A quilty update - February 2026

It’s been a little while since I shared an update on my quilty progress, not since September in fact and so here it is today. In truth I’d been holding off this update as I wanted to have some actual progress to document, and finally I have. Well in some places anyway!

My sewing is still dominated by the random and now considered slightly silly ‘stretch’ project I set myself way back in last February, but I’m on the home stretch (pun not intended) and I know not to be quite so rash with my quilty plans for 2026!

So how am I doing?

1 The teal flying geese

Still not started, but still on the list. I’m having a rethink about how to get this one off the ground because when it does I think it’ll be flying (again pun not intended).

2 The mystery block a month

Like the ‘stretch’ project the end is almost in sight. Well almost, once I’ve made the final block for December (which I’ve not started yet), then the real work begins! That’s to join the blocks and make them into an actual quilt, and it’ll be the biggest one I’ve made in a quite a while.

I think knowing this is partly why my momentum has stopped, or slowed if we’re being kind. In my mind I know the next step is a big one and I’m already playing through the borders I could add, the backing, the wadding and the small matter of quilting it. I don’t have many answers yet, but I’m hoping once I get closer there’ll be some clarity.

Since the last update I’ve shared the following monthly blocks:

There is definitely more to come on this one!

3 The jeans and pyjamas

I was wrong to think it would happen in 2025. The only update I have here is that I’ve added to the pyjama pile of fabric, and probably the old jeans pile too!

4 The Essex linen kisses

Yay - progress. So much progress that it’s completed, and I love it. I’ve even shared more about it in its own blog post: Essex Linen, a colour wash picnic rug.

I think I also love it because I completely made it up from a box of random scraps, finding the fabric to match online and then spending probably more time than I should have getting the colour wash just as I wanted it. But it’s those fun bits in life that we all need, right?

I do want to make a drawstring bag to make it more easily portable, but that’s for another day. All I can say is ‘bring on the picnics (and sunny weather)!’

5 My floral fancy

This continues to take up two cutting mats and sit on my craft room floor in the hope that it might make it closer to the sewing machine, but it hasn’t yet. I checked it the other day and thankfully hardly any of the cut pieces have moved, but I do need to free up those cutting mats!

In my last update I was hoping that I would gleam knowledge from my Bernina training day, and I certainly did and so it also stays on the list.

Throughout the year I’ve been collecting various greys to use as backgrounds for further panels, yes I’m still planning to do more, yes I know I haven’t picked this one up again yet… Though I think my grey collecting is over, as I checked to see what I had and it seems I definitely have a preference - for lighter greys and sparkles.

a selection of 15 grey materials which I've been collecting over the year

MY COLLECTION OF GREYS

Though I’ve now realised I probably need a few greens for the leaves, the collecting continues…

6 My English Paper Piecing (EPP) blue diamonds

I haven’t touched this one since my last update, my go to hand sewing projects for the past few months have been embroidery, mainly sheep on Christmas cards, but I do have another project on the go too which I think will be finished soon.

And the ‘stretch’ project

This is still the main driver for my sewing time, and I am one quilt away from saying it’s done. And it will be. It’s definitely been a challenge worth doing, but for 2026 I already know there won’t be such a defined timescale for my charity quilts.

Since my last update I’ve completed the following quilts which will be donated to charity:

And I’m pretty proud of myself for all of these if I’m honest - but there’s so much more I want to sew in the year ahead, so look out for my plans for what’s on my list for 2026 soon.

Quilts of 2025

Today I’m sharing the quilts I’ve finished in 2025, and I mean completely finished. There’s more that I’ve started but haven’t quite finished yet so I’m not including those. This year I’ve made a lot more quilts than I have ever done before, let alone in one year and so I’m proud of that, and you never know this could be the start of a whole new annual series here on my blog. Actually, I’d be pretty happy about that.

Twelve completed quilts, but not one a month

This year I’ve completely finished twelve quilts, all of them for charity. My most prolific month with three finished quilts was September, while I managed to complete zero in May and December! But that’s life hey?

