Island Batik Challenge and Spiderweb Die and Put you foot down #18
What’s under my foot?
This year AccuQuilt joined Island Batik as an industry partner and generously supplied Ambassadors with their very own Ready Set GO!
April was the first industry event highlighting our creations made using the GO! Qube. It was my first experience using a fabric cutter and I was amazed with it’s simplicity. For the first event I chose to make a sail boat and Irish Chain quilt I named Sail Away. You can download the free pattern by clicking the Free Patterns link on the top bar. Patch sizes are included in the pattern.
Since April I have used one die or another on every quilt, even if it’s just the 2 1/2″ strip die for binding. Another die I have used a lot is the half square triangle die. Today hst’s rate right up there with my flying geese.
Today though I’m sharing my experience with the AccuQuilt Spider Web BOB die. The die was included in my Island Batik Ambassador box 2. The Spider Web die is a BOB (block on board) die which simply means you can cut an entire block with one pass through the cutter. To be honest, I was really hoping to receive Cleopatra’s Fan and imagined all the color variations and designs I could make with it.
At first glance the Spider Web die did not look to be very interesting. That was until I began playing with colors and on point blocks. Now I am thrilled to have receive this die.
The challenge
- Must create a juvenile-inspired project quilt for a child or to donate to a child in need
- Must be 45 x 60 or larger. My quilt finished at 54″ x 54″, a little short on length.
- Must use a BOB Die included in the July shipment.
The bundle I chose to use for this project is the Islander summer 2019 collection. The Island Batik strip packs contain 2 sets of 20 individual 2.5 inch by 44 inch fabric strips. Island Batik included yardages of a light and dark fabric from the same line.
Fall is upon us here in the mid-west and I wanted a fabric that would reflect this. If you have never experienced the fall colors in Southern Illinois I encourage you to do so. The limestone bluff along the Mississippi River are lined with trees, I could never name every species so I wont even attempt it. The trees burst with colors before going dormant for the winter and they resemble a bold landscape painting. Judge for yourself here.
Originally I was using the blue and yellow strips to form jagged vertical lines. I liked it okay but the yellow didn’t do it for me. So I went back to the strip set and pulled all the oranges to replace the yellow.
Fortunately I had only cut and pieced 13 blocks before I decided it wasn’t what I was looking for.
What makes the BOB dies unique
The die not only cuts all fabric for the entire block at once it leaves a tab on each patch. The tabs serve two purposes. First the tabs tell you in which direction the patch pieces point. See the photo below? Second, after you have joined all 7 patches the tabs help to line up the block halves, it’s not really necessary to line up all those seams. You do have to have an accurate 1/4″ seam though, that is important.
Below are the first blocks with the the yellow strips. Yes this design really was made from the Spiderweb die. By repeating the color placement in the blocks I was able to achieve this pattern. When I was playing with block placement I noticed an arrowhead design forming. Arrowheads and other Indian artifacts can be found in my area laying atop a freshly plowed field or after a heavy rain.
Yellow patches replace by orange from the strip pack.
It’s more interesting now, more pleasing to my eyes anyway. The thought crossed my mind to stop here and use it as a table topper but it wasn’t large enough.
So I squared it off and added an additional border.
Next, using the 2 inch finished half square triangle die and the 4 inch quarter square triangle die I cut pieces for a flying geese border.
It also wouldn’t be a finished quilt if it were not Enzo approved.
I love the way the fabrics seem to glow in natural light. This is my favorite color collection from Island Batik so far. They are all lovely but this one really sings to me.
Binding strips were cut using the 2 1/2″ AccuQuilt strip die.
If you like the design AccuQuilt will be sharing my tutorial on their blog next month. When I have the date I’ll let you know.
There are so many benefits of living in a rural area as I do. What I love the most is the peace and quiet, the wild life and the way the community comes together to help neighbors in need. What I am most thankful for are our volunteer firemen. Most communities are fortunate to have full time fire and rescue but when you live in a rural community such as mine, we rely on volunteers. Most work full time jobs besides, yet when the phone rings, they are there.
