Welcome to my stop on the Island Batik Getaway Blog Hop. In my house, a Getaway means heading south. My family particularly enjoys heading to the Caribbean in the winter – soaking in the warmth and the bold colors helps us survive the grey northern winter. Not this winter, though. A new job and new house means we get to do a staycation. I’ll hang up some bright quilts and maybe a few throw pillows and see if we can dig in and make it to spring.
I was given a bundle of Gypsy Rose fabrics to play with. Aren’t they just so gorgeous? Make sure you read the entire blog to see how you can win some Gypsy Rose of your very own.
This month I decided to use a pattern from a friend I met at work. Justin Stafford, of Keaton Quilts, makes some of the most lovely projects I have seen. His Squareburst pattern is perfect for showing off big pieces of fabric.
All of the materials used in making this quilt were given to me by Island Batik as part of the Ambassador program. Thank you to Island Batik, Aurifil Thread, and Hobbs Batting for supporting my creativity.
My first step was to do a mock up, just to make sure I liked the gradation of fabrics. I snipped off little bits of fabric and glued them to a coloring page. I don’t always do this, but I am rarely disappointed when I do.
If you look carefully, you can see that I am missing two fabrics from the collection of 20. To my shame, I mistakenly used up two of the purples in the collection in my Mariner’s Cabin quilt. Luckily, this pattern worked out perfectly with 18 cuts of fabric in the 36 rays.
The piecing on this project was accomplished during stealthy piecing sessions. I would sneak down to the studio while my family watched movies and relaxed over the holidays. I have no regrets.
Each piece I added just made me more excited. It was very hard to take breaks and go make dinner.
Justin sent me templates to piece the center, but I’m a masochist, so I figured out the size of the square I needed and set it in with y-seams.
The most challenging part for me was mitering the borders. I haven’t done it enough times to feel totally comfortable. I’ve read about it, though, and they came together well enough.
Here it all is, quilted and bound. I am just so happy with the way this quilt came together. I bound it with the same fabric I used for the border.
Quilt Specs:
Size – 61″ x 61″
Island Batik Fabrics – Gypsy Rose collection, Whatnot Double Dots in Eggshell
Quilt Pattern – Squareburst by Keaton Quilts
Quilting Pantograph – Breath of the Gods by Urban Elementz
Batting – Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 Bleached Cotton Batting
Thread – Aurifil 50 weight in Wisteria (2566)
If you haven’t tried quilting with batiks yet, you are missing out. This pattern is all bias. Every darn edge is bias on these pieces. Batik isn’t as stretchy as traditional quilting cottons, and it doesn’t fray as much. This means my piece is flat, and I don’t have to worry about frayed threads causing shadows on my finished quilt.
There are two different giveaways for you to enter. You can enter mine, which is for 18 10″ pieces of fabric from the Gypsy Rose collection. (I used up the other two – sorry!) My giveaway will run until February 2nd. I will chose a winner on February 5th.
a Rafflecopter giveawayYou can also enter the official Island Batik giveaway, which is for a rainbow of 20 fat quarters of batik fabrics. Please, please enter, and show me photos of the fabric you win. Everyone needs to get their mitts on this fantastic fabric. You will need to go to the Island Batik Blog to enter this one.
GETAWAY BLOG HOP SCHEDULE
WEEK 1
MONDAY, JANUARY 7 – CRYSTAL BALL
Maryellen McAuliffe –Mary Mack’s Blog
Sandra Walker- mmm! quilts
TUESDAY, JANUARY 8 – DITTY
Stephanie Jacobson –Steph Jacobson Designs
Michelle Roberts- Creative Blonde
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9 – ELK LODGE
Connie Kresin Campbell – Free Motion by the River
Anna Branch –Ark Angel Creations
THURSDAY, JANUARY 10 – FELINE FINE
Bea Lee –Bea Quilter
Sharon Parcel- Yellow Cat Designs
FRIDAY, JANUARY 11 – FLEA MARKET
Geraldine Wilkins – Living Water Quilter
Jessica Caldwell- Desert Bloom Quilting
WEEK 2
MONDAY, JANUARY 14 – FORTUNE TELLER
Sarah Goer –Sarah Goer Quilts
Sherry Shish –Powered by Quilting
Jennifer Fulton –The Inquiring Quilter
TUESDAY, JANUARY 15 – GYPSY ROSE
Jen Strauser –Dizzy Quilter <– That’s me!
