Pretty Little Pincushions

We're almost at the end of the Scrappy Pincushion Swap run by the Modern Quilt Guild of Ireland. And it has been fabulous fun! This was a smallish swap, with 19 participants, but it has been so much fun watching the pincushions pop up in the Flickr group.

My partner's information told me that she liked tiny paper piecing, hexagons, and loved combinations of different types of fabrics.

I started here, with some of my half inch hexies:

And when I had them pieced, I mulled over where to go next with it for a little while. Then, I got a little parcel of scraps in the post from Fiona, in return for some hexies I am cutting for her, and it included lots of linens. Perfect timing. I basted some more linen hexies in low volume neutrals, and pieced them around my little colourful flower. I added some hand stitching with perle cotton, and cut back to a hexagon shape.

I decided that the pincushion would look even nicer as a 3 dimensional piece, so I added sides, using the technique I used for this pincushion a few months ago. It's a little tricky, but gives a lovely finish. Some linen on the back, and I was done! It's all posted off now, and I hope my partner loves it.

Then, during the week, I got a fabulous parcel from Aideen. She made me a gorgeous pincushion, with pinks and aquas, paper piecing and hand stitching. Perfect :-) I'd never seen this type of piecing before - its called pineapple piecing. Isn't it amazing?

Needless to say, the chocolate is long gone and I will have lots of fun with those scraps. Thanks so much Aideen!

All in all, I think this was a great swap. I think everyone participating got to know some new people, myself included, and its great that our little community of modern quilters is expanding slowly but surely. It was my first time being Swap Mama in a swap, and while a little nerve wracking at times (I won't fully relax until everyone has received their pincushions!) it was also lots of fun.

I love swaps, I love how they challenge you creatively and push you to try new things when you are working to someone else's tastes. Anyone for a Christmas swap?

Linking up to Finish It Up Friday over at Crazy Mom Quilts.