Monday, September 18, 2017

Seas the Day - Island Batik - Bubbles Galore!

Welcome (back?? in case you missed my Day 1 post) to the next stop on the Island Batik - Back to School Blog Hop! We're featuring Spring and Summer 2017 collections.


Summer is winding down and the kids are back at school! It also means Fall is right around the corner (YAY.. a new seasonally appropriate design of mine about to be released)! It’s an exciting time, full of new beginnings. What’s your favorite back to school memory? Shopping for new school supplies? The smell of a fresh stack of books at your new desk? Making new friends, or even meeting your BFF? It’s simply a great time of year, and we’re going to celebrate it (even if it’s been a few years since a first day of school ;) with a blog hop!


Throughout the hop, our Ambassadors are featuring Island Batik’s newest fabrics, appearing on shop shelves as we speak! See something you like? Ask for it at your local quilt shop, or request it if you don’t yet see it. We have the most delicious collections to share with you, along with our favorite back to school memories.

#backtoschoolwithisland

I'm taking you back to where I went to high school in California on the Monterey Bay with the "Seas the Day" collection.


The motifs in this collection which include sand dollars, star fish, bubbles, rope, lobsters, anchors and a shape that could easily be surf boards!

My newest design, "Sea Bubbles", used these beautiful fabrics that reminded me of my childhood as I also grew up here. My parents taught at the school for 38 years.  So, when I think of 'school' I mostly think of this place.

Here is my new design on display at the top of the bluff

and down on the beach.


Here it is up close.

I chose to let the coloration of the fabrics that I chose migrate across the quilt on a diagonal as if the water is crashing against the sand and rolling up towards the bluff.



























You may have seen my "Zoe" pattern over the years.

"Sea Bubbles" is sort of the grown up version of "Zoe".

I wanted to use fabrics from #islandbatik's Seas the Day line of fabric and make up a Zoe. Since Sea Bubbles was based on 8" finished squares, I chose to also do this Zoe version that way as well and put on small borders based on a 1/2" finished accent and then a fussy cut of the dark blue anchor fabric which when cut was about 1 5/8". The circle base was 8" and 4". If you've made Zoe, it has been a popular pattern and I have quilted many of my client's creations with it, then you get the idea of how this is made. The pattern is available as a PDF download at Craftsy.

I intended to have it done during July for our Oh! Baby! Island Batik Ambassador challenge, but I only got the top pieced that month. Glad it is now done and I can share it with you.

Here it is quilted and bound. I put a slate blue minky dots on the back.


Detailed images of the quilting. I like to let the motifs of the fabrics give me inspiration for how to quilt it. The stars were a nice size to leave unquilted and the bubbles could be any size. The anchors with simple outlining give it some texture.



Whether at the ocean or lake side ...these fabrics are so peaceful.

I'm going to share a copy of my new "Sea Bubbles" pattern to a random winner. I'm using Rafflecopter, please register and leave a comment below answering these questions:  Do you quilt more for others or for yourself? Do you prefer something simple so you can talk with friends while you're sewing or do you enjoy a challenging design that requires focus?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There are a few extra options that will give you extra entries --see the Rafflecopter for instructions.

Loving these fabrics? I know they are available at Hancock's of Paducah..

If you're in Southern California, you might want to ask Busy Bee Quilt Shop if they have them yet.

Sea Bubbles pattern available as a PDF download or physical copy if you ask me.

Thanks for stopping by on our Back to School Blog Hop.

Other Hop Stops today featuring "Seas the Day" fabrics:
Bernie www.needleandfoot.com
Janet - https://www.facebook.com/WhispersOfYore/


Three bundles of fabrics from Island Batik will be given away --register at these rafflecopters for those.
a Rafflecopter giveaway


39 comments:

  1. I quilt for myself, but I give quilts to my children and grandchildren.

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  2. I Quilt for my family. I prefer challenging projects, I love the colors you selected for your quilt

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  3. Love the colors & fabric on your quilt- the quilting is amazing! I only started quilting last year - only three completed which I kept - three tops to finish for Christmas gifts - (I hope) Thank you for sharing, Susan

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  4. Great quilt! I quilt more for family than myself. I like a mix of easy & challenging designs. It depends how much time I have, & what I just "have to" make. Most times those are BOMs that I fall in love with.

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  5. Do you quilt more for others or for yourself?
    Seems that I'm always making something for someone else. I don't have anything that i made. However, I'm working on a quilt for my husband and I. Although I'm making it for him. I get to enjoy it.

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  6. I quilt for family/close friends only but I'm always making smaller things for others. Beautiful quilt and use of color. akronne17@gmail.com

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  7. wow both of your quilts are gorgeous. Mostly I quilt for others. Now that we are empty nesters and I am retired, I am starting to make things for us. We just got back from vacation and picked up a pattern for me to make for our bed. Actually my husband picked out the pattern. Score.

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  8. Sea Bubbles is AWESOME! Love the Seas the Day colors and love your color placement explanation!

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    1. Just saw the rafflecopter. I mostly quilt for others. And trying to use up my stash, so simple is best for me.

