I’m completely devastated! After my One Block Wonder Trunk Show for Quilting by the Lake in Lake Havasu, Arizona I shipped my quilts home by UPS only to have them disappear at the Chicago Area Consolidation Hub (CACH) Facility in Hodgkins, Illinois. I have no idea how long their investigation will take. These Quilts are irreplaceable. I can not just remake them. I am writing this because I feel helpless and frustrated!
I have been in Lake Havasu since January 4th. I was honored to be invited to teach One Block Wonder at “Quilting By The Lake” for the Havasu Stitcher’s Quilt Guild. I had a great group of ladies. They did a fabulous job!
The week ended with a OBW Trunk Show
The best part of the trip was meeting my half Sister Marti for the first time! We found each other through Ancestry DNA test. We had never met until January 2020.
Marti and her husband Mike! We have had so much fun.
I even got to meet “Walter the Orphan Donkey” from Oatman, Arizona! Walter was abandoned by his mother and this family brought him home, saved his life and are now raising him. Walter thinks he is a German Shepherd dog and even uses the dog door! You can follow Walter on Facebook. The donkeys roam around the town waiting for us to feed them.
A few more days and I will be heading back to snowy New York! I had such a great time. I can’t thank my new sister Marti and her family enough. They have made me feel so welcome and loved. I have a whole new family!
I knew I was busy this year, but I didn’t realize how much I accomplished until I took a look back over 2019! It’s almost New Year’s Eve, in less than a week I’m off to Lake Havasu Arizona to teach a One Block Wonder Workshop for Havasu Stitcher’s – Quilting By the Lake. I will also be teaching Studio 180 Design Doves of Hope at Copper Canyon Quilt Shop. Last, but not least, I will be meeting a sister for the first time, I can’t wait Marti!
Here is a gallery of projects I completed in 2019:
Below is my sister Marti and her wonderful family, I cant wait to give you a hug!
Happy 2020 everyone!
The fabrics shown in this post were given to me by Island Batik.
December’s challenge is to explore the world of 3D by using optical illusions, textures, trapunto or whatever else will make your quilt pop into life! I chose to make Pyramid Power, a pattern by Running with Scissors & Studio 180 Design. I think the design looks like perfectly folded boxes that must contain wonderful chocolates inside.
It is a bright sunny day here in Central NY and a balmy 11 degrees outside!
This pattern uses Studio 180 Design Corner Pop II & Corner Pop III. These tools give you perfectly popped corners with little waste. The Corner Pop II pops corners with a 2 to 1 ratio while the Corner Pop II gives a 3 to 1 ratio.
I used Island Batik’s Tropical Escape line due out in January.
The key is to stay organized. I chose 7 light & 7 dark scraps Fat Eighths. I paired each dark fabric with a light fabric of the same color.
We will be making Type 1 and Type 2 Triangle Units.
I use paper plates to keep me organized. As I cut the triangles with the Corner Pop II, I placed Type 1 on the right plate and Type 2 on the left plate. Do the same thing for the Background Triangles.
Once you have constructed your Triangle Units it’s time to pop off the corner with the Corner Pop III.
Cut your replacement triangles with the Corner Pop III and get ready to stitch them to the triangle units.
Center the triangle unit over the replacement triangle and stitch.
Trim the unit using Corner Pop III.
I used my Magic Wand to mark the 1/4″ seam to help line up and carefully pin to stitch one Type 1 unit to a Type 2 Unit.
Pyramid Power Twin Size measures 51″ x 72″. Pieced with Aurifil thread and finished with Hobbs Cotton Batting.
It has been my great joy to be an Island Batik Ambassador for 2018 & 2019. I was so honored to included in a this group of widely talented & creative quilter’s. I will not be returning for 2020, I will miss you all so much. But I am excited to see what Ambassadors with be sharing next year!
 #islandbatikambassador #islandbatik #iloveislandbatik #hobbsbatting #aurifil #aurifilthread #bernina #debtucker #omnigrid #Olfa #studio180design
Twas the night before Christmas….no it’s more like a week and a half before Christmas and I just had to finish this One Block Wonder instead of doing what I’m supposed to be doing. I’m supposed to be working on my last quilt of the year for Island Batik.
I just love this panel by Timeless Treasures. My quilt measures 60″ x 62″. If you haven’t tried a One Block Wonder using a panel, here are my tips:
Happy Holidays!
The Unicorn is all about opening up to infinite possibilities and that the infinite possibilities surround you and are available to you at all times.
I made this One Block Wonder for my son Jason’s birthday in a few weeks. Spiritually the Unicorn symbolizes success. If you summon the power of the Unicorn, the Unicorn will give you the blessings to be a success in whatever you choose to pursue. I love you Jason, Happy Birthday!
Here are my tips for using panels to make a One Block Wonder:
The fabrics shown in this post were given to me by Island Batik.
Last January Island Batik gave me a secret bundle to hold onto till November, it was Tropical Escape shown above. I sat and looking at the bundle of gorgeous fabrics, waiting for them to talk to me. The goal is for me to introduce the Tropical Escape fabric line by making a quilt showcasing as many of the 20 fabrics as possible.
I decided to use Studio 180 Design’s BlockBuster pattern #29 Pointsettia. This block requires the Rapid Fire Lemoyne Star, Split Rects and Tucker Trimmer I tools. You can download the BlockBuster pattern below:
I loved that the Poinsettia block could be made in 7″, 14″ or 21″ finished blocks. I chose the 21″ blocks.
Time to break out the paper plates. I sorted my fabrics by color and value, pairing a light/medium value with a darker value. This would allow me to use 16 different fabrics to form the flowers. I would use the lighter value fabric for the Lemoyne star quarters and the darker value fabrics for the split rects units.
My tip for staying organized while making Lemoyne stars is to label two paper plates, one “A” & one “B”. Follow the Lemoyne star tool instructions. When you come to Step 7, make one 45 degree cut – then imediateley reposition your ruler to cut the side triangles as you go.
If you are right handed the “B” strip was on the bottom & the “A” strip was on top. Place the “A” unit on the plate marked “A” and the “B” unit on the plate marked “B”, place one triangle on each plate also. (If you are left handed the “A” strip would be on the bottom and the “B” strip would be on top). Continue cutting your units, placing each unit on their assigned plate. Construct the Lemoyne units as instructed. Throughout the process you will always know which units are “A” and which are “B”. This is important for knowing which way to press your seams. Another tip for pressing the lemoyne star units is to “remember, the Lemoyne star point should always be pointed to the left”. To make Lemoyne star quarters you will square them up using your Tucker Trimmer 1 before stitching them to the split rects units.
Layout your Lemoyne quarters with your mirror image split rects units and stitch together.
Press seams as shown above.
Continue making your Lemoyne star quarters/split rects units. They are all constructed the same way.
Stitch a background rectangle with each Lemoyne quarter/split rects unit as shown. Follow block assembly instruction in the BlockBuster #29 pattern.
At first I decided to make 6 – 21″ blocks measuring 60″ x 83″.
But I discovered I had enough units to make 9 blocks with left over Lemoyne quarters for the use in the outer border. Quilt measures 83″ x 83″.
It’s funny how this quilt came about. It stared with Island Batik’s fabric line: Tropical Escape; BlockBuster’s Pointsettia block (a Christmas flower); and it is named after a canyon in Arizona. I named this quilt Copper Canyon Blooms as I think they look like desert blooms! In the supply list below I’ve given you fabric requirements for both the 6 block top and the 9 block top.
#islandbatik #bestofbali #tropicalescape #studio180design #blockbusters #EQ8
I visited the Oneida County Historical Society to take this photo on the steps.
