Baby quilts with lovely hearts and edge to edge designs

Scrolling through my blog posts, I realize that I never posted photos of the two complete baby quilts I finished in March.  It hasn't been a very productive year thus far with three quarters of the year already behind us.  I will have to seriously make up time.

With the Lovely Hearts Set 1 I digitized, I made a whole cloth quilt with lace and satin ribbon added to the sides.

Set 2 was done in separate blocks which were combined with some of the edge-to-edge designs which is also for sale in my store.  This blue and purple quilt was gifted to one of my sons' friends who welcomed their firstborn recently.

All designs can be purchased here.

Sea Glass design

I was finally able to finish this design and upload it to my store.  I actually embroidered it twice as I entered the first one in the Sew Awareness 2026 quilt festival which contained copyrighted designs from another store.  So, to be able to upload a photo on my store, I needed to embroider another one.

I don't know if it is a labor of love or just craziness to gather up about 120 different pieces of fabric and about 60 spools of thread and change color with every piece of fabric.  Embroidering about 15 pieces per evening after a whole day of work, well, you decide.  The design was already done in February and embroidering two of them with life in-between, brought us to mid June.  And beware, rummaging through so much fabric left your studio looking somewhat like a war zone.

Get your own design here while it is still on special.  Completed size is 400 x 500mm.

I gifted this one to a friend who is going to turn it into a bath mat.  I will put up a picture of my original one after the festival have concluded.

Bernina quilt for all Sewing Machine Challenge 2025 - July

The only assignment this month, was to combine the blocks into a 20 x 40" piece in preparation for a 16" bag. It took me about half a day as most of the blocks and/or rows had to be enlarged with additional pieces to get them all the same size and in rows of 20".  I sketched out the bags dimensions to decide what should go where and even cut some blocks in half.  But I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Still have to quilt all the additional pieces but with me taking on extra draughting work, all the hobbies are on the back burner for the next few months.

Lovely Hearts Set 2 embroidery designs updated

The set I wrote about in this post was revamped and replaced with new designs in my store here.  It is on special for one week and include a free design to download and try before buying.  The designs are available in 3 sizes.

The set includes 8 hearts with a bow at the top of the heart and 4 without the bow.  For the applique, I used satin ribbon in two contrasting colors which I basket weaved.

Now I still have to transform these blocks into a quilt which will be for sale.

Bohemian Quilt Block 6 added to the store

Bohemian Quilt Block 6 added to my store.  This block features applique and is mainly stitched in black and white.  It was however digitized in sections enabling the embroiderer to add more colors if he or she wish to do so.

Bernina quilt for all Sewing Machine Challenge 2025 - April

April's challenge consisted of 8 blocks.  The first block was a half square triangle.

Block 2 was made with strips of fabric and decorated with decorative stitching.

The third block was a free motion couching block and it was the first time in my life that I did couching with a sewing machine and wool.

Lady Reh (my Brother Luminaire XP3) use these attachments with the muvit foot (aka walking foot) to achieve it seamlessly.

Block 4 was also a couching block using various yarns.  Not my favorite block though.  This one might be a do over.

Block 5's instructions called for a 3D block with echo quilting.  As my previous flowers were stitched flat in the confetti block of March, I did some of the same flowers with faux leather and glitter foam in coordinating colors.  The flowers was attached to the background with gold metallic thread.

Echo quilting done.

The faux leather and glitter foam sheets used.

Block 6 called for a machine embroidered block and as I collected a few of Beyond the Frame's Jumpville residents, I decided to embroider Curly Sue, but with her hair in a French braid.  It is quite mesmerizing watching the machine stitch the 5 layers of hair.  The stuff creative people come up with is just mind-blowing. 

The first layer of her hair done.

All 5 layers completed.

Curly Sue all done.

Block 7 was another traditional patchwork block, the log cabin.  I used different shades of denim fabrics and quilted the block with variegated thread.

Block 8 concluded April's blocks with a 3D pinwheel which I also quilted with the same variegated thread.

I also embroidered a Curly Sue for a member of our quilting group who also partake in the Bernina challenge.

