This month’s blog hop is called Tool Craze as the Island Batik Ambassadors will all be making any size project using different upcoming fabric collections from Island Batik and a provided Studio 180 Design tool. I am looking forward to seeing all the wonderful projects that will be created during this month’s Island Batik blog hop. Since this month is a blog hop, you can check out the Island Batik blog and enter each week to win a fat quarter bundle of some of the fabrics the Ambassadors are using in their projects. I will show the other fabric collections later in this blog along with a link to the giveaway from Island Batik and links to other ambassador’s blogs.
I love the fabric I was given to use: Maple Island by Kathy Engle. Just look at this gorgeous collection of blue and green batik fabrics with a woodland theme. The Maple Island collection may be found at your local quilt shop that carries Island Batik, such as Boutique4quilters in Melbourne, FL and Fabric Smart in St. Petersburg FL. This collection should be in your local quilt shop this summer. You may find them online at https://www.boutique4quilters.com/ or call them at (321) 768-2060 or www.fabric-smart.com or call them at (727) 914-8850. Another online option for you to shop for this fabric would be Hancocks of Paducah: Hancocks of Paducah
The table runner I made is 22″ x 46.” It has various shades of blue and green, along with white. The Maple Island collection has many natural elements like leaves, ferns, berries, pinecones and tree bark. I originally was going call this project “Into the Woods”, but ultimately decided to call it “Island Pop” to incorporate the Corner Pop tool into the name. Making this table runner was easy and fun thanks to the Studio 180 Design tools.
Here are several closeups of the Maple Island batik bundle I was provided. The first photo shows the bundle with the Corner Pop tool and the second photo is from one of my Tik Tok videos I made about this quilt. My username on TikTok is BlueBearQuilts.
I used my Electric Quilt 8 software to design this table runner. The first photo is a quilt I thought of doing which uses the Studio 180 Design Split Rects and Corner Pop tools. I decided to go with the table runner in the second photo, which was made with the V Block tool and the Corner Pop tool, as it had less pieces and I think it showcases the Maple Island Collection nicely. I also like the 3d effect that the Corner Pop tool created in the dark green background. Also, another aspect of this project was to make the blocks in various sizes using the Studio 180 Design tools. I really liked how the smaller version of the blocks looked in the border.
The first step in making this table runner is to make the V Blocks aka triangle in a square blocks. Below are the completed V blocks. Don’t they look lovely in the Maple Island Collection? If you want to see in detail a demonstration of me using the Studio 180 Design tools, I will provide a link below to a You Tube video where I show how I made this runner.
The Studio 180 Design V block tool makes it so easy to make these blocks in multiple sizes. The instructions tell you what size strip to cut for the various finished sized blocks. The triangles are cut out extremely accurately using the V block tool. Look how nice this cut out triangle looks.
Next, you cut out the side triangle pieces. they are cut from strips that are the same size as the triangle. When you have the folded strip right sides together you will get the required mirrored image pieces that you need to make the V block.
It is important to lay out the block before sewing so that you have the left and right side triangle pieces in the correct location. This is not as necessary with batiks, but it is something to be mindful of. A little known fact is that there really is a right side to batik fabrics. You can keep track out the right side of a batik fabric by being mindful of the fold as it comes off of the bolt. The fabric is always folded with the right side on the outside of the folded fabric.
The pieces are easily sewn together by matching the tips on both ends and then sewing 1/4″ along the edge. I pressed mine toward the dark green fabric.
The V blocks are oversized and are easily trimmed up with the tool. Below are pictures of the large and small V blocks all trimmed up. You wouldn’t believe how easy it was to make these blocks in several sizes using the Studio 180 Design V Block tool.
Now it is time to use the Corner Pop tool, from Studio 180 Design, to give the V Blocks some pop in the corners.
