Island Batik asked the ambassadors to make a Scrapbuster project in March. What a perfect way to celebrate National Quilting Month! I love sewing scrappy quilts, and my Beaded Curtain pattern is a great way to showcase a variety of fabrics.

I started with 2-1/2 inch strips from the Island Batiks Blenders and Foundations collections, which are always available (not like other collections, that have a limited printing).  My Accuquilt Go! was a big help in cutting accurate strips.  I used Aurifil thread, a grey #5004 since I used a black background, and Schmetz needles. Then, a black 80/20 batting by Hobbs was the perfect choice to compliment this quilt.

Learn more about Accuquilt in this video.

Disclaimer: Tools and materials to make this project were supplied by Island Batik and its industry partners. My full disclosure policy can be found here, and I talk more about the Island Batik Ambassador program in this blog post.

Beaded Curtain Quilt

This pattern features a granny square-type block in two colors. Piecing is simple when you use strip sets. The common advice is to sew your strip sets from alternating ends to avoid any stretching or bowing of the fabric. Since batiks naturally have a tighter weave, there tends to be less distortion.

The sashing strips are made from the leftovers of the strip sets.

I think this pattern would be so much fun in a glorious rainbow of scraps! What colorway would you choose for your Beaded Curtain quilt?

I used my EQ8 design program to color a version that could use a variety of raonbow scraps:

Free Motion Quilting Ideas

I added a variety of free motion quilting designs. The background is large meandering, and I stitched a motif called ribbon candy around the sashing. Echoed loops and continuous curves add texture to the main blocks.

Look for the #islandbatikambassador hashtag on Instagram then you will discover more fabulous Scrapbuster quilts.