Each year in September for as long as I can remember QEM has had a fish fry fundraiser to purchase equipment. Local businesses and individuals donate hand made textiles, home made pies, apples from the local orchards, etc. which are all raffled off. While the challenge called for a child inspired quilt for a child or a child in need, I really don’t know a child in need. So I donated my finish for their raffle. Who knows, maybe this quilt will end up with a child who loves it as much as I do. Regardless, I love to support them when I can. Who knows, it may be me or my family they assist one day.
For quilting I used the 100% Cotton Batting by Hobbs shown in the photo below.
For piecing I used 40 wt Signature Thread and for piecing Aurifil 50wt.
What I learned
Improv quilts are actually fun to make and less stressful than trying to come up with a clear design before you begin. Electric Quilt or graph paper is a must.
Hand guided longarm quilting is made easy by doodling the design with pen and paper before you begin.
One more thing, if you knit and would be interested in a commissioned order please leave a comment saying you are interested and I will contact you.
Such creative use of the BOB. Love your fire department photos complete with fire fighters, too!
Thank you Sally.
Such yummy colors! The quilt is gorgeous! And the accuquilt cutter is amazing. Thanks for linking up to Creative Compulsions!
Thank you Michelle, thank you for your linky party as well.
When I looked at the die package and I looked at the quilt it took me several back and forths to realise it was the same die. Proof that colour, value and fabric selection really change the look of a quilt. Your quilt is just delightful. I hope the fire department raffle is successful and that the quilt will be cherished.
Thank you Yvonne. I’m working on a tutorial for Oct 7th using this die. There are other great uses for it too. Check out Gene Black’s finish using this die https://blog.geneblack.com/2019/09/childs-play-absurd-bird-island-batik.html.
This quilt is great! I’ve have some of those accuquilt dyes, but I haven’t used them yet. I won them at a quilt show, but the machine lives at a friend’s house. I’m sure I’ll get round to using them one day. You’re so right that it’s important to support volunteers in the community. I hope your quilt raises lots of money for them. Thank you for linking up to the Peacock Party.
Great quilt and how much fun that accuquilt is featuring it in a tutorial. It is a creative use of that BOB die and I am sure some child will love this! Hope they make some nice money on the raffle!
Thank you, I love the die and think you could also make a maze with it. I just don’t have the time to play with it right now.
Very pretty!
Thank you Alison
Great quilt!!! The spiderweb part looks like a grill–firemen grilling supper, front grill of a fire truck, or ? Love your signature flying geese around the edge, too. Fun quilt. Great cause. I hope a future firefighter wins it.
Haha, it does doesn’t it. They were a natural holding the quilt.Thank you Nancy
Hi Denise! What a great quilt, and I think it’s fabulous that you donated it for the raffle. You’ll have to let us know how much they received for it – I hope it’s a lot. Enzo looks so sweet sitting on the quilt! Next time you use this die would you share a photo of how you put the fabric on it to pass through the cutter? I can’t imagine how you do that unless you overlap the fabrics a bit? That probably sounds like a dumb request! Happy Thursday to you. ~smile~ Roseanne
Not at all a dumb question. Just for you in next Thursdays Put your foot down I will write a tutorial on how to use the die, cutter and piecing. I think the raffle tickets sold 3 for $10 or 3 for $20. I suggested to the Fire Chief that next year he should have the person who organizes the raffle reach out to me a couple months in advance. The we can hit some of the smaller businesses in the area and perhaps either display the quilt or display and sell tickets at each location. I told him this quilt will be a little different, he could tell everyone this quilt would be featured for a tutorial on AccuQuilt and I was sure some people would purchase tickets just so they could show their friends.
Thanks, Denise! I’ll bet if you told friends about the raffle event, said friends may just raise their hands to make stuff too. Just sayin’ that this friend would.
That is so nice of you. I’d be willing to bet there is a volunteer fire dept somewhere near you. I’ve thought about making small quilts and taking them up there to give to children affected by fire or car accident. Nothing fancy. If I could catch some cutesy panels on clearance I may do that.
I love how you always include a “what I learned” section! It’s amazing how different you made the Spider Web block look by varying color placement.
It is a great die!!! Wait till you see the runner I made using it next month. I’m glad you like the “what I learned”. As old as I am and as long as I have been making quilts I don’t always learn something new. When I do I have to write it down to make a mental image so as not to do it again. Thank you for stopping by and reading all the way to the end. It was definitely a full post.