Great Outdoors Blog Hop with Island Batik

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Welcome to the Great Outdoors Blog Hop with Island Batik! The Island Batik Ambassadors are showing you all the newest fabric collections from Island Batik! (And there are TONS of giveaways too!!)

Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics


This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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!


Be sure to visit all the stops on the blog hop to see what's new with Island Batik (direct links to ALL the stops at the bottom of this post). Today is the last day of the hop, so be sure to enter the giveaways at each stop ASAP!

Island Batik blog hop

Island Batik sent me a half yard bundle of the Whatnot collection to play with for the blog hop. The Whatnot collection is in stores now, so be sure to tell your local quilt shop to order it if you'd like to play too!

Island Batik Whatnot fabrics

The collection includes 24 fabrics in a beautiful rainbow of colors! There are even two solids - gray and black - that are of the highest quality solids around! (I made a kennel quilt this spring that the sales reps used at Spring Quilt Market to show quilt shops the new fabrics. Once they were finished using it, it was donated to an animal shelter!)

Island Batik Whatnot fabrics

I've had a quilt idea brewing for quite some time that I knew would be perfect for playing with these fabrics! I've been wanting to do some more experimenting with "open weaving" like this quilt I made with Island Batik fabrics last fall.


Open weaving lattice quilt

This time, I wanted to experiment with circles! (Imagine!) As I've been planning the quilt, I've been quite observant of bicycle spokes and car hub caps!

I thought through how I wanted to assemble the quilt, and decided to use a quilt-as-you-go method. I would make each block with batting and backing, then assemble the blocks at the end.

I chose several red, orange, and yellow prints for the block fronts, and used some yardage of a spiral print for the backing. This Olfa Rotary Circle Cutter is one of my most used tools! Another notion I highly recommend!

Island Batik Whatnot fabrics

I cut the front and back pieces into 18" squares, and used a quarter circle template to cut 16" diameter circles from the middle of each one.

Cutting circles for my Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics

Lots of careful cutting, pressing, and planning led to the first block's quilt sandwich. I used Warm & Natural batting and curved safety pins for basting.

Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics

Next was to create the "spokes" for the first block. I cut fabric strips, sewed them into tubes, then used this new to me tube turner I bought from Jo-Ann's. Worth every penny for turning tubes!

Dritz tube turners

Then I used a safety pin on a string (the method I used to use for turning the tubes too) to pull a piece of batting into each strip. (Note my pregnant belly too!)

Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics

I started laying out the spokes on the block and using my Wonder Clips to hold them in place between the top fabric and batting.

Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics

Once happy with the layout, I used my walking foot and 50wt Aurifil thread to stitch 1/8" from the circle's edge to secure all the spokes. I used several colors of thread for the quilt including Medium Carmine Red #2455, Dark Red Orange #2255, and Orange #2235.


Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics

Then I repeated the process for the center.

Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics

I learned a lot from block one, and was ready to tackle block two!

Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics

Block two started with a ring in the center instead of a solid circle.

Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics

I added spokes along the outside space and decided to leave the center empty this time.

Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics

Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics

For block three, I used the center circle again. This time, the spokes got a bit skewed during sewing. I'm still not sure how it happened, as I carefully clipped each one in place, but I didn't feel like redoing it! 

Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics

Block four used the center ring again, but this time I did add spokes to the center too.

Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics

Now for a disclaimer. I planned to make nine blocks. I have all the fabric cut and everything. However, my sewing time has been interrupted this past week with contractions! Several times while working on the quilt, I've been timing contractions and trying to decide if it was time to go to the hospital or not! I decided I needed to edit the design to ensure I could get it done before the baby came!

So this version of the quilt does not use every print in the Whatnot collection. It's missing several of the fantastic yellows and greens. This version is also only about 36" square instead of the planned 54" square. 

And for the record, I'm not in labor - yet! But my next quilty post just might include some cute baby pictures too! (Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram to be the first to know!)

Once the blocks were done, I trimmed the excess batting away and sewed them wrong sides together with my walking foot so the seam was on the front of the quilt. It seems a bit backwards, but I've been wanting to try this quilt-as-you-go method for a very long time!

Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics

After all four blocks were joined, I pressed the seam open.

Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics

Next, I made bias tape (but not cut bias, just cut from width of fabric strips) that were wide enough to cover the seams. It is about 1 1/4" wide after pressing. I used my walking foot to stitch it down, sewing about 1/8" from each edge, covering the seams.

Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics

I machine bound the quilt with the same pink fabric.

I really love the finished quilt!

Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics

It's bright, colorful, and one of a kind! Wouldn't it be fantastic for a bicycle enthusiast?!?

Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics

I quite like the back too! The lighter color backing fabric really makes the colored spokes stand out!

Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics

The shadows the quilt creates are also quite amazing! (Ignore the weird settings my camera was on!)

Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics

This was such a fun quilt to plan and create! I learned a lot in making it, and already have more ideas I want to try!

Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics
Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics
Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics
Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics

Now for a giveaway! Giveaway closed.

I'm giving away a generous amount of the Whatnot fabric scraps leftover from making this quilt (mostly fat quarters of every print!) and one print pattern of your choice! (See all my patterns here! There are print versions of every one!)

To enter, just leave a comment on this post telling me about a quilting notion you love.
(And PLEASE leave your email address in your comment if you're a no-reply commenter. Otherwise I won't be able to contact you if you win!) I used Wonder Clips, the Olfa Circle Rotary Cutter, and Dritz Quick Turn tube turners for this quilt. What other fantastic time-saving notions am I missing out on??

Giveaway is US only and ends 9/8.


Here are ALL the bloggers participating in the hop! Be sure to stop by their blogs for more chances to win! Stop by the Island Batik blog for a chance to win there too! (Edited October 2024 to remove broken links)

All A Flutter Collection
Yellow Cat Quilts


Birds N' Bees Collection

Canterbury Manor Collection

Eclectic Garden Collection
Desert Bloom Quilting

Vintage Morris Collection

Safari Collection

Spring Blossoms Collection

Victoria and Albert Collection

Wild Things Collection

Petting Zoo Collection

Ocean Odyssey Collection
Karen Overton

British Rose Collection

Dear William Collection
Living Water Quilter

Dragonfly Dreams Collection

Fur-ocious Friends Collection

Globetrotter Collection

Jungle Cruise Collection

Lavendula Collection
(Remember this quilt I made with these fabrics?)

London Calling Collection

Spirit Rhythm Collection

Sweet Tweets Collection

Whatnot Collection
heARTS Creations
Slice of Pi Quilts <--- That's me! 

Open weaving circle quilt using Island Batik fabrics

Linking up with Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts, Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt, What I Made Monday at Pretty Piney, Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River, Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts, Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter, Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication, and Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation.

This post contains affiliate links. Clicking a link will NOT affect the purchase price.


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Disclaimer: Giveaway is in no way sponsored, administered, or associated with Blogger. By entering, entrants confirm they are 18+ years of age, release Blogger of responsibility, and agree to Blogger's terms of use. No purchase necessary to win. Open to legal residents in the contiguous US only that are 18+ years of age. Giveaway starts at 12:00am CST September 4, 2018 and ends at 11:59pm CST on September 8, 2018. One winner will receive a scrap bundle of Island Batik Whatnot fabrics with a retail value of approximately $40 and a pattern by Slice of Pi Quilts with a retail value of $10. Total value of prize is approximately $50. Odds of winning determined by number of eligible entries received. How to enter: leave a comment on this blog post. One comment per person. Duplicate comments will be deleted. Winner will be chosen by random.org on September 9, 2018 from all eligible entries and notified by email. If winner can not be reached via email or prize is unclaimed after three days, a new winner will be chosen by random.org. Winner is responsible for paying any taxes related to the prize. By entering this giveaway, you release Slice of Pi Quilts from any liability whatsoever. Void where prohibited by law.

71 comments:

  1. I love wonder clips but they took alot to get use too... great Wall quilt.... way to use your talent. happyness04431@yahoo.com

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  2. Laura, your quilt is fantastic, you always come up with the greatest ideas! I simply love it, and may try to copy you!
    I like my seam ripper.

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  3. This is a fantastic quilt, Laura! I have one of those circle cutters, but have not quite gotten the hang of it - yet!! I would have to say my favorite quilting notion would be my Martelli ergonomic rotary cutter!

