Infinity Table Runner with Love and Kisses

Welcome to the Love and Kisses blog hop! When Sherry showed me the preview of her new fabric line, I knew it would be a perfect match for my Infinity table runner pattern. Get it here.

We are celebrating the release of Powered By Quilting’s signature line of fabric from Island Batik. It is a fabulous collection of blues, purples and pinks.

Batik fabric

I love working with batiks! Batiks have a slightly different feel than traditional quilting cotton, because of the dye process. They are made by multiple stages of dyeing the fabric with a wax resist method. I would love to take a quilting tour of Indonesia and see it being made. Get a glimpse into the work with this video.

Batiks are a bit stiffer than other cottons, but I have mixed them in my quilts many times with no problem. Part of their charm is the color variation, although that can be a turn-off to some people. At first glance, some spots on the fabric might look dirty or damaged, but it is just the natural variation of the wax and dyeing process.

Using Batiks

Paper piecing fans, rejoice! Grab those batiks and start quilting, because there is no right or wrong side of the fabric. Well, let me explain that – the difference is probably not noticeable. Some quilters say that the wrong side of the batik has a duller finish, but I have a really hard time seeing it! Traditional cotton fabric is usually printed on one side rather than completely submerged in a dye pot. As a result of the dye process, batiks have a special look with more saturated colros.

Batiks can be fun to fussy-cut when you are looking for a certain hue of color. Many of the batik prints are dyed with several colors, so you see some amazing ombre sections that will be a stunning accent in your project. I like using a multi-colored batik as a border to bring all the other fabrics together.