Orbit Quilt Sew Along - April Show & Tell

Its that time again, seems to sneak up quicker and quicker each month! Am I the only one struggling with the speed of 2025? This year seems to be flying away from me at terrifying speeds, perhaps its just that I am noting the days more thanks to Orbit.

One exciting thing to report this month, Shameaka is back!!! Aaannnddd she's swapped over to EPP. I have been stalking her social media to see if there has been any progress, and yes we have a photo.

Shameaka's wax print EPP Orbit Block

Jenny was the most organised of us all this month, she sent me her photos before I had even though to pop her a message (gold star and thank you for the prompting!). I am loving how her Orbit Quilt is coming along.

Jenny's April Blocks

Jenny's whole Orbit Quilt

I still love how we are organising / assembling our Orbit's a little differently. While they will look the "same" when assembled, we all go about the process in our own unique ways. Well, mine will look different... I have sewing block combinations together incorrectly, and made a few whoopsies along the way. I decided to embrace the Wabi Sabi nature of it all and just embraced the weird, it will all work out in the end and it really is just another authentic expression of my year.

Lee's temperature Orbit - now introducing PURPLE!!

"Here we are with a third of the year behind us and purple makes its debut in the cooler temps of late April"

Now, it's my turn!

Cass's April Orbit - well, most of it.

Because of how I divvied up my months at the beginning of this project, I have decided to wait until I have a few more of May's blocks assembled before attaching them to the main quilt. There were a few oddly shaped seams that I didnt want pulling as I assembled that section.

If you can read my Orbit mud map at all, you can see the odd jut out on April 30th, so I have been waiting for the few week of May to fill in the gap above and below it. Now when I attach my blocks together it should be a nice straight seam, with no 90deg turns to wrangle. I adore the look of the Chambray, but it frays so easily so I am treating it like its a precious treasure.

Orbit 2025

So for now my Orbit is hung up on the studio wall, where I gaze longingly at her on a daily basis. If you look closely you can see that we have had two birthday's in April. My Alex turned 14, he's the garbage bins (random Spotlight find) and my Aunt who turned 85: pink with a rose. I hadn't planned on doing the family not in my house... but I have a sad feeling this will be the last time she turns "21 again", and I want to cherish all of the time we have left with her.

In other news! If you have been following our Orbit adventure along but don't want to commit to that much hand sewing (no judgement) I have teamed up with the fabulous Nikki from Cotton Craft Designs to bring you a Sewing Machine version of this quilt. Just something to keep in mind for next year, or this year even. You could start it Jul 1st and run in line with the Australian financial year and not the calendar!

See you next month! Cass