A quilty update - June 2026

It was only March when I set out my quilt plans for this year, and to be honest it seems like yesterday - but one of the things I want to do more consistently this year is my quilty updates, even if there isn’t that much to share.

I’m being harsh on myself, there are some quilt updates to share but while last year’s stretch project took over a bit, I’m finding that without that structure I’m not quite so productive. I’m sure I’ll work it out, but hopefully when the weather’s not so warm!

So how am I doing?

1. The teal flying geese

2. The jeans and pyjamas

3. My floral fancy

The update for all of these is there is no update, so that was easy!

4. My English Paper Piecing (EPP) blue diamonds

There is progress of sorts on this one, albeit small. It’s become my project to take to my monthly Monday evening sewing group, and so it has had an outing and a small update. I’ve even moved it into an organised bag so I don’t need to think about getting it all together before I head out, the issue has been life - and I’ve only managed two out of five of the monthly meetings, but then again this was always going to be a slow burn project.

5. Scrappy houses charity quilts

I have completed my first village quilt, and I’ve almost got enough houses for the second one, so that’s real progress. I’m really pleased with how it’s turned out, especially as these are all pieces of fabric that were leftover from other projects (mostly the stretch project) and might have been deemed on the small side for keeping. And I’m sure whoever the recipient is won’t mind about that one bit.

6. Wonderland meets Moda

7. Word Star

Again, there is no update on these.

A couple of bonus quilty updates

1. My mystery block of the month quilt has been playing heavily on my mind, but now the quilt top is finally finished. After I joined the monthly blocks together and added the sashing between those blocks, I spent some time pondering the borders - or specifically how wide they should be.

I wanted them wide enough to add some width to the quilt so I can use it on a double bed, but not so wide that it looked silly. In the end I settled on increasing each border by an inch, and ahead of adding the final border I did the sensible thing and took it to my patchwork group for confirmation and reassurance, and the use of the floor in the village hall to check it out once and for all.

So the quilt top is now done - yay! Now it needs basting, quilting and binding which for the size of the quilt is no small job.

2 The second bonus quilty update is another quilt, but not one made by me. Mum decided to use up some of her charm packs and make a quilt to donate to Project Linus, which I’ll take along with me when I donate mine.

Isn’t it bright and cheery - I love it (but will still donate it, honest)

So there has been quilty progress against my long list, and none of it has been a chore - I just need to work out how to do more with my sewing time, and to make time for more sewing time!

New to my craft room in May

Like last month there’s been some essential spend. This month it was the turn of my ‘take to’ machine, somehow just as I was packing up at patchwork group I caught the shank, which holds the presser feet in place, and part of it fell off. It’s a consumable part, so after a quick email with my sewing machine man a new one was put in the post - but at least this replacement only cost me a fiver!

Thankfully it was right at the end of the sewing session as the machine is pretty much useless without it - it’s photographed in the second image below, right in the centre of the Le Crueset manual, which in case you’re wondering why I’m keeping that it’s because I think the printed pages will be good for cards at some point!

I actually don’t have much new stuff this month, but as it’s my birthday month I am including two of my birthday presents, the first of which is these 12wt Aurifil threads, the Foundation pack, with its beautiful jewel like colours and which will be great for hand sewing and embellishing some appliqué I have in mind.

The fabric on the left was a total bargain and an unexpected purchase. In Newark last week and looking to get a new citronella candle for the garden I spotted a clearance sale in the fabric department of one of the larger shops, well I had to take a look. This fabric was marked down to £3 a metre and so I thought I’d have 3 metres and see how much was left on the roll, as I didn’t think it would be much. They measured it out, and I thought they were being quite generous as they did and as luck would have it there was exactly three metres left. When I got home and remeasured it, because I was curious there was just over 3.6 metres, so a total bargain.

MOH bought me these rainbow plant dyed materials for my birthday and they are as gorgeous as the threads above, which is just as well as my plan was (and still is) to use these together somehow, I’m just not sure quite how yet. I decided to treat myself to a couple of Aurifil storage cases for my threads as they make things so much easier to find, and while I was there I added a spool of ‘dove grey’ thread which Jo Avery recommends for appliqué - and that’s a big clue as to where my head is going with this rainbow project!

