Island Batik Ambassador EPP Challenge featuring Sunset Tree

This is my last Island Batik Ambassador project for 2021.  I've been working on this quilt since February.  It has over 1500 hexagons, all made from my Island Batik scraps.

Disclaimer:  The products used to make this project were given to me by Island Batik and industry partners.

The challenge for December was to make an EPP (English Paper Piecing) project using any of our Island Batik fabrics.  The requirement also stated that our projects could be as small as 12" x 12".

I adore English Paper Piecing.  I usually have a project or two going on at a time.  I enjoy using the traditional hexagon shape and have a crazy fantasy that someday I will have all of my scraps basted into hexagons and sorted by color into boxes, ready to use.  Kind of like an artist's palette.  I like to make my hexagons 3/4" per side.  They fit nicely into cross stitch floss boxes for organization.  I enjoy hand basting with thread.  All of the hexagons for this project were cut using the Accuquilt hexagon die.

I've been wanting to create a hexie quilt from a photo for a while.  I decided this would be the right time for it.  This Oak tree is in front of my home. It's the view I have from my favorite front porch stitching spot.  I used this photo of the tree at sunset for my guide.  I imported the photo into EQ8 and played with the settings a bit until I came up with a workable plan.

This is the tree quilt with the actual tree in the background.  It's a slightly different angle than shown on the quilt top, but still fun to see them together.

I finished the hand piecing of the hexagons at the end of November.  Then I layered my quilt sandwich using Hobbs fusible batting, and took it to the machine to quilt.  It was a little scary quilting something I had hand stitched for so long.  I used six different colors of Aurifil thread for the quilting and Schmetz needles.  I quilted pebbles and swirls into the sunset parts of the sky.  I quilted back and forth lines in the blue parts of the sky.

I used a purple Aurifil thread to quilt a knotty tree bark design over the tree area.  I feel like the purple color adds to the feeling of twilight.

I quilted wavy purple lines along the bottom edge to suggest grass blowing in the breeze.

The back of the quilt is also beautiful!  

I just can't get enough of these beautiful Island Batik fabrics!

I bound the edge of my quilt with a solid black Island Batik fabric.

Sunset Tree

Quilt Stats:

Finished Quilt Size:  55" x 45"

Finished Hexagon Size:  3/4" per side

Fabric:  Assorted Scraps by Island Batik

Batting:  Hobbs Fusible

Thread:  Aurifil

Needles:  Schmetz

Dies:  Accuquilt Hexagon

Designed in EQ8

I hope you enjoyed reading about my Sunset Tree quilt as much as I enjoyed making it!  To see the EPP projects made by my fellow Island Batik Ambassadors, click on the links below:

Megan Best ~

Bestquilter

Pamela Boatright ~

Pamelaquilts

Elizabeth DeCroos ~

Epida Studio

Jennifer Eubank ~ Archipelago Quilting

Jennifer Fulton ~

The Inquiring Quilter

Preeti Harris ~ Sew Preeti Quilts

Joanne Hart ~

Unicorn Harts

Mania Hatziioannidi ~

Mania for quilts

Jane Hauprich - Stitch By Stitch Custom Quilting

Connie Kauffman

~ Kauffman Designs

Emily Leachman ~

The Darling Dogwood

Denise Looney ~

For The Love Of Geese

Leah Malasky ~ Quilted Delights

Sally Manke ~

Sally Manke, Fiber Artist

Maryellen McAuliffe ~

Mary Mack Made Mine

Claudia Porter ~

Create with Claudia

Gail Renna ~

Quilt Haven Threads

Brianna Roberts ~

Sew Cute And Quirky

Michelle Roberts ~

Creative Blonde

Gail Sheppard ~

Quilting Gail

Andi Stanfield ~

True Blue Quilts

Jennifer Thomas ~

CurliCue Creations

Suzy Webster

~ WebsterQuilt

Janet Yamamoto ~

Whispers of Yore

Be Creative ~ Sew Something Beautiful Today.

