Sew Preeti Quilts: Deb Tucker

Showing posts with label Deb Tucker. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Island Batik 2024 - Unboxing 1

I am excited that I made the cut for 2024. I am one of the 26 brand ambassadors selected by Island Batik. This is where I show off my newest fabrics and supplies generously provided by Island Batik and other industry partners include Schmetz Needles, Deb Tucker's Studio 180 Designs, Hobbs Batting, Oliso Smart Iron and Funky Friends Factory.

Here is the Unboxing Video.

Here are the supplies.

Breezy by Kate Colleran Designs

In February, I will be using this half yard bundle of Breezy (Original Collection by Kate Colleran) to make the Log Cabin Lap/Throw size quilt. In the video, I show the unopened bundle but you have to get close to see these beautiful colors.

Fabrics from the Breezy collection

The matching yardage in deep purple and palest pink is so pretty :-)

Two yards each of Leaf Pile-Purple and Tea Rose (Precious Pinks)

The Log Cabin challenge and Blog Hop will have prizes and giveaways. Make sure to revisit in February.

Thanks to a generous supply of Solid Neutrals in Black, White and Light Grey, we always have plenty of background options. They also make perfect backings.

Island Batik Solids - Black, Light Grey and White

My box also included six yards of Platinum - a light grey perfect for background and backings.

Island Batik Neutral - Platinum

I also received 12 half yard cuts from Island Batik Foundations. These include four solids, four basics and four blenders. Island Batik Foundations are available all year round.

Island Batik Foundations - Blenders, Basics & Solids

Stash Builders are a set of 5" wide strips, 20 per pack. They are the perfect resource to make a scrappy quilt and easily lend themselves into 2.5" strips, 5" squares and more.

Stash Builders - 5" strips, 20 per pack

My box came with two precuts from the Island Batik Basics regrouped into the Gradations - Brilliant Blues and Tantalizing Teals.

Brilliant Blues - 10" Squares

Tantalizing Teals - 2.5" Strips

I received a pack of 10" squares of the Prisms Collection. Prisms is a signature collection designed by Kathy Engle for Claudia Porter. It comes with matching yardage, two yards each of Champagne (Island Batik Neutral) and a Dark Green Blender (BE31-G1).

Winter 2023 Prisms - Signature Collection by Kathy Engle for Claudia Porter

My box also included a 2.5" Strip Set of Monarch Collection, designed by Kathy Engle. It came with matching yardage, two yards each of Buttermilk (Island Batik Neutral) and Red Blender (BE29-B1)

Fall 2023 Monarch designed by Kathy Engle

From Schmetz Needles, I received a set of needles and a handy luggage tag showing a graphic
of needle types.

Needles for Piecing, Quilting, Costume, and Vinyl

Oliso, a new industry partner, generously provided a smart iron to each of the ambassadors. Mine is yellow :-)

From our industry partners at Studio 180 designs, I received a Corner Beam Ruler. I will be using this ruler to make a quilt for the May project - Create for a Cause.

Studio 180 Designs - Corner Beam Ruler

I received two batts of throw size Cotton-Wool Blend batting from the Tuscany Collection by Hobbs Batting.

Hobbs Tuscany Collection - Throw Size Cotton Wool Blend Batting

Hobbs will be sending more batting in the coming months. We will also receive threads from Aurifil and I will be sure to show you when I do.

We will be making a toy in April, using a design of our choice. The pattern is generously provided byFunky Friends Factory. I will be making the Dachshund dog :-)

I will be sharing the February Island Batik Challenge and BlogHop Project on February 6, 2024. Hope you will revisit. I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar.

Disclosure: The fabrics are provided by Island Batik.

The batting is provided by Hobbs.

The needles are provided by Schmetz Needles.

The Corner Beam Ruler is provided by Studio 180 Design.

The smart iron is provided by Oliso.

The toy pattern is provided by Funky Friends factory

Thursday, February 9, 2023

Puff Quilt - Trevor

Welcome to the first Island Batik challenge and blog hop of the year 2023.

The first challenge of the year is to make a cozy, squishy Puff (Bubble) quilt using the fabric from your assigned Fall’22 collection 0.5 yard bundle!!

I received Exuberance collection. This is an original collection by Deb Tucker of Studio 180 Designs.

Like most of the ambassadors, I had the same question - what is a puff quilt and how do I make it? I watched about half a dozen videos on the YouTube and made a list.

