Happy New Year and thank you for a wonderful 2024. Being an Island Batik Ambassador has been a great joy in my life, giving me many events to look forward to as well as a wonderful community. I’m thrilled that I will be returning in 2025 for my third year as an Ambassador. My first box has already arrived and I’m planning for all the fun in 2025!

Thank you again to the generous sponsors in 2024: Island Batik, Schmetz Needles, Hobbs Batting, Oliso Home, Funky Friends Factory, ByAnnie, Aurifil Thread, Dub Tucker Studio 180, and Missouri Star. Outside of the ambassador program, Hab and Dash supplied my Longarming and machine embroidery thread.

January

Fat Quarter Shop hosted a free pattern that I had a lot of fun making with Island Batik Precious Pink Gradients.

February

The Log Cabin Blog Hop! I designed and wrote the January Waltz pattern. I may look like long strips, but it’s a log cabin block so you can nest seams and keep a better alignment of your rows and columns.

The Cupid Box from Fat Quarter Shop is a favorite seasonal purchase of mine. This pattern was in the box and I used my leftover Island Batik Country Charm scraps to create this sweet runner!

March

March was a free month for the ambassadors to make whatever they desired! I stash busted with this Startastic quilt!

What this quilt get made on my YouTube channel! (Video Link)

April

Tom Turkey was the Funky Friend I picked out for the Funky Friends Factory Challenge. I love him so much!

May

The perfectly pieced blog hop was a time for new challenges making a paper pieced project. I picked the braided geese unit in this layout found in the Chatsworth book by Doug Leko.

June

Deb Tucker Studio 180 sent me the Corner Beam ruler to create a quilt for Sleep in Heavenly Piece. I was honored the they enjoyed the pattern so much, they are using it in workshops to make more charity quilts!

August

Ok, confessions. I failed the Marvelous Mini Challenge. This acronym quilt would have been a mini quilt if I didn’t add the borders, but I forgot to leave them out! I adored doing appliqué and hope to find more outlets for the technique in 2025.

Watch the start to finish process on my YouTube channel! (Video Link)

I took the APQS Longarming certification course where I used Island Batik scraps to make baby quilts for Project Linus. Even through I didn’t get any clients in 2024 for my Longarming services, I planning to continue to practice the craft and donate quilts in 2025 thanks to the abundance in my materials through this program. Right now I don’t plan to offer Longarming services until we put an addition on our home that allows me to extend my frame from 8 feet to 10 feet.

September

Adventurous Appliqué Blog Hop was a challenge to try thread painting on appliqué. I made this dragonfly quilt with the Twilight Collection. I’ve put this quilt on our sun porch and it’s been an extra source of sunniness as we relax and enjoy rainy afternoons.

Watch the quilting of this project on my YouTube channel! (Video Link)

Spooky and Sweet was this year’s Halloween themed sew-along with Fat Quarter Shop. This is a free pattern that has 2 layout options to choose from: the door banner, or a square finish.

What the start to finish process of making Spooky and Sweet on my YouTube channel! (Video link)

October

For the Island Batik Ambassador ByAnnie Challenge I made the Take a Stand and Running with Scissors Toll case using Misty Mornings by Kate Colleran.

Then I made the ByAnnie A Place for Everything 2.0 and Tea Cozy for the Sew Pink Blog Hop using the Tranquility collection. (Video link)

And I started the Woven Hearts sew along with Fat Quarter Shop, using my favorite collection from 2024, Peach Blossoms!

November

I took a modern twist on the Dresden challenge, using the Midnight Garden collection. This used the Grandma’s Fan Die from Accuquilt. It’s funny that after this project (which I have 2 more quilts cut from this line needing assembled), I told Island Batik I was all “purpled out.” But, I have since then found myself gravitating to all the purple options from my nail polish, to my software color settings, even my pen ink!

“Zip Zap” is a pre-cut friendly quilt pattern available in 2 size options. This cover quilt features Flowing Meadows from Island Batik.

December

These pear placemats were my contribution to the Butterfly Haven Blog Hop by Jennifer Thomas from Curlicue Creations. I ended up enjoying these on my Christmas flannel tablecloth, which worked out really well thanks to the Partridge in a Pear Tree!

Watch the Start-to-finish process of this FREE pattern on my YouTube channel! (Link)

Woven Hearts wrapped up from the Sew-Along! I still laugh at this image seeing my finger pointing up. I injured it the day before and couldn’t bend it, so it’s giving a static “we’re number one!”

Watch Woven Hearts get made on my YouTube!

While working on this quilt, I was a guest on Sean, The Guy Who Sews, Saturday Morning Live show, and featured the finished quilt in his year end trunk show. This was my first time being Live, and collaborating with another YouTuber, which was honestly a scary leap made fun due to Sean’s great skill at hosting. I’m hoping to do some live shows on my own YouTube Channel soon!

And finally is the Animal Alphabet quilt. A machine embroidery project from Designs by Juju. This was a gift to my three year old. I was preparing myself for this huge project to end up in a lonely heap like his baby quilt, but when it’s laid out on the floor he ends up enjoying singing the alphabet song and jumping from letter to letter!

Thanks again to Island Batik for a wonderful year, especially to Natasha and Elizabeth who coordinate everything through all the chaos of the moving parts!