McCalls Quilting

Starburst

I am excited to share with you a new quilt pattern I designed called “Starbust”. This starry night quilt featured in the McCall’s Quilting May/June 2023 magazine! It was a great surprise to learn it has been selected to be featured on the cover of the magazine. The quilt is made with a “Glam” fat quarter bundle, a sparkly rainbow of colors designed by Patrick Lose Fabrics. The bright colorful fabrics and friendship star design dazzles the senses with its dynamic combination of color, shape, and print.

Quiltmaker

Garden’s Bounty

I am excited to share with you a new quilt pattern I designed called “Garden’s Bounty”. This delightful quilt is a scrap sensation featured in the March/April 2023 issue of Quiltmaker magazine! Whether you choose to go traditional or modern with your fabric, the final result will be beautiful. I used Prairie prints and Bee-Backgrounds both by Lori Holt (@beelori1) for @rileyblakedesigns.

Island Batik

Victorian Tuffet

Do you like to make beautiful home dec items? If you do, I have a fun and fabulous project – A Tuffet!

I teamed up with Sharyn from The Tuffet Source and using my Victorian Island Batik Signature collection, which is designed by Kathy Engle, I created this Victorian foundation paper pieced tuffet project.

Island Batik Suite B Fabrics

Joyful – My New Suite B Signature Collection designed by Cherish Flieder

I am so excited to announce my new FW2021 Signature Collection “Joyful” by Suite B from Island Batik designed from the watercolor artwork of Cherish Flieder. The collection represents the pure joy of knowing that every day is a gift and taking the time to enjoy the day for all that it offers.

Island Batik McCalls Quilting

Winter Waltz

I hope you like “Winter Waltz”. It is designed using the beautiful tone on tone batiks from the Glacier Bay collection by Island Batik. Leave me a comment and you will be entered in a drawing to receive a complementary issue of the McCall’s Quilting November/December 2021 issue.

Island Batik Suite B Fabrics

Coming in April Mid-Century Modern

I am so excited to announce my new Mid-Century Modern collection with Suite B Fabrics. It is now available for pre-ordering and will be shipping in April 2021. Pre-orders are now available at Island Batik. New projects I have designed a few wonderful projects to complement my fabric collection. Patterns will be available in the …

Gallery of Quilts

Xanadu – My newest art quilt

Xanadu was a quilt I made for the Ricky Tims “Rise Up” Challenge. The challenge was to express our perseverance, determination, tenacity, and fortitude during the Covid-19 pandemic. A number of beautiful art quilts were submitted for the challenge. All of the entrants personal stories and quilts are available to see on Ricky Tims’s website. Social Bubbles by Denise DeGrandis, Thornberry, Ontario, Canada was the grand prize winner of Ricky’s “Let Freedom Ring” quilt. Congratulations Denise!!!! You can read more about Xanadu on my Blog.

Island Batik

Time Square – Celebrating new times ahead

Our challenge was to design a medallion style quilt. I am posting mine on the last day of the year for a reason. As we all know we all have the same amount of time given to us. Time is one of those commodities to make choices on how we want to use it. Time is of the present. The quilt I designed for you is a modern representation of a circle of time inside the walls of the present. I know there will be more time outside those walls but for know I need to focus on the present. I can still dream about the time in the future but I will always be pulled back to the middle to find the balance I need to have a creative and happy life.

Island Batik

Just Launched! It’s big! Suite B and Mid-Century Modern is here!

Santa Claus came early and delivered my wonderful new collection of fabrics. My collection is named Mid-Century Modern. It is produced by a new sister company call Suite B Fabrics of Island Batik. This is a dream come true and I am so excited to share it with you. It is an exciting line of …

Island Batik

Thread Painting with Aurifil – Meet William’s Garden

It has been a great month to create and play with the wonderful thread we were given by our generous sponsor Aurifil Threads. I thought this month I would incorporate applique and thread painting together in a colorful wall hanging. Here is William’s Garden. It is 37″ x 37″.

Island Batik

New Patterns Coming in November

If you love Island Batiks, you are going to love this post. As an Island Batik Designer I get to create and design wonderful projects with new lines of fabric. I had the opportunity to design a few new patterns using Claudia Pfeil’s and Kathy Engle’s new lines of Island Batiks. So fill your glass with a nice Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio, get all snuggly in your comfy chair and enjoy these amazing new fabric lines from Island Batik and the beautiful patterns I have designed using these new collections.

