3D Blowing in the wind..with Island Batik...

Here we are....the 30th of December-2019..what a whirlwind of activites this past year has been!!! And I have enjoyed every minute of being an Island Batik Ambassador during that time...but have decided to let the experience go so that I can make time for other new and exciting things to come!!

But let's leave that for another time...and move on to my last monthly challenge--make something 3D with Island Batik fabrics!!

The weather is cold and frightful with a strong north wind today--so the thought of taking photos outside--just went out the window--as I took this photo out my studio window!!

My concept for this  3D design challenge started long ago when I was at Spring Market in Kansas City.  I was browsing in The Fat Quarter Gypsy's booth and fell in love with their Windsock Pop-Ups. She offered me a pattern in return for mention in the blog post. You have to go check out her designs--they are amazing.

The pattern comes in booklet form with step by step photographs that were easy to follow. Some of the steps may seem a little tricky--but just follow the pattern--and it will work perfectly!! Finally cutting the spring loose was my favorite step!!

I started with strips leftover from Electric Desert by Jackie Kunkel for Island Batik. See what else I made with these gorgeous fabrics HERE.

As  you can see by comparing above photo with pattern cover, I don't always follow directions well!! I chose to put a traditonal sawtooth star in the pop-up portion of my windsock. I used the 6" Qube from AccuQuilt to cut out the star pieces.

Sooooo pretty--I can't wait to hang it out on my patio next summer!!

I chose the enclosed seams option for the tails--and by using a different fabric on the back--such a wonderful riot of color I should get when it blows in the wind. And yes, I did actually lay on the floor to get this shot!!!

I just had to figure out a way to get a blowing in the wind photo....so here the windsock is...hanging in my open studio door!!! It took a few shots to get this lovely swirl of tails, but oh so worth the cold!! Good thing nobody drove by on the road and saw this crazy quilting lady taking photos in an open doorway with her pj's on!! But now you know the behind the scenes!!

So it is....I close the door on this time as an Island Batik Ambassador. But have no fear, I still have plenty of batik fabrics and ideas left!! Plus, I still plan on designing patterns with their amazing fabrics!! Thank you to Island Batik for this AMAZING opportunity--I am forever grateful!! To the other sponsors--Aurifil, AccuQuilt and Hobbs Batting--thank you!! And to The Fat Quarter Gypsy for this super cute project!!!

Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.
Ashley Smith

"The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."  John 3 : 8

Just Wanna Quilt podcast guest...

Well now, this is something to be checked off the quilting bucket list!!

Earlier this summer I was contacted about being interviewed by Dr. Elizabeth Townsed Gard for her podcast, Just Wanna Quilt. Before I could talk myself out of it--I said yes and scheduled it!!

Just Wanna Quilt is ranked number 3 in the top craft podcasts on Itunes.

Read these words from their website--"Just Wanna Quilt started as a podcast and a research project at Tulane Law School.  Learn about the quilting world, and talk a little bit about copyright and other intellectual property issues too.  We've interviewed about 300 people - from the regular quilter to the famous, industry people, scholars, quilt historians, inventors, and lawyers.  Give it a listen."

So if you want to hear me say um too many times, talk about AccuQuilt, Electric Quilt, Island Batik and other random things--FIND IT HERE!!!

Keep doing the hard things until the hard things become the easy things!!!

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him."  Psalm 28 : 7

Beat the Heat with Electirc Desert from Island Batik....

Welcome to my stop on the Island Batik Spring Collections of 2019 blog hop. You won't want to miss any of the other Ambassador stops--check them out HERE. Electric Desert should be arriving in your quilt shops soon--if you don't see them, make sure and ask for them!!!

Electric Desert designed by Jackie Kunkel of Canton Village Quilt Works for Island Batik

Just look at this stack of glorious color!!! So many possibilities--a summer sunset, zinnias in the garden or anything else in your imagination!!

The colors that jumped out at me were the turquoise ones. I have loved turquoise jewlery since I was a little girl when I purchased my first ring at the county fair. I was fasinated by the fact that the stone was mined in the desert, as I had never seen a desert growing up in the farm country of Minnesota.

So I set about to bring that memory to life in this quilt using a pattern I designed Come Into View which you can find HERE.

The motifs Jackie designed in this collection just bring the desert to life--the cracked earth, several differnt cacti, and various blooms work together seamlessly!!

Come into View is a super easy strip pieced pattern, so the blocks come together quickly!!

Following the pressing directions--makes this cute little four patch on the back!! Plus all the seams nest together--so no big bumps at the intersections!! Your quilter will thank you for that!!!

Now--I still live in farm country--so finding a desert near me is pretty much impossible--so I settled for these horses--they kinda have a desert vibe!! And isn't living in a rural area just so cool--this is actually a pasture IN the small town near my home.

So here it is--my turquoise stones surrounded and buried in the desert mountains!!

This amazing vintage car is just across the road from the horses--you can see their fence through the windows!!

Now for the fun part--GIVEAWAYS!! Island Batik is having a different giveaway each week of the hop--this week they are giving away a precut 10" stack--of--wait for it!! Electric Desert!! So head over to their blog and enter HERE!!

But wait!!! There is more--I have these 9 half yard cuts of fabric left--disclaimer--there is about a 4 1/2" square cut out of each one--a spool of Aurifil and a copy of my pattern Come Into View.

