Child’s Play with Island Batik and AccuQuilt

This month Island Batik Ambassadors have been challenged to make a fun quilt with the AccuQuilt BOB dies we received in our summer boxes.

The die I received was the 12″ Ohio Star. It’s a simple block, and came together beautifully with my AccuQuilt Go! The Ohio Star is part of the “Block On Board”, or BOB, collection. BOB dies are one single die that has all of the parts you need to make a complete block. It makes it so much easier when you don’t have to dig through your die collection to find all of the various pieces for your planned block.

I chose to use the Tropical Escape fat quarter bundle for this project, combining it with solid black batik for the background to make those bright colors really glow. This collection will be hitting shops in December 2019.

My first step when using AccuQuilt to cut my fabrics is to give my fabrics a good press. This helps to keep everything lined up nicely. (Sometimes I use Best Press or spray starch to keep everything crisp and cooperative. I don’t find that to be needed when I’m working with batiks.) Then I do a rough cut on my cutting table. I cut the center and background squares at 5″, the squares to make the 1/4 square triangles at 6″. Just quick cuts, nothing perfect.

Then I ran them through the machine, stacked up the pieces, and got stitching. For this project I’m using my EverSewn Sparrow, as my main machine is in need of service.

No pinning was needed for these blocks. That is the AccuQuilt difference for me. The little dog ears are already cut on the triangles, which makes it so easy to line up the pieces, and it all comes together perfectly.

Here are some of the blocks on my design wall, before sashing.

Here they all are, sashed. I used the pattern that is included with the Ohio Star die for the pattern. I used my 2 1/2″ strip cutter for the sashing.

Here is the top, all assembled. Isn’t it glorious with it’s bright colors?

For batting I chose to use a black 80/20 poly/cotton blend Hobbs batting that was given to me in my ambassador box. I like using black batting when there is a lot of black fabric in my quilt. I’ve had bearding with black fabric and white batting in the past. Bearding is when the batting sneaks through the fabric and makes your quilt look fuzzy and bad. Forever.

I selected a mermaid quilting pattern from Urban Elementz called Sea Tales. Isn’t it adorable?

For thread, I went with a glorious variegated thread from Superior Thread. It is called Playhouse, which is almost perfect.

The back is made from some of the yardage pieces from my box. A colorful gear, and yellow swirls.

I bound it with more of the Island Batik solid black. I like the way a dark binding frames a wild quilt.

Quilt Specs
Dimensions – 47″ x 62″
Fabric – Tropical Escape, by Island Batik
AccuQuilt Dies – Ohio Star, 2 1/2″ Strip
Quilting Pattern – Sea Tales by Urban Elementz
Thread – Superior Threads Fantastico 5114 “Playhouse“
Batting – Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 Black Cotton

More projects from my Summer of Sealife

Throw it Back!
Preppy Pod
Fish Snack Sack
3-D Fish