Jennifer Thomas

Curlicue Creations

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Hexagon Project Update

This project has come a long way since my last update!  I'll bet you can see what it is now.  It's nearing the finish of the hexie piecing.  I may have to stop and make a few more black hexagons.  I'm almost out of them.  It's exciting to see it coming together.

Be Creative ~ Sew Something Beautiful Today.

Jennifer Thomas

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New Hexie Project Prep

Have you seen my new hexagon EPP (English Paper Piecing) project yet?  I've posted a few in progress pics on Instagram and Facebook recently.  I've just begun stitching the pieces together.  This is how it all begins.  I like to cut out my hexagon shapes with the Accuquilt die.  I favor the smallest size.

For this project, I cut all my fabrics from my Island Batik stash.  

I cut out a variety of sunset colors, pinks, yellows, oranges.

A variety of blues, some stormy, some twilight.

And black too, some solid, some not.

More sunset hexies.  Can you guess what I'm making?

This is about one third of the hexies I basted, separated into three colors, and organized in a cross stitch floss box.  I like this size hexagon because they fit so well in these boxes.  Someday maybe I can have a different box for each color, like an artist's palette, ready to "paint" any design I dream up.  That's the goal ~ to turn all my scraps into basted hexagons, ready to stitch. I'll be posting updates periodically as I work on this project.  It's a slow one.  I hope you enjoy watching it come together as much as I do.

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Be Creative ~ Sew Something Beautiful Today.

Jennifer Thomas

Click here to visit the Curlicue Creations shop.

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The Rainbow Connection Update

Here's the latest on The Rainbow Connection.  I'm still sewing away, slowly, but continuously.  Soon it will be one big hexagon.  I'm not sure where I'll go from there.  Should I finish it as a hexagon, or square it up?  Opinions?  Please leave a comment below.

Be Creative ~ Sew Something Beautiful Today.

Jennifer Thomas

Related Posts:

The Rainbow Connection Update

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The Rainbow Connection Update

It's been a while since I've shown a progress update on The Rainbow Connection hexie quilt.  I've been working on it in the evenings here and there, I just haven't taken any recent pictures.  Here it is.  I'm contemplating sewing it into a star with an outline of black, white or gray and then filling in the missing triangle shapes with V's of more rainbow color, but that could change.

Have a super day!

Jennifer Thomas

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The Rainbow Connection Update

After finishing five crazy deadline quilts, I finally have a little time in the evenings to add to my current hexagon project, The Rainbow Connection.  I took the above photo this morning.

I was recently able to prepare a nice little baggie of hexagons on a short trip to the beach.  They are so fun and easy to sew on the go.  The funny thing was I finished the last hexagon with the last bit of thread only one mile before arriving back home.  Strange how things work out sometimes, eh?  This photo is my two youngest boys, playing in the sand.  They had a blast and are begging for a return trip to the ocean.

Do you sew on the go?  Leave a comment below.

Have a super day!

Jennifer Schifano Thomas

Click here to visit the Curlicue Creations Shop.

The Rainbow Connection - Update

Here's an update on my Rainbow Connection hexagon quilt.  I've been adding some yellow hexies this week. What a difference that makes.  The bright and warm yellows going around the edges really changes the look and feel of the whole quilt.  I can't wait to see what happens next!

Do you use yellows in your quilts?  Leave a comment below.

Have a wonderful day,

Jennifer Schifano Thomas

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No More Loose Threads!

 Yesterday I finished working in all the loose thread ends on the Aura hexagon quilt.  Here it is!  Next I'll be adding the binding, sleeve, and label.  

 Here are a few more close-ups of this quilt.

 Do you like the yellow accents?  They are almost like flower centers ~ almost.

Stripes of vibrant colors showcasing gorgeous scraps of fabric.

This entire quilt top was pieced from my scrap basket.  The funny thing is, my scrap basket still looks the same.

Have a super day!

Jennifer Schifano Thomas

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 Here's a look at the Aura quilt without tangled thread ends all over it.

 I had enough time yesterday to weave in just over half of the thread ends.

I'm liking the results.

Not long now!

Have a colorful day,

Jennifer Schifano Thomas

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