Beat the Heat Blog Hop with Island Batik - Weaving Stems and a Giveaway

Today kicks of Week 3 of the 

Island Batik 

Beat the Heat Blog Hop

where all the new fabric collections are showcased.

What better way to beat the heat than to visit all these fun projects
in gorgeous new Island Batik fabrics

 while sitting in the air-conditioned comfort?

I'm thrilled to share my quilt

Weaving Stems.

I was so excited to receive the fabrics in my first 
Island Batik Ambassador Box.

 Petal Pushers Collection
 by Kathy Engle.

I fell in love with the fabrics at first sight. 
 All that color made me want to use each fabric from the collection.  So I did!

The fabric collection name and fabrics made me think of 

gathering flowers, fruits, and veggies.

That inspired my idea of weaving - like a gathering basket.

I didn't start with a pattern but had a block in mind.

Here are the measurements for the blocks in case you want to try it.


Put together, it's an 8 1/2" block and finishes at 8"

AccuQuilt generously provided the Island Batik Ambassadors with an

Accuquilt - Ready Set Go! Ultimate Fabric Cutting System 

and

that helped me cut the 2 1/2" strips in record time. 

I had 20 different fabrics in the collection so I made 9 rows across and down with 18 of the fabrics and used the other 2 fabrics for the strips on each block.  The light strips across and the dark strips up and down.

A little creative border with Island Batik White Solid and I achieved the basketweave effect.

I had so much fun watching this quilt come to life with each row
and
love that it's big and bright.

I quilted Weaving Stems with flowers in an edge to edge design with 
Hobbs wool batting in the middle.
Found out I really like wool batting for the way the quilting pops.
 Also, this is a big quilt and I had it folded, but the pictures show no folds or creases!
I will definitely be trying wool batting again.

Weaving Stems

stats

Size:  84" x 84" (nice and big) 

Fabric:  Island Batik - Petal Pushers Collection by Kathy Engle

Pattern:  modified Double Stuffed blocks with a custom border

Piecing Thread:  Aurifil 50 wt #2535

Batting:  Hobbs Tuscany Collection 100% wool

Quilting:  Handi Quilter Avante long arm pro-stitcher

with Glide Trilobal Polyester 40 wt white thread 

Thank you for stopping by.

Today, see what Joanne Hart did with her Petal Pushers Fabrics
AND
be sure and check out all the new fabrics and ambassador projects in the blog hop.

The complete schedule can be found by clicking HERE.

Giveaway time!!!!

To kick off week 3 of the
Beat the Heat Blog Hop,
Island Batik is giving away this
precut bundle of  Quiet Shades Batiks.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I have a bunch of Petal Pushers fabrics left from my quilt and I'm giving them away.

The bundle includes a piece of each fabric from the collection.

Each piece is at least 8" x 11"

There are over 20 pieces!

I'm covering the postage so this one is limited to U.S. only.

Entries are open until September 1st to allow everyone to enter.

I'll announce the winner by September 2nd.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I try to reply to every comment, but with giveaways and blog hops I may not get to reply every time.  Please know that I read each and every comment and appreciate all the sweetness.