Fly Away Challenge

The Island Batik June Challenge reads as follows:

Use one of your precut bundles and play with the versatile Flying Geese blocks to create a fun quilt or table runner! Your project must use Flying Geese blocks as the focus but you can combine other blocks to enhance the project. 

Now, I am not a fan of Flying Geese Blocks. The construction is a fiddly multi-step process, regardless of the method you choose.  Even when the method works for you, you need a specialty ruler for precision points. In my opinion a flying goose block is made up of two half square triangles with several construction methods and no need for special rulers. 

Therefore I had never considered a project with Flying Geese. And when I looked for inspiration, everything seemed dated. So what does an Island Batik Ambassador do - Highlight the fabric!!!

Project # 1 - I chose a super simple pattern that would show off the fabric. I used the Celebrate Stack (10" squares) to make tiny roofs.  

I used my Accuquilt 8" Go QUBE to cut flying goose triangles from the Celebrate Stack and the sky triangles from Solid Black.

Accuquilt Cut Triangles

The flying geese units finish at 4" by 2" and the house/wall units are 4" squares.  I used 17 out of 20 fabrics. It is a simple design but it shows off the Celebrate collection perfectly! 

Be My Neighbor

The backing is Fondant and I love its subtle blue-gray color. The background and binding is Solid Black. I used Hobbs Black Batting and Schmetz 80/12 Microtex Needle. I quilted with my walking foot using Aurifil 40wt thread and a squiggly stitch with horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines. My little houses mini quilt finished at 24" square and I have named it "Be My Neighbor". 

Labelled

I showed my bright mini quilt to Paul. 

Me: Look at my bright and happy homes.
Paul: Are they homes?
Me: Yes, why?
Paul: They look like pencils or crayons to me.
Me: I'd think the pencils would be more pointy.
Paul: Houses would have doors or windows.

He had a point.

That is when I made Project # 2, using the 2.5" Strip Pack of Juicy Mosaics.

For background I chose Island Batik Neutral Egg White.

Row Houses

I chose those fabrics that had bricks/tiles pattern to reinforce the house effect. Paul agreed that these looked like houses.  I happily fashioned them into a cute zippered pouch :-)

Love this!

I live here :-)

With these two projects, I had completed the requirements of this challenge. I was done. Officially! 

But these Juicy Mosaics are so gorgeous that I wanted to continue playing with them. After I spent few hours of playing in EQ8, I didn't know whether I was coming or going.

Yellow Won this round!

For this design, I needed one other color in addition to the black background.  With a choice between sunny yellow and lime green, I chose yellow.

Once again, I used Accuquilt to get precise flying goose units. It is good to be an Ambassador :-D

In process

Ooh Shiny!

And here is my fabulous, flying goose-focused finish!!! Ta Da!!!

Coming or Going?

Do you see fish? How many?  

Finishing at 28" square, I have named this fishy finish - "Fishful Thinking" :-D

The backing is pieced from leftover backings of larger quilts made earlier.  The binding is Solid Black.  I used Hobbs Black Batting and Schmetz 80/12 Microtex Needle. I quilted with my walking foot using Aurifil 40wt thread and a squiggly stitch (my default style).  

Wonky Pieced Backing :-P

Labelled

Of course I love quilting. I love playing with fabrics and colors and trying new things. But if it was not for Island Batik's Challenge, I would have never come up with this design.  

So even though I began this post whining, I am grateful to Island Batik for pushing my buttons, month after month. Thank you Island Batik (hope you can overlook the whining).

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

For some reason, I want salmon for lunch. What is on your plate (food or quilt)? Do let me know.

Island Batik Row by Row Challenge

Paul: There is a new restaurant in Ashburn.
Me: Uh huh.
Paul: Take a look. They have alligator.
Me: Cajun?
Paul: Yes. They have andouille sausage, shrimp and grits, jambalaya and also beignets.
Me: They sure look authentic.
Paul: Let's go.
Me: Happily.
Paul: Valentine's Day?
Me: Absolutely NOT.
Paul: Oh come on.
Me: Every place is overpriced, overhyped and overcrowded.
Paul: They cannot be any more overpriced than they already are.
Me: I did not come to America because I was missing crowds. 

I won the argument. We will go another day.  

In my opinion, the perfect Valentine's Day is spent at home with takeout while watching a favorite movie.

An imperfect quilt

A perfect quilt (in my opinion) does not exist. Anything can be made better and that quest for perfection is a recipe for unhappiness. To make this point, I made a quilt - Pobody's Nerfect.

