Back in February, a big box arrived on my front porch. Inside was a wonderful collection of Island Batik fabrics, Hobbs Batting, and Aurifil threads. There were two wrapped packages of fabric I had to promise to keep under wraps until now. It’s been killing me, because the fancy package contained half-yard cuts of each of the fabrics in one of Island Batik’s Spring/Summer 2019 collections. The plain brown wrapper held two two-yard lengths of a light and dark fabric from the collection. That’s right, 14 yards of fabric! It’s okay to be jealous.
Behold, the Graphic Gems collection, designed by Kathy Engle!
There are twenty fabrics in this collection, and my challenge was to try to use all of them, which meant a scrappy quilt was in order. I knew I wanted large pieces to show off the tjaps used in making these batiks.
I had been toying with a simple quilt pattern for a basic class on the Sidekick® rotary cutting tool, and decided this was the fabric collection for the sample quilt.
My quilt required two 4.5″ strips of each of the twenty fabrics. I paired the prints up. Each set of four strips would make two blocks in the finished quilt. One block would have a dark star on a light background, and the other block would have a light star on a dark background.
Julie Herman of Jaybird Quilts invented the Sidekick® tool, and has a tutorial video on her website. The instructions that come with the tool are very well written, and the tool is easy to use.
To make each set of blocks, I began by cutting six 4.5″ diamonds from a dark strip and six from a light strip.
I cut twelve 4.5″ triangles from the other dark strip, and twelve from the light strip.
The light triangles will go with the dark diamonds, and the dark triangles go with the light diamonds.
I made sixteen full hexagonal blocks and four half-blocks.
Once I decided on a layout, I chose to use the darker of the two coordinating fabrics Island Batik had sent to make the half-triangles needed to straighten off the sides of the quilt. 
Only then did I realize I needed those half-triangles to be twice as tall as the triangles in the blocks. Fortunately, Jaybird Quilts also makes the Super Sidekick®, which makes triangles up to 8″ tall. I needed two 8.5″ strips to cut a total of eighteen half-triangles. (I forgot to take a photo until I was down to the last triangle.)
I will use this fabric for binding as well, and I have plenty left over to piece a backing. This quilt was pieced and quilted with Aurifil 50wt cotton thread, I’ll use a Hobbs batting. All materials were supplied by the companies.
My fellow Island Batik Ambassador Gene Black also received the Graphic Gems collection. Visit his blog to see what he made with it!
To see all of the Spring and Summer Island Batik collections, follow the “Beat the Heat” blog hop:
Monday, August 5th – Blueberry Patch
Friday, August 9th – Blog Round Up Week 1 and Giveaway Winner Announcement!
Monday, August 12th – Garden Party
Tish @ Tish’s Adventures in Wonderland
Wednesday, August 14th – Graphic Gems
Tina @ Quilting Affection Designs
Friday, August 16th – Blog Round Up Week 2 and Giveaway Winner Announcement!
Be sure to come back for this special post.
Monday, August 19th – Petal Pushers
Friday, August 23rd – Blog Round Up Week 3 and Giveaway Winner Announcement!
Be sure to come back for this special post.
Monday, August 26th – Steam Engine
Seams Like a Plan 
Beautiful quilt using the Sidekick ruler! The colors of Graphic Gems are exquisite, and the design is gorgeous!
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Beautiful quilt! I love Star quilts and your quilt was a wonderful way to showcase all those beautiful fabrics. Thank you for sharing today.
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Anne, I love your Star quilt. I think it is interesting that we both made star quilts and yet they are so different.
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I think yours is pretty awesome, too, Gene!
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Love this, Anne!! ♥♥
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Like I told Gene, love this fabric line. Your quilt turned out wonderfully
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Wow your quilt is lovely. These fabrics look like they are yummy to play with. quilting dash lady at comcast dot net
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What a fun quilt and an interesting tool too. I might have to check that out! LOL!!
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Love your Blanket
Of Stars quilt! The
fabric is beautiful.
Carla from Utah
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It;s a lovely finish. Very eye catching.
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Always enjoy seeing a new tool used by you – great quilt
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I love your star quilt! The fabrics are gorgeous! Thank you for sharing your quilt.
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Live and learn …Love the colors you got to play with…And the quilt is so pretty great job and ty for sharing your talents with us.. happyness04431@yahoo.com
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What a beauty you have created!
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Thank you for sharing this beautiful quilt!
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Thank you for sharing your quilt and also how to use the rulers
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Awesome quilt! I love the Jaybird rulers.
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a beautiful blanket of stars. this design is great for showing off all of the lovely fabric designs in the collection.
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