ISLAND BATIK AMBASSADOR AUGUST CHALLENGE PART 1

This month's challenge is called "The Great Outdoors". It is a month long blog hop with all of the Island Batik Ambassadors. At the bottom of this blog you will find all of the dates and names of the participants. There are prize drawings in all of them so be sure to visit everyone for a chance to win some fantastic prizes! My date for posting is August 20 so be sure to come back on that date for a special drawing.

I received a beautiful batik collection called Ocean Odyssey. 

I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do with it. The requirements stated that even though the theme was the great outdoors it didn't have to illustrate something outdoors. However, I decided that I wanted to make some type of flower with them. I played around drawing a paper pieced flower in EQ8 and started with this.

    

I felt that the top of the block (the flower part) was too square so I rounded it out. 

   

Then I played with different settings. Of course each flower will be a different fabric combination so this just gives me an idea of what it would look like in this setting.

I wanted it to be a little more interesting so I rotated the blocks and made the quilt square. I really liked how the blocks came together in the center.

Now I am ready to put groups of fabrics together for each of the blocks. I decided to put a yellow/orange fabric in the two opposite sides of the center. That way when they come together they will create that secondary pattern. I won't tell you yet whether this is the final setting. I will let you be surprised when you see the finished quilt.

Stay tuned to the next blog where I start making the blocks and how I use my freezer paper technique for making the flower end so I don't have to tear off any paper at the end. I will also show how great my "Cutting Corners" template set comes in handy for making those small triangles on the ends of the long pieces.

Please leave a comment for a chance to win some fabrics from the collection. Also don't forget to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win. (USA only due to shipping costs.)

Here is the list of the other blog hoppers. You can go back to the beginning and catch up on what everyone is doing.

Monday, August 6 - All A Flutter - Yellow Cat Quilt Designs, Creative Blonde

Tuesday, August 7 - Birds N’ Bees - Ark Angel Creations, Patterns By Jen

Wednesday, August 8 - Canterbury Manor - Sally Manke, Powered By Quilting

Thursday, August 9 - Eclectic Garden - Desert Bloom Quilting, Sew Karen-ly Created

Friday, August 10 - Vintage Morris - MooseStash Quilting, Devoted Quilter

Monday, August 13 - Safari - Sew Incredibly Crazy, SweetGrass Designs

Tuesday, August 14 - Spring Blossoms - Mary Mack Made Mine, If These Threads Could Talk

Wednesday, August 15 - Victoria and Albert - Bejeweled Quilts, Clever Chameleon

Thursday, August 16 - Wild Things - Freemotion By The River, Kauffman Designs

Friday, August 17 - Petting Zoo - Den Syende Himmel, Sarah Goer Quilts

Monday, August 20 - Ocean Odyssey - Gateway Quilts, The Quilt Rambler

Tuesday, August 21 - British Rose - Busy Hands Quilts, Mania for Quilts

Wednesday, August 22 - Dear William - The Inquiring Quilter, mmm! Quilts, Living Water Quilter

Thursday, August 23 - Dragonfly Dreams - Inchworm Fabrics, BeaQuilter

Friday, August 24 - Fur-ocious Friends - Quilting Affection Designs, Dizzy Quilter

Monday, August 27 - Globetrotter - Pamela Quilts, Curliecue Creations

Tuesday, August 28 - Jungle Cruise - Vicki's Crafts and Quilting, Little Bunny Quilts

Wednesday, August 29 - Lavendula - Carole Lyles Shaw, Masterpiece Quilting

Thursday, August 30 - London Calling - Quilt in a Not-Shell, Lizard Creek Quilting

Friday, August 31 - Spirit Rhythm - Steph Jacobson, Whispers of Yore

Monday, September 3 - Sweet Tweets - Kathleen McMusing, Adventurous Applique and Quilting

Tuesday, September 4 - Whatnot - heARTS Creations, Slice of Pi Quilts

As always: Do what you love and love what you do. Thank you for reading. Feel free to share with your friends.

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