Island Batik Ambassador's Storm at Sea Blog Hop

I have been an Island Batik Ambassador for six years.  This collection, Twilight Glow, is by far my FAVORITE I have ever received.  And that is saying something!  I was so excited to work with this collection I designed a QUEEN sized quilt.  That is totally rare for me.  It's only my second as an ambassador.  There may have been some squealing going on at my house when I unwrapped this collection.

Kathy Engle, the main designer at Island Batik hit it out of the park with this collection!  SO PRETTY.

In the past I made one storm at sea block. One. So many pieces.  So I knew right away that I wanted to use the Accuquilt Storm at Sea Block on Board for this one.  I also used my 6 inch Qube to make the square in a square blocks for the corner stones of the design in order to simplify it a bit.  I also used my favorite Aurifil threads for piecing and Schmetz Microtex Needles in my machine.  They make quick work of going through batik fabric.

When playing with 20 different fabrics and fitting all of them into the quilt it's important to keep track of what you're doing.  I used the plate method where I laid out each block and sewed 3-4 at a time so I didn't mess up the pieces that needed to be together.  

This is the corner of the border.  I didn't have enough of either the yellow or cheddar prints to make the whole borer from one fabric.  So I decided to alternate star colors.  I think this decision actually adds to the end result.  Here are the pieces all laid out ready to sew.

And now here they are all sewn together and ready to be ironed.  For every single seam in this quilt I presseed the seams open.  There were just so many fabrics coming together at certain points it seamed easiest.  It does take a long time, but the end result was worth it.

Now it was time for the quilt to be quilted.  It's almost 90 inches square.  As much as I wanted to quilt it myself with being a full time first grade teacher I knew I needed some help.  So I admitted it would be challenging for me to get done and asked my mom if she would quilt it on her long arm.  Yes, I paid her.  And she did a fabulous job!  We put one layer of Hobbs 80/20 cotton/poly blend inside the quilt and it shows all the quilting fantastically.  All I said was I wanted some fun design in the large cream areas and feathers.  Check out all her beautiful work!

I love the border on this quilt.  Such fun.  I also loved playing with the fabrics in the center and making them radiate out.  I purposely used the darkest blue in the center and then worked my way lighter as I went outwards.

I can't wait to put this one on my bed!

Island Batik is giving away two gorgeous new precuts!  Sail Away and Twilight Glow.  Enter with the rafflecopter link: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also, be sure to check out all the other amazing quilts on the Storm at Sea blog hop!  I've been truly impressed with all the different takes on this pattern that my fellow ambassadors have created!

I hope you get to quilt today!

Suzy

Gail Sheppard, Quilting Gail

Preeti Harris, Sew Preeti Quilts

Pamela Boatright, Pamela Quilts

Jane Hauprich, Stitch by Stitch Custom Quilting

Denise Looney, For the Love of Geese

Megan Best, Bestquilter

Gail Renna, Quilt Haven Threads

Claudia Porter, Create with Claudia

Mania Hatzioannidi, Mania for Quilts

Jennifer Fulton, Inquiring Quilter

Joanne Hart, Unicorn Harts

Connie Kauffman, Kauffman Designs

Jennifer Eubank, Archipelago Quilting

Jennifer Thomas, Curlicue Creations

Janet Yamamoto, Whispers of Yore

Emily Leachman, The Darling Dogwood

Maryellen McAuliffe, Mary Mack Made Mine

Elizabeth DeCroos, Epida Studio

Andi Stanfield, True Blue Quilts

Brianna Roberts, Sew Cute and Quirky

Michelle Roberts, Creative Blonde

Sally Manke, Sally Manke Fiber Artist

Leah Malasky, Quilted Delights

Suzy Webster, Websterquilt