So let’s have a quick recap of those quilts.

January started with a Noughts and Crosses quilt, the crosses were left over blocks from a previous Great Granny Quilt top (which so far has remained unfinished) and they were paired with some blocks I made to test sewing on a curve, and if I could cope with making enough for a quilt. In case you’re wondering I could, but so far I haven’t!

In February it was the Log Cabin Log Cabin, whose name still makes me smile. The log cabin centres were test blocks for my mystery block of the month quilt - and it was this that set me onto the slightly mad ‘stretch’ project of making a quilt a month for charity from these test blocks.

February’s Log Cabin Log Cabin

In March I opted for a blue and green theme for the Mostly Repurposed Vintage Star quilt, which I think only the white/navy flowered material was new. At this point I was unsure in which direction the mystery block of the month quilt would take me.

April’s finished quilt saw hearts as the centre block, and so this Four Hearts and a Hug quilt was always going to be pink, and as it turned out, riotously so!

That meant my eyes needed a break, so The Friendly Bee quilt I completed in June was just the thing and used two different bee fabrics I picked up at my Sewing Group’s stash sale.

The calm colours didn’t last long though, and colour broke through for the Pleated Tulips I finished in July, though the Aztec patterned border gave me a bit of headache, until I added the grey border which immediately stopped the zig zags looking too unruly.

For August’s Raspberry Plus finisher I played with the layout, opting for a plus, or cross, layout for the first but not the last time.

While September was my most prolific month for completing quilts, it didn’t stop my creativity or optimism. For this Half the Scraps quilt, which was renamed from All the Scraps while I was making it, I also decided to try quilting in a circle - it was way harder than I expected it to be, and I’ll not be trying that again for a while!

In September I went along to a Project Linus charity quilt day hosted by my now Patchwork Group, and during the day I made the majority of this baby-sized Paddington quilt in a snowball pattern. I was disappointed not to get it completely finished on the day, but it didn’t take me that long to complete once I was home. I shared more about this quilt, and the ones I donated, in my September Quilty Update.

For my third completed quilt of the month I was back raiding the Blues and Greens in my stash, clearly needing another break from the pinks. This one also used scraps leftover from previous quilts, but with the addition of some other fabrics from my stash. And by now, I was firmly entrenched in the straight line quilting - I think it works particularly well with this quilt.

October’s completed quilt was one that the central block challenged me unnecessarily, though partly because I switched machines part-way through. That resulted in completely mismatched seams for one of the central test blocks, so that was binned and a new one made - I guess that’s the purpose of test blocks, and you’d never know in the resulting Marmalade Hearts quilt, would you?

Which brings me onto the last completed quilt of 2025 - the Ohio Flower Garden - and another that I’ve played with the layout of and have used all floral fabric, and there’s a lot but I think it turned out well.

So it was quite a year in quilts, and I’ve learnt lots including:

  • Test blocks are always a good idea, but a quilt a month is a lot to keep up with (in shocking news!)

  • I’ve used a lot of my stash, but I’ve created a lot more scraps I could use too.

  • I’m a fan of straight line quilting, though quite often my lines could be straighter - I’ve a plan for that though.

  • I should aim to get a better final shot of the completed quilts, I much prefer those from the start of the year on the sofa or the trellis, something for me to remember for this year!

And I’ve plenty more to come this year, with at least two from my initial list hopefully completed in the first part of 2026.

Hopefully.

But I’ve a couple more charity quilts and blocks of the month to complete right now, so I’ve plenty to crack on with.

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:

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!

Laying out all seven blocks of the month in order

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.

The completed quilt top, complete with a thin matching colourwash border

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.

Four blocks of blue stars edged in lime green diamonds, joined together with a central large diamond from an embroidered vintage table cloth

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:

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

A stack of nine charity quilts which I've made and donated to Project Linus UK Mansfield

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.

A small - baby size - Paddington 'snowball' quilt started and almost finished at the charity sewing day

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!