GTSB Progress Update

GTSB stands for Green Tea and Sweet Beans the joyful pattern by Jen Kingwell.  This is an absolutely fun fun hot summer project.  It moves fast.  Not too much repetion. Not too complicated. Lots of creativity and color play with fabrics.  I am having a ball with this one.

I don't think Ms. Kingwell will mind that I have adapted the blocks to my style of appliqué where she pieced hers.  She appears to be a "do pretty much whatever makes you happy" kind of stitcher.  I will list a few links of some of her tutorials here, here, here and here so you can get a glimpse of her quilting style. What a thrill it would be to visit her and her quilt shop in Australia.

So on the weekend I prepped two blocks. 

This one is the Baby Carriage Flower block. 








I am using a variety of applique techniques through this quilt.  But I always come back to freezer paper on the outside and use needle turn on the edge.  It just seems to work for me.  My second choice is to use a Frixion pen to draw the quarter inch line around the piece and needle turn the edge.  So easy to tap a hot iron on the ink and it goes away.   I am using both of these methods on this quilt. And again I find myself watching Jen Kingwell's applique tutorial to keep this technique fresh in mind. 

I may have gone a little too bold on my colors.  Only time will tell. The great thing about this quilt is each block can stand alone in a mini quilt.  So all is not lost if a block just doesn't work in the big quilt.  

This is the Applique 2 block.  

I cut the background a little too large so I added that last flower on the right. I used some leftover quilt binding I had cut on the bias for the stems.  Looks like a candy land flower garden.

The Baby Carriage Flower block is almost finished.  The stem corner will have a half square triangle inset.  

And these are most of my bigger blocks so far.

I was thinking there were 31 hexagons.  The pattern calls for 38, so I have a few more to go.  I may incorporate a bold color or two to blend with these stronger colors I am using.

Clamshells.  Glad I got to try them.

Squared Daisy.  All hand pieced.  Looks good but don't look too close.  It really doesn't lay flat.

Berry Basket.  What fun!  I can see a whole quilt made of blueberries, blackberries, cherries, raspberries.

Igloos.  I made a Sunflower.  So appropriate for July and August. The pattern calls for two of these Igloos.

This is really a fun block. Something I have never done before. Fussy cutting the five shapes.  It is supposed to be a pieced flower and stems but I chose to applique the leaves and stem. The pattern calls for three  Flower Blocks.  I am already looking through my stash for the next fabric to fussy cut those flower petals.

I got my pattern here in the US.  Jen Kingwell is an awesome Australian quilt maker but thankfully you can find her patterns in the US to save a bundle on international shipping.

For more free tutorials from Jen Kingwell and other designers check out Fat Quarter Shop's YouTube channel here.  

Thanks for stopping by.

I am linking up with Slow Sunday Stitching this week over at Kathy's Quilts.