Friday finish - Frankie top

 

I am pleased with how this Frankie top by Tilly and the Buttons using fabric from Guthrie and Ghani has turned out. Great length and fit. My daughter, Lizzie, decided we'd have a sewing social using FB Messenger video. Then she threw in that we had to provide three projects, and the other person would decide which project we'd work on. Lizzie made a new lunch bag.

I even managed to remember to add a label to the seam from my Kylie and the Machine 2024 advent calendar. I plan to wear this either with jeans or under my denim pinafore dress.

 

WIP Wednesday - woven stars

Whilst waiting to have a stitching social over Facebook messenger with my daughter on Saturday, I decided to stitch two more of the woven star blocks. My plan in 2025 is to make four of these blocks a month and focus more on other projects. 

I am using the 6" Woven Star quilt block foundation papers from Fat Quarter Shop using a variety of Ruby Star cream on cream fabrics for the background and a bundle of First Light also by Ruby Star Society for Moda Fabrics for the stars. There are 42 sheets of foundation papers in the book and I have made fourteen so far. I'm not sure how many I will make in total but four per month will mean I will have stitched the whole pad by the end of August.

Monday Make - Perfectly pieced May 2024

My Guild UFO challenge project for Jaanuary 2025 is the Perfectly Pieced design for May 2024 from Me Time delivered. Having decided on the colours I wanted to use, I dove into my stash and picked out fabrics from Guicy Guice, Camille Roskelley, Alison Gass and Tula Pink on a white spot on a black background. All of the 4" blocks are pieced on my Janome embroidery machine and the individual blocks stitched together on my Janome sewing machine. Unfortunately, my Atelier 7 has been returned to the manufacturer for repair, and I hope it is returned soon.

I used the fast feather pantograph again to quilt the panel which was trimmed down to 18.5" as it is destined to be an incubator quilt for SCBU. I found two trips of the red and white stripe already cut, so just needed to cut one more strip. It matches perfectly with the red that I used for the piecing.

I even remembered to add a Kylie and the Machine label to the back from my 2024 advent calendar and the backing was already loaded on my long arm from the previous quilt I finished in 2025.

Christmas start

 

I started Partridge & Pear by Pigeon Coop Designs before Christmas. Even I admit that this is a very underwhelming photo. You can definitely see the trouble I've been having with my counting and the multiple areas I've unpicked.

I usually start in the middle of the design and work to the edges, however I am reconsidering that method and thinking that it is easier to double check my counting by starting from either the top or bottom. Probably the top would be better. I plan to keep on working on this project and then move on to Ruby & Ralph.

WIP Wednesday - January UFO challenge

 

My January 2025 Guild UFO challenge is to use the May 2024 Perfectly Pieced files from Me Time Delivered. I subscribe to the digital only monthly package rather than receiving a kit including fabric. You are also allowed to skip a month if you prefer. 

I wanted to pay with the colours of this block and make an 18" square mini quilt for SCBU to cover an incubator. I started with one of the projects to make a tote bag which was 4 x 4 blocks and piecing 4" blocks would give a 16" finished panel. I planned the colours and my first attempt would have resulted in a mostly green panel and I am not a lover of green. Back to the drawing board and I added in pink and purple to the plan. I then shopped my stash and I was pleased to use the orange Bonnie & Camille Fabric as that was in a scrap pack from Sew Hot in our Jersey retreat goody bag. I would have preferred a dark blue background but I have yardage of the black spot so chose that.

I cut out the necessary pieces and stitched the pieces on my embroidery machine. Then I pieced them into a panel and added a 3" border. One of the points is a bit iffy, but the top is now finished. I am going to wat to quilt it as I have suitable backing already loaded from another project and would like to quilt another project alongside this project for efficiency.

This afternoon I plan to sit in front of the fire, catch up on some Youtube and cross stitch on a project.

Ruby Star tenth anniversary quilt

 

I have had this panel since the first printing along with the pattern and all of the fabric and it has sat on my desk. The parcel has now been opened, and I am planning my own block of the month using the pattern as written. There are one hundred blocks, and I think a steady pace of ten blocks per month, should result in a finished quilt by next Christmas. I also plan to cut out the next month's blocks at our Guild meeting on the third Saturday of each month.

I stitched the first block up last weekend and finished all 18 of them. A good start.

I am away in London today, but tomorrow I will focus on my January Guild UFO challenge.

Friday finish - Fraction quilt

My first finish of 2025! The Fraction Quilt by Lou Orth made from Kona solids from stash on a Ruby star starry background. The binding is a stripe by quietplay. I use Glide in the colour bone for the quilting and a digital pantograph called Fast Feathers.

I think I'll make a start on the Ruby Star anniversary quilt today and cut out the first block of which we have to make twenty.