2022 Year-in-review as Island Batik Ambassador

A year ago, I was accepted as an Island Batik Ambassador, and little did I know how much I would be challenged.  This year has been the best, and I have learned so much, and have enjoyed every minute of it.  It hard to believe I have posted my last quilt for 2022!

I want to say Thank you to the awesome sponsors, who provided me with free materials to make all these awesome projects.

• Island Batik for all the wonderful batik fabric, and great challenges to use their fabric
• Hobbs Batting who provided me with lots of batting to make all these quilts, Wool Batting (new to use) and lots of Cotton batting.  This is my favorite brand, and love using it.
• Aurifil Thread, after using this thread, I realized what I was missing by using less quality (cheaper) thread.  There is no comparison in the quality, and less break age, and less stress.
• Studio 180 Designs – with rulers that are easy to use, and make making flying geese so much easier.  Look forward to purchasing more rulers soon.
• Accuquilt – the best die cutter out there, the dies make cutting fabric so quick and easy.  I even bought several more this year to go with it.
• Schmetz Needles – quality needles that work great in my sewing machine, and they provided a tag that helps tell you what size needles for different fabric.
• Prairie Spirit Alpacas – with their wonderful  Alpaca pressing ma
• Bags by Annie. – after watching their video’s, making their bags are so easy, and really look professional.  Already have several patterns in my to-do-list.
• Funky Friends – cute stuffed animals and toys

My 2022 Ambassador projects.

January –

First the “unboxing video” this was so fun seeing what all the fabrics we would be using in the first 6 months.

January –

The first challenge for 2022 Island Batik Ambassadors was the “Step-by-Step” Challenge.   I used the “Glorious Greens collection.”

February –

Our challenge was to create a “row by row” quilt at least lap size using the new fabric we were sent from the Fall collection.  I was sent the Wonderous collection.   I had never done a row-by-row so this was fun.

March –

Aurifil Italian Color Builder Thread Challenge – I was sent the “Carrara Black/White” Aurifil Color Builder set. Carrara, Italy is know for its Marble tile.  I thought creating a Marble tile looking wall quilt would be a tribute to Carrara.  This was a small wall quilt.  It has been hanging in my office.

April –

Funky Friends challenge – making stuffed animals/toys.

Princess loved the these toys (We miss you Momma).

May –

The Triangle Tricks Challenge which was designed to take us out of our comfort zone with square or rectangle blocks and have us work with triangles.

I used a Dresden Ruler to create my quilt for the challenge.

June –

New York Beauty – Blog Hop

The fabric I used for the quilt was given to me by Island Batik, and is the Winter 2021 Collection, “Savannah” by Tammy Silvers, Tamarinis.

I decided to make double sided.

July –

Second “unboxing video” for the additional fabric, batting, rulers, alpaca pressing mat, and Accuquilt die.

July –

Christmas in July – Tree of Life Accuquilt die Challenge.

We were challenged to use the Tree of Life die in a different way, and to give the quilt to someone.

Wrapped up to be given as a Christmas in July Gift.

August –

Marvelous Mini challenge – to make a mini quilt

I loved this idea, and had been wanting to make some mini-quilts to go on some mini-quilt frames that my Grandfather Robert Kinsey had made, to go with some of the mini-quilts my Grandmother Virginia Kinsey had made.

In addition, I created a mini Cathedral Window wall quilt. This mini wall quilt was so much fun to make, and It is in honor of my Mother-in-law Norma Pickering.  It is done more as a Faux Cathedral Window, as it is not the traditional origami style block, and has batting as well.

September –

This challenge was called “Tool Time” and to use the Ruler from Studio 180 Designs.  I received the “Wing Clipper I”, to help with making flying geese. 

The fabric was the Spring 2022 collection “Cheers!” by Designer Colourwerz. I love this fabric and I have made another quilt with this fabric.

Back – I decided to make the quilt two-sided.

October –

This was on of the most challenging months for me.  I had agreed to do an extra project this month in honor of Breast Cancer awareness and in my mom’s honor.  My mom, Penny, has been dealing with Stage 4 breast cancer, and I was so excited to be able to design and make this quilt.  The challenge was “Pinktober”, and the quilt was donated to my physician’s office for their Mammogram room.

The Island Batik had two Breast Cancer awareness fabric lines, and I chose “Hope & Heart”.  I call the Quilt “Hope & Heart” as there are the words Hope and the O is a heart.  (Lorie the Mammogram tech.)

When I was done, I decided to make a second Hope & Heart Quilt and gave to mom.  She had us hang it in her bedroom.

October –

The actual Ambassador project for October was “It’s all in the bag” Bags by Annie. This was a big challenge for me, as I had not made any type of bags before, so I was procrastinating getting started as I was intimidated and scared to mess up.

Bags by Annie has video’s that help you learn what you need to do, so that if you are like me, and hate to read directions, you can watch as well.  Ok, If I had taken the time to read their great instructions, it would have been easier.

The bag I choose to make was Laptop Computer Carriers II, which contains two options and I decided to make both.  Fabric was from the Island Batik Fabric “Bee Kind” fabric line.

Laptop Courier and Laptop Case

November –

The challenge for Island Batik Ambassadors was to make a stocking using non-traditional fabrics in our stockings. I used some of the “Wonderous collection” that I used in my February Row-by-row challenge.  I used my Janome 550e embroidery machine to create this stocking. It was a lot larger than I was expecting, but it gives more room for goodies. 

December –

The Island Batik Ambassador Blog Hop for December was the Lone Star Quilt.  The collection is Island Batik’s “Naturescape” by Jerry Khiev. I had never made a Lone Star quilt, so I kept putting it off, but I did finally find a pattern that I like and decided to use it.  From Jordan’s Fabrics Rainbow Lone Star Quilt. 

Again, all of the materials for the projects were provided to me free by Island Batik and their industry partners as part of the Island Batik Ambassador Program for 2022!

WOW, the year has really flown by, and I was so blessed to be a part of this program for 2022.  There has been so many wonderful quilts and projects by the other Island Batik Ambassador over the year, so if you have enjoyed my projects, check out the other Ambassador’s sites.

Brenda Alburl ~ Songbird Designs
Megan Best ~ Bestquilter
Pamela Boatright ~ Pamelaquilts
Elizabeth DeCroos ~ Epida Studio

Jennifer Fulton ~ Inquiring Quilter
Preeti Harris ~ Sew Preeti Quilts
Mania Hatziioannidi ~ Mania for quilts
Jane Hauprich ~ Stitch By Stitch Custom Quilting

Reed Johnson ~ Blue Bear Quilts
Connie Kauffman ~ Kauffman Designs
Emily Leachman ~ The Darling Dogwood
Denise Looney ~ For The Love Of Geese

Leah Malasky ~ Quilted Delights
Maryellen McAuliffe ~ Mary Mack Made Mine
Anorina Morris – sameliasmum.com
Lisa Pickering ~ Lisa’s Quilting Passion

Claudia Porter ~ Create with Claudia
Gail Renna ~ Quilt Haven Threads
Brianna Roberts ~ Sew Cute And Quirky
Michelle Roberts ~ Creative Blonde

Gail Sheppard ~ Quilting Gail
Andi Stanfield ~ True Blue Quilts
Sandra Starley ~ Textile Time Travels
Jennifer Thomas ~ Curlicue Creations
Suzy Webster ~ Websterquilt

I look forward to seeing who the will be the Island Batik Ambassador’s for 2023, and all the beautiful quilts they will make.

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