A list of all the things I disliked about making a Puff Quilt. Here they are:

1. Do not like the pleated squares. Quilters and tucks don't go together. Generally, we hate them and painstakingly unravel stitches to smoothen them. Accepting those tucks was a departure for a quilter's soul. It was also extra work - work I wanted to avoid.

2. Do not wish to buy polyfill when I am rolling in batting. Although I had a small bag of polyfill left over from Gertie the Gecko, the puff quilt would need more. But I have plenty of batting which could be used directly (or cut up in bits), to make the puffy squares.

3. Do not like the idea that I will need a separate backing, in addition to the top and bottom fabric of the squares. This just seemed like extra work and extra fabric for no good reason. There has to be a better way to make this puff quilt. At least, a different way.

4. The puff quilt would be too thick to machine quilt and must be hand-tied. Tying the quilt would be slower and less secure than machine quilting. It might also require special needle and wool.

Paul: You did not get any cheese?
Me: Cheese? You are allergic to cheese.
Paul: Yes, but you need a lot of cheese to go with all that whine (wine).

Me (eye rolling): Everything about this Puff Quilt is a challenge.

Paul: When do you shy away from a challenge?

Me: I am going to try and come up with a way to make a Puff Quilt that eliminates these issues.

Paul: Go, Preeti, Go!

Concept - Make the quilt top. Place batting behind each square and secure it in place. Add backing and stitch over the seams, in the channels between batting mounds.

Making the Puffs

Trial/Audition Puff Quilt

I chose 16 fabrics from the collection to make 16 four-patch blocks. Arranged so that the lightest and darkest fabrics crossed diagonally in the middle. I used Schmetz Microtex (80/20) needle for piecing and quilting. I used Aurifil Thread for both piecing and quilting.

Quilt Top

I cut the batting squares 4.5". This would allow some room for the foot to move between the two puffed squares, thereby allowing me to machine quilt.

I used three layers of batting for each square. At a loft of about 1.5", it would provide a decent amount of puffiness.

3 Layers of Batting - About 1.5" high

Adding batting, one row at a time

I placed and pinned batting stack for one row at a time. Took it to the machine and stitched one/two Asterisk marks in the middle of each square in that row. Repeat for the next row.

Two done, six to go

Puffiness in Progress

Although this was a time-consuming process, it went smoothly. Bollywood music was a big help :-)

All Puffed up

Layered on top of Backing

Since the flimsy was 44.5" wide, I could not use a regular (44" wide) fabric for backing. I also had to account for added width to accommodate the puffiness.

I quilted on my machine, using the regular foot. Technically speaking, quilting is stitching three layers (top, batting and backing) together. Honestly speaking, quilting is a loose term here because I was stitching the backing to the flimsy, moving in the channels between the puff mounds. I used the regular foot because it is not as wide as the walking foot.

Quilting in process

Channel Quilted

Quilting was complete. No, I would not need to tie this quilt. PHEW!!!

The last challenge was binding.

Several of the YouTube Puff Quilts were turned inside out and then hand-tied. This eliminated the need for binding. But since mine was done differently, it needed a binding. Also, binding gives a neat finish :-) What do you think?

Ready to Bind

To make binding easier, I needed enough room (non-puffy flat surface) along the edge of the quilt. To achieve this, I moved my needle as far left as possible and quilted/stitched down the edges. Still, it would be impossible to completely machine stitch the binding. I machine-stitched the binding to the front, folded it to the back and hand-stitched it.

Finished!!!

Although this method eliminated each of my peeves (tucks, need for polyfill, separate backing, and hand-tying), it is not as puffy or biscuit-y as those YouTube quilts.

I like the understated puffiness. It is similar to a goose down comforter in puffiness.

Paul: This is finished!

Me: Yup.

Paul: What about all those challenges you were whining about?

Me: Killed each one of them.

Paul: Impressive! Did you name it?

Me: Yes. Trevor.

Paul: Trevor? Like Trevor Noah?

Me: Yes, because it is has dimples and it is cute :-D

Cloudy Day - Bright Quilt

Trevor by the Lake

Binding

Bye Bob, till next quilt.

In my continued effort to manage my stash, I am offering two prizes - scrap packs of batiks from my pre-ambassador days. As these are mystery prizes I won't be showing pictures of the scraps. However, if you are the winner, I will reach out to you to ask for your favorite colors, before creating the scrap pack just for you.

To enter the giveaway, please visit the Island Batik blog, and leave me a comment letting me know which collection is your favorite. If you show up as Anonymous (or a no-reply-blogger), make sure that you provide your email.

I will announce the winners on Saturday, 2/18/23.

The blog hop continues. See full list below.

WEEK 1

February 6