batik

Slow day................ from Exuberant Color

I didn't have anything lined up to sew, so I sorted the 1.5" batik squares by color and value so I could check on my inventory. Red, orange and yellow filled one tray.

Another tray was all blue and turquoise, and it looks like it is mostly turquoise.

This assortment was pulled from one box of batik scraps to do more cutting today.

Here are the remaining squares waiting to be sorted. It looks like I need to cut some more purple and green.

It was chilly and breezy yesterday so I spent the day inside relaxing. The ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 13 hours, 30 minutes ago. under accuquilt die cutter , batik

Doing some cutting.................. from Exuberant Color

A lot of small pieces of batik fabric are now cut into 2" squares. Most of these are from previous cutting sessions but new ones were added.

I also added to the 1.5" squares. I made a lot of 9 patches from this collection over a year ago. I mostly used the ones that aren't good for colorwash. I will continue with some cutting while I make decisions on some other projects in progress.

We got 3/4" of rain from the storm Friday night. My rain gauge collections for the month total 4.25". Now we have ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 1 day, 13 hours ago. under accuquilt die cutter , batik

Finish # 2 for April 2026................. from Exuberant Color

This quilt wasn't even on the radar for this year. When I discovered the drawer with 2.5" and 4.5" strips (cut many years ago), I started sorting them and realized I had almost enough in these 2 colors for a quilt. I think I cut a few new strips to get to a nice number of blocks.

The backing is one of my favorite purple batiks, and I must have gotten it on sale because I had 5 yards of it. The binding is a purple batik irregular stripe. It has Hobbs 80/20 batting in it ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 2 days, 2 hours ago. under batik , double 4 patch , nature

Purple/green Double 4 Patch................. from Exuberant Color

While in the basement doing laundry I trimmed the purple and green batik Double 4 Patch quilt. I searched for a binding and cut the 7 strips I needed.

I chose the binding that looked best with the backing fabric since there were many shades of purple on the front and fewer in this batik fabric.

Machine finishing the binding was my choice for this quilt. I have 19 needle positions on my Pfaff so I moved the needle 2 to the right and I lead the folded edge of the binding through the center opening of the presser foot ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 3 days, 13 hours ago. under batik , binding , double 4 patch

Sewing and garden..................... from Exuberant Color

I made the third block (not pressed) and added it to the other two for a table runner top.

I changed to 60 weight 2 ply thread and put the single hole plate on my machine to make a couple of the tiny bowties. I didn't turn on the iron yesterday.

I will need to cut some more pieces to make some more blocks. I was happy they really came out to the right size. Sometimes with tiny pieces the blocks come out a bit smaller than they are supposed to.

After 3 days near or above 80, everything ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 5 days, 13 hours ago. under accuquilt die cutter , batik , nature , tablerunner

Some die cutting............... from Exuberant Color

I took my pile of small batik scraps and cut some pieces for the 2" bowtie blocks. I have pieces laying out for one block but I haven't sewn any yet. I need to change to a lighter weight thread on my machine.

I have always been intrigued with this traditional block and the die was 57% off and free shipping so I bought it. It is a 12" block so the largest pieces will work nicely with larger prints.

I sewed a sample block but haven't pressed it yet so I'll have more to show tomorrow ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 1 week ago. under accuquilt die cutter , batik

Sunday sewing............... from Exuberant Color

Some of the pieced scraps from the orange basket got made into four 5.5" crazy pieced blocks.

They will go into this box of 5.5" batik squares. I counted over 300 plain squares and about 30 pieced blocks.

I got a bunch of blocks made for the 'other 16 patch' quilt project made with Marcia Derse fabric and tried 2 layouts. The blocks are horizontal in this layout. I need to cut 6 or 8 more fabrics depending on which layout I choose.

I rotated the photo for a vertical block layout. I will probably leave some future ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 1 month ago. under batik , marcia derse fabric , nature

It's a quilt top...................... from Exuberant Color

The last 3 seams were sewn yesterday and it's a finished quilt top, including the staystitching around the perimeter. It is 64" x 72". I really didn't think I was going to like it very much, but after it is sewn, yes, I do like it. This is a bonus quilt, one not planned to be made. It used 2.5" and 4.5" strips cut around 2009 and 26 sixteen patch blocks from the batik orphan block box. That's a win!

Now I need to get back to cutting half rectangle triangles and get another quilt ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 2 months ago. under batik , double 4 patch

Sewing long rows............... from Exuberant Color

These are the 2 new blocks I made yesterday, actually 2 of each of them. I didn't take a photo of the final layout.

I had 3 sewing sessions and this photo is after the rows were webbed in one direction.

This shows a portion of the top after some seams the other direction were sewn. There are three more long seams to sew.

Finally a couple of my cactus plants are setting buds for a new blooming season. I love this white with pink edging. I have another like this that has one bud on it too. Also ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 2 months ago. under batik , double 4 patch , nature

Some changes................ from Exuberant Color

I decided to shorten the length by one row and took out the blues and brighter greens. That made it an even number of blocks across but not lengthwise....so I changed the layout to a zig zag. Now the length is only 8" longer than the width, an awkward rectangular shape, but since this is a bonus quilt and will be gifted, it's going to stay this way. I still need to make 3 more 16 patch blocks to finish the layout.

