TNT Tula Pink Edition

The first installment of the Tula Pink Sew Along is complete!

This quilt top is based on a pattern from the December/January 2011 edition of Quilt magazine.   It measures 68” x 84” and is made from mostly Tula Pink fabrics including Full Moon Forest, Birds and the Bees, Nightshade, and Prince Charming.  There are also a couple of AMH, Amy Butler, and Denyse Schmidt fabrics and some random charms collected from a few swaps.  If you ever have the chance to join a charm swap, you should do it!  It sure is nice to have some choices when you are picking out fabrics for a scrappy quilt. 

This quilt top qualifies for “trying new things” for a few reasons:

• the pattern is from a magazine
• this scrappy quilt looks pretty good and isn’t made from all one fabric line or designer
• I used Tula Pink fabric
• I made it in time to be part of a sew along
• and I’m seriously considering having it long-arm quilted

The last one is a big one for me.  Have you ever had anything quilted for you?  A few months ago I would have pooh-poohed sending it out, but I have realized I like piecing a quilt, but rarely quilting it.

This is the “first installment” because I have bought two—yes two!—Tula Pink patterns.  One is a huge zig-zag quilt and the other is called Snowglobes.  I am not joking when I say I am going to make both of them by the end of the Sew Along!  Are you entering anything in the Sew Along?

TNT and Giveaway

New things I’ve tried:

1.  Basting spray!

Why didn’t I try this sooner?  I love to piece quilts, but I never get around to basting and quilting.  Switching from pin basting to spray basting may make all the difference!  I used an entire can this weekend, so I’ve got plenty of quilts ready to work on.

2.  I made a blog button!

Actually, I made two.  I am going to start a year long of giveaways on my blog, starting with a $25 gift certificate to Fabric.com.  Come back to my blog on August 1st for all the details, and if you’re interested, you can grab my blog button from my sidebar.

In the meantime, I have this book to give away.  As part of my giveaways, I am going to be paring down all the stuff I’ve accumulated in my three short years of quilting.  The first is this:

I love this book!  It is filled with beautiful photographs and fabrics.  But as part of my paring down, I have decided that I am not going to be attempting to make “fiddly things” anymore.  So, potholders are out.  I like quilts and that’s what I’m going to focus  my time on.

To enter, you must be a follower and tell me what you like to sew best.  Do you like quilts, too, or maybe zipper pouches, pillows, tablerunners, or bags?  The drawing will close on August 1st and I’ll randomly pick a winner.  Open to US residents only.

Don’t forget to check back here on August 1st for the first of many giveaways!!!

I’m linking up to TNT Thursdays at Happy Quilting.

Orange Peel Blocks

I can cross one of my Just Three Things off my list.  I finished my May Beejeebers Bee block yesterday.  The bee mama requested an “Orange Windows” block made with seaside-inspired colors such as aqua, gray and blue.  I had so much fun picking out fabrics, I made TWO blocks!  I’ve never made an orange peel, but it’s easy and on my list for something I’d like to try myself one day.

I stitched in gray on one block, and green on the other.

I had a hard time getting started on this block.  Walmart was sold out of compasses (which the tutorial required) and in the midst of canning over the weekend, I lost the one I borrowed from my neighbor’s son.  Luckily I found it!

Warning:  Lots of photos ahead!

a cute Japanese turtle print

yep, that’s Full Moon Forest

not just umbrellas, beach umbrellas

seastars and…frog eggs???  I don’t want to say what I think this print really looks like.

pearls

bubbles and a print that kind of looks like a sand dollar

one of the newest from DS quilts and Salt Air waves

Salt Air whale tails and another DS quilts fabric

And then, DRAT, I noticed I didn’t stitch around the whale tail peel.  As soon as I finish that up, these blocks will be in the mail to you, Karen.

Linking up to TNT Thursday.