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  9. Your quilts are wonderful, breathtaking. My quilting these days is almost all for others but I keep a few for home. I like easy and sometimes a challenge. Last year I finished a Red and White 1910 Vortex, a Twisted Log Cabin and a Lens in a Log Cabin. That said I am dropping 13 quilts off to charity on Thurs, all a little bit easier. I stay busy.

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  10. So far I have given every quilt away, but I have a couple of things started that are for us. I think I like projects more in the middle -- not too easy and not too hard. Nancy A: rangerer@sbcglobal.net

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  11. I do belong to a quilt guild, and love going to the 2 retreats we have a year! Otherwise, I quilt on my own now, my mentor is 84 and not quilting much. I am disabled and can't get out to quilt stores, I mostly shop online. I consider myself an intermediate quilter, Thanks. cork@pa.rr.com

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  12. Lately, I have been quilting more for others. Have been making a lot of table toppers, and giving them away to family and friends. I like complex patterns whether I am alone or with friends. But, I also bring along something less complex to work on, when I want to chat a lot.

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  13. I usually take some simple hand sewing to my sewing class - too much talking to concentrate on anything too complicated and most of my makes get given away to friends and family

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  14. I quilt for family and friends. Mostly I work on complex projects alone. Love the Bubbles.

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  15. I used to give them away, now I make them for me. I like more intricate designs to sew or applique. That is why I sew alone (by machine), or while watching tv (applique) with Hubby.

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  16. I give away but now when I give I make a smaller edition to remember it by just for me!! I like fairly complex designs! churcae(at)auburn(dot)edu

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  17. I love your quilt! With different colors, I think it might look like a solar system. I'd say I've given away about half my quilts. I love to look at intricate designs but prefer to sew simple ones.

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  18. Wow! Beautiful quilt...I love the way you shifted the colors across the top..just lovely. I don't quilt for others, only myself, but I give a lot away! I like a variety..mindless cutting and stitching and then sometimes more detailed that takes concentration. I can tell when it's mindless when I put on a podcast or TV show, and when I need more focus, I like my workspace quiet!

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  19. I quilt for myself, and for gifts and also sell on Etsy. I like variety, so sometimes will do something more challenging, and other times just want easy and fast. Great designs and use of the fabrics. Thanks.

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  20. About 50-50 + whatever I quilt for customers. I like to have one complex pattern going then need a break with a few simpler ones. pjrquilter (at) msn (dot) com

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  21. I quilt for myself, but I give quilts to family, friends and to charities. I like to make both easy and challenging projects. I love your quilt, Sea Bubbles is very pretty.

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  22. I quilt more for others to give as gifts. Once in a while, I'll make something for myself, but it doesn't happen too often! I don't have any sewing/quilting friends, so it's not an issue to keep a conversation going. I prefer to listen to music or podcasts as I sew.

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  23. I spent many years quilting for others, and never owned a quilt. sew recently I have been doing some quilting and sewing for ME. but I still do a lot for others ;)
    I don't sew or quilt with anyone, Sometimes I like silence..listen to the rhythm of the machine, or I listen to music.

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  24. I really love this pattern, I don't do a lot of circles, I will have to change that! Thanks!

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  25. I quilt more for others--I like to switch back and forth between easy and harder projects.
    barbkaup(at)(yahoo)(dot)(com)

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  26. I quilt for others and I like to be crative. ..I love to talk with others as I quilt.... happyness04431@yahoo.com

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  27. I quilt mostly things that I have pieced, but I give most of them to family and friends as gifts. I like to mix up the difficulty of my projects -- sometimes a quick and simple quilt, other times something complex (usually paper pieced) with lots of tiny pieces.

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  28. I quilt more for myself, but have given several away as gifts. I love the gradation of colors on your quilt using this lovely line of fabric!

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  29. For the most part I quilt just for enjoyment, if I take a notion to gift one of my quilts upon completion then I do. Usually my husband claims all of them for himself though :)

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  30. Love the work you do. That circle quilting is really neat!

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  31. I quilt more for myself. I like simple projects since I am interupted often and need to be able to pick up where I left off without too much time. I also like simple so that I can get it done and move on to the next project.

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  32. I quilt for myself and family I enjoy something that's intricate and a challenge as well as simple

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  33. I love your quilt, probably the blue and tan has something to do with that but it is gorgeous. Quilt wise I make a lot of charity quilts and what aren't charity I give away to friends and family. I haven't made a lot of really intricate designs, I'd rather finish. But I love the more involved and the handsewn and someday I hope to make a Baltimore sampler and other much more demanding quilts. Thanks.

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  34. I like to quilt things for my family, and sometimes as gifts for others. Am pretty simple, and definitely not good enough for intricate things yet...lol

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  35. I quilt for myself and family. I am new at quilting so I prefer a simpler pattern!
    nikilsend(at)outlook(dot)com

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  36. I quilt for our huge family, i like a little challenge but I must admit sometime the simples look the best! Comlisajohnson@gmail.com

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