Thursday, March 1, 2018

A new technique-Island Batik

My March challenge from Island Batik started with picking a technique that I had never done before.  Hmmm at first I was totally stumped as I have done so many things over my years of quilting. Several of us ambassadors were chatting and others felt the same way and we started throwing ideas around.  And something triggered a memory of my seeing Jayne work with bias tape and I had also seen an episode of Fresh Quilting with Latifa Safir using bias tape.  I had not tried it so why not!!

Then before I got a chance to start on it, I was playing in EQ8 one day and totally by accident used the swath tool, EEEP-how cool is that!!!!!!!  Well I hurried and printed out the paper pieces, and closed EQ down.  The next day I did all the paper piecing, and then I went in to look at the layout and poof it was gone!!!!  So what I think happened was that I had edges of the swath geese hanging off the block and it messed with the program and it wipes out your designs in that file:((((   I had this happen before-when will I learn, LOL   All this to say I wish I could show you the actual layout.  But I can show you the paper pieces...


And the Island Batik stash builder rolls that I used, I pulled the brights from them, plus some neutral yardage for the background.


Let the process of bias tape begin.  I am using the 3/8" bias tape maker with a 3/4" batik cut on the bias.  I recently learned that holding the maker up at this angle works better;)

You can see I had to stop and quilt my background and backing first, I used 2 layers of Hobbs batting.  I used a pencil to outline where the geese would lay.  The quilting is called Wild Quilting, a Christina Cameli technique.  After all the quilting was done I began to apply the bias tape using Elmers Glue to hold it in place. 


After gluing down one set of geese I would stitch closely to the edge on both sides of the tape.  I recently read using a zipper foot works well to stay close to the edge, so I tried that.  It worked great!  If I could remember where I read that, I'd give them credit for the idea.   

I kept working my way through each set of geese using the above method, making sure that I did the sets that would lay under my last one which is the green one.


When it came time to bind it, I decided that a pop of color would set it off nicely.  My hubby looks at it and he says it looks twisted...so I am calling this little quilt twisted geese.  It measures 19"x 13". 


 In the picture below you can see how poofed out the geese sets are, that is why I used 2 layers of batting.  The texture of this piece is incredible, I love it.  Thank you Island Batik for challenging us and helping us grow in our quilting.   Full disclosure...the fabrics used were given to me by Island Batik, the thread from Aurifil and the batting from Hobbs.

The penny for perspective.
So in the end I tried 3 new things with this little quilt,  the swath tool in EQ, applique with bias tape, and using the zipper foot to stitch close to the edge. 




25 comments:

  1. Hi Vicki,
    Wow, what a great project! I just love the twisted geese, and the colors! They look so nice and bright and sunny - perfect for a dismal rainy day here. I have never made bias tape and can't think of an occasion that I've used it but that tool sure looks handy. ~smile~ Roseanne

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  2. I LOVE it! it's so much fun Vicki!

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  3. Wow--that is stunning! I don't know about EQ and the swath tool, but assume the geese were done using paper piecing?

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  4. Oh wow, I love this. So fresh and quirky 😍 beautiful quilting

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  5. wow! that is stunning!! awesome project!

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  6. Wow! This is a very impressive quilt. The colors are beautiful and your quilting is amazing. I'm not sure how you get your circles so good with them being so small. My machine tends to wiggle when I quilt small.

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  7. What a fun piece. Everything about it is incredible and I love the quilting you did on it.

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  8. Oh my goodness, Vicki! This is so cool! You make it look so easy, too. Using a zipper foot is a great idea; I'm going to try that. And I think I'm going to have to seriously look at EQ. Hmmm.

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  9. Wow, Vicki! You nailed this one! It is gorgeous! Thanks for all of the tips on making this beauty. I really need to get EQ! Awesome finish!

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  10. Well this is just perfect, isn't it?! Geese, glue and bias tape...three of my favorite things! Your quilting takes it over the top Vicki! I am totally drooling over the entire piece!

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  11. Wow, that is so amazing! Just love everything about it--the quilting, the colors, the bias tape with the flying geese. I don't know what a swath tool is either, but I don't need to know. Sorry about the technology leaving you for a loop. But you certainly got your loop closed with the final product!!!

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  12. Wow!! That is such a cool little piece, Vicki! Edging the swath of geese with the bias tape was so effective. That and the extra batting really makes them pop off the top with a bang! Great way to add those smooth curves to the edges. Love it!

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  13. Looks like I am not the only one who was reading along and got to the reveal photo of your project and said to myself, "Oh wow!" That is gorgeous, Vicki, and so fun to sed your process as you created it!

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  14. AWESOME!! Twisted Geese is amazing, Vicki! Love the quilting too. Love the wild quilting Christina style. Are you going to hang this in your quilt room? It's so colorful and cheerful!

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  15. Wow! It is stunning! I love the quilting in the background and the pop of the geese colors.

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  16. Great project, gorgeous quilting, and I love the colors and design.

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  17. 3 new techniques!! I love this quiltand the curvy bias taped flying geese.

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  18. Very cool. Love the texture and all the tips. I haven't been in love with my bias tape maker - I will have to try it at that angle to see if I can get it to play nicely. Thanks!

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  19. That is Ah-Mazing!!!! What a beautiful quilt!

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  20. Really cool. I have a quilt I want to make, using the bias binding, but, have not started on it yet, since I haven't figured out all the details of making it work. Love the curved flying geese. No EQ, so, I'd have to find them in a pattern somewhere. Not something I could draft by hand.

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  21. Love love love your pictures showing all the steps and every detail. the quilting is fabulous - as usual.

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  22. This looks great! So frustrating that you lost the computer layout. It looks like a fun way to make flying geese. I never have fun making flying geese . . . And it's definitely puffy. What kind of Hobbs did you use for the two layers?

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  23. A beautiful quilt! Thanks for showing the steps in the process.

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  24. So many great tips in this blog post! I love my bias tape maker, but I've never used it like this. And the zipper foot is a great idea. Now I have to go check out the swath tool...

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