Island Batik

Ready for an adventure – It’s In the Bag!

I am wrapping up the week with one of the final It’s In The Bag Blog Hop posts. What an amazing month it has been with all the ByAnnie Bags that have been presented by all the Island Batik Ambassadors. Make sure you read to the end of my blog. There is information on a …

Island Batik

Get ready!!! September is in the bag with Island Batik and By Annie

This is going to be a fun and exciting month. You are in for a wonderful time with the chance to win fabulous Island Batik fabric bundles. I hope you join me and my fellow Island Batik Ambassadors as we share with you how we are using the beautiful new 2020 Spring Island Batik fabric collections in a variety of bags we will be making.

Island Batik

It’s Tool Time – Poppin Pinwheels with the Studio 180 Design Corner Pop Ruler

One of the many fun things we get to do as Island Batik Ambassadors is to create with products from our sponsors. This month our sponsor is Studio 180 Designs. They provided me with a specialty ruler to make perfect corners in any block design. The ruler is called the Corner Pop.

Island Batik

Christmas In July with AccuQuilt GO! Me and Island Batik.

This month, all the Island Batik Ambassadors were given an AccuQuilt GO! Me Fabric Cutter Starter Set. This was a wonderful opportunity to encourage and inspire a new quilter. I selected a young girl from our community to work with for the month of July.

Island Batik

Island Batik – Christmas in July Unboxing

I also want to express a big THANK YOU to Island Batik and the sponsors – Aurifil Thread, Hobbs Batting, Studio 180 Design, ByAnnie and Accuquilt Go! for the wonderful products they have sent for the Island Batik Ambassador program.

Island Batik

June Island Batik Challenge – Octadic Stars

Have you ever thought about wanting to transform an English Paper Pieced quilt block into a unique traditional pieced and appliqued quilt block. I will share with you and show you how I created Octadic Stars. It is a block I designed from an EPP block commonly referred to as Rolling Star.

Island Batik

Frontier Charm – May Blog Hop Ultimate Home Decor Table Topper & Give-away

Decorating our homes with handmade projects adds a very personal touch. Some of us like a more modern style and some favor a more primitive traditional look. In my home I like the warm and welcoming feel of a more primitive traditional look. I would like to share with you a great way to show you how to use batiks and create a traditional primitive style table topper. Read more at carolmoellersdesigns.com

Island Batik

Afternoon Delight – April Island Batik Borders and Bindings Challenge

Tea anyone? With the arrival of Spring comes the joy of gathering with friends during a virtual tea party due to the Corvid-19 social distancing requirements. We can still get together and enjoy a nice cup of tea for an afternoon chat and share the creative projects we are working on. Read more about “Afternoon Delight”.

Island Batik

Corona Borealis – Finding the way through these uncertain seas – My Island Batik One Die AccuQuilt Wonder Challenge

This month has been an ebb and flow of emotions. The Covid-19 virus has touched each and everyone of us around the world in some form. It is a turbulent sea out there at the moment. The events around the world are changing daily. I was given the new AccuQuilt BOB, Storm-At-Sea die and thought this months challenge was a perfect way to use this new die.

Island Batik

Island Batik Log Cabin Blog Hop – Meet Pythagoras

February Island Batik Blog Hop Challenge using the new Spring/Summer 2020 Sunset Blooms collection by Kathy Engle. Pythagoras is a fun and easy triangle log cabin quilt to make. I know you all have heard of the Pythagorean Theorem, well I put the theorem to good use. There are so many possibilities for organizing them to make interesting log cabin quilts. Visit my blog and read more. Leave me a comment. I would love to hear what you think about this new Island Batik collection.

Gallery of Quilts Island Batik

Let’s Get Scrappy – Let’s play in the scrap box

As quilters we all have them, some more than others – lots and lots of fabric scraps. If we are new quilters we may not have as much, but don’t let that stop you from making a beautiful scrappy quilt. There are all kinds of way to build your scrap stash. So Let’s Get Scrappy and let me show you a great way to use up those beautiful scraps.

Island Batik

Meet the 2020 Island Batik Ambassadors

The Island Batik Brand Ambassador Program is starting its 5th year! I am thrilled to be starting my 2nd year as an Island Batik Brand Ambassadors! This group of 25 talented creatives is wonderful.  I am so honored to be a member of this group. We will be bringing you inspiration, tutorials, and humor. It …

Island Batik

Joyful Orbs – Island Batik Tool Time Challenge

Another year is coming to an end and a new year is beginning. As I look back on 2019, there are so many things to be thankful for. One of which is having the opportunity to be a 2019 Island Batik Ambassador. I designed “Joyful Orbs” for my Tool Time Challenge to share with all of you the joy I have experienced this past year as being one of their ambassadors and designers.

Island Batik

Twinkly – December Island Batik “3-D Challenge”

Meet “Twinkly”, my 3-D Island Batik December Challenge. Don’t you just love the colorful lights lighting up the driveways and houses this time of year. ‘Twinkly” was inspired by the wonderful lights hanging from the roof tops of brightly decorated house in our town.

Island Batik

Houston Market – Here I come.

Tomorrow at Houston Market will be an exciting day. I have been bursting at the seams to share this news. I have 2 patterns that will premier at Island Batik’s Schoolhouse session tomorrow morning. The patterns were designed using Caludia’s Phiel’s new fabric collection “Cascadia” for Island Batik. The collection is fantastic to say the …

Island Batik

Harvest Rose – October “Top It Off” Island Batik Challenge

Autumn is my favorite time of year. The crisp, cool mornings with the golden glow of fall leaves filling the countryside. I thought I would bring the colors of Autumn from the outside into our home. Let me introduce you to “Harvest Rose”, a fast and easy table topper project using Island Batik fabrics, fusible webbing, and the Accuquilt GO! dies.

Island Batik

Pawing Around with BOB – September Island Batik Challenge

As a child I have fond memories of playing around with blocks. It was so fun to take these simple shapes and create all kinds of structures and unique designs. This month’s Island Batik Challenge we were to let the child inside come out and play again. The Child’s Play Challenge brought back this wonderful memories. My challenge was to use the AccuQuilt Bear Paw BOB (Block on Board) and create a fun quilt for a child. I did some “pawing” around with the shapes on the AccuQuilt Bear Paw BOB and design a modern, graphic, design. Meet “Pawing Around”.

Island Batik

Beating the Heat under “Fiesta Stars” – August Island Batik Blog Hop

Summer is a time for vacations, picnics, state fairs, car shows, concerts, and outdoor celebrations. Living in Iowa we beat the heat enjoying a number of summertime activities. It is always fun to attend a concert under the stars, a car show with vintage automobiles brought back to life, or a stroll through a beautiful garden. “Fiesta Stars” was inspired by the bright colors of carnival rides, the vibrant paint on classic cars, and the beautiful hues of a summertime garden in full bloom.

Island Batik

Try It! – Cathedral Windows Table Topper by Machine

Have you ever thought about making a Cathedral Window quilt but were afraid to. Well join the club. I had always admired these timeless quilts but was not crazy about the handwork involved in making one. Then I discovered a Cathedral Window can be made by machine. I wanted to try this new way of making one and share how I did it.

Island Batik

Oh Baby, Let’s GO! – April 2019 Island Batik Challenge –

I want to share with you a wonderful tool, the AccuQuilt GO! cutting system. I used AccuQuilt GO! for my April Island Batik Baby Quilt Challenge. I cut all the fabrics need for this quilt in about 90 minutes. I did not have to fret about getting the angles in the Magic Triangle block perfect. The GO! cutting dies cut everything with accuracy and ease.

Island Batik

Come join in Sew Sewcial with Custom Batiks Fabrics by Island Batik available in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

One of the fun things I get to do as an Island Batik Ambassador is tell you about fun events. Here is one you will not want to miss. It is called Sew Sewcial. Come join the Sewing Sewcial event at our very own Iowa store, Inspired to Sew in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and the …

Island Batik Uncategorized

March 2019 Island Batik Challenge – Vintage Reimagined

A step back in time to the 1700’s, that is when the pattern we know today as the mariner’s compass was first designed. This design was also referred to as Chips and Whetstones, Explosion, and sun related names like Sunburst and Rising Sun. It is a stunning pattern and complex in design. I am fascinated …