Adding to my swirls

This Indian Block Printed piece has had quite an evolution; it was first printed back in 2024 at the adult learning course I took in Newark. Back then this is what it looked like, and it had plenty of potential.

But with other projects on the go (many in fact) but especially my other Indian block printing embroidery ones, like the three leaves, the birthday bunting, the embroidered heart and the mandala for my popper pouch, this one got put to one side.

Until we headed off on our walking trip to the Gargano Peninsular. That’s what I love about embroidery - it fits into a small pouch, doesn’t need a lot of equipment and importantly when travelling pretty much stays the same size so you don’t need to find extra room in your case.

By the end of that just a bit longer than a week, it looked like this.

And that’s how it stayed for quite a while, though my plan was always to complete the second set of swirls in a bolder colour way. I thought I’d use each panel separately, but the more I worked on it the more I thought it could become one piece.

I’m not sure when exactly I picked it up again - that remains unphotographed and undocumented - but it was some time during 2025. I suspect it was my embroidery project for our trip to the US and Canada last spring, but I could be making that up entirely, though I find it hard to believe that I didn’t take any embroidery with me at all.

But the swirls were embroidered and looking good. Though for me to use them together as a single piece I wanted more, and hatched a plan to use my Indian printing blocks to zhuzh it up and fill in some of that white space.

Indian block printing at home

It was the first time I’d done any block printing since that course, and I was unsure how it’d work out - spoiler, it worked out fine and was just as much fun as I remembered. The spur for me to get my act together was to print my ‘sheep in Christmas jumpers’ Christmas cards, but I think dedicating a block of time (no pun intended) to printing works well

At an earlier stash sale I’d picked up a length of the spotty oilcloth to use as a worktop protector. I’d actually forgotten I’d had such foresight until I re-discovered it in my craft room reorganisation a month or so before, which was good as I’d been tempted to buy some more, but thankfully hadn’t.

Through trial and error I found that the setup above worked for me, this included:

• the spotty oilcloth to protect my kitchen island worktop

• a foam rubber mat to use as my main work area (tip: you don’t need to buy often more pricey blocking mats specifically for crafts, the children’s toy area mats work just as well and are often cheaper)

• My paints in use in front of me, using the plastic lids of instant coffee tubes and ice creams to hold the small dobs of paint and a cut up scourer to apply the paint to the block (both the lids and the scourers can be washed and reused many times).

And so I was off, but of course I needed to avoid printing over my already embroidered areas - so I tore a scrap of paper and lightly taped it over my embroidery before printing.

The mask worked well and my once plainer piece was just what I had in mind.

Though as I was embroidering I realised in some places I’d been over cautious, and so I drew the lines I wanted in place.

My plan was to start with pale pinks, graduating through hotter pinks and into the oranges below the double layered swirl.

I could have used variegated thread, but I didn’t. Instead I pulled a selection of lilacs, pinks, oranges and yellows and cut the embroidery floss to the same length choosing either two threads the same, or similar to use for that section as I went.

Other than that I had no real plan, and I’m super pleased with how it turned out.

It’s already looking different to that last photo, but I’ll save how it turned out - and in a surprise to no one, it’s a pouch - for another post.

Miniature makes

One of my aims for my sewing this year was to do more experimental and fun sewing, and also to sew some practical household items - it seems that I’ve managed some of both of those already without seemingly trying. While each of these have a practical purpose, they’re also a lot prettier than what I’d been using before.

You know what I’m like with scraps and since I made the Scandinavian Star before Christmas, the offcuts of the two bright fabrics have been on the side in my craft room staring at me. Eventually I cracked and wondered what on earth could I do with the small pieces that were left.

It turns out quite a bit.

Pairing those small starched strips with some of the green leftover from the backing of the Essex Linen kisses picnic blanket, some blue shirting, and a bright pink zip I made myself a teeny tiny mat and a business card sized pouch.

Asking why is a valid question. A pouch because, well pouches - and it is one of those smaller ones that I wanted to try. It’s already come in useful for holding my blog business cards for my day at this year’s Garden Press Event, and I think it’s longer term home will be to hold jewellery when I’m away from home.

The teeny tiny mat, which also gave me the opportunity to test out some decorative stitches on my machine, also has a practical purpose. It has replaced a very unglamorous, but functional, paper towel which I’d been using to make sure my turmeric massage oil didn’t stain what it shouldn’t (it never has, but you never know…)

I don’t even care (too much) if the turmeric does stain the teeny tiny mat, it’s pretty much turmeric coloured anyway!

While I was at it I decided to knock up a couple of slightly larger 4 inch square mats to use in the kitchen to stop the oil bottles leaving an oily mark on the worktop. The turquoise edged mats can be washed, and are made from remnants from my Mystery Block of the Month quilt, so it’s nice to see those fabrics in a different setting.

Though I can see mats becoming a new obsession!

This one I made cutting some fabric from my stash while I was working out how to assemble my Flying Geese tote. I’d not sewn with soft and stable before. This one started out as a test for that and quickly morphed into another small mat, which is the perfect size to go under my newest small succulent.

