Batiks Go Modern

I've known for months what I wanted to make for this month's Island Batik Ambassador challenge. Then when I got my new shipment of Island Batik fabric a couple weeks ago, I completely changed my mind!

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If you're new here, hello! I'm Laura! I design quilt patterns, and I'm a self-proclaimed deal hunter! Be sure to join the popular Quilting & Sewing Deals Facebook group where I post sales, deals, and coupon codes from all around the web!

I am half-way through my year as an Island Batik Ambassador. I just got my second (and final) shipment of fabrics - and ooh la la! Such beautiful fabrics! (See what came in the first box here.) I never know what will come in the box. I love the element of surprise and the impending challenge of using the fabrics in modern ways!

This box included an extra special surprise - some rayon fabric! I've been wanting to work with rayon, and I can't wait for that added challenge in the months to come!

The August challenge for the ambassadors was to create a 36" square or larger quilt using a quilt-as-you-go method. I had decided what I would make clear back in June. Then I opened the shipment of new fabrics and decided to go a completely different route! The stash builder rolls were begging to be made into an Interleave quilt!

The packs of stash builder rolls are my favorite Island Batik precuts. They are  5" x width of fabric (WOF) strips. Each roll has four strips, and each pack has five rolls.

I took all the strips out of two packs of stash builder rolls. Upon first glance, they seem mismatched and uncoordinated.

However, a little rainbow sorting proves they really do go together!

I chose twenty strips to make my interleave quilt. I followed Lorrie Cranor's tutorial, making just a few adjustments to be able to use the stash builder strips to make a quilt bigger than 36" square.

I sewed ten strips together to make a quilt top, then sewed another ten together to make a second top. I tried to sew the strips together randomly, only aiming for contrast between rows that were next to each other.

After sewing the left and right sides together to make a tube, I traced and cut a wave onto both quilt tops.

Once the wave was cut, I layered both quilt tops on my cutting mat so I would be able to cut them into strips simultaneously.

I very badly wanted to skip the next step in Lorrie's tutorial. I knew it would be time consuming. I argued with myself about whether I needed it or not. Ultimately, I decided it's best to follow directions for the first time. 80 hand-drawn lines, 1/2" apart on a piece of Moda Bella White 98. I made this piece as close to square as I could. I measured the WOF, then cut the same amount from the bolt. It was close to 44". (Next time, I'll find a light colored stripe or grid fabric to use instead of drawing them!)

After making the striped foundation, I pin basted the backing, batting, and foundation fabric. I added two of the stash builder strips to the middle of a one yard cut of a lime green Island Batik fabric for the backing. I used Warm 100 cotton batting by The Warm Co. (Be sure not to use polyester batting, as the hot iron will melt the fibers. 100% cotton batting is best for quilt as you go quilts.)

After all the prep work, I was finally ready to sew! I cut a 1" strip off both of the quilt tops, then lined them up along the bottom drawn line on the quilt sandwich. Using my walking foot on my Juki TL-2010Q, I used a 1/4" seam to sew through all layers. Once stitched, I pressed the strips open. After just a few strips, the foundation proved it's value! As much as I thought I was sewing straight, the lines on the foundation were extremely helpful in keeping the strips spaced evenly as I went.

I cut the 1" strips as I went. I knew with two boys around, it would take all of three seconds to get them all mixed up! So I stuck with cutting just one strip from the quilt tops at a time.

Of course I used Aurifil thread! I recently got this giant cone of 50wt thread in Stone #2324 as part of the Aurifil Artisan program (pictured on the left). This is by far the largest cone of thread I've ever had! It has 6,452 yards of thread - the equivalent of just over 3 1/2 miles of thread! (I usually use the regular spools like the one in the middle; they have 8/10 of a mile of thread on them!)

After all the strips were sewn in place, the quilt was already quilted too!

For binding, I chose Cat Scratch in Watermelon, as it was one fabric I had enough yardage of for binding. I was concerned that it would clash with the colors in the top, but once finished, it doesn't stand out at all.

As always when trying something new, I learned a lot during the process! I really love how this quilt turned out, and I definitely want to make another one! There are quite a few variations on Lorrie's tutorial post, and I'd love to try a different one!

I love how this design turns traditional batiks into a modern quilt.

The mix of colors is a little outside my normal comfort zone, but I'm so glad I stuck with the process. The end result is well worth it!

Linking up with Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts, Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River, Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter, Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts, Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication, Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation, Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts, Can I Get Whoop Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, and TGIFF at Quilt is More Fun than Housework.


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