Island Batik Ambassadors Mini Challenge Part 2

I finished the top with my gorgeous Indigo Morris Island Batiks so now it was time to blanket stitch around the applique.  I played with my Aurifil blues until I found just the right colors.

Here's the light blue stitched.

And the back

Next round stitched out.

I love the way the stitching looks on the back too!

Now for the quilting.  Here's the top completely quilted. 

This stitch is my favorite I ever created.  I call it Webster Clams.  Find out how to quilt them by following the link!

What's a quilt without feathers?

Needed something interesting so a circle with a few pebbles on the outside.  I like how modern it looks.

The center with some more Webster Clams.  A hit for a center that isn't symmetrical exactly.  Pebbles work really well to hide any imperfections and draw your eye everywhere.

Some baptist fans

And the back.  I love being able to see the quilting on the back.

Now on to the binding....come back Wednesday to check it out!

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Island Batik Ambassadors Mini Challenge Part 1

This month the Island Batik Ambassadors are making minis in our Magnificent Minis Challenge.  I decided to work with the Indigo Morris collection.  It's all a range of blues and it's just gorgeous.  There's a lot to this little mini, so there will be three posts over the next week showing you how it was made.

Since it's a mini, I'm working with tiny pieces, so I made myself this little viewfinder to see what the fabrics looked like when cut in such small pieces.  This fist fabric is kind of a wash, not much to play with in the pattern when cut so small.

Hmm...these tiny stripes are interesting in the shape!

The dots are fun!

The dragonflies are too big for this tiny shape.

This fabric will make some interesting lines.

I like the dots.  It looks like blueberries.

Okay, but nothing really interesting.

Some micro dots depending on where you cut the raindrop fabric.

So here's my start.  I have my pieces cut and I'm working on a lightbox that has a grid taped to it for aligning the pieces.

And it continues to grow.

Done with the top!  I'm in love.  It's so much fun!

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Peculiar Posies Part 3 and a Tip!

Today it's time to show you what happened when I started stitching around my Peculiar Posies.  It's fun to see what happened with the velvet when I stitched around it with thread.  It's fun to see the contrast between the velvet and the straight lines.  The velvet was very stiff, but when I fluffed it up it got better.

This was a lot of fun to stitch too.  The bottom pink piece was hard to pick a color  of thread to use.

I decided this flower needed more color so I added some more color by stitching straight lines up the dark blue piece.  These are embroidery, not quilting lines as I haven't started quilting yet.

Sometimes stitching on leather can catch the presser foot and you don't move as smoothly as you want.  I've been working on how to combat this.  Sometimes I use a teflon presser foot, and sometimes I don't.  It's something I'm working on.  I'd love any advice you might have!

This was really fun to do.  I stuck the piece through the other one.  This is something I definitely want to do more of.  It's really fun.

I like leaving holes in piece too.  It's surprising and adds interest.

Here's a tip:  when your fabric is really large, roll it up and pin it before you do your stitching.  It makes it easier to manipulate under the machine.

I use a stabilizer on the back to help keep my stitches even and provide stabilization for silks and chambray.  I then rip off the extra area and only leave it under the applique pieces.  It adds a little puff to the finished quilt.

I hope you get to quilt today!

Suzy

2019 Island Batik Ambassador

I am SEW EXCITED to again be a 2019 Ambassador for Island Batiks!  The fabrics are luscious and it's a great company to work with. 

Check out my unboxing video below!  Video....it can be scary, but I did it.

In the video I talk all about the product.  Here is the spread!  So amazing!  Thank you so much Island Batik, Aurifil Thread, Hobbs Batting, and Accuquilt!  Here are a few highlights,  To see it all, check out the video.

Did you know Island Batik makes three solids?!  They are AMAZING to work with. 

And rayon fabric.  

 You'll have to wait a bit to see this amazing collection...

  

Silk batting!  It's fantastic to work with.

Black batting!

 I am so READY to open this box!  Thank you so much to Accuquilt for providing us with this AMAZING cutting system!

Be sure to check out the other Ambassadors too!

2019 Island Batik Ambassadors

Carolina Asmussen ~Carolina Asmussen

Gene Black ~ Gene Black

Pamela Boatright ~ Pamela Quilts

Connie K Campbell ~ Freemotion by the River

Anja Clyke ~ Anja Quilts

Tina Dillard ~ Quilting Affection Designs

Becca Fenstermaker ~Pretty Piney

Jennifer Fulton ~ Inquiring Quilter

Barbara Gaddy ~ Bejeweled Quilts by Barb

Dione Gardner-Stephen ~ Clever Chameleon

Sarah Goer ~ Sarah Goer Quilts

Vasudha Govindan ~ Storied Quilts

Lori Haase ~ Dakota City Quilter II

Joanne Hart ~

Mania (Magdalini) Hatziioannidi ~ Mania for Quilts

Carla Henton ~ Create in the Sticks

Stephanie Jacobson ~ Steph Jacobson Designs

Connie Kauffman ~ Kauffman Designs

Joan Kawano ~ Moosestash Quilting

Kim Lapacek ~ Persimon Dreams

Emily Leachman ~ The Darling Dogwood

Leanne Parsons ~ Devoted Quilter

Bea Lee ~ BeaQuilter

Toby Lischko ~ Gateway Quilts & Stuff

Bill Locke ~

Denise Looney ~ For the Love of Geese

Leah Malasky ~ Quilted Delights

Sally Manke ~ Sally Manke

Maryellen McAuliffe ~ Mary Mack’s Blog

Kathleen McCormick ~ Kathleen McMusing

Carol Moellers ~ Carol Moellers Designs

Karen Neary ~ Sew Karen-ly Created

Lisa Nielsen ~ Lisa Lisa and the Quilt Jam

Jackie O’Brien ~ If These Threads Could Talk

Laura Piland ~ Slice of Pi Quilts

Michelle Roberts ~ Creative Blonde

Vicki Schlimmer ~ Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting

Gail Sheppard ~ Quilting Gail

Sherry Shish ~ Powered by Quilting

Anita Skjellanger , Quilt in a not-Shell

Laticia “Tish” Stemple ~ Tish’s Adventures in Wonderland

Jennifer Strauser ~ Dizzy Quilter

Jennifer Thomas ~ Curlicue Creations

Terri Vanden Bosch ~ Lizard Creek Quilts

Alison Vermilya ~ Little Bunny Quilts

Sandra Walker ~ mmm! quilts

Suzy Webster ~ Adventurous Applique and Quilting

Anne Wiens ~ Sweetgrass Creative Designs

Geraldine Wilkins ~ Living Water Quilter

Janet Yamamoto ~

I hope you get to quilt today!

Suzy

Peculiar Posies Part 2

Here are the other three flowers in my Peculiar Posies.  This top flower includes a really fun silk that had gold threads woven into it.  Pink leather of two varieties, dark purple velvet and dupioni silk and some blue silk I bought in Houston from Burma.  The green leaves are also a fun leather.

This flower also features dupioni silk and velvet, but the really fun part is the big blue piece which is made from fish leather.  Yes, you read that right.  They were a vendor at our local show last year and I just had to try it.  It's magnificent to work with because it's nice and thin.

Here are all the flowers appliqued.  Now to figure out a fabric for the pot!

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Free Motion Friday - Upcoming Quilts

I've been doing so much secret sewing lately I didn't have much to share today.  So I'm giving you a peek at the backs of some of my recent projects.  Stay tuned for I'm declaring February the Month of the Mini.  You'll see why...

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy