Sew in Love {with Fabric}

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Bali Blog Hop: Day 2

It's Day 2 of our Bali Blog Hop! We're back with another inspiring tutorial for using these rich, gorgeous Bali prints! Today Stephanie from Stitched Together Studios shares her wonky version of the classic Jacob's Ladder block. Enjoy!

I love batiks … all colors, all designs, every single thing about them, so I was thrilled to open up my fabric package and find the Rio and Dolce collections! I think they blend together beautifully (as do most batiks) so I chose to mix them up and use them together.

I immediately thought of the Jacob’s Ladder block – quick and easy, and it creates so many cool secondary patterns depending on how you put it all together! I whipped out my rulers and rotary cutter, and in just a few minutes I had this on my design wall:

Pretty, but lacking a little something …. There is RIO in these blocks for goodness sakes, land of the samba, Carnival, Copacabana Beach, and the upcoming Summer Olympics! I could do better.

Enter “A Escada de Jaco” (loose translation in Portuguese, the official language of Brazil)

Fabric Requirements

(1) each 3-1/2” square from (10) batiks

(10) 3-1/2” squares of white

(2) each 5” squares from (2) batiks

(2) 5” squares of white, crosscut once into (4) half square triangles.

Four Patch Units (make 5): Sew 3-1/2” batik and white squares together in pairs, then sew the pairs together into 4 patch units. Using your 4-1/2” ruler trim block at a fun wonky angle.

Half Square Triangle Units (make 4): Lay (1) white half square triangle right sides together at an angle on top of (1) 5” batik square, then sew along the angled line. Trim batik fabric, then press with seam allowance towards batik. Again, use your 4-1/2” ruler to trim square at a fun wonky angle.

To complete your block, lay out your four patch units making one diagonal white line and one diagonal batik line, then add in your half square triangle units with the white towards the center. Sew your units together into rows, then sew your rows together – and there you have it … “A Escada de Jaco.”

The finished block: Brazilian pizzazz!

Thanks, Stephanie!

Inspired by her block for this tutorial, Stephanie used the rest of her fat quarters and about a yard of white solid to create 6 Escada de Jaco blocks. She framed them with a 1" white border and a 5" improvisationally pieced border to create a 36" x 48" quilt top. So bright and beautiful! She'll be donating this to Quilted EMbrace, a group dedicated to "covering our seniors with a hug, one quilt at a time." (Click here to learn more about Quilted EMbrace.)

For a chance to win a fat quarter bundle of the Dolce and Rio fabrics we're featuring in this blog hop, make sure you're following us, either through a blog reader or by email (both options in the right-hand sidebar). Leave a comment below letting us know that you are, and also telling us if you've ever made a wonky block. Giveaway is open through Sunday, May 15th at 11:59 pm EST.

Click here to see the entire Rio collection.
Click here to see the entire Dolce collection.

Stop back each day this week to catch all of the tutorials!
Monday: Chris @ made by ChrissieD
Tuesday: Stephanie @ Stitched Together Studios
Wednesday: Benartex Blog Design Team
Thursday: Kirsten @ KD Quilts
Friday: Alison @ Little Bunny Quilts
Saturday: Debby @ Debby Kratovil Quilts

Monday, May 9, 2016

Bali Blog Hop: Day 1

If last week's posts of our current and upcoming Bali collections got your mouth-watering, then you're in for a treat this week! It's time for our Bali Blog Hop, featuring the Dolce and Rio collections. We selected six gorgeously saturated prints from each collection and will be sharing tutorials using those fabrics from six different designers. Each day you'll see a different block (or in some cases blocks), and you'll have a chance to win Rio and Dolce bundles for yourself!

Our first tutorial comes from Chris @ made by Chrissie D. She is sharing a few modern blocks, each showcasing one print. Put them all together (as she does on her blog) for a stunning modern design. Don't forget to visit her blog, not only to see the rendering of 36 blocks together, but also to enter for a chance to win Dolce and Rio bundles. Enjoy!

Hi, I'm Chris Dodsley of made by ChrissieD, a sewing teacher in Manhattan, NYC, blogging about my textile crafts and travel adventures.

I love to share my projects and tutorials with everyone on my made by ChrissieD blog and various social media sites including Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Flickr.

Day 1 on the Dolce and Rio Bali Block Hop and I'm sharing my 'Kukulcan' block pattern with you here on the Benartex Sew in Love {with Fabric} blog.

For the Block Hop, I've created my 'Kukulcan' block pattern which is made up of 3 different blocks using only two fabrics.

I'm using a white solid and while the cutting instructions are for one coloured fabric I've actually used three in this tute just so I can showcase more of the Bali Batiks for you: Kukulcan Inner Block - Sunny Leaf Plum from theDolce collection; Kukulcan Middle Block - Thousand Vines Red from the Rio collection; and Kukulcan Outer Block - Sunny Leaf Carribean also from the Rio collection.

