Handiwork (Build-A-Block) Quilt

I'm always shocked by how quickly time passes, and I'm definitely reminded of it when I decide to pull out a quilt to finish it, and realized I pieced the top 4 years ago. It just didn't feel like that long! But it does feel like time has been on a speed warp ever since 2020, it's like COVID warped my view of time forever.

I finished piecing Handiwork in November of 2019. Handiwork is a Build-A-Quilt (block of the month) run by Angela Walters, and the fabric is Handiwork by Alison Glass. I really loved working on this one because the fabric is stunning, and of course, the final layout is very interesting, definitely not like a typical sampler quilt.

I've worked on just a few sampler quilts in my time, and one of the things I really enjoyed is going to town designing something interesting for each block. If I didn't enjoy quilting it, it doesn't matter because there's only the one anyway!

The background of this quilt definitely calls for swirls. I do love filling large swaths of the background with swirls, and though I occasionally I think I overuse this design, most of the time, I'm fine with it.

I did leave out a border from the original design, because I didn't like the way it looked, and I hate putting borders on anyway. I really love the end result, and of course, the cherry on the top is the lovely binding fabric!

I think I've already finished more quilts this year than all of last year, and it's only the middle of the year, so I'm really happy with my progress this year! But now that summer is in full swing, all bets are off, as I know I tend to get really slow in the summer and then have a hard time revving back up the engine after.

Minikins Galore

Since I was on a break from sewing quilt tops for much of the year but still had the itch to sew, I ended up making a lot of smaller projects from Sew Sweetness. I decided to use this opportunity to try out a variety of shapes, sizes, and techniques, and it is a great way to use up my yardage and loose fat quarters. All of these projects are from Sara's Minikins collections, and there's a video workshop for each of these projects, literally the only way I can make them.

I intended to sew just a few, but found myself addicted. I've previously had a difficult relationship with pouches and bags projects, loving the end result but wanting to cry at the process. However, aside from the cutting (which I still hate) I think I've finally learned to enjoy the whole process. Well, 90% of the process, at least. And after each project is finished, I kept wanting to make another one, which is how I ended up with 8.

Sidewider Pouch: a really cute pouch with a great useful shape. I was rather surprised by the drop-in lining, but overall this was not a difficult project.

Zeppelin Pouch: the shape makes it extremely useful for knitting projects, and I adore the name. I had a lot of trouble with this one, so this was definitely a skill builder.

Brumby Pouch: By far the easiest project in this set, I could not believe how easy it was to make this and it looks fantastic once pressed. However, the pattern shape is a bit odd and makes it difficult to cut fabrics and interfacing efficiently.

Grab 'n Go Sleeve: This is my 2nd Grab 'n Go Sleeve, and overall this is a great and pleasant sew, and I love that the size is totally customizable.

Moto Pouch: I made this to force myself to try drop-in lining one more time, and I found this project easier than the Sidewinder Pouch due to the shape, but it's constructed very similarly.

Trifle Tumbler: the round barrel shape is adorable, and I was able to try out the technique of binding to finish the raw edges.

Jetset Cinched Bag: this was another skillbuilder for me, as it's my first time using foldover elastic and my first time using a drawstring cord. It was a bit difficult however to cinch the drawstring in, and I'm not sure how much I will use this bag for that reason.

Morsel Lunch Bag: I used InsulBright for this bag to make the lining insulated, and I hope to test it out one day with a picnic lunch or something.

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Well, I had a really, really great time sewing all these! With each one I could tell my confidence level went higher, and I felt an immense sense of satisfaction when they were done. I finally understand why so many people are addicted to making these type of projects.