2024 Round-up

It might seem a little strange for my first blog post to be a round-up of 2024, however, I like to bookend or close off one chapter before beginning another. I haven’t always been good at this (let’s not talk about all of my unfinished projects just yet), however this is how I would like to be moving forward. To be able to finish off 2024, turn the page and start fresh for 2025. Grab a cuppa, and let’s revisit all of my makings from 2024.

Suzie Quilt

The first quilt I completed in 2024 was my large throw version of my Suzie Quilt. I just adore the colours in this quilt and thoroughly enjoyed making it. The plaids in rusty oranges, teamed with mustards, yellows, teal and navy blue, all brought together with the mid blue sashings and borders really spoke to my heart and reminded me of my dearly departed Dad, who always wore a plaid shirt with denim. I couldn’t be more happy with this quilt and how much it reminds me of my Dad.

I moved straight on to another version of Suzie Quilt, this one using fat quarters from a range called Reading Nook by Ruby Star Society. I must confess that I wasn’t loving this quilt as much as I had hoped while making the blocks, however once I added the mustard border, I was obsessed with it. For this version, I quilted straight lines horizontally across the quilt and love how deliciously crinkly it now looks. I adore all things retro, and this version speaks to my retro loving heart. I couldn’t be happier that I made this version too. I just LOVE it so much.

Mary Mary

The next quilt I made was a brand new version of my Mary Mary quilt. I wanted to make a new version using just three fabrics (I added a fourth for the binding), to show how versatile and easy this quilt is and how perfect it is to showcase a hero fabric too. I have taught and made many version of Mary Mary since I first designed her back in the year 2000. I have loved seeing how much others are embracing and loving Mary Mary again now too, and it thrills me each time someone shares a finished version with me.

Emma Jean

Emma Jean was born from a long held desire to design my own quilt with my own version of a cross or plus block. After drafting and pattern testing my block and quilt design, I started playing with fabric combinations. As soon as I arrived at a rainbow combination, I knew this quilt needed to be named after my super talented and very dear friend Emma Jean Jansen. Emma and I became friends back when she owned and ran Ballarat Patchwork where Emma stocked and sold many of my patterns through her store.

Fast forward to when Emma released her book, By the Bundle, where she named a quilt after me called Nellie Grey, which was such an honour. I always knew that I wanted to name a quilt after Emma and my new Emma Jean Quilt was perfect to name after my rainbow quilt loving friend.

For the first version, I used a fat 16th bundle of Ruby Star Society fabrics, teamed with a white background. I finished this quilt off with a stunning green background floral on the back and a small black and white striped binding.

A little sidenote, my beautiful daughter Emily came and spent my birthday with me and after a morning of shopping, she kindly took the photos and video’s of this version of Emma Jean for me, even getting her shoes soaking wet from an unexpected wave at the beach. It was a cool August day, but the weather was beautiful and I love having these photos to remember my birthday with my girl too.

Rainbow Rows Emma Jean

Whilst making my first version of Emma Jean, I just knew that I needed to make one with plain fabrics, and have each row be tonal in rainbow colours. I am pretty sure I ventured to the patchwork store and purchased the plain fabrics for this version long before I finished the first. I was so excited to begin. I loved working on each pair of colours at a time, finishing each row before beginning the next. It was something I looked forward to coming home from work and getting straight on to stitching each night.

Each new row, brought me closer to the finish line. Part way through I realised I hadn’t purchased enough colours as I wanted to make this a much larger version than the first. The lovely Sharon of Tea Time Fabrics kindly sent the additional fabrics to me so that I could keep going with my quilt. Sharon also has kits available for both the Emma Jean Rainbow Rows Large and Small throw size available on her website.

These colours brought me so much joy and I loved making each and every row, even the purple one! If you know me, you know purple is my least favourite colour.

I knew that this very special quilt needed to be long arm quilted and I was so thrilled to have Leanne of Mount Vincent Quilts happily quilt it for me. She did an incredible job. I could not be happier, I just love it so very much. I finished off my quilt with a 1/4 inch wide black and white striped binding. I also used a fabric with cats on the back. If you head to my instagram, you can see the story of the backing too. It has an extra special meaning.

Quilted Vest

I also managed to sneak in some secret squirrel stitching in 2024 as well. My daughter had asked if I would make her a quilted vest, so after watching some YouTube video’s, I drafted a pattern and got busy making one for her from some vintage sheet fabrics I had on hand. I was thrilled to be able to hand deliver it to her on her birthday and was relieved that she loved it. This was my first attempt at making any form of quilted clothing, I think there could be more of this in my future too.

Little Bluebirds Journal Cover

My next makes for 2024 saw me getting slightly addicted to making journal covers. I used to have several patterns for journal covers back when I released patterns under my previous name The Janelle Wind Collection, so I was thrilled to rework this journal cover from my Block of the Month design called Little Bluebirds and re release the Little Bluebirds Journal Cover pattern.

These little A5 size journal covers are perfect for a sketch book, diary, journal or any kind of note keeping book you would like to use. They can be made from scraps and are perfect to make to match a quilt, especially if you’re gifting one to a friend. I plan on using one for my 2025 diary.

Branded Journal Covers

My last makes for 2024 saw me adapt my Little Bluebirds Journal Cover design and make some gifts for two friends. I have met these friends online through the course that I took called Become and Artist from Home by Georgia Draws a House. I really wanted to thank Georgia for all of her help and encouragement so made her a branded journal cover and matching wrist pencil case, from a pattern in my book, Pieces of Me. You can watch Georgia opening her surprise gift here.

I also made one for the beautiful Kirsty of For Keeps Illustration. I ‘met’ Kirsty online and instantly fell in love with her illustrations, so much so that she has created two for me. You can see one of them here. You can see more details of Kirsty’s branded journal cover and matching pencil case here.

I hope that I get to meet both of these beautiful ladies one day. I thoroughly enjoyed making these gifts for them both.

I am opening up a few spaces each month to make branded journal covers for other small (or big) business owners. If this is something you’d like to chat through with me or find out more details, feel free to reach out and we can chat.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you. I know it’s a long one but I am actually just so very thrilled to not only share this roundup with you, but to be blogging again. I was a blogger for many years before and didn’t realise how much I missed it until today. I can’t wait to share more with you soon. I have lots of plans for 2025 already and I hope you will join me in making lots of gorgeous quilts and projects together.

If you’ve made any of my designs and would like to be featured here on my blog, email through your images and story to hello@mynannadoesthat.com.au I’d love to share your work here too.

Happy Stitching xx