It is time to introduce another talented member of 2020 Island Batik Ambassador Program! Say hello to Leah Malasky, a self-taught talented quilter behind Quilted Delights! Leah enjoyed her first year as an Ambassador in 2019 and is happy to continue in 2020, showcasing the gorgeous fabric and helping others love the craft!

Leah started quilting 20 years ago when her children were very young. She taught herself through books, online tutorials/videos, and through lots of trial and error. What started as a hobby has turned into a passion. She loves all things quilt-related, and enjoys sharing her passion with others! Leah started a Beginner quilt class in her area hoping to help others find their quilting passion.

Turtle Tots quilts, made for 2020 January Island Batik Ambassador challenge, Let’s Get Scrappy. Leah used Island Batik fabric, a pattern by Southwind Designs and Aurifil thread. For more details on the quilt, please visit: http://www.quilteddelights.com/2020/01/lets-get-scrappy-january-island-batik.html.

Leah is right down the middle, when it comes to Modern or Traditional: “I love traditional blocks done in bright fun colors with a little bit of modern twist thrown in”.

Quilt, made for 2019 July Island Batik Ambassador challenge, Artsy Fartsy. Leah used Island Batik fabric, batting by Hobbs and Aurifil thread. For more details on the quilt, please visit: https://www.quilteddelights.com/2019/07/artsy-fartsy-island-batik-ambassador.html.

When picking colors for a next quilt, Leah usually starts with one fabric she loves and adds colors to go with it: ” I tend to go for lots of different shades of a color but all in the same tone. When choosing lights and darks, I take a black and white photo of my fabric picks. Some colors make look on the darker side at first, but a black and white photo always helps me see if one of my lights is too light or too dark”.

Tweet quilt, made for 2019 Island Batik Piece of Blog Hop. Leah used Island Batik Tweet fabric designed by Barbara Persing, pattern by Elizabeth Hartman, batting by Hobbs and Aurifil thread. For more details on the quilt, please visit: http://www.quilteddelights.com/2019/11/a-piece-of-island-batik-blog-hop.html.

One of Leah’s favorite techniques is paper piecing: “It is fun for me to create images I couldn’t normally create with traditional pieicng. It also gives such nice fine points. String quilts are also a fun way to use up scraps and create such wonderful looking blocks. Strings also make great backgrounds for appliqué. For my quilting, I do mostly free motion quilting without marking the quilt. I like to use the points in the blocks as my reference points instead of marking and if I am quilting long lines I go for slightly wavy lines instead. Wavy lines are easier to quilt and less stressful when it comes worrying about everything being perfectly straight”.

3D Cubes quilt, made for 2019 December Island Batik 3D challenge. Leah used Island Batik Steam Engine fabric, designed for Studio 180 Design by Kathy Engle, and batting by Hobbs. For more details on the quilt, please visit: https://www.quilteddelights.com/2019/12/3d-island-batik-december-challenge-3d.html.

Make sure to follow Leah on social media and subscribe to her blog for great quilting ideas and inspiration:

Instagram: @quilteddelights

Website: Quilted Delights

2020 Island Batik Ambassadors: https://islandbatik.com/2020-ambassadors