Holiday Diamonds Island Batik Quilt
It is time for my second blog hop as an Island Batik Ambassador and this month it’s all about modern quilting. If you watched my unboxing video back in January, you might remember that there was a wrapped bundle that was marked as a surprise. Well the month of May is when I get to show off the fabric that was in that package. I was so pleased to get the beautiful Holly Holiday fabric line designed by Kathy Engle. It is ideal for all sorts of projects. For my Holiday Diamonds Island Batik quilt I went big and bold.
This fabric line was perfect for me as I don’t have a lot of holiday fabrics. Along with a festive quilt, I have been wanting to make our family a set of Christmas placemats. Problem solved! I came up with a bold graphic quilt design and a bonus free placemat pattern. Find out all of the info on the placemats later on in this article.
Disclosure: The products in this post were generously provided by Island Batik, Accuquilt, Aurifil, Schmetz Needles, and Hobbs Batting.
The Theme
This month the ambassadors were asked to make it modern and, while I love modern quilts, I don’t consider myself a modern quilter per se. I do use modern elements in some of my designs. Maybe I’m a traditional quilter with a touch of modern in me. I think I’ll just skip the labels and say that I am a quilter.
I played with a lot of designs, but kept going back to diamonds. In particular, I liked how graphic they were and how they showed off these gorgeous fabrics.
The Fabric
These are the beautiful fabrics I received. The line is called Holly Holiday and it was designed by Kathy Engle. Look for the fabrics in quilt shops in May of 2021.
I was lucky enough to get a half yard of each of them! Every one of them has such a rich and saturated tone. To coordinate with them, I received 2 yards each of Berries-Candy and Holly Leaves-Sahara. Both are from the Holly Holiday line as well.
As soon as I saw that gold color I knew that no matter what my design was going to be, that gold was going to be the background. It glows and there are other fabrics in the line that are gold too. In fact, I used up pretty much every piece I had to make this quilt.
How I Made the Holiday Diamonds Island Batik Quilt
One of the things I got in my ambassador box was an AccuQuiltGo! cutting system. What a time saver! I knew that I did not want to cut out all of those diamond shapes (365 in total) by hand so I bought the 4″ diamond die and started cutting away. It made incredibly easy work of the entire process, and each one was precisely cut!
Because it was a long quilt (about 46″ x 80″), it was a little awkward to piece, but with a little organization, it came together easily. The only pattern I followed was the layout. I just randomly pulled fabric from the appropriate color group to make the top. As a result, the quilt has a scrappy look with plenty of sparkle. To piece it I used Auriful thread #2975 (Brass), which was the perfect gold color.
For the batting I used Hobbs Poly-Down. Because it is so lightweight, it gave the quilt a nice drape. It’s a very lightweight batting and the quilt has that same feel. In my machine I used Schmetz needles.
The Quilting
To finish the quilt, I sent it off to my longarmer, Adria Good Longarm Quilting, of Quilting Coach Chick. Machine quilting is not my strong suit, so when I make larger quilts, they go to her and she does lovely work.
The Placemats
While I don’t have a pattern for the large quilt, I do have one for these fun and graphic placemats. These are so easy and quick to make and will look good on any holiday table. My free pattern and tutorial can be found here.
Happy Quilting! – Claudia
25 Comments
Quilting Tangent
May 10, 2021 at 11:08 AMPretty quilt and placemats. Wish I was on Instagram so I could enter your giveaway.
Susan L Stanton
May 10, 2021 at 11:13 AMMy tip for caring for a quilted item to make it last is to rarly wash it. If it does need to be washed, gently soak it and wash by hand.
Bonnie in Va
May 10, 2021 at 11:47 AMThe quilt is gorgeous. Love the play of the colors. Now I’m going to have to look at the diamond die. Hum, do I need it? Maybe…. I’m another not on Instagram but happy to enter the Island Batik giveaway.
createwithclaudia_7j76hs
May 10, 2021 at 12:42 PMThanks so much. It was a fun one to make. Good luck!
Bonnie larson
May 10, 2021 at 9:57 PMWash it carefully and don’t let the dog have it!!
KJ
May 10, 2021 at 12:02 PMGorgeous and striking quilt. The gold background really makes it sing.
KJ
May 10, 2021 at 12:06 PMI keep my quilts out of sunlight, and I periodically change the way they are folded. I make wall quilts so my work doesn’t get much wear.
createwithclaudia_7j76hs
May 10, 2021 at 12:41 PMGood tip.
createwithclaudia_7j76hs
May 10, 2021 at 12:39 PMThanks so much. I appreciate it!
Nancy A
May 10, 2021 at 12:29 PMI am not sure I have any tips for making quilts last longer. My basic thoughts are use and enjoy. But as you use, treat them kindly and keep out of direct sunlight. Quilts that are stored should be refolded regularly.
createwithclaudia_7j76hs
May 10, 2021 at 12:39 PMWise advice. Thanks for stopping by!
Denise
May 10, 2021 at 1:31 PMSo glorious. One thing I have learned is IB Christmas collections are always so pretty.
Gail Sheppard
May 10, 2021 at 5:56 PMFantastic vibrant quilt!!! Love your use of diamonds!
And the placemats … very cool and festive!
Nancy Sumner
May 10, 2021 at 7:24 PMWhat a beautiful job you did with those fabrics! The quilt is just lovely. I like to make sure my quilts are washed and dried carefully, using color catchers and synthrapol to keep the colors looking great and prevent colors from running…especially the reds!
Beth Talmage
May 10, 2021 at 7:45 PMMy tip would be, be aware of nearby windows when leaving a quilt in one place for any length of time. I’ve seen significant fading on quilts left on beds by windows–which would be okay except that the part of the quilt draped over the side of the bed did not fade, so it resulted in a “striped” look. Not so good.
Sue D
May 10, 2021 at 9:57 PMBeautiful colors and I like the diamonds.
createwithclaudia_7j76hs
May 11, 2021 at 6:16 AMThank you. I appreciate that!
Maryellen McAuliffe
May 11, 2021 at 12:57 AMGreat quilt! I love how the diamonds sparkle.
createwithclaudia_7j76hs
May 11, 2021 at 6:15 AMThanks Maryellen. Now if I could only turn them into real diamonds! 🙂
Christi
May 11, 2021 at 1:31 AMLove the quilt and the placemats. I will enter on IG for sure. Thanks for the pattern.
createwithclaudia_7j76hs
May 11, 2021 at 6:14 AMGreat! Thanks for reading!
Pam
May 11, 2021 at 8:47 AMI would echo what others have said – wash gently and keep out of sunlight. But definitely use the quilt! If it eventually becomes loved to death, it has served it’s purpose well.
Becky Turner
May 11, 2021 at 10:00 AMI think / feel a quilt is to be used and enjoyed. Some will last longer then others…but what helps is not to over wash it…. Hang it up / lay it out to dry when you can to beat the wear and tare of a clothes dryer.
Kathy E.
May 11, 2021 at 10:41 AMMy best tips are to use quality thread and fabrics to keep the quilt looking good for a long time. Also, it helps a great deal to keep it out of the sun so the fabrics don’t fade. Love your modern Christmas quilt!
Allison
May 12, 2021 at 7:07 AMBeautiful! I always use gentle cycle and cool water to wash quilts. I dry them on low with lots of dry bath towels to speed drying!