Island Batik July Challenge - The Holly Family

The Island Batik Challenge for July urged us to get an early start on Christmas and other end of the year holiday projects!

In my first Island Batik Ambassador Box, I had received a strip set of Holly Holiday fabric, designed by Kathy Engle. With deep red/dark green colors and reindeer/pine shaped trees it screams Christmas. Naturally I set it aside for the July challenge.

Holly Holiday Strips

Selection

I chose to make a tree skirt.

We have a small Christmas tree and some years we even put it up, when we are not traveling. If I make a tree-skirt, we may do it every year. I had made a Dresden Quilt once before and I followed the same general guidelines. I just had to make a larger template to cut out the long blades.

Enlarged Dresden Template

Two at a Time

Assembling was simple and quilting was fun. It all came together neatly. Don't look too closely.

Layered on Hobbs Batting

Golden Aurifil Thread

Quilted and Trimmed

For the sake of simplicity (and to avoid making bias binding), I chose to turn it inside out.

Birthing

Ironed and Top stitched

Since I find the ties/strings rather finicky and clumsy, I chose loops and buttons. This meant a quick run to the fabric store but that is never a chore :-)

Elastic Loops

Matching Buttons

Ta Da!!!

Completed Tree Skirt

I did not use the entire length of the strip set. Adding two more 2.5" strips. Some cutting and sewing led to a baby quilt. I chose Island Batik Neutral Yolk for background and Island Batik Foundation Gold for binding. The backing is a kid-friendly cute vintage fabric.

Island Batik Neutral - Yolk

Using Leftovers

Big Blocks + Simple Quilting = Quick Quilt

Gorgeous Gold for Binding

Baby Quilt 40" Square

Yolk Background, Gold Binding

Hello Sunshine

Vintage Backing

But wait there is more. 

Paul: Zippered pouch?

Me: I considered making a zippered pouch but realized that it would lead to the "milk and cookies" problem.

Some time in the past, Paul had explained this "milk and cookies" problem to me.  

Paul: It is when you eat all the cookies and there is still plenty of milk left.

Me: So? Can you not just drink the rest of the milk?

Paul: You could. Or you could get more cookies.

Me: I am sure that would soon lead to too many cookies and not enough milk.

Paul: That could very well happen.

Me: Would you get more milk then?

Paul: Most probably.

Me: How long does this fiasco go on?

Paul: Till you either eat all the cookies or drink all the milk.

Me: Of course because until then the problem is unsolved.

Paul: Oh you get it.

Me: No, I don't. Just sit with the entire gallon of milk and the entire box/tray/batch of cookies. After all you are not fooling anyone into believing that you are interested in portion control.

Paul: Well, by now (after a lifetime of milk and cookies) I know exactly how much milk will be enough for how many cookies.*

Me: Thank you for saving the world.

Paul: Clearly, you have no interest in milk and cookies.

Me: No, tea and biscuits may be. But there isn't a problem there.

Paul: Why not?

Me: Third world.

Paul: Ah yes. Of course "milk and cookies" is a very first world problem.

The joys of marrying someone from another culture/world are indeed immeasurable. I can say so much more about what happens when a "Milk & Cookies" man marries a "Tea & Biscuits" woman. But I digress. Back to the challenge. I did not want to cut more fabric to make the zippered pouch. I was ready to wrap it up. So the leftover bits were made into a mug rug and it is just perfect. May be I will use it to set my cup of tea and biscuits :-)

Mug Rug :-)

So here is the entire Holly family - TreeSkirt Holly, Quilt Holly and MugRug Holly.

Holly Family Picnic

Mission Accomplished!!!

I used Hobbs Cotton Batting. Thank you Hobbs. I used Schmetz Microtex Needle 70/12 for piecing and Schmetz Needle 90/14 for quilting and binding. Love Schmetz Needles.

I used Aurifil Thread 50wt for piecing and 40wt for quilting. 

Disclosure: The fabrics, thread, batting and needles were generously supplied by the following companies:

• Island Batik
• Hobbs Batting
• Aurifil Thread
• Schmetz Needles

For a chance to win a set of 10 Holly Holiday strips, please leave me a comment. If you are a no-reply blogger, please include your email address. If you follow me on Bloglovin, let me know for a second entry.

