IT is never too early...

Or is it too late? as I may have some Christmas decorations that I never actually put away from Christmas 2020!

See that Nativity set in the background...I never actually put it away in January! Oops.

Am I early or late?

This months Island batik challenge was to create a holiday project. I don't have many holiday quilts and I love Table Quilts. It is kind of like a big placemat.

I decided to use my Accuquilt Tumbler die and create a modern stripe quilt with some sort of embellishment.

I drew up some plans in EQ8 and colored it with some specific stripes.

I thought maybe I would applique some Christmas ornaments as well.

Stash builder rolls are a FAVORITE because the 5" strips are perfect for so many projects. I used the stash builders for my whites/lights. Ask for them at your local quilt shop.

I collected all my greens and cut a 5" strip from each.

Piecing was pretty quick. No I did not use that seam ripper. Mostly.

The rows went together fast.

I hang them from my longarm bars as I stitch them together.

Once together I added a top/bottom border. I quilted with a pale green thread and used Hobbs Heirloom batting.

After the initial quilting, I added some redwork embroidery. I wanted something just on the center. It will be visible when being used on a table.

The design is from Embroidery Library. I converted the design in PS Designer for use on my Longarm.

I trimmed the sides after quilting and bound in one of the bright greens.

See this blue green tumbler? I added it so that the quilt would go with my buffet in my dining room.

And the finish:

It is 64" by 38".

And maybe a bit of a fun pic: as I am writing the blog, I must test out the cookies that I make for the photo shoot!

Disclosure: The products featured here were provided to me free of charge by Island Batik, Accuquilt and Hobbs.

Megan Best ~ Bestquilter

Pamela Boatright ~ Pamelaquilts

Elizabeth DeCroos ~ Epida Studio

Jennifer Eubank ~ Archipelago Quilting

Jennifer Fulton ~ The Inquiring Quilter

Preeti Harris ~ Sew Preeti Quilts

Joanne Hart ~ Unicorn Harts

Mania Hatziioannidi ~ Mania for quilts

Jane Hauprich - Stitch By Stitch Custom Quilting

Connie Kauffman ~ Kauffman Designs

Emily Leachman ~ The Darling Dogwood

Denise Looney ~ For The Love Of Geese

Leah Malasky ~ Quilted Delights

Sally Manke ~ Sally Manke, Fiber Artist

Maryellen McAuliffe ~ Mary Mack Made Mine

Claudia Porter ~ Create with Claudia

Gail Renna ~ Quilt Haven Threads

Brianna Roberts ~ Sew Cute And Quirky

Michelle Roberts ~ Creative Blonde

Gail Sheppard ~ Quilting Gail

Andi Stanfield ~ True Blue Quilts

Jennifer Thomas ~ CurliCue Creations

Suzy Webster ~ WebsterQuilt

Janet Yamamoto ~ Whispers of Yore

Its 2021 and even though things are looking up, we are still in the midst of a Pandemic. We really need to find some joy. The bright colors and act of creating with fabric can bring so much joy in a stressful time. I will continue to create while I am just beginning to start traveling and teaching. Follow me on Instagram to find more fun and colorful quilt projects (and some gardening and cooking too!). @bestquilter

# islandbatik #hobbsbatting #accuquilt #accuquiltgo #doyoueq #janome #juki #handiquilter #prostitcher #prostitcherdesigner