Island Batik's February Challenge and BlogHop requires the ambassadors to use their assigned Fall 2024 collection (I got Radiant Burst) and the Studio 180 Design Tool (I got Wing Clipper) to make a Table Runner or a Bed Runner.
Sounds simple? Yes. But wait there is more.
1. We must make at least 12 units.
2. Use as many fabrics (from the 20 in the collection) as possible.
NOW, we have a challenge :-)
Well, here is my response.
 |
| Glowing Front |
And I used leftover blocks from Mirabelle to make the backing, so it is two-sided.
 |
| Moody Back |
 |
| Double-Sided Runner |
But let me start from the beginning.
Designed by Jerry Khiev, Radiant Burst should be available in stores now (February 2025). It is a beautiful collection with reds, pinks, mauves, teal greens and purple.
 |
| Radiant Burst Fabrics |
I received the Wing Clipper Tool from Studio 180 Design, used to trim Flying Goose units.
It was time to start designing. I turned to EQ8. Lots of designs were made and considered. Most were discarded for various reasons. Here are a few of them.
 |
| Discard #1 |
Discard #1 - February means Valentine's Day which equals Hearts. It uses all 20 fabrics and has more than12 flying goose units. But there was nothing new or fresh about it.
 |
| Discard #2 |
Discard #2 - Once again, I managed to use all 20 fabrics and 12+ units but this Starry Design was only a slight improvement on Discard #1.
 |
| Discard #3 |
Discard #3 - It looks fine. Certainly screams Flying Geese, even if it did not use all 20 fabrics. I can do better, I thought.
 |
| Discard #4 |
Discard #4 - This used all 20 fabrics, even though the design seems dated. I could work with partial seams since it was only five blocks, but there was another problem. The Flying Geese are made in sets of four but the design uses only one flying goose unit in each color, leaving me with 60 units. Oh no!
 |
| Discard #5 |
Discard $5 - I really like this one. It has a modern vibe to it. It uses all 20 fabrics. There was the same problem as Discard #4 of dealing with 60 leftover Flying Geese units. But there was a technical issue as well. It qualifies as Migrating Geese and can be made without the Wing Clipper Tool. I set it aside for future considerations.
And then I landed here!
 |
| The Chosen One |
This was perfect. It has a modern vibe to it and looks like Crystal Pendants. It uses 20 fabrics and has 12+ units. The way I designed it, I would have only two leftover units.
There was only one more consideration - background color. Won't radiant crystals look good on a black background? I tried a few more options. Thank goodness for EQ8.
 |
| May be |
 |
| Oh Yes!!! |
At such times, I really need to discuss with a fellow quilter. I have reached out to Emily and Connie in the past. This time it was Mari, who endorsed the Yellow Background. "It would be perfect for Spring", she said.
I was all set. Full speed ahead. I used the Island Batik Basic Bumblebee for the background.
 |
| Perfectly Trimmed Flying Geese |
Honestly, the design took longer than the actual sewing and quilting.
 |
| Basting |
I used Schmetz Microtex 80/12 Needle for both piecing and quilting.
I used my trusted squiggly stitch to quilt the runner. The Hobbs 100% Cotton Batting shows off the quilting beautifully.
 |
| Glowing Crystals :-) |
Crystal Pendants Runner finished at 16" by 51" and I absolutely love how the bright yellow background shows off the beautiful collection. But taking pictures was tricky.
 |
| Falling Runner and Shadow of the Phone :-D |
 |
| Fabulous Finish |
 |
| Sunny Vibes |
 |
| Reversible! |
Trying another angle for pictures.
The next two pictures are taken at my friend Manveen's beautiful home with excellent diffused lighting.
 |
| Fit for Royalty! |
 |
| Thank you Manveen |
One last picture!
 |
| Labelled |
Visit Island Batik Blog for weekly giveaways and make sure to explore all the amazing creations on the Ambassadors’ blogs and join in on their additional giveaways for even more chances to win. I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar.
Here is the complete list of Ambassadors, the collections they’ll feature in their projects, and their scheduled post dates:
WEEK 1
February 4:
February 5:
February 6:
November 7:
Blog Hop Round-Up Week 1 and Giveaway
WEEK 2
February 10:
February 11:
February 12:
February 13:
February 14:
Blog Hop Round-Up Week 2 and Giveaway
WEEK 3
February 17:
February 18:
February 19:
- Gail Sheppard, Quilting Gail
- Preeti Harris, Sew Preeti Quilts (You are here)
February 20:
February 21:
Blog Hop Round-Up Week 3 and Final Giveaway
WEEK 4
February 24:
February 25:
February 26:
End of Blog Hop + Final Round Up