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  4. Your quilt is amazing! What an incredible amount of work you put into it. My seam ripper seems to be my best friend lately.

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  5. I love my rotating cutting mat. It makes trimming blocks so much easier!
    Sandy A

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  6. Love your quilt. It reminds me of wagon wheels. My seam ripper seems to get a lot of use, but a lint roller really does an amazing job of picking up all those loose bits and pieces that can reappear when you least expect it. Thanks for sharing and the rainbow colors are great in this collection. grinnie1961 at gmail dot com

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  7. Your quilt is amazing. Circles are a scary thought for me. Maybe sometime down the road I will try. I use my sewing thread nippers my Mom gave me a lot for cutting thread. They are so much easier to use than scissors if you are cutting a lot of thread.

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  8. Wowza! I knew you were doing another lattice piece - but wheels - oh my! It is a stunning design and really quite interesting. There are so many way to go with this - you will have fun. Editing was a good choice, too much pressure is no good. I love that tube turner too! Of the many gadgets, it is one that everytime I have to turn something I am rather thrilled to have it. Good luck in the next few days!!

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  9. I love that purple thing. It comes in handy when I'm sewing, ironing, or turning items. It holds the smallest corner for me.

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  10. Amazing quilt! I have always felt that Rotary cutter has been my favorite quilting tool. For accuracy and ease. Thanks for sharing your creativity.

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  11. You are so wonderfully inventive, Laura. Fabulous quilt!
    Fellow Ambassador Karen

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  12. I'm a big fan of Wonder Clips. I also bought a seam ripper other than the one that came with my machine recently, and it's nice to have a bigger handle!

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  13. I use my Wonder Clips all the time. Stunning quilt!

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  14. this is wonderful. what a great mini quilt to brighten any room up. i really love my rotary cutter, it gets so much use from both my husband and i. also my seam ripper is extremely handy and it has a lovely red/white marble handle. praying that all goes well with you and the baby.
    quilting dash lady at comcast dot net

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  15. Love your quilt! Also love Wonder Clips!
    nancymenn05@gmail.com

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  16. Pretty wheel quilt, very different and realistic seeing through the spokes. A tiny hook crochet hook helps a lot, when your fingers are to big. It can clean out iron holes, grab thread, turn fabric corners, push fabric under a needle, pull a snag in clothes to the other side to hid it, of course crochet. 24Tangent@gmail.com

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  17. Amazing quilt you have going on! Equally amazing is the tutorial you shared! My always handy tool is a pair of long bent nose tweezers...grabs threads as you're pulling up the bobbin, and is awesome at holding corners for machine binding. Thank you for sharing your talents and creativity!

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  18. I love your spokes quilt! What a great idea! Your fabrics are awesome for it as well. Please enter me in your giveaway.

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  19. There are so many but I love Bloc Loc rulers for trimming. Your quilt is wonderful. Jmikebalou (at) aol (dot) com

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  20. What awesome quilt love stepping outside the box wonder clip are my best friend

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  21. Wow! Talk about saving the best for last! Terrific idea and beautiful effect. I was at Quilt Con this year and purchased a Quick cutter, from Sunflower-quilts.com. It's a tool with a sharp blade that allows you to quickly cut chained pieces apart. I find it a great time saver. Good luck with the labor and delivery too!

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  22. That must be quite a difficult technique to master, but the effect is great! My favorite notion is my 12x12 ruler. I use it to square up blocks quite often.

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  23. Wow your quilt is amazing - love the photos of it!!! Great idea to use the shadows!!! My notion is my new cutterpillar mat - love having a lit cutting area! mumbird3atgmaildotcom

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  24. Holy cow. This quilt is holey spokes!!! I love my rotating cutting mat. Squaring blocks is a breeze.

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  25. I love these wheels and the photos of shadows are great. Like many others I would have to say Wonder Clips. I also use them to hold seams together when knitting - they are so much better than pins. I do have a US postal address so hope I can enter the giveaway.

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  26. Stunning quilt! My newest notion is a BlocLoc ruler for trimming hst, I love it.

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  27. Your quilt is awesome! I really like my Shape Cut ruler for cutting strips quickly and accurately.

