May has been one of those wonderfully varied crafty months where a little bit of progress has happened across almost everything on my list. My Progress Keeper is becoming increasingly useful too - it’s now very easy to see which crafts have had the most attention and which ones have quietly sat waiting their turn!
Quilting
The biggest quilting focus this month has been the release of my 80th flower applique block - the delicate Bluebell. I always enjoy the process of turning flowers into fabric applique designs, especially when I can play with fabric placement and gentle shading to capture the character of the blooms. My corresponding blog post talks about how to fussy-cut the flowers to make them more realistic.
At the same time, another flower block is already underway for next month’s release. The drawing and planning stages are in progress now, which is always exciting as the design slowly comes to life from sketchbook to stitched sample.
Spinning
Last month’s spinning project was fully plied this month, and all of the finished yarns for this year have now been washed and are ready for future projects.
I also began spinning a beautiful blue merino/nylon blend which is proving to be lovely and smooth to work with.
One of the highlights for May was spinning my mystery roving from Dreamfire Artisan into an art yarn. Mystery rovings are always fun because they encourage a more playful and experimental approach to spinning. This one turned into a wonderfully textured yarn with lots of character.
Cross Stitch
My temperature bottle project is steadily growing month by month....
and I’ve also continued to quietly move forward on my seasonal picture project. This month I finished the first corner of the design, which always feels like an important milestone in a larger piece.
Knitting
Knitting has been especially productive this month. I began May with two wips on the needles: my Hylical socks and the Rockhound jersey.
The Rockhound jersey is progressing nicely. As I knit, I’ve been making a few modifications along the way to better suit how I want the finished garment to fit and look. The sleeves have now been separated out and the body joined under the arms, so it finally feels like it’s becoming a proper jersey.
The Hylical socks were finished, which is always satisfying, and naturally another pair has already been started. Socks seem to multiply around here!
I’ve also cast on a new test knit for a summer tank top, giving me something lighter to work on alongside the warmer winter knitting and began a small cardie for my granddaughter Ruby.
Embroidery
Embroidery has continued to feature heavily this month as well. Three more embroidery panels have been completed.
I finally finished the embroidery on my Poetica knitted cardigan and buttons added. It’s always rewarding seeing stitched embellishment transform a garment into something truly unique.
A brand-new embroidery project has now begun too - stitching onto a knitted and felted bag (knitted way back in 2022). I've started couching down some art yarn (I made this month) and looking forward to continuing the development on this over the coming weeks.
Crochet
No crochet projects are currently on the go - which honestly feels quite strange! I suspect it won’t stay that way for too long though.... after a Masterclass in Wardrobe Toolbox, ideas are brewing.
Diamond Art
The fifth and final diamond art panel has now been started. I’m still thoroughly enjoying working on this project with my granddaughter Amy, and the shared creative time together is every bit as special as the finished artwork itself.
Painting
Painting has only seen a very small amount of progress this month. With winter temperatures arriving, the garage studio is becoming quite cold, which makes it much harder to spend long periods working out there.
I suspect painting may slow down even more over the colder months, but that’s perfectly alright - there are certainly plenty of warm indoor crafts keeping my hands busy for now!
As always, thank you for following along with my creative adventures. It’s always interesting looking back over the month and seeing just how many different projects have quietly moved forward stitch by stitch, row by row, color by color, and spin by spin.
