Randi's Roost

At last! The challenge I've been waiting for! This month is the ByAnnie Blog Hop, It's In the Bag! I run the ByAnnie Bag Makers Group on Facebook, and back in January, I also started working for ByAnnie! So that's why this challenge was the most exciting for me.  I also had a bit of choice paralysis- so many great patterns to choose from! So I set up a poll in my Facebook group, and asked the members to vote. I already had a probable choice in the back of my mind, and then that same pattern is the one that won the vote. THEN, Annie herself voted and chose the same pattern as well. That sealed the deal- I would be making Divide and Conquer! Divide and Conquer is a compartmented travel bag that is widely agreed upon to be the most difficult ByAnnie project. I had never made it before, so I was eager to give it a go.  Here is the description from the ByAnnie website:  "Organize it all in these versatile bags in two sizes with adjustable handles and f

For our October challenge, the Island Batik Ambassadors got to use the amazing AccuQuilt Go Cutter and the North Carolina Star Block on Board. It was suggested that we go with a Fall theme, but it wasn't a requirement. I decided to include all four seasons! I made four small wall hangings- one representing each season- that are meant to hang together. Each one is a 12" square. It was a delight to work with the Go Cutter, and I never would have attempted this block without it. The North Carolina Star block is a bit complex, and has a lot of small pieces. Using the Go Cutter not only ensured accuracy, but saved many hours.  I also used Island Batik fabrics from several different collections, Aurifil thread , Hobbs batting , and a Schmetz microtex needle. Be sure to check out the amazing projects by all of this year's Island Batik Ambassadors by visiting the links below! Brenda Alburl ~  Songbird Designs Renee Atki

For this month, our challenge was to use a technique that is near and dear to my heart: paper piecing. We were allowed to use foundation paper piecing or English paper piecing, and I chose foundation paper piecing. This month I was lucky enough to work with Ornate Gems by Kathy Engle. I'll be honest- I had a heck of a time settling on a pattern for this challenge. I love foundation paper piecing so much, and the choices are so endless! I was a bit overwhelmed and actually had a few false starts before I finally settled on using the Mini Series patterns by Alison Glass and Giucy Giuce- but with a twist. I enlarged the blocks to better show off the beautiful fabric. So my blocks for this project were 7.5" rather than the 4" blocks I used for the Mini Series Sew Along.  And then, disaster struck.  While opening a jar of salsa, I felt a POP in my wrist and hand, and was almost knocked over by the pain. After lots of bad words and a visit wi

I entered one of my quilts in a show for the first time. I was a nervous wreck, and then totally shocked to see these!

The August project is "It's All Up to You". I made I'll Drink to That, which is a ByAnnie pattern that has an inner divider and is meant to carry wine bottles and glasses. I use it to carry water bottles and sunscreen when I take my kids to the park. I used Batik Foundations, Glorious Greens, Schmetz needles , and Aurifil thread .

*Products provided by sponsors!* Oh, my goodness- do I have some things to show you?!! I got the most amazing shipments from Island Batik and the sponsors of the Island Batik Ambassador Program!  Before I even show you this amazing stuff, I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to Island Batik , AccuQuilt , Hobbs , Aurifil , and ByAnnie !! They really outdid themselves this time. Okay, drumroll...  Half yard bundle of Ornate Gems- look for my project made with this, coming in September! That is also when this line will be available in stores. Holy batting, Batman! Or should I say Battingman? Hobbs gave us a wonderful selection of batting. ByAnnie provided everything we need for the November blog hop- pattern, Soft and Stable, hardware, zippers, mesh, vinyl, interfacing, etc. I will be making Divide and Conquer, which is one of the most challenging ByAnnie patterns.  Opulent Orange 10" squares- 20 designs, two squares of each design.