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  28. Whatnot has such lovely colors! Wonder clips are of course amazing, and small scissors seems too boring an answer. I really like my clover chaco wheelie marker. I also now have a laser on my sewing machine, thanks to your post & tutorial! I don't trust the line enough to use it for bee blocks for other people, but I use it for my projects and I love it! Oh, and I just started using a Violet Craft seam roller and I love that--great for paper piecing or log cabins blocks when you don't want to get up and go to the iron after every.single.seam.

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  29. I love the Add-a-quarter ruler by CM designs! Makes paper piecing so much easier! Love this post and the quilt. rebekah.russin@gmail.com

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  30. I love my zipper foot. I use it to get close to the edge when I'm finishing mug rugs without binding, or when I'm sewing bindings on and want to sew right on up to the edge. I love the visibility and ability to snuggle right up, and the way I can choose which side I want to sew on.

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  31. I love my Olfa Rotary Cutter first, but 2nd place would be my Bloc Loc half square triangle ruler. It was a life changer for me squaring up those blocks!

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  32. Boring answer but I love my rotary cutter! I can't imagine crafting without it!!

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  33. I do love my wonder clips and clover pins!

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  34. I love my rotary cutter/ruler. It is so easy to cut fabric with it. Love the way you do your quilts. Love the new one you showed above, and love the first one you showed with the light, lattace border spaced quilt. Very inventive!!

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  35. I gasped when I saw the first photo of the light shining through the quilt and casting a shadow!!! Your mind works in genius ways! So, so very cool. I'd say my favorite notion is my hand-made seam ripper with a stiletto end. It is carved from an olive branch and given to me by a friend I met on Facebook...his father makes them. duchick at gmail dot com

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  36. Your quilt is AMAZING!!! So very Creative...and so much work!! And want to say Thanks to the Commenters that have left Great tips & info on favorite notions! Cool!! I love my Martelli Rotary Cutter!! & Wonder Clips are anew find for me...love em! Thank you for chance to win your Give-a-way too! :)

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  37. What a creative quilt. One of my favorite notions is my rotating cutting mat. It is great for trimming up blocks. Best wishes for your new baby.

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  38. So creative! I love my olfa circle cutter, use it quite a bit.

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  39. Your quilt is so cute! You were rather brave to tackle this project and it turned out great. I use "that purple thang", my seam ripper, and fine pins quite a lot. The rotary cutter and rulers get quite a workout as well. My new favorite is using the Accuquilt machine at my local quilt shop, it cuts 2 1/2" strips in a fraction of the time and more accurately.

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  40. The Purple Thing is my go to notion. I use both ends all the time (even to push through tubes!) Your patterns are all wonderful but I think most are beyond my capabilities. Sometimes simple is better. I love Snowfall and Bookends. Your bicycle spokes are awesome - you are sew creative!

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  41. This was a very clever design - and wonderful colors. :) Hope the baby comes easily and soon!

    :) Linda (lindaschiffer at me dot com)

    PS My favorite notion at the moment is my Karen K Buckley scissors (sharp, sharp and easy to use)

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  42. Wonder Clips are one of my favorite new notions--great to clip binding down as you sew!
    barbkaup(at)(yahoo)(dot)(com)

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  43. Your quilt is fantastic! One of my favorite notions is my small scissors. It's so handy to keep next to my machine.
    Patty
    paweis at yahoo dot com

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  44. I do a lot of applique so fusible web is one of my favorite notions.

    I'm in awe of your open designs. fantastic. pm.seager2313@gmail.com

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  45. I'm working on a foundation piecing project right now and love using the Add-A-Quarter ruler to trim the patches

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  46. I always learn so much when I read your posts. This is an awesome quilt. I have been looking at tire rims and hub caps for a few years wishing I had my camera handy to take photos (I'm still using a dumb phone). I use all of the tools you described and I'm getting better with the circle cutter. I keep a pair of tweezers, a Fons and Porter white chalk pencil and lots of 12 inch rulers in my sewing and cutting and ironing areas (not all in the same location). Can't wait to hear the baby has arrived!!! Good luck.

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  47. Your quilt is great. What a clever inspiration for a quilt. Open weaving looks like a neat thing to try and your blog was the first time I saw it, very pretty. I like my snips and seam ripper.
    petuniakr@aol.com

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  48. What a gorgeous, creative quilt! A favorite notion of mine is my wooden wallpaper seam roller. It's great for pressing while paper piecing and also for making seams nice and flat.