Janet Yamamoto- Whispers of Yore
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16 – PAISLEY PARK
Dione Gardner-Stephen- Clever Chameleon
Nancy Scott –Masterpiece Quilting
THURSDAY, JANUARY 17 – SOUL SONG
Carole Lyles Shaw- Carol Lyles Shaw
Toby Lischko –Gateway Quilts & Stuff
FRIDAY, JANUARY 18 – TWILIGHT CHIC
Jackie OBrien –If These Threads Could Talk
Tina Dillard- Quilting Affection
WEEK 3
MONDAY, JANUARY 21 – WINTER PARK
Jennifer Thomas- Curlicue Creations
Anita Skjellanger- Quilt In a Not Shell
TUESDAY, JANUARY 22 – BAZAAR
Karen Overton- The Quilt Rambler
Alison Vermilya- Little Bunny Quilts
Turid Bakken- Den syende himmel
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23 – BLOSSOM
Karen Neary –Sew Karen-ly Created
Leanne Parsons –Devoted Quilter
THURSDAY, JANUARY 24 – BOHO
Laura Piland- Slice of Pi Quilts
Suzy Webster- Adventurous Applique and Quilting
Myra Barnes- Busy Hands Quilts
FRIDAY, JANUARY 25 – BROOKVIEW
Vicki Schlimmer –Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting
Amy Warner –Sew Incredibly Crazy
WEEK 4
MONDAY, JANUARY 28 – FRENCH BLUE
Pamela Boatright –PamelaQuilts
Joyce Mullis –Hearts Creations
TUESDAY, JANUARY 29 – MIDSUMMER NIGHT
Kathleen McCormick –Kathleen McMusing
Connie Kauffman – Kauffman Designs
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30 – OH DEER
Jen Shaffer- Patterns by Jen
Jeanette Jones –Inchworm Fabrics
THURSDAY, JANUARY 31 – SNOW BERRY
Sally Mannke –Sally Manke Fiber Artist
Joan Kawano –Moosestash Quilting
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1 – CANDY CANE LANE AND ICICLE
Icicle
Terri Vanden Bosch – Meanderings along Lizard Creek
Anne Wiens –Sweetgrass Creative Designs
Candy Cane Lane
Mania Hatziioannidi –Mania For Quilts
Barbara Gaddy –Bejeweled Quilts by Barb
Many thanks to Connie, at Freemotion by the River for the link list!
Pretty quilt, Jen! I can see why you were excited while you were creating it. Those colors are fabulous!
Soooo pretty!
My favorite getaway is a trip to the coast with family.
When we were younger my favourite place was any National Park here in NZ, peaceful, safe, and isolated. Now we are a lot older, to stay with family either 4 hours north or a plane trip with one stop a lot further south is my choice these days.
Oh wow, now this is very cool. Love this quilt
Beautiful quilt, the gradation is perfect!
What lovely fabrics to work with, truly a great way to showcase all of the fabrics. I have only done mitre borders a few times, yours turned out great!
Very pretty quilt and love the colors you got nice…..ty for sharing your talents with us…. happyness04431@yahoo.com
Your quilt is just stunning! Beautiful!
Favorite getaway is a secluded beach. So peaceful!
Love these fabric colors! I love going to Great Britain-what wonderful green countrysides! Thank you, Susan
My favorite getaway that I’ve been to is Hawaii. I am looking forward to a new adventure going to Europe. Your quilt is lovely. Thank you for the giveaway opportunity.
I hope this is not a duplicate as I already tried to comment but I don’t see that it posted. My favorite place I’ve been to us Hawaii. I am looking forward to going to Europe. Your quilt is lovely. Thank you for the giveaway opportunity.
Beautiful quilt and gorgeous fabrics.
My favorite place to get away is the mountains in N.Carolina. Thank you for your giveaway.
This is really beautiful. It actually reminds me of a sunset at my favorite getaway in…Mexico
Gorgeous fabric and quilt!! Love those colors!
Hi Jen! Your biased border looks fantastic. Good for you for trying something new and just smashing those concerns. Now you’ve got that in your back pocket whenever you want to pull it out again! ~smile~ Roseanne
I love to spend time in the summer at our Lake Erie cottage.
This is a lovely quilt. I like how it shows off the fabrics.
For the last few years our favorite vacation spot has been Shipshewana, IN. Amish spot.
So worth the time. Laid back, but there are plenty of shops and eating places. Live theater and a concert hall. Plenty to do for most anyone.
quilting dash lady at comcast dot net
not sure my post showed up
lovely quilt. showcased the patterns nicely
we love to go to Shipshewana, IN Amish area.
quilting dash lady at comcast dot net
The mountains in North Carolina
We always enjoy vacations to National Parks. The parks of Southern Utah (Bryce, Arches, Zion, etc.) are probably my favorites of the ones I’ve been to.
