Design Wall Monday - IBA Kennel Quilts Challenge

This month our Island Batik Ambassador challenge was to create Kennel Quilts.


In 2016, Island Batik joined forces with an existing group of  industry partners and supporters of the Petfinder Foundation to create the Piece for Shelter Pets (PFSP) initiative. The initiative supports the Petfinder Foundation, a “public charity that works to end the euthanasia of adoptable pets by assisting animal shelters and rescue groups across North America”, through financial contributions made possible by the sale of fabric, thread, and other quilting related products. PFSP sponsors include The Quilt Pattern Magazine, Island Batik, Aurifil Threads, QuiltyBox, Benartex, and Hancock’s of Paducah.

The TQPM Small Kennel Quilt Team is a volunteer organization sponsored by The Quilt Pattern Magazine (TQPM) that springs into action (or should we say “stitches” into action?) when disasters strike, sewing small kennel quilts for animals in need while they are separated from their humans and possibly injured.  Creating kennel quilts is a way for quilters to help our animal friends in times of need by doing what we love. TQPM Small Kennel Quilt Team supplies kennel quilts to shelters across the United States. Learn more here.

I decided to utilize the block pattern from my co-authored  book "You Can Quilt!"

Here is the block if you make it from the book. In order to get the 12" x 18" size for the kennel quilts, I made two sets of 3 blocks using Island Batik fabrics.


I got several from my local quilt group to make a few as well.

Then I began to work with a local young person interested in sewing and asked her to sew on the Island Batik Twill Tape to each of the kennel quilts. Turns out her family rescued a dog from a shelter in Wenatchee, WA so these four kennel quilts will be donated to the

WenatcheeValley Humane Society 

later this week.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this effort. #kennelquilts #tqpmkennelquilt #pieceforshelterpets #islandbatikfurever #islandbatik


 

 

On my design wall --progress on my commission:

 

I've marked 192 triangles to look like this lace and 48 green heart like triangles that will go immediately around the center fussy cut squares. So here it is laid out (not sewn yet) to get an idea of how it will begin to come together. The small triangles will get put in a saw tooth sort of way around the green on point square. Looking forward to much progress this week.

 

Still need to mark the squares of the 'lace' fabric but there are only 24 of those!

That's it for this week, closing out February and looking forward to lots of fun things in March.

Design Wall Monday

Added another block to this long-time UFO ...'Oddie's Wild Nature'. This block is from a June Jaeger design. I'm using just particular blocks from a couple of her quilt designs, as well as a few other designers.

Two rather large full scene blocks to do and a few fillers or sized to fit designs are still in the works.

Finished the quilt top for this 'In Memory' or 'Memorial Garden' design from my Dangling Diamonds pattern that includes 4 bonus 'patriotic' quilts. This one is made with Island Batik Fabrics --it is available as a kit if you're interested. Ready to quilt it along with 2 other designs of the 4! Hoping the 4th test will get done and sent back soon.


Feeling the President's Day holiday by finishing up this little idea.

My mom made this Row by Row from The Gathering Place in Rupert, ID last summer and gave it to me at Thanksgiving time.

I also got this row from a client in TX from Quilters Crossing in Tomball, and used some stash Island Batik fabrics to make it up.

Both of these rows are going to be sent to Quilts of Valor Stars -- a facebook group where you don't have to make a whole quilt, but can donate star blocks or patriotic rows or be a team member of finishing a quilt --sew it together, quilt it, bind it, etc.

I've been strategizing on my #islandbatik Ambassador challenges for the first part of the year and think I've got a plan for all. So, you'll continue to see progress each month on these! Next week will be the Kennel Quilts, where I got my inspiration from and will include some that my local quilting friends made.

Today my shop is open especially for all those who might have the day off, hope you will stop by 11am - 5pm. Have a great week!

Design Wall Monday - New IBA Challenge

I am continuing as an Island Batik Ambassador this year and we've kicked off our season with a special bonus challenge this month. The main challenge I'll talk about next week.

Did you know today is 'Galentines' Day ..that's right...a day to show your women friends that you care! Gal...entines! get it?? #iheartislandbatik #islandbatik  So, to get us in the mood, here is a quick postcard that I put together with some leftovers from my bigger project. After putting it in a clear sleeve to protect it in the 'machines', I sent it like a regular letter with the stamp on the outside.

and tomorrow is Valentines Day...and a very special 8 year wedding anniversary for me as well!










With my bigger project, I wanted to use this gorgeous Valentine bundle that Island Batik sent in our new boxes.

Elizabeth P. also gave us some inspiration, and one I just couldn't pass up.

A RaNae Merrill designed heart.



 I had to add one more value in order for this design to work. Fortunately there was a stripe of white in another bundle and that just seemed to work perfectly. 













I made an extra copy as instructed and cut out the pieces and organized them by value, this allowed me to see about how much fabric I would need (2x one for each half of the heart).

 

  I've got the paper piecing done (Final trim not done...and now need to decide what to do with it. It is about 11" tall. Any ideas?

 

I did finish up my placemats!! 2 year UFO!!



Also on my design wall today are more Island Batik fabrics ...this an In Memory or Memorial Garden 'test' needing a few bits of help so have re-cut the edge pieces so that there will still be points and then will add the borders. I've got the top and bottom edges redone and will continue to finish this up tomorrow.

This is available as a kit with pattern if you're interested. You just need the Boondoggle Ruler from Bella Nonna Design Studio. There are 3 other patriotic designs in the pattern along with the primary pattern--- Dangling Diamonds. Or, maybe you'd just like some of these camo inspired batiks, let me know I can ship yardage!

Have a great week!

Design Wall Monday

I've got snow on my mind this morning....we got at least 6" if not more in the last 24 hours so we (my husband) was digging out in order to get to town today.

So grateful for his enthusiasm/willingness to do the shoveling even at the shop!

A beautiful morning though and some rare ice in the foreground on Lake Roosevelt, just had to share.


















I'm still focusing on taxes, so haven't had much spare time to work on my piecing or binding projects. See you next week!