Island Batik Create for a Cause BlogHop + Giveaway

Welcome to Day One of the Island Batiks February 2021 Blog Hop - Create for a Cause. 

I used the Autumn Sunset half yard bundle designed by Kathy Engle and it is shipping to stores in February 2021.

Autumn Sunset includes 20 fabrics from the lightest beige, to lemon yellow, through orange, to dark brown.

As soon as I opened the fabric bundle I decided I would recreate Paulitiks in fall colors (with one whimsical design twist) and send it to Bernie for Mercyful Quilts. It was so simple :-) 

This was going to be so easy.  I felt confident.  I went to bed with a smile. 

I was mistaken.

At about 2:45AM I got up with a start. I knew my idea was all wrong. And although I was in the middle of making the placemats for January challenge, it was the February challenge that was consuming me.

What my waking brain did not see but my subconscious self knew all along was this - Paulitiks was not the best design to showcase Autumn Sunset. 

So back to the drawing board...

Beginning

A couple hours later I had the new design ready. The design was simple but the fabric placement would be the key. Working with limited fabrics can be both a boon and a challenge. 

Will this work?

I took many many pictures and converted each to grayscale to determine value gradation. Changes were made and often. In the end, I was happy with some choices and I settled with others. Going from concept/design to flimsy was a gut-wrenching journey. What if this does not turn out according to my vision?  What if something just stands out too much or something just fades into nothingness?

Design Wall

Light Years away...

The first three rows met my expectation but it was too soon to tell.  Once I completed the flimsy, I stuck it on the design wall and walked away about 12 feet. I turned around to look at the completed top.

I gasped. It had worked!!!
But the exact moment I realized that I had succeeded was also the moment I knew I had failed.
I could not part with it.

Me: How do I "Create for a Cause" and then abandon my cause? 
Paul: Did you say something?

Me: I am supposed to donate this quilt.

Paul: So?

Me: I cannot.

Paul: Cause you like it so much?

Me: YES. And I feel terrible.

Paul: Make another.

Me: I have used up a lot of the fabric and there is hardly any time either.

Paul: Can you make something smaller?

Me: Mercyful Quilts have to be around 60" by 80"

Paul: And there is no other cause?

Me (realization dawning): Yes. Yes, there is. Thank you. I love you.

Paul: Um Hm. You are welcome.

At this point, one week from the deadline, I abandoned the flimsy and proceeded in a different direction. The next few days whizzed past in a blur. My singular aim - highlight the fabrics!!! 

This is the making of Noorie (meaning light).

Pattern

I had been playing with this pattern in an Excel Spreadsheet for a while.  Will this pattern highlight the beauty of Autumn Sunset fabrics?  Let's try.

Beginning

The Grid

Basting the Flimsy

Quilting

Noorie - Finished at 34" square

And this is Dawn in the making...

Starting with Diamonds

Filling in

Piecing Rows

Basting the Flimsy

Dawn - 28" by 34"

Quilting Detail

Snowy Backdrop - Fiery Colors

Dark Brown Binding

Don't you just love these colors?

Dawn warms my heart

Lovely Dawn

I will send Noorie and Dawn to Sue who works in Orange County Hospital in New York and coordinates the Stillborn Bereavement Group dedicated to providing bereavement quilts as a lasting and tangible memory of a lost pregnancy.

I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar.  Make sure to visit all the Island Batiks Ambassadors and their respective dates/stops on the Blog Hop.

The full list of Ambassadors’ names, collections they will be using in their projects, and their post dates are as follows:

February 1:

• Preeti Harris, Sew Preeti Quilts
• Mania Hatziioannidi, Mania for Quilts

February 2:

• Jane Hauprich, Stitch by Stitch Custom Quilting
• Gail Renna, Quilt Haven Threads

February 3:

• Jennifer Thomas, Curlicue Creations
• Pamela Boatright, PamelaQuilts

February 4:

• Janet Yamamoto, Whispers of Yore
• Denise Looney, For the Love of Geese

February 5:

Blog Hop Round-Up Week 1 and Giveaway

February 8:

• Megan Best, Bestquilter
• Elizabeth DeCroos, Epida Studio

February 9:

• Jennifer Fulton, Inquiring Quilter
• Emily Leachman, The Darling Dogwood

February 10:

• Maryellen McAuliffe, Mary Mack Made Mine
• Jennifer Eubank, Archipelago Quilting

February 11:

• Michelle Roberts, Creative Blonde
• Gail Sheppard, Quilting Gail

February 12:

Blog Hop Round-Up Week 2 and Giveaway

February 15:

• Connie Kauffman, Kauffman Designs
• Joanne Hart, Unicornharts

February 16:

• Claudia Porter, Create with Claudia
• Andi Stanfield, True Blue Quilts

February 17:

• Sally Manke, Sally Manke Fiber Artist
• Leah Malasky, Quilted Delights

February 18:

• Suzy Webster, Websterquilt
• Brianna Roberts, Sew Cute and Quirky

February 19:

End of Blog Hop and Round-Up

To celebrate the start of Create for a Cause Blog Hop, we are giving away two fabulous Fat Quarter bundles of the complete Island Batik Citrus Sun collection by Kathy Engle!  Visit the Island Batik Blog to enter.