Let's get started.

Kukulcan Block Pattern (12" finished)

Tools:

cutting mat / rotary cutter / small scissors or clippers

cutting ruler / marking pencil or pen / pins neutral thread

Instructions:

Sew each block together using a 1/4" seam.

Start by sewing A1 to B2 and work your way around the block adding each piece in numerical order A1 to C9.

Press all seams in your preferred manner, I've pressed my seams open for a flatter more modern look.

Tip:

When you have added all the B pieces to the A piece the block should measure 8-1/2". It is worthwhile checking the size at this stage to ensure your finished blocks measure up correctly at 12-1/2".

Block 1: Kukulcan - Inner

Section A - coloured fabric / Section B & C - white fabric

Block 2: Kukulcan - Middle

Section B - coloured fabric / Section A & C - white fabric

Block 3: Kukulcan - Outer

Section C - coloured fabric / Section A & B - white fabric

3 Kukulcan Blocks - finished

On the made by ChrissieD blog today I've created a digital image showing how the block can look made up into a 9 block quilt using the 3 Bali Batiks I've used here. I've done another image showing a 36 block quilt using all of the Bali Batiks shown in the above Dolce and Rio bundles. There's also a chance to win your own Bali Batik bundle so lots of reasons to click through and take a look.

I hope you've enjoyed my day on the Bali Block Hop and if you do use my tutorial I'd love to see what you make - Chris :D

Thanks, Chris! Head over to Chris' blog for a chance to win Dolce and Rio bundles.

Click here to see the entire Rio collection.
Click here to see the entire Dolce collection.

Stop back each day this week to catch all of the tutorials!
Monday: Chris @ made by ChrissieD
Tuesday: Stephanie @ Stitched Together Studios
Wednesday: Benartex Blog Design Team
Thursday: Kirsten @ KD Quilts
Friday: Alison @ Little Bunny Quilts
Saturday: Debby @ Debby Kratovil Quilts

Friday, May 6, 2016

Rio Balis

Consider this post a sneak peek--both at the gorgeous designs in our Rio collection (available in quilt shops this fall), but also at the rich colors you'll see during the Olympics this summer in Rio de Janeiro. These triple-dyed Rio Balis have a tropical feel, both in their palette and their patterns, inspired by the famous Carnival celebration in Brazil.

Click here to see the entire Rio Balis collection.
Watch for these batiks in our block blog hop next week!

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Dolce Balis

These triple-dyed Dolce Balis are bold, bright, and beautiful!

Need we say any more?

(Okay, we will...watch for them to take centerstage in a block blog hop next week! Available in quilt shops this fall.)

Click here to see the entire Dolce Bali collection.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Fun Flashback (without the mess!)

Remember when summer fun meant four or five different colors of RIT dye, some rubber bands, and a white t-shirt? You designed your t-shirt with strategic folds, twists and bands, but you never really knew what it would actually look like until you were done. And then your hands were stained with dye for the next week...

Bring back the fond memories of tie-dyeing without the mystery or mess with our Tie-Dye II Balis collection! We've done the folding, twisting and dyeing for you, so your only job is to pick which ones to use! These fabrics are pretty enough to be framed just as they are, but you can also use them to energize your next project!

The Papaya Stand quilt by Tailormade by Design uses careful stripe placement to enhance the design.

Click here to download the free quilt pattern.

Click here to see the entire Tie-Dye II Balis collection.

Click here to find the free quilt pattern.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Everglade Balis

Bring nature inside with these lush earth-toned Balis from the Everglade collection! Not just "brown," but coffee, copper, stone and moss--a gorgeous array of leaf and swirl prints in saturated hues.

Consider this a sneak peek; click here to see the entire Everglade collection, and watch for them in your local quilt shop in fall!

Monday, May 2, 2016

We LOVE Balis!

We're celebrating Balis this week! We'll be showing you a variety of Bali collections--some are available in your local quilt shop now, and others are a sneak peek of what you'll see in your quilt shop soon.
Balis have such rich texture and deep color because of the dyeing process they go through. Layer after layer of color creates a unique look for every piece.

Today we're showing the Garden Oasis Balis, which, as the name suggests, are inspired by what you'd find in a garden--large and small leaves, florals, and other organic shapes. The line includes a variety of values for making quilts that pop, and four "no-print" tonal designs are great for backgrounds.
And if this line looks slightly familiar, it's because Deep Sea Maze was in our Sweet Sixteen back in March!

Download these two free quilt patterns--they're both ideal for showcasing the rich colors and patterns of the Garden Oasis Balis collection.

"Deep Sea Maze" by Tailormade by Design

Click here to download the pattern.

"Loop di Loop" by Janet Page Kessler