Friday, January 13, 2017

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!! STARTING OFF WITH A NEW BEGINNINGS ISLAND BATIK BLOG HOP

New Beginnings Blog Hop
Island Batik Ambassadors were asked to do a project with the theme "New Beginnings" for the month of January.  What a perfect theme for this month.

For many people "New Beginnings" is starting over, or the birth of a child, or a new life in a different place but for me it is starting off the New Year doing something I have wanted to do for a long time.

Many years ago I purchased the Accuquilt Go die "Ring of Oak" # 55378.  I have stared at it many a time thinking that one day I am doing to do a quilt using that die.....the days came and went.

So when this "New Beginnings" blog hop came up I thought there you have it.  I am going to start the New Year out doing something I have wanted to do for a long time and stop putting it off.

Using the Fresh Catch Fabric.....you can find the whole line of fabrics here:
                                                                                   you can find a store locator here





I love love this quilt and love love these fabric.  This one is 54" x 54"

But

I did not stop there

I loved these fabrics so much and there were some that I did not want to cut into or at least I wanted to have a large enough square so I could see the cute fish.

I used the book "Sew One and You're Done" by Evelyn Sloppy.





I have to admit that I had to adapt the quilt to the amount of fabric I had.  There were some miscuts (yes.....so frustrating).

 I had to rearrange my thinking but I think it turned out pretty good.


                      See the awesome fabric???This one is about the same 54" x 54" as the one above.


So much fun.

Now we have some fun for you.

Two winners will win a Batik bundle just use the rafflecopter below




a Rafflecopter giveaway
If you want to view the line up for this "New Beginnings" Blog hop just click on this sentence.


Now for my part of the giveaway, I am giving away this pattern  "Gecko Invasion"  (actually I had decided to give this pattern away to anyone who says Gecko in their comment.....with their email address).


Just leave a comment for this pattern but do the rafflecopter for the Batik Bundle. This is a pdf pattern and so it will come to you instantly.





Saturday, January 7, 2017

NEW BEGINNINGS BLOG HOP




New Beginnings Blog Hop
Join us throughout January as our Ambassadors share their projects and host giveaways! Find the schedule below, and don’t miss the Island Batik giveaway of two batik bundles – enter via the Rafflecopter widget under the schedule! Winners will be selected at the end of the hop.

Friday, January 6 – Hop Introduction!
Island Batik (you’re here)!
Monday, January 9 – Coastal Mist
Stone Cottage Quilts
Wednesday, January 11 – Drizzle
Webster Quilt
Thursday, January 12 – Fifi and Fido + Happy Hounds
Mary Mack Made Mine
Quilting Affection
Friday, January 13 – Fresh Catch
Bejeweled Quilts by Barb
Monday, January 16 – Glowing Embers
Purrfect Spots Designs
Tuesday, January 17 – Lake Life
Freemotion by the River
Wednesday, January 18 – River’s Edge
Ark Angle Creations
Jennifer Sewing
Friday, January 20 – Blushing Blooms
Desert Bloom Quilting
Monday, January 23 – Gone Fishin’
Maria Michaels Designs
Wednesday, January 25 – Surf and Sand
The Patchwork Pearl
Beaquilter
Thursday, January 26 – Twilight Blush
KISSed Quilts
Friday, January 27 – Happy Harvest
For Quilts Sake
Monday, January 30 – Jolly Holly
Connie Kauffman
Tuesday, January 31 – Frost
MooseStash Quilting
Wednesday, February 1 – Merry and Bright
Patchwork Breeze
Sally’s Quilting Corner

Friday, January 6, 2017

FABRIC BOWL POTHOLDERS MADE EASY


I have had a lot of request for these fabric bowl potholders.

If any of you have made these, you will know that it requires a lot of marking.

I hate marking and it takes so long.

There are a few ideas of marking several at one time but I never mastered that.





So this little piece of cardboard is going to make your life easier (leastways it has mine)

It measures 2" x 1"



After I take my ten inch square and mark a criss cross on it.  You really do need this because you are going to put a piece of 10" batting on a piece of 10" fabric and sew as shown here.  You do this to both sides.  This just helps the batting stay in place.


Before I was marking each piece on all four sides two inches up and one inch over.

NO MORE!!!!

That is a lot of work.

You will fold your fabric in half...



Then I just take my trusty cardboard....place it on the edge of the folded fabric and place a mark up 2" and then to the side on the bottom 1".  Sew from the bottom which is the one inch across to the top mark, making a triangle.

   I know you say...well...Barb you are marking it....Yes I am but I don't have to use a ruler and I don't have to make lines.  Just two simple dots right there at the machine before I get ready to sew it..
                                     
                                             Below is a picture of all four sides done.





 I keep my little piece of cardboard and pen right on my sewing machine....so simple and so easy.  I have found that the measurements are more accurate as well.


Now I am ready to sew them together.  Right sides together....leave an opening to pull through.


I glue the opening shut and now they are ready to iron and top stitch down.