Stella is a Star

Stella made the cover!

Published!

Stella is not only published in the We Like Quilting digital/online magazine's September 2025 issue, she made the cover! I am thrilled.

Stella

Designed  in EQ8 and made with the Island Batik collection Midnight Garden, Stella finished at 60" by 80".

Star blocks alternate with Irish Chain blocks. A skinny border and a scrappy border complete the quilt top.

Egg White Background

The background is Egg White (Island Batik Neutral) and provides a perfect canvas for pale blues, ceruleans and turquoise fabrics. The batting is Thermore by Hobbs. I used my walking foot to quilt squiggly lines.

Floral Blues

The backing is Frosting (Island Batik Neutral). 

Frosting Backing

Starry Nights

I love the shimmering blues. 

Crushing on You

Perfect for Outdoors too

Do check out the online magazine. It has a load of fun patterns suitable for every decor. I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar.

In other news, I was in Evanston over the Labor Day weekend, visiting friends.  I took loads of non-quilty pictures. This one taken by my friend's son is the most meaningful. There is a tiniest dip where I stand, as if contemplating my very existence between the sky, the sand and the water. No matter how small or subtle, we make a difference. 

Gillson Beach, Wilmette

Your comments and your thoughts, no matter how brief, make a difference to me.

Stairway to Heaven

Here is the Stairway to Heaven...

Stairway to Heaven

I really enjoyed working with these gorgeous fabrics from Island Batik Foundations.

Nature Inspired?

Stairway to Heaven was published in Annie's One Day Quilts.

One Day Quilts

When I think of easy patterns and quick quilts, I think of rail fence. 

Published

Choose fabrics carefully and let them do the hard work while you enjoy the compliments :-) 

Thanks to Island Batik for providing the fabrics and Thanks to Annies for publishing the pattern/quilt.

Quilt in Magazine atop the Quilt :-)

Here are some more pictures.

Lighting up my yard

Quilting Detail

Fall-ing for you!

And one last look.

I am in love with you!

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

As always I love when you "link" your comments/thoughts with my blogpost :-D

The Island Batik Challenge and Blog Hop - Pieced to Perfection continues. 

Make sure that you check for weekly prizes.

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In other news, I have been working on the October Challenge for Island Batik, which is sponsored by Accuquilt. We have to make a quilt/project using the North Carolina Star Block on Board Die. 

I made an audition block. More to come.

My version of North Carolina Star Block

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The two winners from the September Challenge and BlogHop are #19 (nicolesender) and #46 (Jayne). Emails have been sent.  

Avantika

I first made Avantika for the Island Batik catalogue. The working title was Mosaic Stars but once the quilt was completed, it needed a better name. Avantika means princess :-)

Avantika, the original princess :-)

Sunset Backing and Binding

Made using Island Batik Juicy Mosaics fabric collection, Avantika finished at about 64" by 84". 

Juicy Mosaics is a beautiful collection and I love every fabric in it. 

Of course, we took her out for a photoshoot, thanks to Paul!

Ooh, the reflection!!!

I was so much in love that I chose to make these blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2023. 

Since August is "Ambassador's Choice" month in the Island Batik Ambassador 2023 calendar, here are my finishes that serve the dual purpose - Island Batik Ambassador August project and completed RSC2023 quilts.

To differentiate between the three, I have named them Avantika (original), Avantika (cool) and Avantika (baby). 

Meet Avantika Baby. Although it is the exact same block, the layout is different. Using only the warm colors, it has 32 different Island Batik fabrics. 

Avantika Baby, 40" square

Since the yellow hues are lighter than the others, I struggled with the layout. Placing them  in the center made sense. It also makes this baby princess glow from within. 

Oyster (Island Batik Neutral) Backing

I took her with me when I traveled to Myrtle Beach earlier this year.  These pictures were taken at Atalaya Castle at the Huntington Beach State Park in South Carolina.

At Atalaya Castle

Princess in her tower

Cool location, warm quilt

No princess, no climbing trees!!!

Are you really going to jump off?

The little princess has loads of attitude, as you can see. But I love her so very much!

Let's meet Avantika Cool. Made using blue, green, turquoise and purple, she finished at 60" by 80". 

Avantika Cool

Paul: How many fabrics does this one have? 
Me: Well, Avantika Cool uses 96 different Island Batik fabrics, plus the background, backing and binding. 
Paul: So 99, total?
Me: Yes.
Paul: 99 pieces of fabric on the wall...

