We are on day 3 of this season’s Island Batik Week!! We hope you’ve been enjoying these showcases:). We absolutely adore working with Island Batik and have so much respect for its designers. We’ll be featuring one designer every day this week and each post will offer a fabric + thread giveaway, so make sure to come back daily to learn more and to enter-to-win some gorgeous prizes!
To learn about Island Batik and the batik process, please visit their website. For a peek at the full range of Spring/Summer 2017 releases, in-stores now, click here or on the image below to browse the catalog.
ISLAND BATIK WEEK SCHEDULE
February 19 – Jackie Kunkel (Jackie’s post — Island Batik’s post)
February 20 – Nan Baker (Nan’s post — Island Batik’s post)
February 21 – Tammy Silvers (Tammy’s Blog – Island Batik’s post)
February 22 – Ebony Love (Ebony’s Blog – Island Batik’s post)
February 23 – Kari Nichols (Kari’s Website)
Elementz is a gorgeously bright and vivid range of modern Batiks. The collection was designed by Tammy Silvers of Tamarinis for Island Batik, and is her second solo collection. We absolutely love the two distinct colorways and have been blown away by the stunning things that Tammy has created with this line.
While Tammy doesn’t have a collection to match this particular collection, she quickly noticed that some of the colors work particularly well with her Florida Oranges collection, which was released a few years ago. <3
THE INTERVIEW
How did you first connect with Island Batik?
Oh my gosh – Island Batik and I go waaaayyyy back! Some of my earliest patterns were designed with and for Island Batik fabrics. And I’ve never looked back!
What do you love most about working with batik fabrics?
What is NOT to love about batiks? I know many folks have a single impression of batiks – they are solid, they are pastel, or they are bright. But batiks offer as much range and option as print fabrics. And the intensity – the depth of color – well, it just can’t be beat. Plus there is the bonus of no wrong side – how awesome is that?
Can you tell us a bit more about this collection and what it means to you?
Elementz is my second collection with Island Batik and it represents two areas for me – my love of nature and my love of bright, saturated color. The motifs in Elementz are graphic representations of the elements of the earth – earth, wind, rain, ice. And the bright colors have been a go-to palate for me as long as I’ve been quilting. Getting to combine the two was a special treat!
Do you have a favorite project or projects made with this collection?
Yes – although it seems traitorous to the other projects to admit it! I am so crushing on my Elementz Block of the Month. The paper pieced blocks look far more intricate than they are, and are super fun to stitch up in the bright fabrics from the Elementz line.
But my other favorite (yes, I can have two!) has to be Sound Waves. Not only does it showcase the range of fabrics in the Elementz line, but it also introduces my guided improv technique, with lovely sharp points in 40” diamonds with absolutely no templates or paper piecing. Super fun and very forgiving.
When did you first discover Aurifil threads and what do you love most about working with them?
I probably discovered Aurifil at a quilt market – but I don’t remember. I do know that once I found Aurifil thread and tried it, I never looked back! I love that the thread is made from a long staple cotton, with very little lint, and of course my machine loves it too. And I have to keep temperamental Bertha happy!
Do you have any tips for using Aurifil 100% Cotton Threads with Island Batik Cotton fabrics?
Go bold and explore! It is uncanny how well Aurifil thread matches to the entire Island Batik offering. But don’t stick to matching – showcase your stitching and embellishment with strong contrast and play with different weights. For hand embellishment, I adore the floss – so smooth and rich in color. And for machine embellishment, I use the wool (what an awesome texture!) and the 12 weight adds an awesomely amazing presence to my fused applique.
What is coming up next for you, where can we find you this year?
The love affair with Island Batik continues! I’ll be introducing my next line, Globetrotter, at Spring Market. And of course there will be fun new projects showcasing the new line, and exploring a technique I first introduced at Fall Market with my Sound Waves quilt. So stay tuned!
THE GIVEAWAY
To enter-to-win 1 Fat Eighth Bundle of Elementz fabrics from Island Batik and one large Florida Oranges collection by Tammy Silvers for Aurifil, click here to head to the Rafflecopter entry page or simply click on the image above. You do not have to complete all the options to be entered but the more options you choose, the more entries you have! Entries will be accepted from now through 11:59pm Eastern Time on Friday, March 2! Winner will be randomly selected and announced here on Monday, March 5. Good luck!
ABOUT TAMMY
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Tammy is a Georgia native and currently lives in Acworth with her husband, children (when they come to visit!), dog, and her favorite fat cats.
Under the label Tamarinis, her designs are regularly published in a variety of quilt magazines, including Quilt, McCall’s Quilting, American Patchwork and Quilting, Stitch, Fons and Porter’s Love of Quilting, Quilty, Quilt It…Today, Sew It…Today, Stitch and Create and Decorate. She also works with some of the major fabric manufacturers designing projects to showcase and promote their fabric lines, including Island Batik (of course!), Northcott Fabrics, Blend, Camelot and Fabri-Quilt.