Back to School with Island Batik Blog Hop

As an Island Batik Ambassador, we are sent a box of yummy Island Batik fabrics and we have to create different projects each month. For September we were given a  " Back to School" challenge for our blog hop! Usually we can choose the colors we want for our monthly project, but for September Island Batik wanted us to use a specific collection that was sent to us. My collection is hiding under all the lovely fabrics which I have used in other projects that I have shared.

And here is the collection called Captain's Anchor!  I live on the beautiful Emerald Coast of Florida and I love the nautical theme plus the rich navy, red, gold and white. This collection spoke to me  about the ocean. (Of course the anchors and the lobsters did have some influence.)

Here is a sample quilt that I made which uses all the fabrics. They are lovely, but didn't  speak "Back to school" to me.

But fortunately I had a light bulb moment and decided to make a nautical flag alphabet quilt. I am combining the best of both worlds. You learn your ABC's in school and if you join the Navy or the Coast Guard you are going to have to learn the flags, so Back to School it is.












Now my colors weren't exactly the primary colors like the flags, but they were definitely in the right colorway, so I knew exactly what I was going to do. 


But wait - I can't just do a bunch of flags, I have to spell something. I mean you can't go Back to School and not spell.










I decided what I would spell and started working on my nautical flags. Our project was to be bigger than 36" x 36".  So writing out my words, I came up with eleven 12" x 12" square blocks. What was I going to put in the 12th block?

Staying true to the nautical theme I decided on a Mariner's Compass which I paper pieced.

Now paper piecing can be a real challenge to me at times, but I persevered and was pleased with how it turned out. And I have to say it was just the "purrfect" touch for the quilt. 

I just did straight line quilting to give the illusion of the flags standing straight out on the windy sea. I used a lovely navy thread by Aurifil.

Of course I had to draw lines to follow for my stitching. And now for a little quilter's tip! 

How do you get the yellow chalk marks off?

It is so simple. See below.

Just use the air duster you use for your computer or sewing
machine!

As you can see, the marks are gone and my navy Aurifil thread is all you see. It is just like magic!













 

Here is my quilt! What do you think? Now in order for you to know what it says, you are going to have to use the nautical flag chart above because this is Back to School remember and it's Test Time!                  













Here are some pictures taken at my beach. It was very windy.



 
 

I walked down to the beach and took a picture there. You can see our sugar white sand has gotten on the quilt, but it absolutely goes with it and it shakes off easily.

OK now when you know what it says, please leave a comment saying "Got it". Don't spoil it for others! When the blog hop is over at the end of the month,  I will be choosing some lucky winner using Random.org to receive a charm pack from the Captain's Anchor Collection made from the colors that I had left over. But wait there is more. 

All month long, the Island Batik Ambassadors have been having the Back to School Blog Hop plus they are offering goodies and so is Island Batik  - get all the information for lots of goodies here!

Thank you for stopping by.

Until next time Fair Winds and Following Seas,
Nan