A quilty update - September 2025

It’s been a few months since my last quilty update and so, it’s time for another update. If you remember I posted my quilt plans for the year in February, and it’s been useful and helped me not add too many more things to my list, despite a visit to the Festival of Quilts in August!

The ‘stretch project’ I set myself is still the main focus, as now I don’t want to not do that. But it’s not just that project in this update.

So how am I doing?

1 The teal flying geese

I’ve still not started this one, and I’m wondering if I will get to this one this year. I’m still debating whether or not to postpone this one until next year, or wondering if I could spend an afternoon getting started. But then again, maybe I should spend that time finishing some of the things I’ve started, or the other non-quilt projects on my list!

2 The mystery block a month

Progress on this one remains steady, and I think that’s mostly because it’s linked to the ‘stretch project’. I’m almost back on my slightly relaxed track with this one, which is great news. Since the last update I’ve shared the following monthly blocks:

• May: Flower block

• June: Happy friendship star block

• July: Churn dash block

I’ve also laid the blocks out partly to see what they look like together, but mostly to check I’ve got the right greens in the right place - and I have, so far, phew!

And while this looks good, I don’t think this will be exactly how it ends up as I suspect, looking at Sherri’s other quilts, that there will be sashing (or borders) in between each block, and so that will give me more decisions to make when the time comes!

I hope to share the August block later this week, or early next week - which definitely takes me back on track, not that I’ve started sewing it yet of course!

3 The jeans and pyjamas

Nothing to see here, and no updates either. I still think this one will happen this year though.

4 The Essex linen kisses

There has been a spurt of progress since the last update, and the quilt top is together.

And it’s looking fab.

Since my last update I’ve sewn all the blocks together, added sashing in between the blocks with pops of corresponding colour by the crosses. I also decided I wanted to add more borders, and just about had enough material left to add a narrow border following the colour wash across the blanket.

Then I added a final glittery gold/charcoal border, and considered the backing fabric and binding. I’ve bought some gold bias binding which I’ll use to finish off the quilt, but the backing fabric was more problematic. I saw a beautiful ochre colour material, and ordered that - but when it arrived it wasn’t right for this quilt, even though it was lovely. I realised the backing needs to be bright to really work, and so ordered some bright orange and bright green fabrics when they were on sale, and typically these both work!

Now I can’t choose which I prefer. I like the orange, but I think the green may work better as this blanket’s purpose is a picnic blanket - my thinking is that any grass stains will show less on the green! I’m forever practical.

Actually I think that’s my decision, so you never know that may even be the prompt for me to pick this up again. Keep on watching this space.

5 My floral fancy

No update here either, but in my defence at the start of October I’ve got a day’s training on my new Bernina machine at their London HQ, so I’m hoping that I will gleam knowledge, or at least know how from there, and that that will help!

6 My English Paper Piecing (EPP) blue diamonds

I have made progress here, it’s been just the thing to pick up on those warm summer days in the garden. I’ve even cut into the vintage tablecloth, and while it was never going to be a heartbreak thing for me, I did have a bit of a ‘should I be doing this’ little wobble.

But I pressed on as I wanted to free up more of the small diamond templates, as my pile of green and blue blocks are growing more quickly than I have free templates. MOH suggested I just bought some more, but I have them - they’re just covered in fabric, and freeing them gees me along on this project.

I think it’s going to work out pretty well too, though now I think I may need an additional fabric for the larger diamonds, but we’ll see.

And the ‘stretch’ project

My quilting timetable is still very much dominated by this project, and it’s still delivering the results. Since my last update I’ve completed the following quilts to be donated to charity:

• Pleated Tulips

• A Raspberry Plus

• Half the Scraps

Which makes nine completed quilts, all of which are photographed below and have been donated to the Mansfield Project Linus Coordinator.

I was able to donate these at the same time as attending a ‘Project Linus Sewing Day’ with a new-to-me patchwork group. I went along to their day to find out more about the group, take part in the day and to take these quilts along with me to donate.

Of course I started, but didn’t quite finish, another quilt on the day so I spent a short amount of time finishing this baby quilt the next day, so it’s ready for the next patchwork group meeting. It’s not my usual style of quilt, but all the materials were provided by the charity and all I needed to do was sew.

I’ve still more to come on this stretch project, and hopefully at least some of the other projects too. I’ll share how I get on later in the year, and with the summer days moving behind us I’m hoping for many more sewing room days, which will definitely help!

