Island Batik Try it! - Fabric Origami

The June challenge for Island Batik Ambassadors is "Try It!"  This month we were to try a technique that was new to us using Island Batik Fabrics. So I tried Fabric Folding.

  At first I wasn't sure what technique to use, I have tried a lot already in all my years of quilting.  Hmm... That may be the reason why I have so many UFOs.

Then I remembered I remembered the book Fantastic Fabric Folding that has been sitting on the shelf for a couple years.  I had never tried any of the projects in it, only admired them, but not anymore!  This month I folded my first origami flower and I must say it was a super fun technique.

I used fabrics from the stash builders provided to me by Island Batik and some left over scraps from other Island Batik projects.  The stash builders are perfect for cutting 5 inch squares, which are smaller than the instructions called for in the book, but the folding technique is the same, so I just ended up with smaller flowers.

I made four flower sections with the intention of making the mini quilt in the book, but halfway through I decided I wanted  something functional that could stay out all the time instead of being swapped out with the seasons.  I opted for this fabric box and put the flower on all four sides.

I started out using the Fabric Keepsake Box tutorial from www.threadsmagazine.com, but altered the measurements to  make it the perfect size to fit some of my favorite one and two yard Island Batik cuts and left off the box top.

The tutorial called for cardboard cut outs for the inserts, but I wanted something a little more durable, so I broke out my old 26 x 36 cutting mat and cut my inserts from that.  Now if it ever gets wet for some reason the inserts will be fine.

It is the perfect width to set at the end of the cutting table and show off those yummy fabrics.

My handsome helpers.

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One Block Wonder - Blue Heron Panel

This is my second One Block Wonder using a panel 

I saw this Panel made into a OBW on the One Block Wonder Quilt Forum Facebook Group and knew I had to make one.

 The first panel I used last fall on the Halloween OBW  had a border around the panel.
This time I wanted to skip the border and have the hexagons blend with the panel. 

I cut my original strips 2 3/4 inches and got a lot of small hexagons to work with. 
I used almost all of them for this quilt.

Finding the perfect layout took quite a while.  

I had it up on the design wall for a long time and moved hexagons around several times till I found a layout that spoke to me.

I pressed all the seams open. 
Makes it lay flatter and easier to quilt.

For the quilting, I wanted to carry the design elements from the panel into the hexagons.  

I used the quilting to follow the curve of the clouds on through to the hexagons. For the rest of the panel I traced the bird and the lilies in with the thread.

The rest of the hexagons got an all over flower meander.

These One Block wonder quilts are addicting.  

I have already purchased fabric to make a couple more.

 With this one finished I can cross one item off my list for the second quarter Finish-A-Long for 2019.  Yay! I finally have a UFO finished off my list for the first time in a long time.  Each quarter I usually work a little on a lot of them, but never finish one.  So I'm super excited to have one completed!!  This one was started in December of 2018 and I finished it, complete with label and hanging sleeve, in June 2019.

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