I first searched my box of 2.5" batik strips and was surprised there were hardly ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 2 months ago. under batik , double 4 patch

First finish for February 2026............. from Exuberant Color

Purple Rosy is finished and I am so happy with the binding and backing as well as the top. It is 65" x 82" and has Hobbs 80/20 batting. It was quilted by Robin Diaz.

All of the fabrics are from the Kaffe Fassett Collective, the trio of designers.

The photo above was taken with my Canon camera and this photo was taken with my cellphone. I think this one is truer color, but something halfway between is probably the closest true color.

This backing fabric has a lavender background.

I cut batting for these two quilts, the next ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 2 months, 1 week ago. under batik , double 4 patch , kaffe fabric , one color quilt

Binding finished................. from Exuberant Color

The binding was finished last night, too late to take it's final photo.

I still can't believe there were so many purples in the Kaffe collective fabrics. Seeing all of the fabrics on my shelves, stored by number, there didn't seem to be that many. I sometimes think I should store them by color, but so many of the collective fabrics are multicolor without one clear color standing out.

I love the fabric on the back and I was lucky enough to find it on sale. It is also from the Kaffe collective group.

While in the ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 2 months, 1 week ago. under batik , double 4 patch , kaffe fabric , one color quilt

Monday night sewing................. from Exuberant Color

I had two sessions of hand stitching last night. I'm approaching the 4th corner now and part of the next side (a short side) is already stitched. One more night should do it. I'm done with PT until the last Friday of the month so I will have more time at home in the studio for a while.

This is what I worked on between those 2 sessions, 16 more double 4 patch blocks.

There are two blocks alike of each of these, 4 in each combination of fabrics.

And two of each of each block in these ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 2 months, 1 week ago. under batik , binding , double 4 patch , kaffe fabric

Decision made...................... from Exuberant Color

Either one of the fabrics I pulled to audition for the binding choice on Purple Rosy would have worked but I ended up choosing the diagonal stripe. This is the original fabric, not the archive reprint. I only got about 24" hand stitched last night.

I sewed 2 more combinations of fabrics into Double 4 patches. There are 2 of each of these, so 8 blocks were sewn.

We got up to 37 degrees yesterday, the first time above freezing in almost 3 weeks. Now we have 2 colder days over the weekend and then 30s and 40s next week.

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 2 months, 1 week ago. under batik , binding , double 4 patch , kaffe fabric

Machine fixed, cutting and sewing............... from Exuberant Color

These are the blocks I was trying to sew when my machine had no tension. When I worked at the sewing machine store, the boss showed all of the employees how to take the top off of our Pfaff machines so we could find errant threads. I did that 2 nights ago and couldn't find any thread but cleaned out some lint. I did some flossing of the tension discs with a folded strip of fabric and kept testing the sewing but nothing was working.

Yesterday morning I opened the top of the machine again and finally the thread ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 2 months, 1 week ago. under batik , double 4 patch

Sewing was interrupted.................. from Exuberant Color

Someone is going to the far side of a neighboring state to see my great-grandchildren. That means baking treats for them. The chocolate chip cookies are delicious.

I also made shortbread and peanut butter cookies. I had to test them too. I need to know I'm sending them good treats. That's my story..............

I did get started cutting the 4.5" squares for the double 4 patch blocks.

We have had 18 days in a row below 32 degrees, the average temperature for this date. Thursday may get up to 32, but Friday is slated for high 30s ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 2 months, 2 weeks ago. under 4 patch , batik , double 4 patch , food

Mindless sewing.....again................... from Exuberant Color

Yesterday was a PT day so I have to be watching the clock.

One thing I did get done during the day was to layer several stratas, staggered by 1" and cut 2.5" segments from them. I had sewn the 2 strips together and did the pressing last week.

Last night's mindless sewing was making the 80 four patches which will be used in 40 double 4 patch blocks. I need to cut the 4.5" squares now from the 4.5" strips.

Part of the reason I didn't get much done yesterday was because of this ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 2 months, 2 weeks ago. under 4 patch , batik , double 4 patch , nature , strip piecing

Finished..........(second post today).......... from Exuberant Color

The binding was cut and sewn on by 4 p.m. today so I had time to go down and photograph it.

This quilt is made of floral fabrics that are mostly from the 1990s, with a few newer ones added in for variety. They are 6" squares and really show off the beauty of the florals.

This is the binding fabric, black, brown and green. I picked it because it went best with the back. I had other choices that I liked with the front but not the back.

The back is one of my favorite floral fabrics and ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 2 months, 2 weeks ago. under batik , binding , double 4 patch

On the design wall.................. from Exuberant Color

I finally got to the design wall with half of the blocks and created the layout of the top half of the quilt. I have enough blocks to do a 7 x 10 layout which will yield a top 56" x 80". That is pretty close to the 60" x 80" that I like. I started sewing this together last night and will design the bottom half today. It isn't quite as bright as the photo shows.

The first Amaryllis flower has opened and it is white with red edging on the petals. I should have a second flower ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 2 months, 2 weeks ago. under batik , double 4 patch , nature

Onto the last blocks............... from Exuberant Color

I pressed all of the sewn strips and all 52 of the previously made blocks. Then it was time last night to sew 18 more blocks. The bottom 2 were cut from 2 fat eighths so there are only 2 of them, not 4 like the rest.

I cut the last 2 sets of strips. I changed the green from what I showed yesterday. The purple one is the one I called the wild card yesterday. I was able to cut the wide strip along the darkest edge of the fabric and the narrow strip has all of the colors ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 2 months, 3 weeks ago. under batik , double 4 patch

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