Another Rainbow!

This month the Island Batik Ambassadors teamed up with AccuQuilt to bring you a parade of beautiful quilts. I was given a Glorified Nine Patch die, and I had a lot of fun playing with these curves.

This die is one of AccuQuilt’s Block on Board dies, which means all of the different pieces you need for a pattern can be cut with just one die. No more losing pieces of the set, if you have a disorganized studio, like mine.

I began my project with my collection of basics from the January box. I pulled out a rainbow array. Then I went to Electric Quilter (EQ8) and started sketching. I couldn’t find the exact block I wanted, so I took another pattern and modified it. I use EQ8 a lot when working on ideas. It helps me get my thoughts in order, and is faster than colored pencils.

This was my original sketch. I had some kind of color plan going, with the border, but it bugged me, so I ended up changing it while sewing. It wasn’t large enough, so I enlarged it. I also didn’t spend time looking at fabric requirements, so if you look closely at the quilt, you can see where I subbed in other colors when my main one ran short. I call that “adding sparkle” because it sounds better than “I’m lazy”.

These are the fabrics I pulled initially. They are a combination of basics and yardage I received in my January box. I made a few substitutions and additions as I went along. My projects always evolve during their creation.

I had a pretty heavy work load at the beginning of the month, then all hell broke loose, and I’ve been struggling to get motivated. Once I had a few blocks started, it got easier. I was able to get excited to see the quilt come together, rather than fret over the state of the world. (I did take a few days off to make some masks, but all of the conflicting information on their effectiveness makes me reluctant to sew them. )

When it came time to put it on the longarm, I decided to use a wide back fabric from my stash. I have started to stash wide backs, because they make my life so much easier. I can bring myself to piece a backing from scraps once every few months. Otherwise, I just get frustrated.

I used Hobbs Heirloom Cotton Batting for this project. It is so soft – I almost want to wrap myself up in it by itself! This one had a scrim, which I did notice when longarming. I was able to tug and smooth the wrinkles out without distorting the batting at all.

I decided to use Lather Rinse Repeat by Urban Elementz for my quilting pattern – the bubbles are so much fun. Aurifil 50 weight in a pale blue was perfect for this project. The really pale blue color disappears into light values, and reflects the colors around it. I like how it blends with the quilt.

Make sure you check out my fellow Island Batik Ambassadors for some colorful inspiration this month.

2020 Island Batik Projects

• January
• February