The Corner Pop tool has two sections to it. The first section is where you trim off a corner of a previously made block. In my case, the V blocks. This is similar to a stitch and flip method, but with less waste of the fabric. If you know what size square you need to do a stitch and flip, the instructions tell you which line to use to cut off the corners of the block. The instructions also tell you what size squares to cut out and then cut in half diagonally to make the oversized half square triangle corners. You cut the corners off with the ruler and then sew the oversized triangles onto the corners. It is easy to sew these corner triangles on as they are centered over the edge that you trimmed off the block.
After you have sewn the corners on, it is necessary to trim up the block as the corner triangles are oversized. This trimming up allows you to have a perfect sized block when putting the quilt together.
Here is what the block looks like after is is all trimmed up.
Once the blocks are trimmed up, they are ready to be sewn together to make the quilt top.
Next I layered the quilt top, with some Hobbs Premium wool batting. I love this batting as it gives the quilt some puffy definition and is so easy to quilt with. It also gives the quilt a nice drape and doesn’t retain any fold creases.
Here are a few more images of the completed Island Pop Table Runner.
Below is the image of my You Tube video for making this quilt. Here is a link to the video if you would like to watch it and see more detail of how I made the quilt: https://youtu.be/x2aNL1xX5Uo
If you like the video, please be sure to like it, share it with your friends and subscribe so you don’t miss any upcoming videos.
The supplies I used to make this project were provided by:
Island Batik Maple Island collection
Studio 180 Design Corner Pop tool
Aurifil 50 wt Thread
Schmetz 70/10 Quilting needle
Hobbs Batting Heirloom Wool Batting
If you are on TikTok, be sure to check out the video I have posted of the table runner. (Look for Blue Bear Quilts)
Blue Bear hopes you like this table runner. Please let him know how much you love the this table runner by writing to him in the comments!
The other amazing Island Batik Ambassadors are also posting their May Blog Hop Tool Craze projects. Check out their projects by clicking on the links next to their names to be directed to their blog posts.
WEEK 1
May 1
Susan Deshensky, Lady Blue Quilts
Randi Jones, Randi’s Roost
May 2
Elita Sharpe, Busy Needle Quilting
Mania Hatziioannidi, Mania for Quilts
May 3
Brittany Fisher, Bobbin with Brittany
Pamela Boatright, Pamela Quilts
May 4
Denise Looney, For the Love of Geese
Connie Kauffman, Kauffman Designs
May 5
Blog Hop Round-Up Week 1 and Giveaway
WEEK 2
May 8
Reed Johnson, Blue Bear Quilts Thanks for stopping by!
Sandra Starley, Textile Time Travels
May 9
Gail Sheppard, Quilting Gail
Lana Russel, Lana Quilts
May 10
Emily Leachman, The Darling Dogwood
Claudia Porter, Create with Claudia
Anorina Morris, Samelia’s Mum
May 11
Brenda Alburl, Songbird Designs
Jennifer Thomas, Curlicue Creations
May 12
Blog Hop Round-Up Week 2 and Giveaway
WEEK 3
May 15
Victoria Johnson, Forever Quilting for You
Maryellen McAuliffe, Mary Mack Made Mine
Leah Malasky, Quilted DelightsLisa Pickering, Lisa’s Quilting Passion
May 16
Sarah Pitcher, Pitcher’s Boutique
Renee Atkinson, Pink Tulip Quilting
May 17
Preeti Harris, Sew Preeti Quilts
Suzy Webster, Websterquilt
Lisa Pickering, Lisa’s Quilting Passion
May 18
End of Blog Hop + Final Round Up
To enter for your chance to win one of the two prizes above, follow the simple Rafflecopter prompts below.
This giveaway ends on May, 12th at 11:59 pm PDT. Two random winners will be notified by email on May, 13rd and announced on the Island Batik Facebook page on May, 16th. If the winners do not respond within the first three days after being notified, two new random winners will be chosen. Please check your spam folders! If the winners do not respond within the first two days after being notified, two new random winners will be chosen and notified.
Make sure to follow Island Batik on social media to hop along with the Tool Craze Blog Hop. Be sure to check out the Island Batik Blog.
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