A day off walking (sort of!)

If you remember when we arrived at our hotel on the coast in Mattinata it was set into the cliff and we were taken to our room on a golf buggy, well that was a one off - and the rest of the time we needed to walk, which was a shame! But it was a walking holiday after all, but walking back up after a lovely breakfast, or even larger lovelier meal or worse after a day’s walking wasn’t my idea of fun, especially with my still tender ankle. After all the walking so far to get here, and knowing we had an extra night booked at this hotel, a day off walking was much needed.

So that’s what we did. Or rather that’s what our plan was anyway.

We opted to head into the small town of Mattinata which is built on the top of two hills and surrounded by the mountains of Monte Saraceno and Monte Sacro, which our walking notes told us ‘create a glorious backdrop to the village’. And to be fair, our view as we walked out of our hotel back towards the coast, was also pretty special.

And armed with Google maps we left the hotel and headed towards the town, along a long and less interesting road, which made the walk seem longer! But without buses, or other means and eschewing the idea of a taxi we were committed.

And it was worth the walk as it was a pretty town, and very much a town used to and by the local community. Our plan was to pick up some supplies for lunch the next day, stock up on painkillers and stop for refreshments, as well as see what the town had to offer.

What we weren’t expecting to see was a nursing tabby cat in one of the gardens we passed, but I think I was more impressed by this than she was. We passed them again later on as we left town and her four kittens were spread around the garden, and no doubt mum was just as aware.

Mattinata is generally a ‘white building’ town and also set into the hillside, so that meant steps and steep roads. But now with more interesting scenery (definitely more interesting than the main road into town!) we had renewed energy for our explorations, and shopping.

We found a small grocers shop where we bought some fruit and crisps. We even found a pharmacy where I was able to stock up on enough ibuprofen to see me through until we got home, and way beyond. Although my ankle was healing, what I didn’t know was I was soon about to crack my tooth - yes, always on holiday. Thankfully it wasn’t that painful, but it clearly needed looking at when I got home (and then needed to come out).

We even found a sandwich bar and delayed many of the local workers on their lunch break, while we ordered and collected our own sandwiches for our walk the next day. And then as we headed off to explore more of the town, and to find somewhere to rest a while before heading back, we spotted this quite modern sculpture in the town square.

We stopped for coffee, and then a beer, and a water in a cafe on the street. But sensibly before we started our trek back I went in to check out the loos, and found a series of fruit machines, which was quite unexpected.

Arriving back at the beach we stopped to take in the view, amused by how even in this small town they have their Instagram spot!

After stopping for a beer at the beach bar, we’d clocked up almost 8km for our impromptu walk, which is quite a lot for our day off walking! But to be fair it was much needed, and it meant that we were fully up for the our last walk of this trip taking us across the bay and up the headland in the picture above.

But that’s for another day.

Post Comment Love 19 - 21 September

Hello there, and welcome to this week’s #PoCoLo - a relaxed, friendly linky which I co-host with Suzanne, where you can link any blog post published in the last week. We know you’ll find some great posts to read, and maybe some new-to-you blogs too, so do pop over and visit some of the posts linked, comment and share some of that love.

Please don’t link up posts which are older as they will be removed, and if you see older posts are linked then please don’t feel that it’s necessary to comment on those. If you were here last week it was great to have you along, if you’re new here we’re pleased you’ve joined us.

Last week I said there were definitely signs of autumn on the way, this week the weather proved its point didn’t it? We’ve had high winds, rain and then some more of the same, but while the temperatures have dropped it’s not really been cold yet - which I’m grateful for.

It’s meant that mostly it’s been indoor stuff around here, though I did venture to a new to me patchwork group and had the best day, but more of that during the week. I’ve finished a small quilt, made progress on others, but the big news (it’s not that big really!) is that I’ve found the small postcard size pictures which I bought in Hunte’s Gardens in Barbados back in 2019!

I thought these were long gone if I’m honest, and had given up hope finding them - especially after a house move. I had no idea where they could have gone, or could have been but this week that all became clear. I was looking for something else (isn’t that always the way?) and came across an old blogging notebook which I no longer used, but at the time was my blogging everything. It was the type of notebook that had a pouch at the back, and I’d stuffed multiple bits of paper in there and throughout the book.

I thought I’d just look at what was stuffed in the book, and to my absolute delight and surprise out popped these two long lost pictures. What joy!

Now I need to work out what to do with them as my previous plans are no longer valid.

Have a great week.