British Sew-a-Row 2025

After a year away, we're so thrilled to be sewing together again to bring you a glorious new Sew-Along quilt this autumn…

In a busy world where our lives are full of work commitments, family responsibilities and the distractions of social media, we're reminded of the importance of making time for the things that nourish our souls, make us happy, and force us to slow down and reconnect with what’s really important.

And we have a new member of the team to introduce you to this year: my fabulous friend from Sewing Quarters days, Victoria Peat…

We’ve all designed blocks that reconnect us to our creativity, to the natural world, to our friends and to the importance of self-care and we're all very proud to introduce you to our 2025 sewalong quilt, Make Time:

The quilt comprises of eighteen blocks, of variying sizes, and finishes at 64" square.

Our sewalong starts in magnificent style with Jo's text block, Make Time To Do What Makes You Happy, before each designer takes a two-week turn to introduce you to their blocks and share their top tips for making them. Here's the schedule: -

18th August - Make Time block with Jo Westfoot - explore foundation paper piecing

25th August - Tulips, Clouds, Let's Chat, Get Snippy and Book Club blocks with Lou Orth - explore curved piecing, snowball corners and foundation paper piecing

8th September - Sunrise, Sewing Machine, Friendship Heart and Kitty Cat blocks with Victoria Peat - explore piecing dresden fans and foundation paper piecing

22nd September - Friendship Star, Smell the Roses, A Good Yarn & Bubble Bath blocks, here with me - explore machine piecing, partial seams, strip piecing & simple embroidery

6th October - Time for a Cuppa, Thread Spools, Music Soothes the Soul & Walk in Nature blocks with Jo Westfoot - explore foundation paper piecing and turned edge applique

20th October - join me here again for my tips on assembling the quilt

In the meantime, you have two weeks to gather your supplies and take advantage of a fab 20% Earlybird Discount {ends 17th of August} when you purchase the pattern.

This year we decided to make our quilt with a selection of bright and beautiful Kona Solids - the choice was enormous, so it took some whittling down - and got together at Jo's home in Hampshire to piece the blocks. As Victoria lives in Gibraltar our lovely pal Sonia Spence from Fabric & Flowers stepped up to help us, with her excellent applique and embroidery skills (along with a good deal of unpicking, brow-mopping and snack-wrangling: love you Sonia!).

The finished top was expertly quilted with modern waves by Jo Bennison and beautifully bound by Jo (here it is hanging in her studio).

Here are a few close ups of the blocks and that scrummy quilting...

...and our fun quilt label, made and embroidered by Lou.

Our Make Time quilt is heading off to the Festival of Quilts at the NEC in Birmingham and I'm really looking forward to being reunited with it and the girls! And I'm hoping to see YOU there too.

Make time to say hello,

Nicola xx

#britishsewarow #maketimesewalong