Prize 1

Prize 2

(Almost) Ready to Ship

There are two prizes and I will pick the winners on July 10, 2021.

Will be linking with all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar.

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Angela has announced the color for July - Dark Blue, which I interpret as Navy Blue (to distinguish from bright blues). Here are my initial fabric picks.

Navy Blues + Orange Pop

Cuteness in Navy :-)

Will be linking with Angela's Linky Party.

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Remember Novella, the Table Runner? 

Novella is now a pattern. Many thanks to my speedy pattern testers Sarah, Jolee, Katrin, Maya, and Yvonne for providing valuable feedback.  Here is a glimpse of their test runs for Novella pattern.

Jolee's Cats on a Couch - So Darling!!!

Katrin's Floral Cats - Love them!!!

Maya's Bright Cat in Solids 

Sweet Cats by Sarah of Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Yvonne from SewYummy - Spectacular!!!

Thank you ladies. You are awesome!!!

Pattern for Novella, Wall Hanging (Table Runner) is now available in my Etsy Shop. 25% discount till July 15, 2021.

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* According to Paul, a glass of milk is perfect for either two large cookies (such as Sausalito macadamia nut cookies by Pepperidge Farm) or six small chocolate chip cookies (such as by Keebler).

Issued in public interest. No affiliations with any cookies.

Celebrating women

My mom was just 14 when she was married off (nobody asked her). Of course she was not "sent" to her husband's house for another year (she was too young).

My dad encouraged her to continue her education. She completed high school and received a BA in Geography. I was born.
She furthered her education and received an MA in Economics. My sister was born.
My dad encouraged her to get a job.  She refused flatly.
No, she was determined to be a full time mother and a homemaker.
And that was that.

My sister, mom and me

Some 20 years later, when I got married (arranged), my husband expected me to be a homemaker.
No, I said. We (He and I) both went to school for Architecture and got the same degree.
Why should I stay at home, I argued.
He replied that I should be like my mother, who sacrificed her career for the sake of her family.
You miss the point, I retorted.  She had a choice and she chose to be a homemaker.
I should have the same choice.

Of course, he did not see my point. I left.

Mom and me in 2007

Mom approved of Paul (Her looks says it all)

We live in a world where many women have no choices and no voices.
So when I came across this fabric at Joann's, it made me sing and dance with joy. I had to drop everything and make (something with) it.

STEM Gals

Me: Look. look, Paul. I love this fabric.
Paul: It is nifty.
Me: It is more than nifty. It is both aspirational and a reflection of our times. It not only shows women in science. It shows diverse women in science.
Paul: Is that so?
Me: See there are five of them and each one has a different hair color.
Paul: What are you going to make with it?
Me: Everything.
Paul: Everything?
Me: Yes. Sheets, bed-covers, pillow-covers, curtains, may be a dress and...
Paul: Start with a pencil case.

Gotta love this man. He knows how to push my buttons and rein me in - all at the same time.
So I started with a pencil case. But made two.

Zippered Pouch

Two Pouches

Loving it :-)

The sliver leftover became part of a mug rug.  I purposely offset the scientist gal to the the side so that even when you place a coffee mug and a cookie on the rug, you can still see her.

Mug Rug

And then inspiration struck...

Fussy cut girls, each in her own place doing what she loves.

Celebrating Women

Small Finish - Big Smile

Love this fabric

Is it still a Dreami if it is a fabric that sparks the process?
I am sure Sandra will agree.

Is it a coincidence that I came across this fabric this month - Women's History Month?
Possibly. But I do believe that the Universe works in magical ways.

I have named each one of these wonder women.

This is Sveta, named after Svitlana Mayoboroda, a mathematician from Ukraine.

Sveta

I am calling her Taywa, after Taiwo Olayemi Elufioye who is a Nigerian pharmacologist and researcher.

Taywa

Her name is Eve, after Eva Maria Neher who is a German scientist doing research in biochemistry and microbiology.

Eve

And she is named Myla, after Mayly Sanchez who is a Venezuela-born particle physicist.

Myla

The names of my quilty gals are inspired by these women in science today.  I have included links to their wikipedia pages because I can use a shot of positivity to conquer whatever obstacle lies in my path today.

So I may not have made everything from key-fob to curtains from this fabric but I can definitely be inspired from here to far and beyond. What will you conquer today?

I will be linking with all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar.