Espritpatch

The first quarter of the year is over and we are now into spring, when the days turn longer (yeah!) The baking marathon for the kids' birthdays is (nearly) over too! I had as usual quite a long list to start the year and I am pleased to report that I have crossed quite a few (big) items on it. Big because they took me out of my comfort zone, big time (dressmaking!), big because they are physically big (quilts) and big because they had been gathering dust/taking up space for a while (UFOs). 1. Medaillon quilt - Finished! after over 10 years as a UFO! 2.    Quilt for E - HK QAL - all cut, it would be good to have it done for her birthday in April 3.  Wanta Fanta - only one more block needed - can I get it finished for A's official birthday end of February? - finished 4.  Elephant quilt - all the elephants are finished, only a few more blocks needed - can I get the quilt finished for C's birthday in February? - finished ...

April has arrived already, how time flies! March has been a productive month I must admit, let's hope April will be too! Hoping for finish 1.  Sorbetto top 2.  Saunio cardigan - this will be my  One Monthly Goal 3. Pencil skirt gold 4. Lizzie skirt Bee Blocks  1.  Flower hexies for the Inchy Hexie Swap (April )  2.  Block lotto  WIP 1.  Farmer's wife, let's try for another 10 blocks -  2. Solstice challenge - 8 blocks behind already.... 3. HST modern sampler quilt - half way -  4. Pumpkin Passport  5. Dear Jane - aiming for 5 blocks 6. Long Time Gone - let's try and keep up! 7. Mischief blocks New Project 1.  Custom cushions    x 2  2.  Flora Sew Along 3. Dress for C 4. Shirt Dress (Darling) 5. Bridgetown Dress 6. Neoprene coat 7. Leather (faux!) jacket Celine

Hoping for finish 1.  Wanta Fanta will be my  One Monthly Goal  again - finished 2. Elephant parade - finished 3. Saunio cardigan - cut and started 4. Mabel skirt - finished Bee Blocks  1.  Flower hexies for the Inchy Hexie Swap (March ) - done 2.  Block lotto - 3 blocks WIP 1.  Farmer's wife, let's try for another 10 blocks -  no progress 2. Solstice challenge - 8 blocks behind already.... -  no progress 3. HST modern sampler quilt - half way - no progress 4.  Project 48 - 10 more blocks this month and only 2 left for the ones I want to make 5. Pumpkin Passport -   no progress 6. Dear Jane - aiming for 5 blocks - none 7. Long Time Gone - let's try and keep up! - still in the race! 8. Mischief blocks - none New Project 1.  Custom cushions    x 2 - not started 2.  Flora Sew Along  -  not started ...

Last year I started (a few) quilt along and I fell off the wagon for all of them.... not surprising I know, but that just added to my pile of WIP/UFO. The Project 48 quilt was a block per week and I didn't even do half of them last year. The blocks are available until the end of the month so I knew I needed to get going if I wanted to make them. I could save the tutorials and make them later too.... but why wait and create another UFO, especially when I broke into my precious Lighthearted bundle to make those blocks. My original plan was to make all 48 blocks but then I decided that I wouldn't. Reassured that the quilt police will not come after me and remembering that this will be MY quilt, I decided to only pick the blocks I like from the project. As soon as I made that decision, pressure was lifted that I wouldn't struggle with blocks I don't really like. For example, I don't like wonky/improv blocks so much and every month there was one of these so I am miss...

Not as much progress as I would have wanted but a few more blocks from scraps for the  Long Time Gone quilt along:  2 Crosses of the UK (42more are needed!) as well as 3 blocks for the Block Lotto With those 5 blocks, I now have 16 blocks this month for 350-blocks challenge. Celine

I started my Saunio cardigan this week-end and everything that go wrong went wrong indeed. I swapped the front pieces and only realised when I had sewn the sleeves on. I tried to unpick and made a hole in the fabric. So in the end I cut on my seams and started again with pieces 1 cm shorter... Anyway, I got it to the point I could get to before I get the interfacing I need to sew the facing on. and today was Mother's day in England and I got some lovely present from hubby and the children. I am really looking forward to using the Maker's Atelier book, there are some very nice pieces in there. Celine

A quilt made with the help of my friends!  It took 2 bees to gather almost enough blocks for this lovely pink quilt for my youngest daughter. I received the blocks in 2015 from my Bee mates but decided I needed a few more and of course... it has taken a long time to make the remaining blocks.  I finally finished the top earlier this year and let my daughter shop my stash for the border fabric. She went for 2 pale pink fabric to frame it.  And earlier in March, the quilt finally made it to the frame. I tried something new there by quilting with a ruler. Now I don't have a special ruler or a special foot and I was told after I posted my picture on IG that it was a bad idea to quilt with ruler with a regular quilting foot as I could have damaged my machine badly. I am glad it all went well to be honest. And I really like the effect on the borders.  I drew some massive flowers in the middle of the white "squares"  and this is the final...