Bubbles, Curves and Corners Blog Hop!

Welcome to my day on the Bubbles, Curves and Corners blog hop! I'm so excited to share my project with you made from this gorgeous collection designed by Studio 180 Design for Island Batik. 

Our challenge was to take a BlockBuster and make a unique and different project with our chosen block. I knew immediately that I wanted to work with BlockBuster #93 Ferris Wheel. This block uses the Wedge Star tool to make the center of the block, along with the Tucker Trimmer to make hourglass units and the brand new technique Flock of Birds. 

I'm not only a quilter, but an avid knitter. This challenge was the perfect opportunity to make a brand new project bag for my knitting projects. 

I was given five gorgeous fabrics in this collection ranging from bright pinks and teals to beautiful lavenders and violets. I'm also working with an Island Batik foundation fabric in a lovely white.  

The first thing I do with a BlockBuster is break out my colored pencils. Each one comes with a black line drawing so you can audition your own colors. With so many fabrics to choose from I knew I could easily make two blocks, one for each side of my bag, in different colorways.  I worked with the colorations that Studio 180 came up with to determine how I wanted my blocks to look. 

 

I decided to go with 10" blocks so that I could make the tote about 15" square when I added borders. I determined what to cut for each block and got to sewing. These fabrics are a dream to work with!

The Flock of Birds units are a snap to make, using a technique similar to Shaded Four Patch. Because they are finished at 2" for a 10" block I worked with my Pint Size Tucker Trimmer. 

I made sure to carefully lay out the blocks with each unit turned the right way before I began stitching the blocks together. With so many units in this block it would be easy to get one of them turned around the wrong way. 

I was amazed at how easily the blocks came together, and in no time I had both blocks completed. I think it's pretty cool how different each block looks, just by changing a couple of the colors. 

I added borders to each side that finished at 3" and then it was time to quilt them. I could have gone without quilting them, but a quilted bag makes for great project storage. I chose a pantograph that was simple and loopy so it wouldn't detract from the fine, small units in the blocks. 

 

Once they were quilted I trimmed the blocks down to size and then began the process of turning them into a bag. I didn't use any particular pattern, just went with what I knew from making other bags in the past. I chose not to box the bottom of the bag since I didn't want to detract from the blocks themselves. 

I went with a lining using an Island Batik foundation fabric in Periwinkle. It was the perfect match for the blocks. I put a small pocket on one side of the lining to hold small notions. 

I went with one of the darker fabrics for the handles and used my walking foot to put the whole bag together. I love the way it turned out!

It's the perfect size bag for a shawl or sweater project and the little pocket is perfect for small notions. 

There are five other CIs on the blog hop this week, so don't forget to stop by their blogs and see their fun projects! And on Monday Studio 180 will do a wrap up, sharing more fun patterns designed for Bubbles, Curves and Corners. You can follow me on Facebook to see more of my projects and to find out about my online classes. 

Enjoy the rest of the Bubbles, Curves and Corners blog hop!