Jen, I love how this quilt turned out. The quilting pattern is fantastic. I loved seeing the flimsy, but this is incredible. Love your dedication to having a square in the center. My favorite vacation destination is the beach off season. I went to Daytona Beach a couple months ago when it was quiet. I love to walk on the beach even with a winter jacket on. 20-degrees F warmer would also be really nice right now.
New Orleans always calls to me! My staycation starts 1 week from now- Road to CALIFORNIA quilters conference and convention. I live 20 miles from it…and meals for family are already in the freezer. Hope you can also make the most out of yours.
Fantastic quilt, love your arrangement! My favorite getaway is to California to visit my daughter and new grandson!
Fantastic quilt, love your arrangement! My favorite getaway is to California to see my daughter and new grandson!
Love this pattern, Justin (and Diane Keaton) from Keaton Quilts and these Gypsy Rose colors. Thanks for sharing. I love to head to the Maryland shore in the summer.
That is way cool! That pattern and your choice of fabric earns two thumbs up!
Have you posted an image of your new studio?
The new studio is still a shambles. I’ll be getting it in order this month, though.
Great quilt, love the colors and the design. I would pick a beach somewhere warm.
Lovely quilt, shows
off the colors nicely.
I’d like to go to Hawaii.
Carla from Utah
Beautiful Quilt! My Favorite Vacation Destination right now is Mexico 😉
I really loved when our family went to St. Maarten, but normally a getaway will be visiting family in Maine. Love the colors and your quilt!
What a beautiful collection in my favorite colors! My favorite vacation so far was the Hawaiian islands last fall. Our favorite recurring place to go is camping in the Davis Mountains in west Texas.
I haven’t been anywhere in years, unless it is to see family! All eight of us kids chose different places to live, so all my trips are to see my siblings. I’d love to make it to Italy someday though.
A warm beach with very few other people – get some sun then inside for some sewing! what a vacay idea!
I love this.
Your quilt is beautiful!! It is so cold here with another snow storm predicted to begin tonight, I’d like to be on a sandy beach in Bora Bora right now!!!
Beautiful quilt, love the colors!
Incredible gorgeous. What a fun splash of color for your Caribbean getaway!
I love going to Hawaii!!! Always warm!
My favorite getaway has been to Acadia National Park. I hope we can go back. Your quilt is lovely and really shows off these gorgeous batiks.
We don’t travel for vacations but if I were to choose a special place for myself to vacation it would be somewhere in the woods with a stream that has plenty of stepping stones. I love to sit and listen to a babbling brook and chirping birds. I’ve passed this love to my daughter and she always finds her way to a river when feeling stressed.
My favorite vacation is a cabin on a lake.
Yellowstone is my favorite place to visit. Fantastic burst of color!!
Pretty quilt. I like the National Parks.
Absolutely stunning quilt!
Beautiful quilt. I think I enjoy going to the ocean for a get away.
I love going to the ocean.
A beautiful quilt. I’d love to getaway anywhere overlooking the beach
Nicely done on this one! I’m liking your takes on these Island Batiks. And our favorite get away is Seattle, WA for family and adventure.
Beautiful way to showcase fabrics
Gorgeous quilt! We don’t go on vacation much, but anywhere by a lake would be a winner.
Gorgeous quilt! We don’t go on vacation often, but anywhere by a lake is a winner.
We have been to Hilton Head Island, SC a few times and always really enjoy it there.
Wow, this is beautiful! Gypsy Rose is a delightful collection. I love the colors radiating outwards!
A BEAUTIFUL quilt! Just lovely! Congratulations!
Your quilt is gorgeous and I love those colours!!! My vacation destination would be Europe… where I would visit my French relatives too!!
My ideal vacation destination would be New Zealand, but of the places I have visited, Northern California gets my vote!
My ideal getaway would be the mountains your quilt is beautiful!
Really different quilt…you did great job!! Thanks for chance to win you Give-a-way too 🙂
My favorite destination is to go to my Daughter’s house! lol In North Carolina…time with her is Priceless ..time to sew together, laugh together, see the Ocean, and just hug her in person!! Miss her so much,,,
I would love to take my grandkids camping somewhere with no internet. (For any of us! I’m just as bad!)
Hi Jen. Your pick of a pattern to showcase Gypsy Rose is perfect. I love this collection! Your staycation should be cheery with your lovely quilts around. My getaway is to sneak in to my sewing space every day, but would love to be able to plan a trip to New Orleans. It’s on my bucket list. For now I will pretend our trip to Vancouver to see specialists is a vacation and try to have fun with it!
