Storm at Sea blog hop
This article is sponsored by Island Batik and industry partners: AccuQuilt, Hobbs Batting, Schmetz Needles and Aurifil Thread. Island Batik is a US based manufacturer, importer and distributor of cotton batik, rayon batik and hand-printed cotton from Indonesia. See dislosure
Thank you Island Batik, Schmetz Needles, AccuQuilt , Hobbs Batting and Aurifil Thread.
Welcome to my stop on the Island Batik Storm at Sea Blog Hop. Today is day 3 and so far Bellingham Bay and Calm Lagoon have been shared this week. Full schedule can be viewed here. Also, if you see a collection you just cannot live without you can find the store locator on the Island Batik website here.
Today I am sharing Celestials designed by Kathy Engle. Celestials is a 20 fabric collection of very rich golds and navy blues which is perfect for Autumn here in the mid-west.
Isn’t it gorgeous? It is a beautiful collection but if I had to choose a favorite I couldn’t choose just one. At the top of the list of favorites in this collection are row 2 patch 4, I love the rich dark gold and row 3 patch 3. The gold with the blue compass jumps off the table at me. Oh, and then there is row 3 patch 2, look at the varying shades of gold there with the splash of blue. Row 5 patch 3, that dark blue with shades of gold… Need I go on because I really could? lol
As you can see below in the mono chrome photo there is a nice balance of lights and darks and everything in between. This is actually how I begin most projects when it includes all 20 fabrics in a collection. Especially helpful in a Storm at Sea layout when you want something particular to jump out of your finished quilt.
AccuQuilt
A couple years ago AccuQuilt sent me their Storm at Sea die to make a project for their blog. You can see that post here.
This year they sent me the Mariners Compass and since they are both a 12″ finished block I decided to incorporate the compass into the quilt. Believe me when I say I do not like curved piecing but this die makes it so east because it has tabs for lining everything up as you sew.
Precisely cut patches make for a perfect block with nice points. I like to stack up my patches to match the block layout because It helps to keep me organized.
Yes, I like to place a label on my blocks, again with the organization. As you can see the design in the fabric varies with spirals, moon, stars, wavy lines…
The light source plays a huge role in the fabrics appearance too.
Can you see a shape taking form withing the blocks?
Last months thread painting challenge with Aurifil Thread left me wanting to make a sea turtle quilt more than I had already. After playing around in EQ8 I was able to make a turtle within the SAS quilt. The block paired with the rich gold provided a beautiful shell for my turtle.
I love the wonky stars that the diamonds and square in a square offered. After cutting way too many patches I decided to give my turtle scrappy sand to crawl through and cut more patches using several dies in the 8″ Mix and Match Qube. After the turtle and the compass I kinda got lost on what to do next.
The compass I like to think has helped my turtle find his way back to the waters edge.
Of course I had to throw some flying geese in there too.
Piecing and quilting
I’ve shared the photo below many times. For piecing I like the Schmetz Microtex Chrome needles. The 70/10 doesn’t leave a huge hole that we sometimes see in batiks. They’re also great for paper piecing and I used them for thread painting last month.
For quilting I used Hobbs Batting and Aurifil thread. If you haven’t tried the black batting from Hobbs for dark fabrics you really should. You wont end up with little white pokies showing on the surface or back of your dark fabric because it blends better.
I purchased the Aurifil Thread cones from fellow IBA MaryMackMadeMine Etsy shop, link to her Etsy shop on her blog.
The batting I used was Heirloom® Premium 80/20 Black Cotton/Poly Blend.
First ever Loki approved. I love the way the colors seem to glow in this photo.
Links
For the entire hop schedule with links to Ambassador blogs and collections click here.
Island Batik store locator click here.
Hobbs Batting click here.
Schmetz Needles click here.
Aurifil Thread click here for more info or to purchase from MackMackMadeMine click here.
AccuQuilt dies
Mariners Compass. There are also a couple bundles with this die.
You can also find the GO! Quilt from the AQ webpage on the right top. It’s a program with hundreds of quilt patterns using their dies and it allows you to play with the colors to design you own quilt.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you for stopping by and huge thank you to Island Batik and their industry partners.
I am awed by this quilt. It must have taken a lot of thought to get the turtle to show up with the fabrics used and the pattern,
Thank you so much. I started with a blank canvas in eq8 and started adding color to find a turtle, after that it was pretty easy. But I did cut and piece only 1 block at a time.
Wow, Denise! What a fabulous design! I love the sea turtle and the compass, and the fabric is perfect. This must have taken some serious precision to get all the fabrics in the right places. It’s beautiful.
Thank you Jennifer. Really it was just making one block at a time.
This is amazing! Thanks for the recommendation on the Microtex Chrome 70/10 needles. That is so helpful.
Your welcome.
This is amazing! I love the batiks. I have the AC die and have been wanting to do a storm at sea.
If yo have ever made a SAS in the past and then make one with the die you will be amazed. It goes together so quick. Thanks for stopping by.
Your quilt is just stunning!
Thank you
Your quilt is gorgeous! Thank you for sharing the pattern for the turtle.
Thank you. Hope the diagram for the turtle helps.
Love the turtle!
Thank you
Wow, it turned out wonderful.
Thank you so much
The turtle is extremely creative!!! LOVE it!! The compass makes a fantastic addition as well! 🙂
Thank you Gail, I was so happy it could be done.
I am nearly speechless!! So beautiful in these color, plus I’m amazed at how you created the turtle. Wow!!
Awe thank you so much. A nice ending to my long day.
Denise, this is absolutely breathtaking! I can’t overstate how much I love it AND how impressed I am that you got a turtle out of storm at sea blocks! Absolutely amazing!
That is so kind of you, thank you Emily
WOW! This is an amazing quilt. I really love the design and the fabrics are so gorgeous. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much. You ever have a piece of fabric you hate to cut into because you loved it so much? I had 20 half yard cuts that I did not want to cut into.
Spectacular!!! Wow! I would also make a quilt but in a simpler design?
Thanks. I think they’d be great in any layout.
What a clever idea to make the turtle in your quilt! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you
Awesome.
Thank you
Wow!!! I love how you designed the turtle – very clever – and it looks great in these fabrics!
Thank you so much
Your turtle is so clever. Love the full quilt
Awe thank you
Hi Denise! Ooh, this is a gorgeous collection of fabrics. I always find the mono vision check to be a surprise! Some prints I think would read as dark or light, actually read the opposite. I am much more conscience of that now than I was as a beginning quilter. Beautiful job! I love that you mixed the two blocks together. It’s a totally different spin that worked so well. ~smile~ Roseanne
Exactly, I have had that happen and what I wanted to shine through did not. It’s great that a camera lense will pickup what the naked eye does not see. Thank you for stopping by and the kind words.
What a great quilt! I totally am in love with the turtle design and the mariner’s compass thrown in for fun, among all the other blocks. Congratulations on a great quilt.
Thank you Kathleen. Things have been crazy, sorry I have not stopped by your site lately.
I Love the turttle design and the fabric choices Wonderful
Thank you so much.
AMAZING!!!
Thanks Sally
Brilliant!
Thank you
I would make a quilt with these fabrics.
The golds are wonderful in this collection.
i’m not sure what exactly i will make with it, but i have to say , this turtle is fabulous
Thank you