Summer Oasis Paper Pieced Quilt | Island Batik Challenge May 2024

The May 2024 Island Batik Challenge is to create a Paper Pieced Quilt, Lap size or larger using the Fabric line that we received, representing our favorite holiday.

In our January box from Island Batik, we had a “Surprise” Package, we finally get to show it this month.

The Island Batik fabric signature line that I was sent is called “Oasis” by Kathy Engle for Megan Best of BestQuilter. 

I received a 1/2-yard bundle of the 20 different fabrics, and 2-yard piece of a lighter fabric Pinecones-Brown Ecru (from the line) and a 2-yard piece of Blenders Cappuccino. 

This fabric line reminds me of a Summer Oasis, when I would enjoy the outdoors.  I love summer months as a child flying kites, riding in sailboats, and always enjoyed seeing the Hot Air Balloons as they fly across the sky. 

The fabric, and batting were given to me free from Island Batik and its partners,  Hobbs Batting, Aurifil Thread, Oliso iron,  Studio 180 Designs, and Schmetz Needles, as my role as a 2024 Island Batik Ambassador.

I love using my Electric Quilt 8 software, that helps me design the layout of quilts, as well as import in the fabric so I can see how it will look.  Sometimes two fabrics look good together, but may not look right in the block.  If you have a quilt that you want to make, but not sure if they fabric you have will work, make sure to check out Electric Quilt 8.

Here is the quilt design I started with.  This gave me a great layout, and an idea, as I got started.    Each row has 4 blocks that are 8″ x 8″ finished, and the quilt will finish at 43″ x 56″.

When working with Paper piecing, you do a lot of ironing, so having the Oliso iron, was a blessing, less lifting up and down as you finish each seam.  This iron had always been on my list to get, and was glad they are a sponsor this year, and I get to share how awesome these irons are.   The only thing that would have been better, would have been to have the smaller Oliso Iron (yes, on my list to purchase).

Paper Piece has different techniques, where you can sew directly on newsprint paper, and then carefully remove the paper when the block is done.  You can print on Freezer paper, and iron the fabric as you go, but fold the paper back and sew along the fold, so the paper is easy to remove, or you can print onto a mesh stabilizer that you can leave in the quilt, and sew thru it like the paper.  I like to do the Freezer paper method, as you only need to print one set of each block, and reuse. 

The first row of the quilt is Hot Air Balloons.   These blocks are easy to make, but with Paper Piecing, they will all be the same size, as working with thin strips your block can became a little different size. 

This block was assembled in two different sections.  Each one finished at 8 1/2″ x 8 1/2″.  This block would be a great block to use some scrap fabrics, as the strips were between 1 1/4″ and 1 1/2″ and 6 1/2″ long.

Second row of blocks are Flying Geese,  When making these they will  finish at 2″ x 4″, and you can have one row straight across, or moving to give a feeling of motion.   Each block of 4 flying geese is 8 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ with the sides added.

When making the flying geese, you can make one at a time as you go, so all the flying geese can be different, instead of doing 4-at-a-time and all matching. With Paper Piecing, you don’t lose the points of the triangles, and each is the correct size.

Third row is a combination block.  The center section of each block is a small Flying Kites.  When you see kites in the air,  you see all different sizes, so I put them inside another block.    This block center is 4″ x 4″ finished. 

I used my Studio 180 Designs Ruler, Winged Clipper I to create the four flying geese for each block.  This is simple with the 4-at-a-time method, and then using the Winged Clipper to square-up the flying geese. 

The flying geese and squares were added around the small kite.

Here are the four Blocks.

Fourth row are the large flying kites.  These are paper pieced making them more accurate.   I made each kit a little different but kept the background the same.  These are like the smaller kites in row 3, just larger.

The last row of blocks are Sailboats.  I created 4 blocks, with the center “water” and sailboats the same in all four blocks.  They are combined with a log cabin layout.

Assembly

The quilt is assembled together with 2″ sashing (cut at 2 1/2″), to separate the rows.   Each block rows are sewn together in a line, then add the sashing between.  This was done with the darker coordinating fabric.

I got so excited finishing the quilt, I forgot to take some pictures.

First border was added around the outside with the darker coordinating fabric, at 2″ (cut at 2 1/2″). 

Second border is added around the outside with the lighter coordinating fabric at 5″ (cut at 5 1/2″). 

The top was completed, and ready to be quilted.  It measured 44″ x 57″.

I decided that the fabric is so pretty, that I wanted to highlight the fabric, so I cut out 56 – 8 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ squares of the fabric and made a back.  The back was made larger than the front, as the quilt would be completed on my Juki longarm.  It was 48″ x 64″.

Finishing Quilt

I used Hobbs Batting and Aurifil Thread to quilt.  The Hobbs batting is so easy to use, and comes out of the packages very nicely, and is easy to use for a longarm or a domestic machine.  I love how light it feels, but how warm.  As this is a smaller quilt, lap size, I was able to find some left over batting to use. 

The  Aurifil Thread I used piece the quilt is my favorite 2600 light gray, it blends well with all colors of fabrics.  I buy this in bulk.  To quilt the quilt, I used this thread as well.

The quilt was quilted on my Juki Longarm, with a design I got from Quilting Pantographs, called Summer Flowers.  Quilting Pantographs has a great rewards program, and I was able to get this design free.  I wanted a design that resembled summer and love these flowers.

Binding the quilt was done with the Dark Coordinating fabric to finish the quilt.

Here is my finished quilt, measuring at 44″ x 57″

And the back.

More pictures of the finished quilt.

If you enjoyed my Summer Oasis Quilt, check out Julia Schweri ~ Inflorescence Designs blog, as she has the same fabric collection, and see what she did for her Paper Piecing Holiday quilt.

Make sure to check out the other projects by the Island Batik Ambassadors, each have different Signature collections for the Blog Hop.

Brenda Alburl ~ Songbird Designs Fire and Ice
Renee Atkinson ~ Pink Tulip Quilting Snowed In
Megan Best ~ BestQuilter Lavandin
Pamela Boatright ~ PamelaQuilts Reflections

Susan Deshensky ~ Lady Blue Quilts Studio Prisms
Brittany Fisher ~ Bobbin with Brittany Fall Gatherings
Preeti Harris ~ Sew Preeti Quilts Fire and Ice
Mania Hatziioannidi ~ Mania for quilts Bootiful

Jane Hauprich ~ Stitch by Stitch Custom Quilting Prisms
Kim Jamieson-Hirst ~ Chatterbox Quilts The Grove
Victoria Johnson ~ Forever Quilting for You Dots and Doodles
Connie Kauffman ~ Kauffman Designs Lavandin

Connie Kresin Campbell ~ Freemotion by the River Fall Gatherings
Emily Leachman ~ The Darling Dogwood Peppermint Sprinkles
Denise Looney ~ A Quiltery The Grove
Leah Malasky ~ Quilted Delights Lavandin

Maryellen McAuliffe ~ Mary Mack Made Mine Snowed In
Lisa Pickering ~ Lisa’s Quilting Passion Oasis
Sarah Pitcher ~ Pitcher’s Boutique Reflections
Lana Russel ~ Lana Quilts Dots and Doodles
Julia Schweri ~ Inflorescence Designs Oasis

Gail Sheppard ~ Quilting Gail Peppermint Sprinkles
Carol Stanek ~ Stitch with Color Woodland Holiday
Sandra Starley ~ Textile Time Travels Bootiful
Jennifer Thomas ~ Curlicue Creations Woodland Holiday
Suzy Webster ~ Websterquilt Dots and Doodles

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