My quilt plans for 2025

It’s fair to say that I’ve a bit of a thing for quilts, and that’s not really a new thing. What is newer, or something that I’ve picked up again more recently is making quilts again after essentially a twenty or so year break.

In the past few months you’ll have seen that I’ve finished the flying geese kit and then the noughts and crosses quilt, and though on a much smaller scale there was also my handsewn hexi sewing machine mat too, but what next?

The list is ever growing…

Well like any self-respecting crafter I’ve a list of things I want to do which is as long as my arm! And it’s growing every time I see a new design and fall in love with it, and so it goes onto the list. Clearly that’s never going to work out but hey, it’s hard to turn down a beautiful quilt, so I thought I would try and hold myself accountable by sharing my plans - as they currently are in mid February, and then we’ll see how we go…

1. The teal flying geese

   I was originally planning to extend the flying geese kit by adding more material to those provided in the kit, and I duly started to ‘collect’ material in my chosen colour scheme. The only thing was that when I looked at it again, I loved the fabric I’d added way more than the ones in the kit - and so the kit became a test of my tolerance and skill level for making flying geese.

   I passed, and have since sorted out and pruned somewhat more the materials I intend to use - but I haven’t got any further yet as while I have a rough idea of what I want to do, I don’t have an exact plan. I know there will be a lot of flying geese, but also some plain elements too, and it makes sense to have a bit more idea of the end point before I start. So for the time being though this one is still percolating.

2. The mystery block a month

   Well I wasn’t going to, but the January block was really cute, and so I am. And after all it’s only a block a month, so how hard can it be. Yes mentally I’ve signed up to Sherri’s mystery block a month quilt over on A Quilting Life and I’ll share how I’m getting on soon - though given my January, I started later than I hoped, but the first block is done - and for reasons I’ll explain next week, this one needed more planning than I hope the rest of the months will need.

3. The jeans and pyjamas

   The noughts and crosses quilt was a way for me to test the Drunkard’s Path block - again I passed, which is good news as my heart is really set on the Happenstance pattern by Sarah Hibberts. Of course I’m giving it my own take and will be using old jeans and material I’ve saved from old pyjamas for this one, which will eventually live in the boot of my car for those times when you need a quilt on the go.

   All that’s stopping me getting started with this one is the actual cutting out, so I’m hopeful that as this one won’t need to be huge it won’t take me too long to get started, nor take too long to be finished either.

4. The Essex linen kisses

   This one wasn’t supposed to be on the list, but it made itself known shortly after I bought the brightly coloured screen printed scrap box from Helen Steele (pictured below). The scraps are of varying sizes but to maximise how many I can use I plan to cut them into 3 inch squares, and sew together to form a brightly coloured cross, or kiss and use a darker fabric as the background.

   This one is so close to being cut out and started on, so my money’s on this one starting next.

5. My floral fancy

   I shared how I had recently started my own floral fancy, well the plan is to finish that panel - and most likely to extend it further into a quilt. In my head the extension panels will complement rather than replicate the central panel, and the fuller quilt will be a longer term project throughout the year.

   I’m keen though to make progress on the central panel as it is really beautiful, and I really don’t want it to languish in a cupboard - or on my large craft mat, as it currently is, for too long. I need that mat back!!

   I’m also collecting a selection of greys to form the extended quilt, so while buying grey fabric doesn’t sound the most inspiring it is with good purpose - and I’m mostly staying on track.

6. My English Paper Piecing (EPP) blue diamonds

   This is my hand sewing project which I’ll take to my monthly sewing group evening meetings, and no doubt will pick up in between those too, as it’s a good project for keeping my hands busy. The diamonds are small - I like a challenge, clearly! - and I’m using pre-loved fabric for this. The central diamonds will be various blues from MOH’s old shirts - some patterned, some plain and each of these will be outlined with bright lime diamonds, which is material left over from another project long ago.

   As the diamonds are small, my updated plan is to place much larger diamonds between the hand sewn blocks, which will help with progress! I’ve got an old embroidered tablecloth which I bought on eBay for this - which may be a bit controversial for some cutting this up, but I’m ok with it. Whether or not I’d cut up a family heirloom is another matter, but that’s not something I need to consider for this project.

THE SCREEN PRINTED ESSEX LINEN SCRAP BOX

Oh and one final ‘stretch’ project

This one is potentially crazy, and I may not achieve it - but then again I just might, and I won’t know unless I try.

The corporate world loves a ‘stretch’ objective doesn’t it - and this is my ‘stretch’ project. From the quilts I’ve completed mentioned above I’ve found sewing a test block so useful and something I intend to carry on doing for the mystery block a month quilt. So I thought I might as well make these test blocks into quilts too, I’ll be using fabric from my stash, and so I’m hopeful I’ll also be able to make a small dent in my stash, and for a good cause.

My plan is to donate these to Project Linus UK, which you’ll know from my previous posts is a charity whose mission is to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children, who are sick, disabled, disadvantaged or distressed through the donation of new, homemade, washable quilts and blankets. 