This giveaway ends February, 5 at 11:59 pm PST. Two random winners will be notified by email on February, 6 and announced on February, 9. If the winners do not respond within the first two days after being notified, two new random winners will be chosen and notified.

Paul (pointing to the discarded flimsy): What happens to this? Will it become a flying saucer?

Me: A UFO, you mean? An unfinished object.

Paul: Yes, that.

Me: No. A UFO is anathema to a quilter's soul.

Paul: So you will finish it?

Me: Yes. This will become my April project when I can do whatever I want.

Paul: Don't you always?

Me: Only because you let me, My Lord.

Paul: Whatever you say, My Lady.

The Harris household is in the grip of Bridgerton fever, at least my half is :-)  

I also have a small giveaway. Two prizes.

1. A pack of 5" squares (20) from the "Blinded by Science" collection

2. Four strips (orange/beige/brown) 5" by WOF to coordinate with the Autumn Sunset Collection.

5" squares - Blinded by Science by Island Batik

5" by WOF Strips - Island Batik Stash Builder

For a chance to win one of the two prizes, please leave me a comment.  I'd love to hear your thoughts be they somber such as your favorite cause or light-hearted like your favorite TV show.  

I will pick the two winners on February 10, 2021.

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

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Angela has announced that the RSC color for February is yellow!!! Oh my goodness, yes. 

YELLOW. YELL-O-WOW!!!

Yellow is the color of new dawn and yellow is the color of Amanda Gorman's coat.  Her poem "The Hill We Climb" is so beautiful...it gives me goosebumps every time listen to it. I will be thinking of her as I make the Sister's Choice Quilt Blocks.  Here are my bright and whimsical squares. 

Smiling Sunflower :-)

Panda Focus

I will be sharing with Angela's RSC Linky Party on Saturday. 

Island Batik - The Unboxing

There is a first time for everything, right?  This is my first attempt at making a video. 

I hope that what I lack in production quality and overall appeal is balanced (somewhat) by my genuine excitement.

Well, according to Blogger, my video exceeds their size limit (yes even after cropping and reducing file size). Insert raspberry here. 

You may view it on my Facebook page here.  Here are a few highlights from the Box.

Full of goodies

This gorgeous bundle contains 20 fabrics, 1/2 yard of each, which I am using in the February Blog Hop challenge. The post will go live on February 1, 2021.  See more pictures below.  Autumn Sunset ships to stores in February 2021.

Autumn Sunset by Kathy Engel

Autumn Sunset by Kathy Engel

Autumn Sunset by Kathy Engel

Matching Yardage

Design in Process

Blinded by Science, 10" Precut by Jackie Kunkel of Canton Village Quiltworks. This ships to stores in February 2021. I used this precut in the January Placemats Challenge. 

Blinded by Science 

Coordinating Yardage (to match Blinded by Science)

The box included these neutrals.

White, Black and Gray

6 Yards of Yolk

I may have to make myself a blouse. This rayon from Island Batik is luscious :-) 

2 yards of rayon

Holly Holiday, 2.5" Precut Strips and matching Yardage in Red and Gold

2.5" Strips + Matching Yardage

Island Batik Half Yard Foundations Bundle

Yummy Solids

Island Batiks Blenders and Basics

Aurifil Threads - 4 spools of 50wt Aurifil Thread for patchwork and 3 spools of 40wt Aurifil Thread.

Aurifil Threads

Schmetz Needles (70/10, 80/12, and 90/14) with Color Code, Luggage Tag and a Small Notepad.

Hobbs Batting  - Polyester, Cotton-Poly Blend, with Scrim, and Black

Hobbs Batting - Polyester and Black

Hobbs Batting with Scrim :-)

I also received a separate shipment containing the Accuquilt Ultimate Fabric Cutting System with all the standard supplies, a GO cutting mat and the Snails Trails Die.  All this is brand new to me. I am excited and a bit apprehensive. 

The Island Batik and Accuquilt challenge will come later in the year. For now I must focus all my energies on the February Blog Hop Challenge. Won't you revisit on February 1, 2021?

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