Curly Sue's curls in the making.

And doesn't she looks absolutely gorgeous!

If you are interested in joining the Jumpville crew, sign up on Beyond the frame's webpage to receive notifications of new releases.  The designs itself however, are sold on a completely different website, Embroidershoppe which I find difficult to navigate and yes, very confusing.  

It is so interesting to see all the participants blocks on the Facebook page with no 2 people's blocks the same and to see how differently people interpret the instructions and make innovative blocks by thinking out of the box and not just strictly following the example shown.

We just received May's challenge and it is another 8 blocks with yet again different techniques.  Another month done already with a quarter of 2025 done and dusted.  Time is flying by at lightning speed it seems.

Bohemian Quilt Block 5 added to the store

Block 5 of this quilt was released ten days ago and already had a sale.  Slowly but surely sales are picking up for which I am grateful.

Block 5 available for $1.75 until the release of Block 6

Bernina quilt for all Sewing Machine Challenge 2025

After discovering this challenge in 2024, I decided to partake in this year's challenge which will be a denim bag, something similar to this: 

Join on the Facebook page here if you want to join in the fun.  The challenge already started in March and will conclude August 2025.

The first block was done using the seminole patchwork technique.  I had a packet of fat eight's from Tilda's prints and decided to combine it with the denim.  The quilting was done with a variegated thread.

The second block is a decorative strip technique using decorative stitches from our sewing machines as well as denim strips  placed on a denim background.  

After submitting my blocks in time for the March voting, I added some bling to the block.

The third block was done using confetti on a denim background with motifs on top covered with netting which was all held in place with dense free motion quilting.  I had some confetti left of a UFO I started way back in 2012 and used some of that.  

The flowers I added on top was made out of different mediums like felt, faux leather, organza and metallic thread.

Most of the detail of the flowers was however lost after the quilting was done.  Luckily I kept a few pieces and added them afterwards on top of the block.

The fourth and last block for March was an applique block.  As I haven't decided on a specific theme, I just went with a pretty bow to which I added a rhinestone and some lace.  Some variegated thread completed the applique.

These four blocks didn't however receive enough votes to reach one of the first three places.  Well, on to April's challenge which is 8 blocks.

Miscellaneous embroidery items done

Whilst finding my feet with the new Luminaire by taking it one step at a time, I caught up with some orders on my Brother Innovis 4000 (lovingly called Boetie - the Afrikaans for Brother).

My friend from Clover and Stitch, Ansulet, asked me to compile all the parts necessary for a biscornu pincushion for a friend of hers.  So, I embroidered the two parts and added stuffing, ribbon and a tassel with which she can now complete the biscornu on her own time.

Pattern Biscornu 2 available from Artistic Designs

My husband wanted two bookmarks, and as the frame can do 3 at a time, I stitched 3 and gave the third one to the young girl to whom I donated my mother's Elna 2004 .

I also digitized and stitched a logo for a fellow bowler of my husbands bowling club.

I completed this cute frog a few weeks ago which I received a few years back halfway done by a woman who had since died.

I also made a baby statistic bear for a friend of mine's first grandson.

Design from Ofnah Embroidery Designs

A spit cloth was also stitched on Saturday with a crochet border added yesterday by friend Magda and delivered today.

Yes, again this adorable little elephant from Appliquetion Station

Amazing what one can achieve in just one day just staying seated behind the machines. Feels like it's been a long time since I had the luxury of stitching away, but that's just because life happened.  With the new Luminaire I had to split my sewing room into two rooms to accommodate both Brothers.  I also had to do an over hall of my closet as I am starting working fulltime on the 1st of April and was in serious need of office clothes.  Luckily friend Magda stepped in and helped by doing some alterations as well as stitching some jackets to wear over the sleeveless dresses.  I now also have to spend some time acquainting myself with Autocad 3D so that I can at least use the program efficiently.

On top of that I have to finish the quilts destined to be exhibited at the Bloemshow as well as finishing 4 blocks of the Bernina challenge I am partaking in before the end of the month.  And my shop needs some new designs as well.  So much to do and so little time...