#aprilchallange – Michelle aka Creative Blonde

This month is all about the AccuQuilt cutting machine, this A-mazing piece of equipment was given to us by Accuquilt as part of the Island Batik Ambassador program 2019.

AccuQuilt Ready. Set. GO! Challenge Baby Quilt – Make a 40″ to 48″ square baby quilt using AccuQuilt dies

So how long would it take you cut out 625 Half Square Triangles ? With the Accuquilt Go Cube, you can Mix and Match to create over 72 block designs, I chose the following die cuts, and it took me under an hour to cut all my pieces out – That’s Crazy right? and not a dog ear in sight!!! – Happy days!!

I create my design on the EQ8 software.

This quilt was made using Island Batik fabrics given to me by Island Batik, as part of the Island Batik Ambassador Program

The pile of HST looked so pretty all stacked up, don’t you think?

It took me almost 7 hours to sew these 625 pieces together, but I love the end result…

Thanks for reading, be sure to head over to the Island Batik Facebook page to see what the other ambassadors are making this month, and throughout the year…

Follow me here on my blog, and you can also find me on Instagram and Facebook

‘Do what makes your heart smile’

Happy Sewing

Michelle @creativeblonde66

April challenge was to look back at vintage quilts, i immediately remembered ‘Sunbonnet Sue’, and as i started to look into this pattern, i notice it has come along way, with so many new designs, but still keeping to the traditional pattern we all know and love…

The products featured in this post were given to me by Island Batik, the threads i used were Aurifil threads. Making my own Sunbonnet Sue from the free online pattern, gave me the chance to play around with my machine embroidery stitches – love the teeny tiny flowers

I knew i wanted to include the 1930’s Hopscotch design, so i set about working out my sizes and choosing my fabrics. My fabrics came from the ‘Stash Builder Precuts’, i opened all 5 bundles, and mixed and matched them, until i had 11 different patterns

From these i cut over 200 blocks, and sewed them together with some beautiful Almond batik, and created …

I enjoyed doing some quilting using the lovely bright Aurifil thread colour 2479. The wadding i used was an extra thick wadding by Vilene 295. the backing was Grass – Olive Batik

Here in the UK, we are having what the weatherman politely call ‘April Showers’ but also known as ‘MORE RAIN!!’, in between downpours, i managed to get a few photos of my quilt, taken near the Acer Tree and grass that inspired me throughout the making of this quilt