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. 

Preparing for the Blitz

I'm preparing for the Blitz!  The Binding Blitz brought to us on the last day of every month by JulieKQuilts.

Will I have all of these quilts bound by Friday, July 31, the last day of the month?  No, but this was sufficient incentive to get all of these UFOs backed, basted and in some cases binding sewn on. 

In a previous post, I told you the story of my love for all things sunflower here. I got in gear and finished this one.  Hand quilted and all!  Isn't she a cutie?!!  So for the binding blitz I do have one finish I'm calling Sunflower Picnic to show off.

In my Sunflower post I talked about this little mini sunflower primitive.  I got it hand quilted as well and the binding is waiting to be hand stitched.  

Can you tell I am in a hand quilting kind of mood this summer???  I am.

This little Valentine snowball has been waiting to be bound for a few weeks now.  I have used the wonder clips gifted to me.  This is my first time using the wonder clips.  I am on the fence if I will convert to clips over pins.  

And since this year has become the Year of the Scrap Quilts, I have finished and bound my Scrappy Trip Around the World.  These quilts are popping up finished around the blog world this summer.  I was determined to finished mine too.  Now I just need to stitch the binding and it will be done.

Scrappy Trips is a Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville Quips free quilt pattern.  You can find the instructions here. This is one fun quilt to make.   If you don't know Bonnie, start by getting to know her by reading her blog.  It's like having your best friend come over for an afternoon of fun scrappy sewing.

I used this blitz preparation time to pin baste this Scrappy Sunflower String Quilt.  Again, I must hand quilt this one.

I love, Love this Pink Strings quilt.  Pin basted and I will hand quilt this one too.

I worked on these two string quilts back in the spring.  I wrote about them here. I've really made a dent in my scrap bins with all the scrap projects since last summer.  However, scraps have a way of collecting in my bins again every time I sew another quilt or pouch. Which is all the time!

This is a little black and white mini I am calling Evening Shade. Hand quilted. Binding is on. Waiting to be stitched. I made this one last summer so it is time to finish.  I really like it.  Very different for me.

Just for the record, I am just not a huge fan of making hexagons. I enjoy looking at everyone else's projects. I've tried a few for fun as there seems to be a hexagon movement taking place at the moment. I make a few and then applique them to something.  That is what I have done on this one.  Just enough for an accent. And I like the hexagon on this project.  

I had two "happy sewing days" this week and I am so happy to get all of these projects lined up for hand sewing. It is too hot to be outside so I am whittling away at some projects that have needed to be finished.

Here's hoping you find time to stitch today. 

Thanks for stopping by.

I am linking up with JulieKQuilts for the July Binding Blitz. 

  

.  

More Zip Pouches

I am up to my eyeballs in pouches!  Here is my stack ! I've been making more triple zip pouches again.  This brings my all time total to close to 200.     

I love to make them.  Each one is unique.  Different colors with dots and stripes.  And three fun zippers.



I received an order for ten pouches.  Most will be for teenaged girls.  Some will be gifted.  So I made many bright, cheerful colors and used some girly themed fabrics.  I know one of the girls loves horses so I was sure to make two in the Cotton and Steel horse fabric.  Some mod and some traditional.  I will let her pick the ten she likes best and then I will have some left to gift or sell. 

Credits:  I use the tutorial with permission by Debbie at AQuiltersTable. She is a very talented quilter and you must check out her blog for lots of inspiration. Also there is a very helpful update to this tutorial  by MarciGirlDesigns here.  I have used the internet to find many free tutorials to make pouches and each one has helped to improve my final design. 

I do sell my pouches in my Etsy store.  If you are interested in a special order let me know and I will be happy to make one for you.  But I do encourage you to try making one for yourself!   

Thanks for stopping by!