And then there was a special request.

We often have a cup or whatever next to the kitchen sink, often soaking to remove the tea stains - and so having a mat that we can use there, that was smaller and better looking than the functional reusable kitchen towels I’d made from surplus quilt blocks and old towels would be a win.

And it is a win. It’s been in use since it arrived by the sink, and is easy enough to wash or to store when we’re in a clear worktop mode!

Actually I’ve realised that I ticked off three things from my sewing list for this year: small pouches as well as the experimental/fun and practical household items - but I’m sure there’ll be more as the year goes on. They’re not really “once and done” goals are they?!

An impromptu Flying Geese tote

A couple of weekends ago I didn’t make it along to my patchwork group as planned - it’s a long story, but water in your heat pump isn’t a good thing as we discovered, and so our morning was a little disrupted trying to sort that out. It seems it was a morning for disruptions as there was also some confusion getting into the village hall for the patchwork group too, they did get in but I decided to stay home instead of arriving a fair bit later, and so I had my own ‘sew day’ - which was fabulous.

I’d already decided to test out my Flying Geese rulers to see if this method worked better for me, and I stuck with that. I’d made some Flying Geese way back for my first charity quilt, and while on the whole that method worked, it wasn’t foolproof and some of my geese had an extra piece of fabric at their point. As I’m planning to make a larger quilt full of these blocks I wanted to perfect my approach.

A first attempt, then progress

I’d pulled some fabrics from my stash which included the leftover fabric from the first vinyl fronted pouches I made and some plains: the blue from one of MOH’s old work shirts (and my Stars and Spots charity quilt) and the grey from an old duvet cover which I’ve used in multiple charity quilts already.

My first attempt wasn’t so good!

I misinterpreted the instructions, and so I went again. This time with a lot more success, thankfully or else it would have been a long and frustrating day!

And then I couldn’t stop. Geese of almost every size appeared alongside those first attempts, which I think have a certain charm, and which I was also keen to keep, and use somehow. Having accomplished my plan of successfully using my Flying Geese rulers, and sooner than I expected I needed a new plan before I became overrun with geese.

A new plan

I could have started on my long awaited Teal Flying Geese quilt, but I was keen to avoid abandoning my test geese. With a flash of inspiration I boldly decided to make a small tote bag, like you do.

With the layouts decided, and an extra strip here and there and a few more geese summonsed to the fray, I had a sort-of plan and some potential bag shaped pieces. At this point my sewing got even more experimental when I decided to sew strips of the fabric together to make patchwork effect geese (look at the two end geese on the long piece above to see how they worked).

I think my favourite one is where I’ve incorporated the selvedge with the fabric’s name, but also an important message re saving bees.

Those wonky geese still make me smile!

And so does the very 1970s lilac material I chose for the bag’s lining. I’m sure we had duvet covers that were similar back then, most likely yellow, orange, blue and pink variants, but not lilac. This material I picked up at a stash sale became it reminded me of those long ago duvet covers, and it’s perfect for this project too.

At this point I was just hoping that my very rough plan for assembling the bag would work. I’d used ‘soft and stable’ bag lining for the longest piece - I bought it for another project which I haven’t got to yet, but thankfully have enough for this as well - and leftover quilt wadding for the bag’s sides.

Using plenty of clips I proved my construction theory - the bag stands on its own thanks to the soft and stable, and the insert piece was the right size. I really do love it when a plan, and an impromptu one at that, comes together!

I’d even thought to add an internal pocket, and impressed myself by not actually quilting it in place. Instead adding it after the quilting, hand sewing it in place. It’s a big pocket though and to avoid it gaping I added a popper, lilac on the inside and blue on the outside.

Two needles down

Having tested out quilting and sewing together scraps of the bag lining, I was ready to actually construct the bag. First piece joined successfully, the second piece less so.

Clunk. Broken needle.

After much searching I cleared the broken needle, including some that remained in the bag’s seams. I was ready to go again, with my new needle.

Clunk. Broken needle. Again.

This time I was back up and running much quicker, but decided to skip the bit that was giving me trouble, which was thankfully right at the bottom of the bag (I hand stitched the inch I skipped later), and then the second piece was joined and I had the body of my bag.

New needles were ordered, and two straps were made. Instinctively I used interfacing on the bag’s straps before sewing them into tubes and turning them through, and I caught myself smiling when I realised how far I’d come since my bag making course. Back then I wouldn’t have thought to use interfacing, let alone know which to use or be able to identify fusible interfacing from the sew in type.

(FYI fusible interfacing has small bobbles or glue dots on one side, make sure that’s on your fabric, not your iron!)

Straps made, and thankfully both still the same length, they were attached to the body, and my bag was made. It took me longer than a day to complete, even allowing for dithering.

I’m really pleased with how it’s turned out, and while it’s not huge it’s perfect for what I wanted. And that ‘save the bees’ selvedge, well that worked out pretty well too.

With those ‘Flying Geese’ rulers mastered, there’s a very strong chance that my Teal Flying Geese quilt could be up next!