It was all going so well, then at my sewing group I left with two books, a pattern and two small pieces of material with a donation to the group funds - it’s dangerous when they’re clearing out their stash!

So that’s another month in my craft room, check out my previous updates for earlier additions, and remember to let me know below what you’ve added to your craft supplies this month.

Other makes update: May 2026

Earlier in the year I shared my non-quilt sewing plans for the year, and in that post I said I preferred that phrase to other makes, but here I am talking about other makes again - what’s going on? Well, I’ve realised that ‘other makes’ while it isn’t great does mean I can share non-sewing makes too.

So for the time being, and until I can find a phrase I prefer, I’m sticking with other makes for these quarterly updates. They will most likely be predominantly non-quilt sewing items, but there may be crochet makes too (spoiler, there is a crochet make in this update)

So let’s see how I’m doing on the plans I set out

1 Pouches

I’m glad I put this at the top of the list as I’m pretty sure in every update I post I’ll have made a pouch (or two, or more). And I have, they continue to be something easy to make (mostly) and quick to put together (again mostly).

Some may take a while to get finished, especially when there’s some - or in this case - quite a lot of embroidery involved, and my tie up pink and orange pouch is one that fits into that category. It was worth the wait though, and while it hasn’t got much use yet it has been used, and it does do what I want (ie stop my hairbrush attaching itself to my clothes, and look prettier than a plastic bag).

Another one (or two) that have been in the take a while to get finished category is the project bags that I made using mum’s embroidery. I only finished the larger of the two last week, but the other one is technically a 2025 make as I finished that last August. It’s weird though as I had no real reason to put off making the orange one, but when I did I had the perfect variegated thread for it, the same one I used on the pink and orange pouch above, and yet when I first thought of making these that wasn’t even on my horizon. I guess I was meant to wait!

In my recap of last year’s makes I said I’d made some pouches as Christmas presents, well in a rare moment of tidying up in my craft room I found the leftover material, so rather than put it back in my stash I decided to piece it together to make myself a small pouch as I know at some point I’ll find a use for it.

I love how the fabrics go together, and how I’ve a memory of the pouches I’ve gifted.

2 A ‘take to’ sewing case

Nothing to see here, but I’ve chosen my fabric and got the supplies. And typically, I’m planning further additions without even starting the first one yet.

3 A bag or two, or more

I’ve added a couple of bags to my collection, one sewn, one crocheted. I made most of this Flying Geese bag one weekend when I’d planned to be at a patchwork group meeting but for one reason or another I didn’t get there. I’ve used it and it hasn’t fallen apart, which is always a plus. In fact recently it’s been used over and above its original intentions and I’ve used it to carry craft supplies and more, including my packed lunch for a non craft group event. I think I could be making another..

And I’ve repurposed a tote bag making my crochet bag for crochet. The downside is that I need to find myself a new crochet project to take to my crochet group!

4 Experimental and sewing for fun

The miniature makes that I shared in March were both experimental and practical. They started trying out if I could make a smaller pouch, how the bag lining would quilt and using up some square scraps from my block of the month quilt, and using those to become practical items - so these also cover number 6 below.

I’ve also tested out different quilting approaches, but as yet I’ve not put that into another make but I’m sure its time will come.

5 Patchwork design boards

Nothing to see here either, but they’re still on the list. I’ve learnt that cutting the foam board will dull/blunt my rotary cutter, which isn’t great news - but in better news I found my old one, which still has a blade in it (which probably needs changing) so that may be the way to go.

6 Some practical household items

See 4 above.

7 Wearables

I’ve not made the progress I’d like on actually sewing my summer dressing gown, which is a shame as once again it’s that time of year when I really could do with it, maybe the weather will spur me on with that one soon. And always thinking ahead, I think I’ve settled on what I’d make next - another dress, but not the same style as before. I need to gee myself up for both of these though.

But in more positive news, this technically is a wearable as it has been worn so I’m including it here. It’s another rosette, and requested by mum, to wear at my niece’s wedding, and for my mum it was always going to be all the pinks.

So I have made things, but perhaps not as much or in as structured way as I thought - but hey, life and the distractions it brings! There will be more though, of that I’m pretty sure…