The Island Batik February Challenge (and Blog Hop) requirement was simple. Using the Fall 2021 Fabric Bundle, make a row by row quilt, lap size (or larger), using any technique(s).

I received Lace and Grace. It is a Signature Collection for Chris Hoover of Whirligig Designs designed by Kathy Engle. It is a beautiful collection and I love it.  Lace and Grace should be shipping to your local quilt stores now.

I used Island Batik Solid White for the background. I believe it best shows off the spring colors of the collection.

I had begun thinking about this challenge in December 2021, while I was still nursing the pain of my failed travel plans. Naturally, the bird block was first.

Designed in EQ8

Bird Blocks

Birds needs trees to nest. So trees were added. I had first designed this twin tree block in 2020 for the quilt tops made for the Australian Bush Fires Relief.

Twin Trees

Of course I would like to live in a place with lots of trees and birds chirping nearby. So houses were added. 

House Block

The flowers are aspirational.  My yard is a mess but there is some green growth, when it is not covered with snow. 

Grassy Border on the Bottom

The grass formed a natural border on the bottom. I wanted to add a similar element on the top. Paul suggested sky or clouds. Too tame, I thought. It needs festoons or buntings, like celebrations.

Festoons Border on the Top

Although I designed the quilt in EQ8, some changes were made in the process, adding what I liked and removing what did not seem to work.

Mock up in EQ8

Every row has a mistake, intentionally added, to justify the slogan - Pobody's Nerfect. 

Find every mistake, smile and then say aloud. "I am not perfect and I don't have to be."

Pobody's Perfect

I used 80/20 Cotton Bleached batting by Hobbs. 

I used Aurifil Thread for both sewing (50 wt) and quilting (40 wt)

I used 80/12 Microtex Schmetz Needle for sewing and 90/14 Schmetz needle for quilting.

Having spent all my passion in patchwork, I quilted simple squiggly lines using my walking foot.  The binding is Island Batik Neutral Cream.

Gorgeous Fabrics

Picnic Ready!

You make me happy...

Pobody's Nerfect finished at about 60" by 70" and I am perfectly happy with all its imperfections :-)

Happily Imperfect :-)

Island Batik is giving away some gorgeous fabrics to celebrate these new releases. You don't want to miss it. And speaking of things you do not want to miss, here is a complete listing of all the Island Batik ambassadors and the links to their blogs. Some are cute, some are beautiful and some are so handsome (I want to sleep with them). 

January 31:

Jennifer Thomas, Curlicue Creations
Denise Looney, For the Love of Geese 

February 1:

Pamela Boatright, Pamela Quilts
Andi Stanfield, True Blue Quilts

February 2:

Megan Best, Bestquilter

February 3:

Maryellen McAuliffe, Mary Mack Made Mine
Brenda Alburl, Songbird Designs

February 7:

Emily Leachman, The Darling Dogwood
Leah Malasky, Quilted Delights

February 8:

Suzy Webster, Websterquilt
Connie Kauffman, Kauffman Designs

February 9:

Reed Johnson, Blue Bear Quilts

February 10:

Brianna Roberts, Sew Cute and Quirky
Sandra Starley, Textile Time Travels

February 14:

Michelle Roberts, Creative Blonde
Jane Hauprich, Stitch by Stitch Custom Quilting

February 15:

Claudia Porter, Create with Claudia

February 16:

Anorina Morris, Samelia’s Mum
Preeti Harris, Sew Preeti Quilts (this is me)

February 17:

Elizabeth DeCroos, Epida Studio
Gail Renna, Quilt Haven Threads

February 21:

Gail Sheppard, Quilting Gail
Jennifer Fulton, Inquiring Quilter

February 22:

Mania Hatzioannidi, Mania for Quilts
Lisa Pickering, Lisa’s Quilting Passion

I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar. And if you tell me about your battle (or skirmish) with the pursuit of perfection, I will enter you in a giveaway of my own.  

For readers in the US - A scrap pack of assorted fabrics (2 prizes). For international readers - a pattern from my Etsy Shop (2 prizes). The giveaway is open till February 28, 2022. I will announce the winners on March 2, 2022.

Paul: Can we go now?
Me: I thought you'd never ask.
Paul: BRAT!!! You have been so busy...
Me: Well, I have some time before the next challenge...

Disclosure: The fabrics, batting, thread and needles were generously supplied by the following companies: Island Batik   Aurifil Thread   Hobbs Batting & Schmetz Needles !!