Carol Andrews
Great design, and perfect for this collection. I think I would have grabbed the purples for elsewhere, too. lol I love purple.
My favorite destination of all the vacations I’ve ever taken was New York City. My favorite place to go, where I go much more regularly, is my hometown of Huntington Beach, CA; I moved away 14 years ago and still like to go back to visit friends and family and soak up the sunshine.
Beautiful quilt! I like the Great Smokey Mountains the best! Enjoy your day! angielovesgary2 atgmail dotcom
Beautiful fabrics. Have not traveled but would love to visit Ireland, New Zealand and Australia.
What a pretty little quilt! You are talented. My favorite get away is to a little town in the Canadian Rockies called Radium Hot Springs. It is absolutely beautiful and peaceful. Thanks!
This is my favorite group of the Istland Batik fabrics, love the colors.
Love those pinks!! I think Australia would be an interesting vacation place.
I love the way this turned out – only missing 2 – no biggie. I met Justin when I went to City Quilter last May. He is a sweet guy and it was fun to talk to him. The quilting on it is perfect and it really does show the fabrics nicely.
I love this fabric and the gradations. I would love to visit 3 states in the northeast. We have visited 47 of our states, and those 3 would make it 50. And I would love to visit them in the fall.
Love how you’ve used this pattern to show of the amazing colour graduation in this collection. Beautiful, and I hope you get a vacation later in the year once you are settled into your new environs. 🙂
I haven’t been, but would love to go to Hawaii.
Y seams! Yikes, yes you are a masochist! We like to vacation to warm places and have been to Sedona, Arizona several times which always seems to be the perfect weather! We are heading to the Caribbean the first week of February on a cruise!
I would have to say Florida to visit my brother and his wife.
Lovely
Love the colors – amazing quilt! mumbird3atgmaildotcom
You’re right about that being a great pattern for showcasing beautiful fabrics!
I live in Central /Florida, so my favorite destination would be the mountains. Love the change of scenery.
I love the colour gradation, and thé square in the middle adds a modern touch to the quilt. I also go South for vacation, but from where I live, south means Spain or Italy.
my favorite vacation is to Vermont where my son and his family live!! LOVE The pattern you used for this project.
I want to go to Bali where Batiks are made.
I visited my 50th state this year, Alaska (loved it) so a perfect getaway would be a cabin on a lake where I can sit on the porch (someplace warm) and sew after canoeing or hiking. I adore your quilt, the colors are gorgeous and the design is stunning.
Just beautiful! Both quilt and the fabric! I haven’t used Island Batik yet, but am looking forward to doing so. Still a rather novice quilter, with a tired 1970s sewing machine, so a bit slow going. I’m saving for a new machine and I’m sure that will make a difference. I just love these bright colors. Looking forward to following your blog and to learning from all of you. Thank you so much!
Beautiful quilt!! My favorite vacation spot is the Smoky Mountains!
Anywhere with a beach makes me happy! Thanks for sharing your beautiful quilt!
Y-seams and mitered corners? Brave girl wandering into the new territory! Well, that’s what getaways are for, right? To have an adventure? The result is a beautiful quilt! Congrats.
My favorite vacation place is Kenya!
My favorite place to getaway is Kenya!
I love tropical vacations. Right now I wanna go to the Galapagos Islands for vacation and exploration.
Pretty awesome quilt.
Love the beach warm or cool not fussed just love the ocean
Love the quilt
I love this! Great color placement. Wonderful way to show off all the fabrics!
What a beautiful quilt with such gorgeous colours! They remind me of a tropical sunset. My ultimate getaway destination would be anywhere warm and sunny, to escape this coldddd winter …
Thanks, Linda! My husband is sad that we aren’t going this year.
What a beauty! If I was picking my dream spot it would be Japan to see my daughter!
Oooh. I’ve done China, never Japan.
Your quilt is gorgeous! What a ray of sunshine! My favorite vacation destination is almost anywhere on a cruise ship.
We used to take cruises all of the time, when we lived in Florida. They sure are relaxing.
I love going to the mountains for a getaway
I’ve searched and search for the Squareburst Pattern but no luck. The link above doesn’t work for me. Can you help me find it please? Just ordered the fabrics and would love to use them with this pattern. Gorgeous!
Hey, Susan – I suggest reaching out to Justin, the designer. I know he was planning to release the pattern, but this was many years ago and I haven’t kept up with him very well. He has a quilt shop now https://keatonquilts.com/