Big Impact Batiks!

Join me for a fun series in American Quilter magazine called Big Impact Batiks!
First, I'll talk about batiks, how they're made, why they look a certain way and how applications made from color to design can affect them. This will help you look at batiks in a whole different way! Then, you can make a cute little quilt using those batiks. There's a whole layout of where the little quilts fit together, but you may decide to use them separately for different purposes. I'm choosing to use 3 the first month, adding 3 more the second issue, adding 3 more for the third issue, until I get a total of 18. Follow along and do the same if you'd like! I'll make a note of which batiks I use.

For the small quilt in American Quilter, I chose these three batiks. Remember, I am making smaller blocks, mini sized projects, so I need the batiks to be impactful. The first month I talk about color saturation and how it impacts your choices. Make sure to check it and grab the directions for the first project. Because these are small projects, it gives me the opportunity to play around a bit with some quilting techniques to give just a little bit more flair to a block or project.

What if you just love the first block?!? Wouldn't it be great if there was a lap size version? With maybe a little bit bigger block? Well there is! I've designed a larger quilt project that uses the block technique found in American Quilter, but with a different fabric selection. As blocks get bigger or smaller, batiks will work in different ways, so I did a fabric pull of batiks I thought might work well in the project I designed. 

This batik is a special one showcased in the collection Flower Power. It's a handpainted batik that I thought would be fantastic to feature in this block. If you'd like to see how it's made, click the link to my Youtube for the video!

Flower Power: How it's Made

After you pull the fabrics you like, do you make up one block first to see if you really really like them as you thought? I do. When you do your own fabric selection, you have to allow yourself to make different choices. Things don't always go as you thought. Maybe the values are different, maybe the handpainted stripe you like looks amazing in triangles--who knew! Give yourself freedom to like it or not. Really take the time to look at those batiks and have fun with them!! The lap size quilt uses the same techniques shown in January issue of American Quilter. 

60" x 60" lap size quilt

Click here to request fabric requirements and layout info