Thread Chaos Island Batik Challenge

Pitchers Boutique
3 days ago
7 min read

Is it really September already? What the heck. I blinked and the year is almost over. Another summer is done, kids are back in school, which means; fI get to work in silence. AHHHH Can you hear that? Oh sorry thats the dogs barking at the noise that no one else can hear... oh thats the dryer running, the washer is trying to walk away, the dishwasher likes to sing when its done, and the fans are making that humming sound.... but other than that, can you hear the silence? No neither can I.

All joking aside, I am glad to have a quieter house to work in again, but before I had a quieter house I was working on this challenge. This month we are sponsored by Aurifil thread and we all received a collection of some gorgeous threads. I was so excited that all my threads did indeed match my fabric collection pretty well. I did pull a few other colors from my already large Aurifil thread collection and was able to add those in as well.

Quick side note: In order to be entered into the giveaways each week you. will need to comment on Island Batiks/Lumin Fabrics Instagram and Facebook pages. So be sure to tell us all about what you think and how well these quilts came together.

Thank you to Island Batik for this beautiful bold collection that I was able to use. My collection is the Berry Crush which is a collection by Jerry Khiev. I have used Jerry's collections before and have loved using them as they are always fun bright bold collections.

While trying to decide what I wanted to make with this collection, I sometimes will search the main words of the challenge or a design idea I have. However, I really couldn't think of anything. I was feeling a little writers block if you will.

I was randomly scrolling instagram and found THIS reel by @Jamiebrightquilts. I loved the design and it would be a great idea for a crazy quilt, because more seams means more areas to doodle over.

The next day I pulled the bundle out and got to work.

I started by categorizing the different colors, seperating them by pinks and purples.

The Pinks (above)

and The Purples (above).

I then spent some time cutting random strips of all the fabrics. I wanted to add different sizes widths and sew them into strips.

I did made a template (strip) of the diagonal in one of the star points. I repeated that over and over. I needed 6 strips for each star point.

I then trimmed the strips, and sewed them together and used my diamond template to cut them into the diamonds I needed.

I wanted to add an accent fabric instead of a solid to the background and decided on this foundation Icing batik.

I then added strips of the collection to the white to make the corners and sides. I sewed those in:

I then sewed those two together and got the top:

I then could not stand it.

I disliked the entire top.

I was not inspired by it, I didn't like the big chunks of pinks and purples (in the star), and I disliked the bullseye in the center.

It was all wrong.

So, after sitting on it for a few days I did what most quilters probably wouldn't do (you tell me in the comments), but I seam ripped the entire star back apart.

I then cut each diamond into smaller diamonds and I did not take photos because when you need to focus on that 45 degree, let me tell you I had no spoons (energy) to try and take photos.

Anyways, I then sewed those smaller diamonds together so that I had a smaller star within the larger star, and that was when inspiration finally hit. I laid it down on the floor and it was like a wave of ideas crashed on me.

Grabbing the icing fabric, I cut small 1 inch strips and placed those around each diamond.

I loved how this was looking but felt that the white, pink and purples were just too much in the last top and I just knew it needed one simple accent color to help everything feel balanced.

Enter the blender batik, Cherio- Bermuda. It's the perfect teal color (I know it looks more blue in the image below, but cameras just don't do justice to actual fabric, am I right?)

I then did the same thing as I did with the white by adding the teal 1 inch strip around the star diamonds.

OH MY GOSH!!!!

Okay now I am loving it. This looks so much better. The balance in the colors, the pop of teal, yes. Everything is looking cohesive.

However, I now need to fill in the corners and sides. Let's put those previous pieces to use.

I took them and cut them back down the middle and added, yep, you guessed it, a strip of the bermuda to the center. I needed the extra width because I had added more when I added the extra strips to the diamonds, and this worked out so well.

I then needed to figure out how to make the corners bigger. However, I wasn't sure I wanted to add anymore bermuda as it was feeling pretty balanced at this point. I decided to use some of the collection with thin strips, and more of the white icing batik.