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  49. Awesome quilt! That is such a cool concept. My favorite notion is the wonder clip. It makes binding so much easier and it beats pinning. I enjoyed this blog hop. Thanks.

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  50. Wonderful quilt - very clever. With Fastturn tubes you can turn the tubes and stuff them at the same time. Works great. sueclive@aol.com

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  51. A couple of my favorite notions are my rotary cutters and rulers.

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  52. Laura, you never fail to impress me with your creativity! Thanks for linking up to What I Made Monday.

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  53. AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME
    My favourite notion is a steel tipped dart... No feathers on it (or whatever they are called?) I use it to guide fabrics near the needle of sewing machine. (Stiletto/awl) wonderful gadget.

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  54. You are so good at these "open-air" type quilts!! Love this new one. I have a pair of tweezers with a small magnifier attached, which I like to use after pulling the paper from paperpieced blocks. It's great for spying the little bits of paper that are still stuck in the stitches and can be pulled out easily.
    Thanks for the opportunity to win!
    kakingsbury at verizon dot net

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  55. I love my awl for guiding fabric under the the needle of the machine, but mostly I love your open air quilt. Good luck with the delivery.

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  56. Love your wheels. Would be good in a little boys room. My favorite notion is be my seam ripper. It’s essential in my sewing area. Drhodes9@cox.net.

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  57. I love your quilt and the details about how it went together. And what a great reminder it will always be of those exciting last days waiting for the baby! My favorite notion is my Olfa applique scissors. The perfect size and sharp all the wau to the tip!

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  58. Sorry. I tried to leave a comment yesterday and ran into Internet problems. First, congratulations on the baby to be! It's so amazing that you were able to finish the quilt on time while baby waited! I love your weaving technique and this latest version of it. The bicycle wheels are perfect. So sorry you couldn't make nine of them, but the quilt is still wonderful! As for tools I use my wonder clips on a daily basis, always finding a new way to use them. For something new, you could try the Quilt in a Day Triangle Square Up Ruler. It helps you trim HSTs fast! If you want to know more about them you can check out the tutorial on my blog. In the meantime, have a grand time with your baby when it comes! Thanks for linking to Wednesday Wait Loss.

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  59. You are so amazing! I love how you took this idea and have run with it. It's such a unique and 'oh so you' method! The wheels are a perfect platform for the technique too! Tool...my favorite is my Hera marker!!

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  60. OMG, what a FANTASTIC quilt!! I love this open spokes idea so much! And that photo with the shadows is just so cool. Congrats on a truly unique finish :)

    My favorite notion came from the hardware store, not the quilt shop. It is a telescoping magnet that makes it super easy to pick up dropped pins, seam ripper, etc. without having to bend all the way over. My sewing chair is quite high, so it's hard for me to reach the floor while sitting, so this little gadget is a great help!

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  61. Wow! So Amazing! What an unique idea!. I love the shadows it makes. Good luck to you, and your soon to be here little one.

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  62. What an amazing quilt and so very creative! Thanks for sharing.

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  63. WOW! This is such an amazing design. So interesting to see the inspiration photo with the finished quilt, as well as the photograph of the light and shadoes cast through the quilt. I sure hope you continue to explore new ideas in this series!!

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  64. That is one super creative way to make see through spokes! Very cool!

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  65. On IG I completely missed the fact that the centers were open! I thought the spokes were either appliqued or pieced. I love it and it was fun to follow your process for making it, especially the QAYG method. The shadows it creates really are a lot of fun...I wonder if you could hang it somewhere so the shadows would show?

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  66. Wow! This is one of the most unique techniques I've ever seen. So clever!!

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  67. That is an amazing quilt. I love my tube turner and my Purple Thing (it pokes out corners really well and I can use it as stiletto too).

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  68. I use so many different helpful notions that I don't think I can pick just one. The rotary cutter and mat make quilting so much easier, with the accurate cuts, but the binding clips helped make my binding look much better. Thanks for the giveaway of this great fabric.

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Thank you for visiting and for your comments! I try to reply to comments via email, so if you're expecting a response and don't hear from me, check if you're a no-reply blogger. Happy sewing!