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Investigating and exploring things in the quilting and creative industries. I focus on the processes in batiks and using them in projects!

4/27/2021 1 Comment

Batik Challenge!!

Generally Memorial Day in the US and Victoria Day in Canada are the unofficial kick off to summer. The hotdogs, hamburgers, potato salad, festivals, fairs, family and celebrations.
So here’s the question:
What Does Memorial Day and/or Victoria Day mean to you?
​​Let’s put those thoughts into this Batik Challenge.
Kick off the summer with the memories of previous summers, maybe a favorite summer vacay, maybe a favorite summer party, maybe remembering those we’ve lost in service, to also remember not all heroes wear capes.

Since when we think of batiks, we think color, almost anything can be translated into this challenge.

Let’s have different stages of creating with this, different opportunities to chime in, different opportunities to post.

So even if you know you won’t finish, you can participate in the thought processes of a project. We will do a drawing for each creative stage, so if you post something you’ll be entered to win.

​I’ll announce the creative stage during the Facebook Live, usually every other week, but feel free to post when you have an opportunity.
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This week, Thursday April 29th will be the first creative process I thought would be fun for this challenge! I'll make sure to post some photos here on the blog of what I'm doing, but will also send some video to those that have joined the newsletter! So make sure you sign up!
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4/27/2021 2 Comments

Quilty Box Project: Let's put this together!

The Olivia's Star  is made up of beautiful purples, blues, aquas and pinks, which lends it all sorts of choices for the setting fabric. I chose to do a dark blue, like a dark sky, to let the lighter and brighter colors pieced into the star to glow! 
Reminder! Grab you kaleidoscope tool to auction off setting fabric options!
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Take Your Time and Pin!!

Once your background pieces are cut, lay them all out with the diamonds on a flat surface.

Find the centers for the diamond edges as well as the centers for your setting pieces and line them up. PIN!!!

Any excess from the setting pieces can be trimmed off later.

Choosing Background fabrics!
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Finished Olivia's Star!!!
Did you know the Olivia's Star has a big sister??! (Just like my Olivia, she has a big sister, Madison) So if you'd like to try the Madison's Star, the big sister version of this, using 2-1/2" strips, hop on over to that pattern here:
Are you a teacher? Quilt Shop? Want to run a Madison's Star Marathon quilt weekend? Reach out to me on the contact page and let me know. I have a teachers guide prepared to run a successful weekend!
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Madison's Star
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2 Comments

4/8/2021 0 Comments

Quilty Box Project: Using the template!

The Olivia's Star is composed of 8 diamonds. By using the background fabric on each side of the strip sets, it makes these diamonds so dynamic!! 
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Olivia's Star diamond
Line the bottom of the traingle up at the center pieced line.
Adjust the top point of your triangle to be centered on the strip set 8.
Mark on the two sides. Flip the triangle and repeat.
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Trimming the bargello piecing to sized diamonds
I created the triangle template to use with this since it's a lot easier to use and store for your next one than the full diamond. Grab your favorite marking tool and let's get trimming our diamonds!

​Please make sure your diamonds are pressed really well as described in the last step. Use that spray starch!! That will make cutting these much easier!
Troubleshooting
If your diamond is smaller than the template, here's a couple things to try:
Press, like really press! You will be amazed at how much you lose in seam allowance. I always take a scant 1/4" seam on bargello pieces and press my seams open. If you think of each seam, losing 1/16" in pressing to one side, that can add up quickly. Also, because this is a mini, it's much more important to have less in the seam allowance than showing on the right side of the piece. Trying to avoid sewing the seams into the next segment when sewing it together can be frustrating.
Trace the template onto the non-shiny side of freezer paper, using the 1/4" marking on the template. This will downsize your diamonds a little bit, but no one will notice! Cut the freezer template out and press it to your diamond. Mark as indicated, and use this as your new template. No problem!!

If your piecing of segments is a little wonky, bowing slightly:
Press, like really press! Nudge them back in line:) 
Lay your triangle on your piece and see if your slightly wonky piecing still can be trimmed off to fit the triangle. If so, start marking!! Because of the way it's pieced, with the background fabric making the bright colors seem to float, once these diamonds are sewn together, you will not see it, I promise!!
Next up, choose your setting fabric and let's put this together!!!
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4/1/2021 0 Comments

Quilty Box Project: Checking your diamonds!

Get those segments on a Design Wall!
Super important to cut segments for ONLY 1 diamond, lay them out on the design wall to check and see if they're correct.

Other notes:
*Use a scant 1/4" seam. You don't want to have more in the seam allowance than there is showing in your diamond. If you end up with only 1/8" seam, that will work as well. 
*Please use spray starch to keep your seams open. It helps the piece lay flat and keeps everything intact when your working through the rest of the pattern.
Next Up! Piecing those diamonds!
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    Hello! I'm Karen Gibbs, the VP of Batiks for Riley Blake Designs, a quilter, a Momma,  crazy about food, cultures and an active lifestyle.

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