the awesome Accuquilt Go cutting machine i received as part of this ambassador program, (any excuse to play with it some more!) I used the 2.5″ strip cutter die and the 2.5″ square die for this quilt.
I love how this machine cuts up your fabric so quickly, its so easy to use and each shape is always perfectly cut! I had a few leftover jelly roll strips from the Mermaid cove collection I received and then used the dies to cut the rest of my fabric.
I pieced each block using 3 different fabrics, 2 for the checker board centre and 1 for the outside square. I made 25 blocks in total for this quilt.
I used Hobbs Batting 100% cotton and pieced and quilted with Aurifil 50wt thread in colour 2600.
Me and boys were lucky enough to visit America this month (Yosemite and Colorado) we had the best time and of course I had to bring this quilt along with me for photos!) These photos were taken on our hike to North Catamount Reservoir which was so so beautiful!.
As always, I had so much fun making this quilt and using all the gorgeous Island batik Fabrics. I’m going to gift this one to best friend for Christmas! I hope she loves it! xx
For this challenge I wanted to use the FW18 Icicle collection I received in my box, I don’t often sew with a full collection, I normally just pull random fabrics from my stash that I think will go nicely together so it was a real treat to use these fabrics. As the main colour in this collection is blue, a boys baby quilt was a must make for me and I decided on a robot.
So, the main requirement for this challenge was to use the Accuquilt Go die cutting machine. My strips were already pre-cut to 2.5″ wide so I used the strip die to cut them into squares. I lay the strips across the width of the die making sure to align the straight edges, this was super easy to do as the die has clear marking on to cut a variety of shapes including 60 and 40 degree angles, I also used the 2.5″ square die to cut a few squares in custard and pistachio.
My quilt used a total of 480 squares and the Accuquilt Go made it so easy and quick to do!
Instead of adding the robots arms and legs into the pieced design, I decided to add those separately to make the quilt a little interactive. I cut strips of grey fabric 3″ wide for the arms and legs and used the 4″ die to cut the hands and feet using Pine Leaf – Chambray Icicle.
I added some applique to the face and used a blanket stitch to secure the pieces to the fabric, I used Hobbs Batting 80/20 and quilted straight lines in a cross hatch design using my walking foot.
I used Prym Consumer Love Colour snaps to attach the arms and legs to the quilt, so they can be removed should I decide to make extra sets to change the look of the quilt.
The finished size of my quilt is 39″ X 46″ It was super fun to make and i really enjoyed using the Accuquilt Go, it cuts squares in half the time and they are always perfect too!
Thanks so much for reading guys! Until next time….
“The items in this post were given to me by Island Batik and Accuquilt”
Hey Guys, I’m super excited to be an Island Batik ambassador this year!! Box number 1 has arrived and here’s what I got…….
8 half yard cuts of SS19 petal pushers collection
Basics – Pistachio
Bubbles – Carnation
Bubbles – Raspberry
Dandelion – Plum
Basics – Aubergine
Basics – Lagoon
Basics – Chameleon
Small pointed floral – Turquoise
2 yard cuts of the FW18 Icicle collection:
Berry Vine – French Blue
Pine Leaf – Chambray Icicle
1 pack of 40 coordinating 2.5″ strips
These Beautiful Rayons
3 yards of each of these solid colours, Black, Grey and white and 5 yards of this Neutral named custard.
2 packs of these 5″ WOF strips, these will come in super handy!
A selection of Hobbs batting:
Heirloom Cotton – 45″ x 60″ and 90″ x 108″
Heirloom 80/20 black – 90″ x 108″
Heirloom 80/20 bleached – 90″ x 108″
Tuscany Collection silk blend – 60″ x 60″
Thermore – 54″ x 45″
There’s a couple of newbies in this selection that I haven’t tried yet, so I’m really looking forward to using them especially that silk blend.
This Accuquilt “Ready, Set, Go” ultimate cutting system
This machine comes with it own little dust bag! also inside the box was the 8″ go cube, with a bunch of different sized dies, a 2.5″ strip cutter die and a pattern book. This machine literally cuts the perfect square/half square triangle and I cant wait to play with this some more!
5 spools of Aurifil thread
3 spools of 50 weight
1 spool of 28 weight
1 spool of aurifloss
and finally 2 surprise packages that I cant share with you just yet! but I’ve had a little nosey and I can tell you they are Yum!!!
Thankyou so much to Island Batik, Hobbs Batting, Accuquilt and Aurifil for being so generous! the program for this year looks amazing! Each month we get set a different project to produce a different item using the amazing threads, batting and fabrics so kindly provided. What I really like is, with each project, I’m allowed to apply my own personal touch and ill get to sew things I wouldn’t normally sew. Its going to be a fun year!
I Hope you will follow me on this new crafty journey of mine. I will be sharing my makes here and on Instagram and be sure to follow the #islandbatikambassador hashtag to see all the other ambassador’s makes too.
Unicornharts 