Forever Quilting 4 You

Island Batik May 2023 challenge

This month my challenge was to use the Sumer Twilight bundle along with the Studio 180 Corner Beam by Deb tucker. To say that this months challenge was easy is an wrong assumption.

I have never used the Studio 180 Corner Beam ruler before so there was some kicking and screaming on my end. I have used specialty rulers in the past but not one from Deb Tucker. I started by reading the directions and watching Deb Tuckers You Tube videos on how to best use the Corner Beam ruler.

I realized that I have used another ruler that does the same thing and that didn’t help. Like all of us we tend to go the easy route and do what we already know what to do. I toyed with the idea of using the other ruler but that wasn’t an option.

So kicking and screaming back to the video I go and rereading the instruction and making some sample blocks to make sure that I knew what I was doing. So after some time and practice I got it!

Not only did this months challenge bring me a little distress I also am dealing with a family member who has terminal cancer and watching them struggle with life in general has, been rough.

On to turning lemons into lemonade and making the best of the situation and trying to take my mind off of the idea that some day I will loose my hero in life.

Raspberry Lemonade was born while thinking of my brother and his struggles. If he can make the best of cancer then I can certainly make the best of learning something new.

I started by looking at the Summer Twilight bundle and making pairs out of a light and dark fabrics then adding in a swirly white background from our foundation bundles that Island Batik gave us to use in any challenge.

I made a few blocks and then realized that I had a ton more to make, to make sure that I used all of the fabrics in the Summer Twilight bundle. Lets just say that there were so many different combinations it was hard to pick which ones I liked the best.

After the blocks were put together it was time to trim them square. This required several new and very sharp Olfa blades.

Oh the things that one could do with all of these scraps, but that will have to wait for another day.

Assembling the blocks with my Fons and Porter glue pen. I made sure to lay out each block before I glued them together because I was making two variations. I have a way of getting a head of myself and quickly making mistakes. Just to be on the safe side I lay everything out first. Once the blocks are glued together I sewed them one direction and then the other to give me two distinct blocks.

Points going in…

Points going out…

Now on to sewing the rows together and trying to keeps the blocks going the right direction and making sure to arrange the colors in a pleasing manner.

Then to add sashing and sewing the rows into a top. Next I took the scraps from when I trimmed the Corner Beams and made them into a second inner border.

I then added the final border of Precious Pinks Sangria to finish off the top.

Sadly the quilt is not yet quilted as my brothers required some help with his cancer treatment . As soon as life gets back on track, I will get my Raspberry Lemonade quilt, quilted using Hobbs 80/20 batting with Aurifil red, white and blue thread to match.

Until then here is what the quilt looks like, hope you enjoy.

What did I learn while doing this months challenge?

Life isn’t always easy or that it goes the way that you think it should even with the best laid plans. Other people need you more than you need to make a deadline. While this quilt is not quilted it is done to the best of my ability at the moment and that is all that really matters.

Thank you to Island Batik for the bundle of Summer Twilight, the colors are amazing, fun and bright. Precious Pinks Sangria for the rich red border

Studio 180 Corner Beam ruler by Deb Tucker.

Aurfil thread #4670 for the gray and white thread that works like a dream and leaves little to no lint.

Hobbys 80/20 battling to put the top all together.

Olfa rotary blades.

Fons and Porter glue pen.

Until next time what’s on your sewing table today.

Victoria