Websterquilt: Island Batik Ambassador's Quilt as You Go Challenge

Saturday, August 19, 2017

Island Batik Ambassador's Quilt as You Go Challenge

When I looked at this year's Island Batik Ambassador list I must admit that Quilt as You Go (QAYG) was the one I found most daunting. Why? Simply because I have never done it before. Ever. In 30 years of quilting!

So what to do? The same thing I do when a student in my third grade classroom asks a question I don't know the answer to...ask "Professor Google." I found videos from Leah Day, Missouri Star, and many others. I watched them all.

I decided I liked Leah Day's approach and went with it. I also happened to be in an art gallery as I was starting to ponder this challenge and I saw a three panel painting. I knew that's what I wanted to do. Make three panels and then stitch them together QAYG style. It turned out well and I would do it again having successfully survived the experience.

Here's one of the three panels all quilted up. In looking at it from far away now I wish the green was a little stronger, but such is life. I must admit I did not make a pattern for these flowers (shocking as I usually do). I just free cut petals and leaves. The extra curl I cut out from the bottom of the stem ended up at the top of the flower and me being me, it needed a few dots.

After following Leah's method I decided to do a blanket stitch on my sashing strips. I used a different machine than I usually do for blanket stitch and found that I should go back to my usual as I'm used to how that one does blanket stitching. Next time.

I was trying to decide what color to use for sashing. People kept telling me to use green. I decided it was too much contrast and went with a lovely blue.

I also decided that the quilt needed more red so I added some really fat red rick rack I found at my local quilt shop. It's the perfect addition. A tutorial on how to do that will be coming next week.