Finally some finishes for the year!

Two baby quilts finished this month and in time to give as gifts at Christmas.  One grand-nephew born in April and a grand-niece born in June both received gifts when born, but I wanted to make quilts for them both as well.  

                

Both quilts very similar, as you can see.  That will be the last time for a while that I make quilts using that block.  When I was cutting I Spy fabrics earlier in the year, I cut several different sizes for different styles of quilts.  And I don't have as much solid colours as I did have!  

Now I'm looking at photos of the quilts, it seems that the black hedgehog blocks stand out too much.  

The two border fabrics were bought at a sale table at a local quilt shop in the last year.  I had not quite enough of the blue stop border fabric for the binding, so each quilt's binding has a section of the multi-coloured border fabric.  I still have a bit of the multi-coloured fabric left but probably not enough for borders.  I will have to look out for something similar on the sale tables.  Borders need to be a bit darker than the quilt centre, I feel.  

Now to start making more baby quilts - there are a few babies on the horizon amongst my family and friends. 

December 2023 fabric tally

Finishes since November:  two baby quilts, each 46"x 60" = 4.25m of fabric in each quilt 

Purchases this month:     = 0 m

Fabric used:  - 8.5 m         Fabric acquired:  +0 m

2023 running tally:          - 4.75 m.  So happy with this result as, despite not doing too much sewing this year and, to my mind, bringing home a bit of fabric, I've used more than I purchased.  Let's see if I can keep this momentum up next year!

I am still sewing!

I am still sewing but I have nothing to show yet, so decided to show you some embroideries I purchased in Croatia, which are quite lovely.  The woman I bought them from said her sister and her family make them.

A larger table mat, a small one and a cute bookmark.  (Not a great photo, sorry.)

Here's the lady at her stall on the city walls in Dubrovnik.  We had a lovely chat and I wished I had asked her name.  It was nice and shady early in the day, but would have been a real hot spot in the afternoons. 

November 2023 fabric tally

Finishes since March:  two shirts made in April = 4m; gardening apron for granddaughter = 1/2m,  I posted about these earlier in the year. 

Purchases between March and November:     = 12 m.  I had some spare time in the large town near us, and just happened to walk by the fabric shop, where I bought some metres on special as well as a couple of new to me cat fabrics - never can resist them.  And, after seeing a quilt on someone else's blog, decided that I would make a USA themed quilt for an overseas relative.  Of course I had to purchase the fabric from a US fabric store.  It arrived within a week!  When I make the quilt, remains to be seen.  

Fabric used:  - 4.5 m         Fabric acquired:  + 12 m

2023 running tally:          + 3.75m