To enter--sign up for my newsletter--sign up should be below or on the blog sidebar. Then let me know in the comments your favorite gemstone and if it might spark a quilt design for you!! Giveaway will be open until August 30.

Elevate Your Creativity

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If you would like to keep up with more goings on in my studio you can follow me at Lizard Creek Quilting on Facebook or Instagram.

Thank you to Island Batik, Aurifil and Hobbs batting--when I quilt it-- for suppling the products used in this project.

Make it Modern in May on Memorial Day Weekend....

...Island Batik assignment for May was to make a modern quilt...the quilt must incorporate one of the characteristics of modern quilts as defined by the Modern Quilt Guild--the use of bold colors and prints, high contrast and graphic areas of solid color, improvisational piecing, minimalism, expansive negative space and alternate grid work. Hobbs batting is our sponor for the month!!

I must admit that this project was on the back burner of my mind this month due to farming and the excitement of going to Spring Quilt Market along with the getting ready to go!!

Do you ever have an idea come to you as you are falling asleep--and then more ideas come in your dreams?? Well that is where this one came from!! I had a crazy idea to make some kind of set of rays using Half Square Triangles (HST). Since I have all the AccuQuilt Qubes, how fun would it be to make each flying geese unit from the largest HST in each Qube. After doing some figuring--using the Qubes, I could made from 6" to 1" HST!! Don't forget to check your Corners Qubes for HST too!! That is where I found the 1" HST.

Such pretty pieces all cut and ready to sew...

...all sewn and ready for pressing. A little trick when making flying geese from HST is to press half of your units to the white and the other half to the colored. That way the seams will nest perfectly when piecing the units together.

As you can see in this photo.

Loving the bold contrast of colors here.

The rays are all complete. Now to ponder their arrangement.

Loaded the quilt on the longarm and decided to do some free flowing ribbons coming off some of the ray points. I know this might not be the most modern take on quilting here--but it is what the quilt told me it wanted!! And when the quilts speak to me, I must listen!! Hobbs 80/20 batting provides such great loft and definition to the quilting.

Honor--definition as a verb--to hold in honor or high respect.
Service--definition as a noun--an act of helpful activity, help, aid.

My father-in-law was drafted into the Army during the Korean War. Serving his country is something that he is very proud of.

Small town love!!!

The cemetary for our town is just 1/2 mile from our home. The VFW puts flags on the head stones.

This tall standing head stone of a WW1 veteran is so weathered that the name is no longer visible. But the act of service to our country will never be forgotten!!

These fallen heroes represent the character of a nation who has a long history of patriotism and honor - and a nation who has fought many battles to keep our country free from threats of terror. 
--Michael N. Castle

Island Batik Giggles.....

As part of the Island Batik Ambassador program this year, the Ambassadors were sent an AccuQuilt Ready, Set, GO! package--a super deal if you are looking to get started with this cutting system--it includes a GO! cutter, 8" Mix & Match Qube, 2 1/2" Strip Cutter die and mat along with getting started instructions!! Pull it out of the box and start a new quilting adventure!! The assignment this month is to make a baby quilt featuring the sponsor AccuQuilt.

Since I do a bit of freelance trade sample designing with AccuQuilt, I was given the option to choose any other product as a replacement to the Ready, Set, GO!. You can read about that in my unboxing post HERE.

Let's get started. The first thing I do when getting new dies, is to draw lines 1/4" away from the blade on all sides of the shape. I have seen some use a specific silver sharpie marker for this step--I just use whichever one I pull out of the can first.

It should look like this when finished.

These marked lines will now give me boundries when placeing the fabric over the blades on the die board. On the AccuQuilt site you can find a Fabric Reference Chart HERE that will tell you the size of strip to cut for every die the company has. I highly recommend this reference!!!

Such a happy assortment of colors!!!! I also used the Grey solid from the Foundations line. LOVE this fabric!! Nice tight weave with virtually no fraying with cutting!!

When die cutting applique shapes, it is helpful to place the fusible to the wrong side of the fabric strips before die cutting the shape.

Then is it important to place the fabric on the die board correctly!! Ask me how I know this?!? Place fabric right side down over just the letters needed--remember that the fusible count as a layer--so 3 rectangles per letter max!

All the pieces ready to GO!--lickety split!!

Loaded the quilt top on the long arm....added the 80/20 batting provided to me by Hobbs....

...threaded the long arm with 40wt Aurifil #6724--Moonshine--provided by Aurifil in a previous Ambassador box....

....and quilted lots of happy little loops!! I call this design--One Way Loops--as I try not to change the direction of the loop.

I like to secure applique shapes with what I call--Snapliquilt--because it is a Snap to applique and quilt at the same time!! As I am quilting the background, I will just sneak onto a letter, quilt a squiggly line around the shape 2 or 3 times and then sneak back off the applique and continue quilting the background. Super fast and easy!! Don't you just love the definition of the stitiches with the 40wt Aurifil!!

And such great definition from the batting!! A quilter's dream--to see the pretty stitches!!

And here it is...Giggles with Island Batik!!

Thank you to Island Batik, AccuQuilt, Aurifil and Hobbs for provided the products to make this quilt!!
It will soon be in the mail to a dear friend of the family who just added another little girl to their family!