Island Batik Ambassador Studio 180 Blog Hop featuring Beeswax
Hello! Welcome to day two of the Island Batik Ambassador Studio 180 blog hop. This is my quilt, Beeswax.
Disclaimer: The products used to make this quilt were given to me by Island Batik and industry partners.
This month's challenge was to make a quilt using the ruler we were given in the second Ambassador shipment, paired with a new Island Batik fabric collection that also came in the second shipment.
I received the Beehive Buzz fabric collection by Kathy Engle. Isn't it fabulous? These fabrics are sweet as honey! This project is the second quilt I made with this collection. I've also sewn a catalog quilt. I'll share that with you in a week or two. The Beehive Buzz fabric collection should be hitting the local quilt shops now.
The Studio 180 ruler I received was the Four Patch Square Up. When I opened up this ruler I thought, "I don't need a ruler to make four patch units. I've made so many in the past. I'm an expert." Haha! Boy was I wrong. My past four patches were acceptable, but the four patches I made with Deb Tucker's ruler were nearly perfect!!! It's an outstanding tool, I'm not much of a ruler girl, so that is saying a lot.
To make the four patches, you cut your fabric into strips, pair them together with opposite sides facing and then sub cut into strip set pairs. So easy!
After sewing the strip sets together, you use the ruler to trim them down to the correct size. Look at the points on this four patch! Plus all four squares will come out perfectly equal (as long as you are cutting correctly). The ruler makes it easy. It was quick, too. I used a spinning rotary mat to easily trim all four sides of the units.
I made a lot of four patch units.
I also used the Wing Clipper ruler by Studio 180, which I already had in my collection for this project.
The Wing Clipper makes Flying Geese units.
I put together the Four Patch units and the Flying Geese units to make 12 Beeswax blocks, pieced with my favorite Schmetz needles, of course.
I used my Prairie Spirit Alpaca pressing mat to press all those seams super flat before sewing the top together.
Then for the quilting, I used the Hobbs Tuscany Collection Cotton Wool Blend. This makes a super light and super warm quilt at the same time. Just right for the upcoming Autumn front porch sitting sunset watching time of the year.
I used gorgeously matching yellow Aurifil thread for the quilting.
Quilting, quilting, quilting.
Here it is, all quilted with a loopy meander.
I used a two yard cut of this beautiful fabric also from the Beehive Buzz collection, for the backing.
I made the binding from a light black dotty fabric. I love the dots.
Beeswax folds.
Beeswax
Quilt Stats:
Finished Quilt Size: 40" x 52"
Block Size: 12" x 12"
Fabric: Beehive Buzz by Island Batik
Batting: Tuscany Wool Cotton Blend by Hobbs
Thread: Aurifil
Needles: Schmetz
Designed in EQ8
Giveaway time! Visit Island Batik's blog to enter their weekly giveaway during the blog hop. This week they're giving away bundles of Bee Kind and Baroque. Click here to visit the Island Batik blog.
I'm having a giveaway, too! I've cut some 5" charms from my remaining pieces of Beehive Buzz. To win, leave me a comment below (scroll all the way to the end of this post), and to make it fun, comment your favorite flower. What do you like to see the bees pollinating? Giveaway open to USA residents only. Please make sure I have a way to contact you, should you be the lucky winner. The winner will be determined by random drawing at the end of the blog hop.
It's only the second day of the Island Batik Ambassador Studio 180 Blog hop. Here's the complete list so you don't miss a thing!
Note: This is an affiliate link. Clicking this link will not affect the purchase price. However, if you do make a purchase, I may receive a commission. Thank you.
Hydrangeas make me swoon! I've been trying to grow one at my home, but the deer keep eating it to the ground, so after three years, it's still only a foot tall!
I'm torn. I love when the 1st daffodils come up, but summer in the South is so hot I know that 🌻 mean cooler weather soon! They are so happy, too. Your quilt is beautiful!
I love how your quilt turned out. We have bee keeping neighbors so lots of bees around me. I love sunflowers, bees not so much. Jmikebalou (at) aol (dot) com
Hello! I also love Deb Tucker rulers. The yellows in this fabric collection are beautiful! My favorite flower... hmm...I have so many. This week Sweet Pea will be my favorite. Beautiful colors, subtle scent, such a hopeful little flower.
Thank you so much. I don't normally use a lot of rulers in my quilts, but the Studio 180 rulers work well and made this quilt top come together quickly and easily. Everything is so accurate!
I love roses and carnations. I Iove watching Bees. I love the Bee batiks. Perfect for my small group "queen bee quilters" cshelleyqbq (at) Gmail (dot) com
Your quilt is stunning, love how the colors worked so well together. Sunflowers are my favorite right now, I cut mine yesterday to dry out and 1 of them was 14" across. The birds will love them this winter.
Daffodils are my favorite flowers, and that bright yellow would be perfect for that. Your quilt is so bright and cheerful.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sharon! I love daffodils, too. Every year I look for the first daffodil of Spring.
DeleteGreat design! Don't you just love Studio 180 tools!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yes, the Studio 180 rulers helped my quilt to come together quickly and effortlessly.
DeleteMy favorite flower (currently) is hydrangeas. I have a couple plants and love the big flowers! I like your quilt - a great fit for those fabrics!
ReplyDeleteHydrangeas make me swoon! I've been trying to grow one at my home, but the deer keep eating it to the ground, so after three years, it's still only a foot tall!
DeleteI'm torn. I love when the 1st daffodils come up, but summer in the South is so hot I know that 🌻 mean cooler weather soon! They are so happy, too. Your quilt is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I love the daffodils in the spring and sunflowers in the fall, too. They certainly do herald the changing of the seasons.
DeleteI love how your quilt turned out. We have bee keeping neighbors so lots of bees around me. I love sunflowers, bees not so much. Jmikebalou (at) aol (dot) com
ReplyDeleteThank you! I agree with you about the bees! They are nice to have around, but not too close for me!
DeleteHello! I also love Deb Tucker rulers. The yellows in this fabric collection are beautiful! My favorite flower... hmm...I have so many. This week Sweet Pea will be my favorite. Beautiful colors, subtle scent, such a hopeful little flower.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. I don't normally use a lot of rulers in my quilts, but the Studio 180 rulers work well and made this quilt top come together quickly and easily. Everything is so accurate!
DeleteI love your quilt, Jennifer, and this collection is awesome!! The yellows, blacks and white are amazing together! Beeswax is the perfect name!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Brenda! I do love this collection, too. I also made a catalog quilt with it.
DeleteI love roses and carnations. I Iove watching Bees. I love the Bee batiks. Perfect for my small group "queen bee quilters"
ReplyDeletecshelleyqbq (at) Gmail (dot) com
Love your Beeswax quilt! Such a happy quilt! One of my favorite flowers is Peony and I love seeing the bees pollinating our fruit trees!!
ReplyDeleteYour quilt is stunning, love how the colors worked so well together. Sunflowers are my favorite right now, I cut mine yesterday to dry out and 1 of them was 14" across. The birds will love them this winter.
ReplyDeleteI love your quilt design! So creative! I like tulips and snapdragons.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite flowers are roses, but I love to see bees pollinating anything! Right now they are competing with me as I pick blackberries!
ReplyDeleteI love your dramatic quilt! Thank you for sharing it. This collection is so striking. I'd love to make a bag with it. pk_sews at yahoo dot com
ReplyDeleteBeautiful quilt! My favorite flower is the rose. My dad used to really have a green thumb with them!
ReplyDelete