I used pink in one corner and the purple in the others, again finding that balance. It was really coming together and I was absolutely loving this quilt.

With the top done, for the second time and finally feeling so inspired by it. I needed to get the back together. I had used almost all of the bermuda and most of the icing. I figured, I could use up a random fabric on the back, but I had JUST enough of the collection left so instead I just cut up some squares and sewed them together in random strips and quickly had a back.

Have to press those scrap pieces to get the last few squares, thanks Oliso for the mini, its helping a ton.

The best part is I used up the last scraps of the bermuda, and you get to see the collection in a larger square swatches as well. I love doing this with collections because you waste less, and look how beautiful the back of the quilt is now.

I then pulled out my favorite Hobbs batting (which I now need more of), the fusible cotton batting.

I had just enough of this left to use on this quilt, it was so meant to be. The fusible is the best for quilts that you are adding a lot of thread/quilting too, because it helps hold the quilt sandwich together and you can focus on the quilting. Its the best.

I then started pulling out all my threads and just started adding a ton of different designs and quilting to the top. I love this part, and this was a great way to practice my free motion quilting techniques on my machine.

I spy a lot of different threads off to the right waiting to be added.

Curly swirls in a lovely light purple, Aurifil 40wt #2520.

Added these boxy zig zags with a lovely light seafoam green Aurifil 40wt #2830.

The pink thread on the lower right is Aurifil 40wt #2430.

The dark teal thread at the top left is Aurifil 40wt #4093.

The loops on the bermuda batik is done with Aurifil 40wt #2205.

Not pictured is the dark pink that is quilted on the sides, Aurifil 40wt #2530.

I did also add in a yellow Aurifil thread 40wt #1135 and used it to quilt in some of the white fabric.

Heres a better view of the teal Aurifil 40wt #4093 and the peach thread Aurifil 40wt #2205.

I used the last (LITERALLY) scraps of the icing batik to make binding strips and got the binding on.

The top was done. However, I did add a little extra details with some yo-yos and a few diamonds to really accent the beauty of this quilt.

It was done!

Its ready for the close ups... oh wait we kind of did a few of those already. Okay, its ready for its full body shots! That sounds weird, okay its ready for its runway... yeah, we will go with that. Enjoy!

(Let me know in the comments what you think of this design, redesign crazy quilt).

The back really is a great quilt by itself. If I had more of the fabrics I would make another one.

Oh the details are amazing. The bright fabric is so much easier to see when you are outside on a perfect day. Don't you agree? The Aurifil thread just pops on this collection too.

Well, I have made you wait long enough lets see the final quilt:

Last one:

I am so glad this quilt worked out in the end. I am so glad I pulled it apart and remade it. It looks beautiful now and I enjoyed quilting and adding all the extra details.

Thank you again to Aurifil for sponsoring this Thread Chaos Challenge.

Thank you to Oliso for helping me press all this fabric along the way.

Thank you to Hobbs for the amazing fusible batting (seriously need more, so good).

Lastly, thank you to Island Batik for this collection and blenders/foundation batiks to help finish this quilt.

Please be sure to follow Island Batiks Instagram and Facebook so you can be picked as the winner for the drawing this week or the following weeks (during this blog hop). Remember, in order. to be entered to win you will need to comment on their instagram and facebook, so be sure to tell us how we did on our quilts.

Be sure to follow along with all the other ambassadors and their makes:

Brenda Alburl- https://songbirddesigns.blog

Renee Atkinson- https://wordpress.com/posts/pinktulipquilting.studio

Susan Deshensky- www.ladybluequilts.com/blog

Tina Dillard- https://quiltingaffection.blogspot.com/

Brittany Fisher- Www.bobbinwithbrittany.com

Kimberly Flannagan- https://www.kimberlysquilts.com/blog

Preeti Harris- https://sewpreetiquilts.blogspot.com

Mania Hatziioannidi- www.maniaforquilts.com

Kim Jamieson-Hirst- https://www.chatterboxquilts.com/blog

Connie Kauffman- Kauffmandesigns.blogspot.com

Connie Kresin Campbell- https://conniekresin.com/