Our (Property) Values

The year was 2005. I was working as a junior planner in Fort Lauderdale. Broward County was conducting a public hearing on a proposed light rail line connecting the western part of the county to downtown Fort Lauderdale.

The beginning

Before Touch-up

After Touch-up (Head, Flower & Shoe completed)

Growing Trees

Roofs under Construction

Colorful Tiles!!!

Housing Project

I remember arriving at the venue about 4:00PM, setting up easels showing the area maps, flip boards and markers, and sign in sheets with several pens. The event began at 6:00PM with a formal presentation from the Florida Department of Transportation official. This was followed by questions from the audience. I remember a particularly angry guy who almost spat out - What happens to my property value?

Ballerina

Puppy Toss

One Home (+Tree) at a Time

As planners, we regularly study about the economic impact of streetcars and rail lines on adjacent communities. So I knew the answer, but junior planners do not speak (they take notes). A senior planner responded - "Unless your property is smack dab next to the rail line, the value of your property is likely to increase." The angry guy was unconvinced. He had already made up his mind - he hated the light rail and it was not welcome in his neighborhood. 

Building Community

Basting

Holy Cow!!!

It got me thinking about the value of property.  You see it is a very American concept.

Beauty and the Breeze

Finished Quilt Size - 67" by 75"

Of course all properties in all countries have value but this obsession with "what happens to my property value" was an unfamiliar concept. I need a place to live, a place for my possessions, a place to recover, a place to hide from the world's prying eyes, a place to be myself, a place of complete peace and zero judgement. I place infinite value on this place - my home.

Lazy Dog Pose?

All Size Cats

Santa & Reindeer 

Homes for Everyone

Red Backing, Green Binding

Of course, it has a dollar value too. So what? If the dollar value changes from $200K to $400K, do I sell it and find someplace cheaper?   If the value falls to $100K, do I buy a second house because at half price it is just not enough? I do not sing and dance when the value increases and I do not go into despair when it plummets. 

Labelled

Young Fish and Old Dinosaur

Yes, we pay attention when we build a house or buy a property. Similarly the price tag is of utmost importance when a property is put on the market. But not in between. In between, it is just my home.

Star Fish and Movie Star (Olaf)

Regardless of the prevailing price tag of my house, my day-to-day interactions with my living quarters are unchanged. Shoes in this corner, handbag in that. An aroma of curry wafts from the kitchen, greasy pots in the sink, a dirty cup on the counter and a few turmeric stains on the stove. Cracked floor tiles covered with an area rug; there may be cobwebs in the fireplace but the mantelpiece in the living room has fresh flowers. 

Freshly Made

One pillow on the floor but the other has a round depression where my head fits perfectly. The bed is unmade and the sheets are crumpled but there is a Preeti-shaped dip in the mattress that is oh-so-welcoming. There is hair in the drain, streak marks on the mirror, an almost empty bottle of lotion on the shelf, and a dusty weighing scale in the bathroom. I love you my home. You take me as I am. I take you as you are. 

Love you my Home (and my quilt)

If you follow the news (and who can blame you if you don't), you may have heard that the Senate left for recess with no Covid relief in sight. Small business owners, workers and families are desperate for support (think rent and mortgage payments) while the current administration abandoned them.  

"The Republican Senate can move incredibly fast when they think something is important. They just don't think Covid relief was important." - Leah Greenberg, Indivisible. 

I agree with Ms. Greenberg. 

Trees in Bloom

Hullo Charlie Brown

Playfully Yours

Octopus Rules

On one hand, I feel blessed that I do not have to worry about losing my home and on the other hand I feel ashamed and helpless for all those who are struggling to keep a roof over their heads in these trying times. 

It is not like one can move in with friends and family till the relief check arrives.

So Vote. 

Your Vote is your voice. Make it heard.

Did you see my Puppy?

I can be crabby in my house

Picnic Ready

Bright & Happy

Your Vote can be a celebration of our democracy. Your Vote can be a referendum on the current state of affairs. Your Vote could be a bouquet to the incoming administration or a brickbat to the outgoing one. Your Vote is your resistance, your dissent, a map of things to come and yet it is useless unless you exercise it. Please do.  Your Vote has value but only if you cast your ballot.

Sunny Morning

Meet me by the Fountain

If you have a mail-in ballot, it may be too late to mail it.  Use an authorized drop-box.

Vote early if you can.  We did.

We are in this together

Get your flu shot and please wear a mask. And if you have thoughts about property values, value of your Vote or the values (light and dark colors) in my quilt, do let me know. 

Your comments are your votes on my work and I do value them so very much.  I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties, see full list on the sidebar.