Reflection on 2023 Island Batik Projects

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Written by Poetry Road/Marty Goes to Mars

I am so pleased to be successfully completing my first year as an Island Batik Ambassador. At times juggling a schedule of personal, career, craft business, and time in the studio, life can get busy and blurry. As a creative, not only am I a fabric artist/quilter, I am also a mixed media artist and a poet, actively pursuing exhibition and reading opportunities. I love to make room for it all, but I did take a hiatus on performing my poetry with PIPED, Power In Poetry Experience of Detroit this year. I still write and the group still meets up from time to time, we will see what 2024 brings.

Let’s look back at 2023

  • January Box Opening: Incredible surprises and I felt so blessed!
  • February Love Letters Puff Quilt: New process for me and a challenge to manage my recovery from a total knee replacement and the puff quilt. But I did it!!!
  • March Island Sunflowers Wall Hanging and Table Runner: I used the Island Batik Gecko in this project–so much fun! I started with a “brick wall” of wonderful King’s Castle Collection fabrics and then added petals and leaves plus the gecko!
  • April: Quilted Kimono Coat with Aurifil highlights” The challenge was to do a crazy quilt project with Aurifil thread highlights. I opted to do a crazy quilt Kimono with vintage lace and Aurifil embroidery creating a unique coat!
  • May: Sunny Meadow Sampler with Studio 180 Tucker Trimmer. I love Sampler quilts! My opportunity to learn new blocks I have never tried before–I always choose new blocks for these quilts:) The Tucker Trimmer is wonderful. I have used it all year! The Hobbs Batting Poly Down was wonderful! This is such a pretty quilt!
  • June, Fly Away Challenge: I chose to do a bed runner featuring vintage lace and island batik ribbon.
  • August The month of August we could pick any project, so I chose to create two totes using Accuquilt patterns and dies. The camper die I purchased after falling in love with it online! I sed it again in the December challenge.
  • September; The September Challenge required EPP or FPP quilting, I did both. The Island Queen of Diamond quilt was donated to True North to Freedom as part of the Accuquilt Cover the World initiative.
  • October: Falling for Accuquilt where we could use all or any part of the North Carolina Star die. 
  • Accuquilt Dies used:
    • GO! North Carolina Star
    • GO! Qube Mix & Match 8” Block
    • GO! Fall Medley
    • GO! Strip cutter 2-1/2” (2” Finished)
  • November: By Annie pattern challenge- I needed a duffle for my gym visits. This was a first for me using a By Annie pattern. The Add On videos online were fantastic, the instructions thorough. I am proud of the outcome!
  • December: The ambassadors could pick any holiday to celebrate. I chose Christmas and used that Accuquilt Camper die to create: Christmas Camping at Snowy Mountain which I gifted to my niece:)

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