Monday Make - second Aspen dress

 

Last week pretty much nothing was achieved due to two days in London for appointment and the passing of my father on the Saturday before Father's Day. Despite being 97, it was a shock to all and it is very quiet without him ringing many times a day.

Thank goodness for a prepped project compete with matching zip, instructions and thread. This is just the dress that I need now that the weather has got much warmer, I love this dress, but it is better suited for a fabric that is virtually double sided such as a linen, as there is no facing inside the bodice so the reverse of the fabric can be seen.

I even had a matching label picked out which i put in the skirt seam just above the pocket.

I have a pair of shorts already cut out, ready to be pieced together, but first I need to finish my Ruby Star anniversary quilt.

Friday Finish - embroidered jacket

 

I had a vague plan for this collection of embroidery patterns which was either to make a tote using the individual smaller designs or embroider this design on a jacket. I was shocked when I loaded this design onto my embroidery machine - 78,000 stitches, 27 colour changes and 207 minutes of stitching! As a beginner machine embroiderer my machine is set to its slowest speed though.

I hooped up some sticky washaway stabiliser and cut away the topping. I marked the cross hairs on the jacket which I hoped would iron out! No bulldog clips to hold the sleeves and front of the jacket so I improvised with two Sew Quirky slap bands.

It took almost half of the time to get to a stage where progress could be seen, and once the teal detail on the flowers had been added, it really came to life. There were lots of jump stitches to remove, iron on stabiliser trimmed away and the washaway stabiliser washed away. I decided to do a quick 30 minute wash to remove any of the remaining washaway. I even remembered to add a label to the back yoke.

I also lined the middle panel of the jacket to cover the stitching and found a white Kona that I had screen printed with a feather design. I am very pleased with how this came out and it's a perfect summer jacket.

WIP Wednesday - A Quilty Little Christmas

 

Another of my larger Guild UFO challenge pieces that I started working on whilst waiting for a jacket to embroider for this month's UFO. There are four smaller mini quilts which I plan to combine with blocks from other projects to make another ladder quilt. 

I started with the 4" gingerbread blocks as there was very little preparation. Just two background fabrics, pink fabric for the door on one house and the felt from the embellishment kit.

I then completed the blocks for a Quity Little Christmas apart from two fill in blocks. I will need to add quite a few other blocks to make a ladder quilt so I will make extra blocks from other projects and fill in blocks one a layout is chosen.

I have just two more bocks to embroider for the third mini quilt. I have made good progress and will now focus on my Guild UFO challenge piece for June before returning to this project.

Monday make - Pumpkins and potions

I have finished my Pumpkins and Potions ladder quilt. I just need my husband to build me a ladder now as I haven't been able to source a wide quilt ladder in the UK. I finished hand stitching the binding last Wednesday and dallied on adding the lights and the other embellishments. I love the felt and lace bats.

I did the holes around the 31 block for the lights but didn't like how they looked so I added hot ix rhinestones instead.

I also didn't add the string of beads to the chandelier as I prefer the crisp lines of the embroidery. I am happy with the project and like the extra pops of pink and yellow that I added.

Friday finish - Moda blockheads 6

I am participating in the Moda Blockheads sewalong for the first time. I am using scraps on a black polka dot background. My intention is to donate the completed quilt to Quilts for Care leavers. Block 2 was released on Wednesday and it’s lovely to have a quick stitch alongside working on larger projects.

 

June 2025 plans

This month, I really need to finish projects! We have just two days away this month in London. Two quilt finishes is not unreasonable to expect from myself.

The Ruby Star Society anniversary needs to be pressed again, quilted and bound.

My pumpkins and potions ladder quilt is ready to quilt the borders and in the ditch. Then bound.

I am joining in with Moda Blockheads 6 which is one or two blocks a week. I have raided my scraps for the first two blocks on a white spot on black. If I should run out of this fabric, I will add in some other black fabrics as well. I sorted my basket of grey and black fabrics last week and I have more black fabrics than I had expected.

I have made a start on another large Guild Challenge UFO - Have yourself a Quilty Little Christmas. I plan to make further progress on this and make it into a Christmas ladder quilt.

Our Guild UFO Challenge for June has been chosen and it's embroidery designs from the Homemade Collection by Tula Pink from OESD. I'm going to look in the charity shops for a white denim jacket to embroider this on the back.

May 2025 finishes

 Although great progress was made on ongoing projects, I only finished a couple of projects during May.

My first finish was my Guild UFO, and I made this butterfly mini quilt for SCBU using two Dresden plate blocks pieced on my embroidery machine.

I stitched and finished this free chart from Primrose Cottage Stitches.

My big finish was this piece for Quilts 4 Care Leavers made using foundation pieced blocks and set on point. I used the Malachite pantograph which a customer chose for her quilt having seen mine during a Guild Show & Tell.

I made this Swedish star for our contribution to a local Christmas Tree Festival, and I have one more that I made doing a demo. Our Guild Christmas challenge is to make a draft excluder which I will not be participating in.

My last quick make for May were two Lennon glasses cases by Center Street Quilts. I also crossed off making an optician's appointment from my to do list.