Last of the Goodie Swap Sewing

 

This morning I finished up the last items for Cindy's Goodie Swap. What a great swap this has been, so much fun! I just loved having 2 partners and had 2 great ones at that - both really active and easy to make for. I'll be putting all the lovely bits into the post tomorrow morning and crossing my fingers that the do not take as long as my last swap package to arrive!

So, partner no 2's items are all done now. I had a little debate with myself this morning as to whether to keep these as secret or whether to reveal all now. In the end, because I think there are 4 or 5 people who think that they are my partner no 2 (the colours seem very much in a lot of people's list) I decided I would reveal all and leave the prospective partners sweat it out to see whose it really is. Sorry girls!!

Last week you'll remember I started out with this little zip pouch for Partner no 2.

During the week I added this (ever so slightly wonky) mug rug to it - it has actually grown on me quite a bit the last few days and I think this is a mug rug for a serious tea or coffee drinker!

 

Then I decided to add a little something else to the mix - and covered some little buttons. Pretty, aren't they? (Please note that I know my floor looks dirty, its NOT, its just the way the light is hitting the scrapes from the kids toys. Seriously, lol!)

But then last night I was putting away the scraps and wanted a little hand sewing to do while I was watching a film, so I started messing around with them and this is what I ended up with! A little hand stitched hoop, along the lines of the circles mug rug I made for Felicity from Rachel's great tute. I used fusible woven interfacing on the back of the Kona Ash to give it a bit of stability and stitched away to my hearts content (while watching a film with my lovely hubbie after a lovely rosemantic dinner and a bottle of champagne to celebrate us meeting 12 years ago this weekend. Susan you would have been proud of me, I even managed to do potato gratin with the steak instead of chips!) Now, you might see a few wobbles in the stitching up close partner, but when you hang it on the wall, I think it will look quite pretty!

So partner no 2, here's your little package. I hope that you like it and I know you have suspicions but you'll just have to wait till the postman arrives to see if they are confirmed or not! Cindy, thanks for organising a great swap! After visiting the post office in the morning to see these off, I'll be watching every day to see what arrives for me!

PS. Ladies, I'll be posting the Summer Sewing wrap up post during the week (it got delayed due to all the QAL and swap stuff) so start getting your posts ready to link up!) I'm also linking this up to:

                

Goodie Swap sewing!

So, because I really have nothing else on my agenda at the moment (la la la, fingers in the ears, not thinking about my mammoth to-do list!!!) I decided to take part in Cindy's Goodie Swap 2011. I blame Cindy for thinking up such a great swap, but she is not alone. I blame Judith, Hadley and Susan too. Yes, it is ALL your fault that I couldn't resist. As Judith so eloquently put it a few weeks ago, I am a SUCKER!!

Anyway, now that I have my little blame game out there in the open I have to say I got 2 of the best partners ever. I was so thrilled and just hope they like what I make for them. Being all quilted out trying to write up my Across the Sea QAL tutes for the back this week, and coming down with a nasty flu type bug at the end of the week, I wasn't in the humour for anything too major in the way of sewing, so yesterday afternoon when I felt human again, I took out some of the lovely Aviary 2 fabrics that I got from River Fabrics (swoon!) and decided to make a little something for partner 1. I thought she might like a needlecase so of course, without any pattern, I just sketched a few lines out on graph paper, decided not to overthink it and just went for it! It turned out pretty good although my seam ripper got used a little bit :-)

I put in a little pocket and some tabs on one side:

 

And a zipped pocket on the other side for thread and measuring taper or any other little bits that might fall out!

Both fabrics are from the Aviary 2 line and I added a plum solid to compliment them. I put in two sheets of wool mix felt for needles and pins - luckily I had the right colour in my felt box! 

On the outside, I fussy cut the fabric to give me the bird on the front, and I covered a button with the inside fabric for the closure. I used a little bit of lavender coloured ribbon as the tie, and finished it with some purple buttons I found in my button box.

On the front, I quilted a little box around the bird and I quilted straight lines on the back. Lastly I decided it needed a little pincushion to finish it off and I had a perfect off cut from my fabric cutting to use - I decided to make another bigger cover button as the feature on this - I'm addicted to these lately!

So, I really hope my partner likes this. If she doesn't I will quite happily keep for myself!!

Linking up to:

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