The princess coming down the steps of her castle

I am glad I could get closer...

Time to meditate...

Crushing on You!

Time to rest. No more visitors, please

Gorgeous Fabrics - Fit for a Princess

I used Schmetz Needles 80/12 for all piecing and quilting. I used 50wt Aurifil Thread for piecing and 40wt Aurifil Thread for quilting. Hobbs Batting was used for all three quilts.

Solid Light Grey Binding

Rice (Island Batik Neutral) Backing

I so enjoyed working on these blocks throughout this year, I could hardly wait to complete these quilts. Since I had so many more fabrics in blue, green, turquoise and purple, than in yellow, orange, red and pink, it made sense to divide the rainbow into warm and cool colors, resulting in two quilts, made exclusively with Island Batik fabrics I have received as a part of the Ambassador Program.

If you have ever doubted about using Island Batik fabrics, these two quilts should clear all misgivings. 

Island Batik Fabrics are the Best!

I love how I have two princess quilts - sisters that could not be more different from each other, in spite of sharing the same basic block.

But wait there is more. Avantika is also my newest pattern, available in my Etsy shop, at a 20% discount till 8/31/23. If you wish to get a free copy of the pattern, please leave a comment on this post. Please include your email if you show up as Anonymous. 

I will pick two winners on September 7, 2023.

Granny Long Legs

Once upon a time, very long ago, when I was a brand new quilter, I came across the Disappearing 9-Patch Quilt Pattern. Sewing a 9-patch block and then cutting it into quarters for FOUR blocks was mind-blowing. 

Sewing first and cutting later was truly fascinating. It also meant less sewing, easier piecing and improved accuracy. This was a Win, Win, Win!!! Except for one small problem - it created a mindset. I am forever looking to simplify patterns such that I sew first and cut later.

Meet Granny Long Legs - completely strip-pieced. 

A Queen-sized Quilt

Are you smiling at the name? Me too :-)  It looks a tiny bit like Granny Square Blocks, but the block is rectangular (not square). Hence the name. That it sounds like Daddy Long Legs is an added bonus :-D

I began working on this quilt more than a year ago.  The pattern was created in EQ8 in October of last year.  I designed Granny Long Legs for the Island Batik's Spring Summer 2022 Catalog using Prairie Blue,  a Spring 2022 collection designed by Kathy Engle. This collection should be available in stores now.

Granny Long Legs uses 11 out of the 20 fabrics in the collection + Smoke, an Island Batik Foundation fabric. I started cutting fabrics in February of this year.

Slivers Monster :-D

I used my Accuquilt Go! Cutter for cutting and sub-cutting as far as possible.

Accuquilt - Ah yes!

The blocks overflowed my design wall...

And it was a beast to baste it.

It was a bitterly cold Sunday in March, when I took the first pictures. 

Beauty and the Blizzard

I used my walking foot for quilting using Schmetz needles and Aurifil 40wt thread. I wanted the binding color to match the border but dark thread on dark fabrics would be an absolute torture on my eyes. A faux piped binding with a skinny sliver of white was the perfect choice.

Faux Piped Binding

Yesterday, Paul and I went to Meadowlark Gardens where we took lots of pictures. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, complicated only by the fact that we had to deal with the bulk of a queen-size quilt. There is no easy way to photograph a 80" by 100" quilt. 

Granny Long Legs

Quilt in Motion

Sunny Day

An uphill battle

I chose to walk up a hill while hoping that the breeze would lift the quilt just enough to get the full picture. Paul, sometimes the model and sometimes the photographer, shifted effortlessly between the two roles. Here he is struggling in his role as the model.

You and Blue - Ooh!!!

Did you notice how the blues pop in the sun and the navy/darker fabrics stand out in the shade?

I saved the best for the last.

My favorite!

Granny Long Legs is now available as a pattern in my Etsy Store. 

There are ten pages of detailed instructions with colored pictures for every step.  

A full page of cutting instructions in a tabular form so that you can keep track and check as you proceed.

Strip piecing techniques ensure that cutting and sewing is minimized. 

Two pages of coloring sheets so that you can audition your fabrics/color choices. 

And it is on sale, at 25% off, till Sunday, 11/13/22. 

What is a pattern release without a giveaway? Since Granny Long Legs uses my favorite technique of Strip Piecing, please let me know in the comments, what is your favorite technique for piecing quilts. Only one entry per person. I will draw two winners and announce on Sunday 11/13/22.  I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar.