Island Batik Ambassador Getaway Blog Hop!

Welcome to Day 10 of the Island Batik Ambassador Getaway Blog Hop.  Today Jackie O' Brien aka If These Threads Could Talk and myself are bringing you wonderfully bright and gorgeous fabrics from Deb Tucker's Studio 180 Design Signature Collection "Twilight Chic." Jackie and I, are both Studio 180 Design Certified Instructors, so it was only fitting that both we received these fabrics for our Surprise fabrics in our Island Batik Ambassador box for this blog hop.

This was not the first time I played with the Gorgeous Collection, I was part of the "Evening Elegance" Blog Hop, which introduced the fabric collection to the public. In the blog hop, we added two new blockbuster blocks using this fabric collection each day over a week. I love the bright and bold colors that are featured in the collection.  

For this blog hop, the theme is Getaway.  Getaway means time to travel home to the West Coast to visit family, or we love to take long drives to get out of the Hustle and bustle of the busy Washington DC area.

  

Anyway, the project I designed for this blog hop reflects that flight of the great getaway.  In this design, I used nine different 1/2 yard fabrics from the Twilight Chic collection.  I also used the following Studio 180 Design tools; Split Rects®, Rapid Fire Lemoyne Star®, and the Square Squared® 6". 

I started by making some mirrored split rectangles using the fun Split Rects® tool.  Each of the split rectangles used the same light background color, but the other half of the rectangles were in 4 different blues and purples. I think the Split Rects tool is my favorite tool of all the Studio 180 design tools. 

Next, I made some fun Rapid Fire Lemoyne Star for the corners of the blocks.  

In these Lemoyne's I used to different background fabrics to add some interest to the blocks. Each of the points are done in blues and purples.

The last units I made were the Square Squared® units.  You will notice from the picture about each of the triangles in the corners are the opposite the other.

Now, that all my units for the blocks were complete, It was time to assemble them into two different blocks.

Once my blocks were completed I assembled my quilt top.  All I needed to do next was add borders and get it quilted.

I finished the quilt using the Hobbs Heirloom cotton batting.

Finally, I finished this gorgeous quilt, which I'm naming "Getaway."  The butterflies in the quilt are taking a flight to get away from the busy world around us. This quilt measured 45" x 45" when finished. I'm currently working on developing this into a pattern, so please stay tuned for the official announcement, by following my newsletter and blog here, to find out the release date.

Giveaway!!!

Thank you for stopping by my blog today, but before you go; be sure to check out the giveaway on the Island Batik blog page, they are giving away a Rainbow of 20 Fat Quarters.  

GETAWAY BLOG HOP SCHEDULE

WEEK 1

MONDAY, JANUARY 7 – CRYSTAL BALL

Maryellen McAuliffe –Mary Mack’s Blog

Sandra Walker- mmm! quilts

TUESDAY, JANUARY 8 – DITTY

Stephanie Jacobson –Steph Jacobson Designs

Michelle Roberts- Creative Blonde

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9 – ELK LODGE

Connie Kresin Campbell – Free Motion by the River

Anna Branch –Ark Angel Creations

THURSDAY, JANUARY 10 – FELINE FINE

Bea Lee –Bea Quilter

Sharon Parcel- Yellow Cat Designs

FRIDAY, JANUARY 11 – FLEA MARKET

Geraldine Wilkins – Living Water Quilter

Jessica Caldwell- Desert Bloom Quilting

WEEK 2

MONDAY, JANUARY 14 – FORTUNE TELLER

Sarah Goer –Sarah Goer Quilts

Sherry Shish –Powered by Quilting

Jennifer Fulton –The Inquiring Quilter

TUESDAY, JANUARY 15 – GYPSY ROSE

Jen Strauser –Dizzy Quilter <– That’s me! 

Janet Yamamoto- Whispers of Yore

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16 – PAISLEY PARK

Dione Gardner-Stephen- Clever Chameleon

Nancy Scott –Masterpiece Quilting

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17 – SOUL SONG

Carole Lyles Shaw- Carol Lyles Shaw

Toby Lischko –Gateway Quilts & Stuff

FRIDAY, JANUARY 18 – TWILIGHT CHIC (Today)

Jackie OBrien –If These Threads Could Talk

Tina Dillard- Quilting Affection (ME)

WEEK 3

MONDAY, JANUARY 21 – WINTER PARK

Jennifer Thomas- Curlicue Creations

Anita Skjellanger- Quilt In a Not Shell

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22 – BAZAAR

Karen Overton- The Quilt Rambler

Alison Vermilya- Little Bunny Quilts

Turid Bakken- Den syende himmel

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23 – BLOSSOM

Karen Neary –Sew Karen-ly Created

Leanne Parsons –Devoted Quilter

THURSDAY, JANUARY 24 – BOHO

Laura Piland- Slice of Pi Quilts

Suzy Webster- Adventurous Applique and Quilting

Myra Barnes- Busy Hands Quilts

FRIDAY, JANUARY 25 – BROOKVIEW

Vicki Schlimmer –Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting

Amy Warner –Sew Incredibly Crazy

WEEK 4

MONDAY, JANUARY 28 – FRENCH BLUE

Pamela Boatright –PamelaQuilts

Joyce Mullis –Hearts Creations

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29 – MIDSUMMER NIGHT

Kathleen McCormick –Kathleen McMusing

Connie Kauffman – Kauffman Designs

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30 – OH DEER

Jen Shaffer- Patterns by Jen

Jeanette Jones –Inchworm Fabrics

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31 – SNOW BERRY

Sally Mannke –Sally Manke Fiber Artist

Joan Kawano –Moosestash Quilting

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1 – CANDY CANE LANE AND ICICLE

Icicle

Terri Vanden Bosch – Meanderings along Lizard Creek

Anne Wiens –Sweetgrass Creative Designs

Candy Cane Lane

Mania Hatziioannidi –Mania For Quilts

Barbara Gaddy –Bejeweled Quilts by Barb

Also if you love Quilt Alongs and Studio 180 Design Tools be sure to check my "Graceful Point" Quilt Along Starting February 1st. You can read more about this Quilt Along, right HERE!

Tina
"Designs to Inspire"

Goals for 2019!

Happy New Years and Welcome to 2019! 

A lot of exciting things have happened to Quilting Affection Design business in the past year.  Starting off with completing one of my long-term goals of becoming a Studio 180 Design Certified Instructor.  Which as brought me some great teaching opportunities and helped me with the pattern designing part of my business.  I was lucky enough to get Checker Distributor’s to carry my patterns as well. I continued as a 2018 Island Batik Ambassador.  Looking back at my main goals of 2018, such as growing my Social Media, Blog, and Newsletters, Lecture and Teaching, building my business.  I feel they were all met, but there is more room for growth in all aspects.

Now that I have looked back in 2018, its time to list my goals for 2019.  

Starting off with my long-term goals

Building my business name as a quilt pattern designer

 Work with other Fabric Companies

Gain more distributors

know these long-term goals will take several years, but to get there, I will need to build myself and business with the following short-term goals.

·         Continue to Grow my Social Media, Blog and Newsletter followers.

·         Blog Hops

·         Host QAL’s (Quilt Along’s)

·         Monthly Newsletter posts, making them fun and exciting.

·         Blog twice a week

·         Post more pictures on my projects and happenings on Social Media

·         Grow my Lectures, Workshop listings

·         Add Workshops using the Studio 180 Design tools

·         Lectures, trunk Shows on Studio 180 Design

·         Send letters to Guilds, Stores, Etc.

·         Make 2019 a profitable year

·         Continue designing my patterns

·         Have a booth a Quilt Market

·         Attend more classes to build my business starting with Creative Arts Business Summit, in March.

·         Design more patterns not just with Batiks, but spreading out using Cotton quilting fabric, such as Cotton & Steel, Michael Miller, etc.

·         Lastly, find time for myself, by scheduling 1-2 days of fun sewing, Sewing Retreats, taking classes.

Now I have my goals down for the year, its time to start acting on them and making them work for my business and you my customers. 

I want to thank you all for subscribing to my Newsletter, and I want to encourage you all to find goals for yourself and work on them throughout the year.  You will find them helpful in anything you do in life.

Tina

"Designs to Inspire"