Christmas in July - Sparkling Gold Table Mat

This month the Island Batik Ambassador Challenge

is a little different but such fun.

Island Batik and Accuquilt

teamed with the

Island Batik Ambassadors

to

bring

Christmas in July

to a lot of special someones.

Each Ambassador received a

GO! Me Fabric Cutter Starter Set

to create a small project with Island Batik fabrics

and
then gift both the project made and the

Go! Me Fabric Cutter Starter Set.

Today, I'm thrilled to share my
Sparkling Gold Table Mat story.

My daughter, Trista, has always enjoyed sewing and has shared her time with me on
several occasions to have mother/daughter sewing days.
Right away, I knew she just had to be my "special someone" to receive the
Go! Me Fabric Cutter Starter Set.

She has dabbled with quilting a little, but her time is limited to devote to it.
The Go! Me Fabric Cutter Starter Set is perfect for a new quilter.
She can cut with accuracy and speed.
It's ultraportable, so she can bring it for our sewing days.
(that's a win for me too!)

With Trista's Christmas decor in mind,

I chose to use 2 gold fabrics from

the Island Batik Winter 2019 Collection

Season's Splendor by Kathy Engle

and

an Island Batik Foundation Neutral in Egg White.

The Go! Me Fabric Cutter Starter Set

includes two Go!Dies and I chose the

GO! Half Square Triangle-3" Finished Square (55703)

and had the cutting done in minutes.

Each square was stitched with Aurifil 50 wt #2134 and a Schmetz Microtex (Sharp) Chrome 70/10 needle.  If you haven't tried these needles, they are perfect for the tight weave of the Island Batik fabrics.

It was so fast to stitch all the half square triangles together in a chain

which made the pressing super fast and easy too.

Seriously, I've never made accurate half-square triangles so fast.

All that was left was putting my design together.

I did the quilting with my Handi Quilter Avante long arm pro-stitcher

using Glide Trilobal Polyester 40 wt white thread. 

 Hobbs Heirloom Premium Wool batting is in the middle and

the binding is another fabric from the Island Batik Season's Splendor Collection.

Giving is such fun and what a treat to see the other

2020 Island Batik Ambassadors Christmas in July posts. You can find the links HERE.

Surprising Trista made for a fun day and we enjoyed taking photos.
Here is my favorite!

Maybe soon it will be sewing days for 3.

Leave a little sparkle where ever you go...

It's an Island Batik Christmas in July - 2020 Ambassador Second Round Boxes Revealed

As an Island Batik Ambassador for 2020,  I receive products to use for the ambassador challenges.
Check out this stack of boxes!

So cool and it's like Christmas - the anticipation to see what is inside...

Instead of just tearing into the boxes,

one of the tasks as an ambassador is to make an unboxing video.

Not my comfort zone, to say the least, but here it is:

I went for the shortest unboxing video, but this is the longest one I've done yet.  (insert smiling face here!!!) It's all in fun, right?

I’ll be sharing projects, quilts, or tutorials each month using the items

from the video.

I want to thank Island Batik,  Aurifil, Hobbs Batting, Accuquilt, byAnnie, and Studio 180 Design  for sending me all of these goodies.

You can find the complete list of  2020 Island Batik Ambassadors HERE.
The Island Batik Ambassador challenge for July is a little different than usual  you won't want to miss it.

I'll be posting all about that challenge soon.

The last week of July I'll be sharing in the

Christmas in July (then and now)

Blog Hop 

hosted by my friend Carol at Just Let Me Quilt.

Coming Soon

A  new blog hop to sign up

to play in September, so come back and check it out.

Whew, there is a lot of Christmas in this post.

Can you ever have enough?

Not me...

Words to Grow By - An Explanation and Up-to-Date Blocks and Links

There has been a little confusion about our

Words to Grow By Block of the Month for 2020.

We are a group of designers that work together to design a 

Block of the Month quilt

every year.

Amy at Sew Incredibly Crazy
Carol at Just Let Me Quilt
Joan at Moosestash Quilting
Carla at Creatin' in the Sticks (me)

We are great friends and have so much fun designing quilts 
from the yearly theme to the final quilt.

Each designer makes individual patterns for different parts of the quilt
(this year it was 12" blocks)

and

we take turns presenting the parts each month.

This year we decided to create a word quilt with flowers, critters, and words that mean 

a little something to each of us.

It's one of my favorite group collaboration projects, yet!

Our group of 4 designers has really enjoyed this one
and
we've been excited to share every block.

The simple truth is that 2020 has been a challenge for all of us.

For us, it's been a struggle to keep up with the block of the month 
with all the life challenges and chaos.

But, we want you to have every block we created for this quilt and feel like the best way to continue is to release all of the remaining blocks during the next couple of months.

Just to be clear, we ARE NOT leaving you hanging with an unfinished project! 

We love our followers too much to do that.

From July through the end of August, each designer will release the remaining blocks, including the stars, and measurements for the border. 

They will be free through September for downloading, so be sure to grab them.

The Quilt:

The quilt without borders is 48" x 60"

Amy has a plan for the borders (to be released soon)

4 blocks across / 5 blocks down

Here is the layout for the quilt with the blocks that have been released - checked.

You can see that the block to come is August.
The border will be released soon too.

The Blocks:

This is my version of the blocks that have been released

and  

 the designer's direct link to the pattern information.

(I will update this list as the patterns are released)

February - Joy

Sew Incredibly Crazy

March - Faith - Peace

Just Let Me Quilt

April - Share 

Creatin' in the Sticks

May - Bloom

Moosestash Quilting

June - Wander

Just Let Me Quilt

July - Reach

Creatin' in the Sticks

August

Moosestash Quiting

Block is released!
 (my picture coming soon) 

September - Harvest Happiness

Moosestash Quilting

October - Dream

Creatin' in the Sticks

November - Care

Moosestash Quilting

December - Lead

Just Let Me Quilt

January - Grow Stars

Creatin' in the Sticks

January

Borders and Finishing

Uploaded to Facebook by Just Let Me Quilt
(the link is to the files on the Facebook group page)

Remember, the patterns print best with your PC or Laptop.

We have loved our time with you and will leave the Facebook page open so you can ask questions and show us your finished blocks and quilts. 

 There are over 3000 friends on the Facebook group.

Come and join us.

Hopefully the crazy of 2020 begins and ends with 2020.

Peace to you,

Words to Grow By Block of the Month - October - Flower Bed Dream

It's a little early to release the October block

for the

Words to Grow By

Block of the Month.

But, surprise!!

Due to unforeseen events, we have decided to take a break from the block of the months until next year. 

Just to be clear, we ARE NOT leaving you hanging with an unfinished project! 

We love our followers too much to do that.

From July through the end of August, each designer will release the remaining blocks, including the stars, and measurements for the border. 

They will be free through September for downloading, so be sure to grab them.

Here is my final design for the

 Words to Grow By Block of the Month:

Flower Bed Dream

This was to be released in October when I would be dreaming of summer,

but it's always good to dream.

It's 12" x 12" finished.

The download is below.

Our team of designers has enjoyed this

Block of the Month

 and

loved showing new blocks each month.

You can find a list of the fabric requirements and more information about the

Block of the Month in this post.

I love printing the applique patterns right on the fusible adhesive with

 HeatnBond EZ Print Lite 

(no tracing!)

Flower Bed Dream is only free through September

and you can get the free pattern

by clicking HERE.

It prints best with your PC or Laptop.

We have loved our time with you and will leave the Facebook page open so you can ask questions and show us your finished blocks and quilts. 

 There are over 3000 friends on the Facebook group.

Come and join us.