These won’t be the largest quilts, but they will be big enough to give a quilt-sized hug.

And all the other sewing and making!

Yes, my list doesn’t end there - there’s plenty of other things on my craft to do list - including more pouches, I’m sure! But building up my confidence and skill set making quilts before braving the rest of my list seems a sensible plan, well to me anyway. On my non-quilt list, as well as more pouches (obviously), I want to make some lightweight dressing gowns, a cover for my sewing machine, and finally get my head around making some clothes.

Yes that’s as well as normal life, gardening, holidays and my non-sewing craft projects - I’ve a feeling it’s going to be a busy year!

Post Comment Love 21 - 23 February

Hello there, and welcome back 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 from the linky, and if 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 this week we’re pleased you’ve joined us.

This week my blog turned twelve (eek!) and I’ve had a day in London, the first in a while - and the first in a while where I’ve had a mooch around the shops too - though there was much more to my day than shopping! I was in London for just before 10am (which would be unusual for me even if I still lived in London) and spent most of the day at the Garden Press Event at my favourite show venue, The Business Design Centre in Islington.

After a day of garden related inspiration I hopped on the tube to Regent Street and had a mooch around Liberty, where I snapped these plates (and so much more - expect a post soon!). I’d hoped to buy some Falconware Enamel there, but was disappointed by the range they had in store - so I’ll be ordering online and sucking up the ‘what I think are expensive for the size of the items’ postage costs.

Have a good week.

It starts with seeds...

* I was invited to the Garden Press Event, a one day show which connects garden product suppliers with garden media, therefore I’m marking my blog posts from the event as 'Ad’ though as usual my views and opinions are very much my own.

There’s nothing more satisfying than sowing a seed and watching it grow is there - but there’s so many seeds available, so knowing where to start can often be overwhelming. But one thing that’s clear is that the seed companies I spoke to this week at the event are going all out to entice us to buy their seeds.

So whether you want to grow vegetables, herbs or flowers why not take a look at these brands

Stocks & Green

Based in Colchester, Iben and Trevor have built Stocks & Green as a reflection of their deep-rooted passion for the world of horticulture and along with their seeds they aim to fill gardener’s lives with vibrant colour, delightful scents and fresh home grown food. And with a display like this, it was hard to resist.

Their range often features personal favourites to give the home gardener a good selection, but avoiding that overwhelm that I mentioned before. They’ve refreshed their seed pack imagery ahead of the show, and the images on their seed packets are stunning.

The back of the seed packets are equally clear and informative, and including the aftercare information is really helpful for gardeners new and old alike.

Among the new flowers for this year include the fluffy looking Papaver ‘Black Swan’ (Opium Poppy), the arching stems of pink firework like flowers of the ‘Cerise Pearls’ Persicaria, and in their vegetable range they’ve added the yellow courgette ‘Goldena’ and a favourite of mine the ‘Black Beauty’.

I left the show with two packs of seeds - a white Echinacea elegantly called ‘White Swan’ which they advise is ideal for pollinators and the young flowers look equally good in a vas, lasting over a week. I’m looking forward to sowing these (under cover between February and June) when the temperatures are more consistently warm, given that I don’t yet have a greenhouse.

The other packet of seeds is a new to me wildflower, but with a name like Fiddleneck and the bee on the front of the packet, how could I resist? The flowers attract bees, butterflies and ladybirds and the plants can also be dug into the soil as a soil improver. Growth is fast, so they can help prevent weeds, but these need to be sown where they are to grow, but can be planted between March and September, so I’ve a bit of time before I start these ones. I think I’ll grow these in an empty spot in our outside border, but probably away from the buddleia which is good at attracting butterflies to the garden.

Mr Fothergill’s

I’m sure this is a brand that you’ve heard of before, and for me it’s a tried and trusted provider of seeds, but they also have a couple of other ranges which you might not be aware of, but which I think are interesting. Each of these is aimed at a different audience as you’d expect, but each is encouraging people to get involved and grow more from seed, whatever their skill level and whatever their interest.

So if you want to grow flowers for cutting, the Johnsons range is likely to appeal to you - and their seed packs are truly stunning, looking less like a traditional seed pack would.

I love a Cosmos, and am very tempted by both the white ‘Purity’ and unusually for me, the red ‘Dazzler’ shown above.

But if it’s vegetables you want to grow, then the D.T.Brown range could be for you. This offers a smaller selection of vegetables, for example only three or four carrot varieties, but those varieties are ones that can be relied on whatever your experience. Each of these seed packets has a QR code on the back providing more information, and the recipe for the dish shown on the lower half of the seed packet, so it really is a sow - grow - eat approach.

And if you’re new to growing from seed then the Oh Sow Simple range would be a good place to start - these are varieties good for starting off, and can be grown in a container or directly where you want them to grow.

You need very little experience for growing seeds, as they are programmed to grow! Just give them warmth, water, something to grow in - as many growers will tell you watching them grow can be magical, so why not try it for yourself?

As it says on the image above - Sow - Grow - Enjoy!