Forever Quilting 4 You

December brings another month where the Island Batik Ambassadors were given the opportunity to create something of their own choosing. One night while video chatting with a fellow Island Batik Ambassador in Georgia, Carol Stanek, I mentioned that I really wanted to be able to create something on my own without any rules, so December’s challenge was a perfect fit for what I wanted to do, and an even more perfect way to end my Ambassadorship with Island Batik; this is my last blog as an Island Batik Ambassador, so let’s get started with my final, sparkly project!

While each month’s projects have certainly been challenging, having free reign to come up with my own design and decide which Island Batik fabrics to use is going to be a lot of fun. Letting my creativity be my guide, then sitting at my favorite Bernina 570QE (thank you to my Sissy/Editor for an amazing gift) is exactly what I needed to bring this year and my ambassadorship with Island Batiks to a close. So please join me as I begin my final Island Batik challenge.

I grabbed some left-over Island Batik fabric scraps, a few matching zippers, some ribbon, Aurifil thread, Hobb’s batting, and a secret notion. Ready to let the creative juices flow! Looking at everything I picked I decided to do some random quilting. I measured two pieces of fabric the same size and then cut some Hobbs batting to match. I’m not much of a machine quilter, so I pulled out my secret weapon to use instead … Free Fuse! This is a powder that you shake onto the batting, then place the fabric on top of the batting, then iron/press the fabric, which results in adhering the fabric to the batting. I adhered fabric on both sides of the batting, creating a sandwich of fabric and batting.

After this was done, using my Creative Grid Ruler I drew lines anywhere from 1.5” to 2” wide with my Frixion pen. For those of you who are skeptical about using this pen, it is my go-to pen when I need to draw lines, and it works well for me.

With the lines marked, I chose some Aurifil thread to match the fabric. I know, I know, I did that last month, too! What’s that all about?! Well, I really had no choice! My creative juices are the Project Manager for this month’s challenge. After I quilted the fabric sandwich on the lines I drew, I then grabbed a matching zipper. Here I go again! Something else that matches, wait, what? Well, remember? No rules to follow! Back to the fun. After sewing in the zipper, I then folded over the fabric and stitched again. This is something I always do to make sure the zipper will be secure, holding up to constant use. At this point Carol asked me what I was doing, and I told her “I’m doing what I love to do the most, letting my creativity take me wherever it takes me!”

With the zipper in, I needed to add some sort of handle; sometimes I add a tab at the end of the zipper and other times I add a full-fledged handle, and sometimes two if I’m feeling especially creative. After I attached the handles, I needed to box the ends. I do this by drawing a square at the bottom of the quilted sandwich, pinching the fabrics together and sewing across the top of the square I drew. If you haven’t figured it out yet I’m making a bag, purse or tote. I never know what it will be until the entire process is complete.

Now that the bag is made, I’m ready to add my most favorite “secret notion” to the bag!!! If you didn’t know this about me before, most people refer to me as “The Sparkle Queen!!!” You might have guessed why… I love everything that’s shiny and sparkly! So, a while ago I bought a Hotfix Rhinestone applicator. I’m not really a gadget/notion person, but I had to have this!!! It’s amazing and if you are a sparkly kind-of- person like me, if you don’t already have one you definitely need to get one! Just think, with Christmas right around the corner you can add sparkles to so many things, like your husband, kids, dogs, cats, Amazon/FedEx delivery drivers, neighbors … the list goes on!!!

The first bag is done, sparkles and all, and I’m in love with the way it turned out! This is the first time that I have squared off the top of a bag making it look like a briefcase (or attaché; my Sissy added this foofy name for a briefcase; she’s a bit frou-frou at times!) I had so much fun making this bag, I had to make a few more with the leftover scraps I had. Once the additional bags were made it was time to call it a day, bring this month’s challenge and my Island Batik Ambassadorship to an end.

As 2024 comes to an end, throughout the year many doors opened and some closed. I’m sad that I was not chosen to represent Island Batik for another year, but that’s one of the doors that closed and I’m now walking through one of the doors that opened – as a newly Authorized Teacher for BeColourful Quilts by Jacqueline de Jonge. It’s been a wonderful two years representing Island Batik. It forced me out of my comfort zone and made me think outside of the box on more than one occasion. It also created many opportunities for me to learn new things. It challenged my creativity and introduced me to many fabrics that I would have never purchased. It enabled me to share Island Batik fabrics with friends and quilt guild members who attended my trunk shows, introducing them to new and different Batiks. Plus, everyone enjoyed getting some free fabrics courtesy of Island Batik, along with samples of Aurifil thread and Schmetz needles. Everyone at the guilds as well as those reading my blog have enjoyed seeing what I created with Island Batik fabrics and remarked about how beautiful my creations were.

Looking forward to 2025, I’m embarking on a few new journeys and will include updates in future blogs. The one I’m most excited about beginning is as an Authorized Teacher for www.BeColourful.com by Jacqueline de Jonge from the Netherlands. When I started making BeColourful quilts several years ago I immediately fell in love with the patterns, brightly colored fabrics, and the method of putting them together. It wasn’t long before I realized that I wanted to become an Authorized Teacher for BeColourful Quilts. My dream came true in November of this year when Jacqueline and her sister Bridget invited me to join their team as an Authorized Teacher. In June 2025, I will be attending another BeColourful Master Class in Tennessee, but it will be my first as a team member! I’m in the process of completing a newly designed BeColourful quilt before that class to take with me. In the meantime, I’m already booking classes in 2025 to teach BeColourful Quilts, so let me know when you’d like to schedule yours! Also, please go to www.becolourful.com/victoria-johnson to check out my bio.

Another very personal journey I’ve chosen to take is focusing on self-care. Over a year ago during an appointment with my doctor she bluntly told me that if I don’t do something about my weight, I won’t be around much longer to take care of my daughter, or as she put it, “Who will be here to take care of your daughter when you’re dead?” It was during that visit she prescribed weight loss surgery. It was also a reality check for me. As many of you know, my daughter, Tiffanie has Cerebral Palsy and will need to live with me for the rest of our lives, and I want to live that long. The idea of being around for a bit longer was appealing to me, so it didn’t take long for me to make the decision to proceed with surgery. Not only for her, but for me too.  So, over the last 13 months I’ve been going through the steps (there were a lot, and a lot of doctor appointments that went along with those steps) to prepare for this surgery, which is happening at the end of December 2024.

Please keep checking my blog for updates in 2025. Until then have a wonderful holiday season and a safe and festive New Year’s Eve! Best wishes for 2025!

So, what have I learned this month?

It was a blessing to receive such beautiful fabrics and to be able to freely share them with others.

Stretching my skillset beyond what I thought I was capable of is a good thing. But letting my creativity flow will always be my favorite thing to do.

Having and using scraps for the things I create is my favorite thing to do; thank you Island Batik for providing so many fabrics from which to choose.

Having a door close can be sad but it’s well worth the journey getting there.

Walking through a newly opened door can be scary, but it’s also exciting. I’m looking forward to facing each and every challenge I encounter on the journeys upon which I’m about to embark.

Thank you to the most generous sponsors for these last two amazing years:

Island Batik Fabrics

Hobbs Batting

Aurifil thread

Schmetz needles

Studio 180 Deb Tucker

ByAnnie bags

Accuquilt

Funky Friends Factory

Oliso Irons

Until next time what is on your sewing table today?

Victoria aka Tori Foreverquiltingforyou@gmail.com