PLANE, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES ISLAND BATIK BLOG HOP AND GIVEAWAY!

What a fabulous blog hop so far.  

The delicious fabrics (remember no calories).

The talented people and the amount of creativity 

is out of this world!

Thanks Katie for allowing me to be a part of this Island Batik Blog Hop but most importantly for the wonderful fabrics.

Look to my side bar for the blogs that are participating and do visit past blogs, you will not be disappointed!

Today I am using 

As mentioned before, I love to do applique with Island Batik Fabrics because you can blend them, they do not fray as easily or stretch.  I tend to get precise cuts and it makes the sewing go so much smoother.  

I started this project months ago.  This project has moved from desk, to cutting table, to longarm table, so I guess you can say that it is very well traveled in my sewing room.

For weeks it sat on my longarm which you see as you enter and leave my sewing room.

Several people have commented on it and a few have watched it's progress.

Those who have read my blog in the past know that I have spent three years in Amerika Samoa.  I would say that those three years were three of the best years of my life...wonderful friends and beautiful island.
My husband and I have traveled to and from with the stopping point being Hawaii.  In fact, we lived in Hawaii for three years early in our marriage.

                                          

I have often said that I was born to the wrong family, my real family is on an island somewhere.  You know I can still hear the waves.  Is that bad?

I have been wanting to make an "island quilt" for some time now and so here it is.

My husband will be found staring at it.  He says every time he looks at it he sees something new.

The Sun is paper pieced with a Caribbean Splash yellow for the Sun and a variety of other Island Batik yellows for the rays.

The rest of the wall hanging is blanket stitched.

If you look careful you will find a gecko  at the top of the sand on the left hand side.

  and bottom of the sand on the right hand side.  Not only do you see the gecko by Island Batik's name but geckos are everywhere on the islands...and sometimes where you least expect them.  Have some funny stories but that will have to wait.

I made these gecko's by drawing on tracing paper and then placing it on top of the quilt and stitching over my drawn design.

Gene Black mentioned on my blog one time when I used tissue paper... "May I suggest some wash away stabilizer (typically used for machine embroidery) to draw on and use like you did the tissue paper. I think it would be easier to use."  

Then someone suggested that it was a sticky mess doing it this way.   I do not know, I have not tried it but wish I had remembered so I could have.

The tracing paper was much better than tissue paper (for gifts), the tissue paper left little tiny specks of tissue and was hard to get off.

Awesome giveaway from Island Batik. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Then I would like to offer a small giveaway myself.

This is a Dumplings Zip Pouch by Michelle, she has an awesome tutorial Here:

So I am giving away this little Zip Pouch and three Sea Salt Sandy fat quarters...I know, you only see two...I am whining now......because I can't decide what the third one will be.  It is hard enough to give away these two..but trust me, there will be three fat quarters.

Just leave a comment telling me your favorite place to visit.

Thanks for coming by!

The other blogs that are a must see today are:
Tamarinis
KISSed Quilts
Moose Stash Quilting
Pamela Quilts