Some months ago, people in my family expressed interest in doing a sewing/craft swap.  I was assigned to be the moderator since I have the most swaps under my belt of those in my family.  So, after whipping up a short questionnaire, and cajoling my dad into taking part, I assigned the six people who decided to sign up to a secret partner.  If you're familiar with secret swaps, you know how they usually go.  This was not much like that, though.  I pretty much assigned partners and just checked in a few times to make sure people were on track.  Here are a few pictures and some descriptions of what I made.

Once all the fusing was complete, I removed the paper backing and fused the individual pieces to a piece of Kona (burgundy, I think).  I pieced a backing using more of the Kona and some pieced strips using more of the fabric from the front.  After putting all the pieces together and basting, I had to figure out how to quilt everything without going nuts.  I decided to quilt over all the raw edges using free-motion techniques to avoid all the needle-down rotating stuff.  It was my first time doing free motion (I hadn't yet done the watercolor quilting workshop at Handcraft Studio School) and it turned out pretty good.  I also zig-zag stitched all around the elephant to give even more definition to the shape when viewed on the reverse.
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The finished piece is a lap-sized quilt bound with more of the lovely orange and pink flower fabric used in the applique.  For some extras, I included a fat quarter of a strawberry print fabric, some adorable wood buttons, jelly beans, a gift card, and paper flowers.  I know my sister will enjoy it all!
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Two very special packages were delivered on Tuesday.  The first was to my sister from me and the second was to me from my sister.  After she saw the pouch I made for a swap a couple months ago, she asked if I wanted to do a bag swap with her.  Of course I said yes.  A month and a half later, we both sent our #sisterswap packages, which happened to arrive on the same day.

Here's the bag I made for my sister.  It's from the book Sew Serendipity Bags by Kay Whitt (I'll post a review of the book soon).  All the fabric I chose is 100% organic cotton from four different Cloud9 collections.  I love the way they look together!  Bold geometric paired with floral outline, mixed with a bit of dots and feathers for accent.  I think I might need a moment to admire my own work...

After finishing the bag, I decided it needed a removable pocket organizer for all those little things like pens, notebooks, chap stick, etc.  I made it as one long piece with pockets on both sides, then added large snaps so that it could be formed into a loop to stand on its own inside the bag.  The four layers of interfacing I used also helped with that.
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Then I packed that bag with all sorts of wonderful, interesting, tasty things.  There's a small box of crackers, a bar of dark chocolate (wrapped in white paper so my little guy wouldn't see and try to eat it), a notebook to which I fused pretty fabric, a couple pens and a pencil, a set of my stitched envelopes, two fat quarters, buttons (some I covered myself), a chap stick, an assortment of Starburst, and the Double Zip Wallet I made.
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One of my favorite features of this bag, is the versatile handle that can be either two short handles for toting around or one long one for slinging over the shoulder.
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My sister loves the bag and I am so glad that I could lay my worries to rest.  It was the first time I'd ever sewed her something so...important for someone else.  I mean, she could potentially carry this bag everywhere!  It had to be good.  I even finished the binding by hand to avoid weird crooked stitches on the outside.  So, yeah, I tried hard.

And now you get to see the beautiful bag I got from my sister!  It's a messenger-style bag with an adjustable shoulder strap and lots of pockets to keep things organized.  The pocket on the inner side is perfect for anything you want to keep close and safe.  The pocket on the front side has a magnetic snap that opens and closes easily.  Plus, there is a pocket on each of the narrower sides for quick access stuff.
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The bag has a zipper that extends beyond the edge on one side, allowing it to open wide so I can see everything inside.  And inside are even more pockets to keep things.  There are elasticized pockets on one side and two compartments separated by a zipper pocket large enough for a laptop.

The fabric she used for the bag makes me so, so happy!  Just looking at it makes me smile.  No kidding.  The green and white polka dot plays so well with the colorful main print.  And, as you can see from the picture of me modeling my awesome new bag, it goes with my outfits.
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She put in some extras to go along with the bag.  I can't wait to open up that bar of dark chocolate, and I've already started forming plans on what to make with the fabric.  As soon as we finish moving, I want to start planning another small swap.  I'm thinking an accessories swap, or maybe a table runner swap, or maybe... Oh, I don't know, but it will be fun!
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I finished off my third Artist Trading Card swap this week.  The card I send has an improvisationally pieced background using scraps of light blue and aqua fabric (some you may remember from past projects).  Over that I embroidered a short poem I wrote myself just for this ATC.  There is not as much contrast between the background and thread as I had hoped, but you can still read it if you look closely.  In case you can't read it, it says "Sewing and sewing/With needle and thread/Sewing and sewing/Till I sleep in my bed."  I chose to make one "sewing" in a darker teal color, which looks so neat.  It infuses a bit of myself in the card.  The back of the card has my name, the topic of the swap, and the date I finished it.  It's simpler than my other two cards (here and here), but I love it.  And I hope the recipient does, too.
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And here is the ATC I received.  The background fabric is a fuzzy on-point square print.  Embroidered over it is a pair of lips with daggers flying from them.  On the back is written a quote from Shakespeare's Hamlet in gold pen.  It says "I will speak daggers to her, but use none."  Given the theatrical nature of the quote, I love the choice of fabric, which looks like something a jester would wear.  And the chain stitch for the daggers gives a great texture and feeling of movement.  
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I love that you can get two so very different cards from the same theme of "Say Something."  Art is full of interpretation, and perhaps that's one of my favorite things about this swap.  Have you done a swap?  What's your favorite part?

After signing up for the Perfect Pouch Swap about two months ago, I agonized over what to make.  The only bag I've ever really made is the Sew Together Bag (one for myself and one for another swap).  I know.  I probably started with a more complex design than I should have, but I was pretty sure I could pull it off.  And it's such a great bag, with a clever design and fairly easy construction (if your machine can handle lots of layers!), that I decided to make another for this swap as well.  Of course, I had to try something different and special and made just for my swap partner.  After reading through her likes/dislikes and looking through her Instagram photos, I chose a beautiful print and some solids that are perfect for each other (I may have even cut out double to make another for myself).  I'm so happy with the way it looks, especially in this light!
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One of the added details I included were sewing-related quotes on each of the inner pockets.  My favorite one says "Buttons and patches and the cold wind blowing, The days pass quickly when I am sewing."  I used my sewing machine to stitch the letters (it's times like this that I'm glad I got the cool features!).  The solid-color fabric is perfect for making the quotes visible.  I'm amazed at how easy it was to pick fabric for this one.  The colors were just perfect for each other.  And the needle rest in a contrasting green draws from the green on the fabric across the front and back and binding.  So, yeah, I did pretty good on this.  :)

I also included a few extras, but I sort of ran out of time to take pictures of it all together.  I put in some batik fabrics, candy, embroidery floss, and a stitched paper banner (like this one but shorter).  My partner received it and loved it (which is the best part of these swaps, really).

And here's a peek at what I got in the mail yesterday.  My package included a zipper pouch, notebook, washi tape, embroidery floss, fabric, a zipper, chocolate, and a magnet that my son seems to have run off with.  I love the heart zipper pull and red polka dot lining on the pouch.  I can't wait to put it all to good use!
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One of the great things about Instagram is that you can find out about lots of sewing swaps and, even though I'm not a quilter generally, I enjoy making minis for other people and stretching my skills.  Most recently I finished a mini quilt for the Rainbow Mini Quilt Swap (Round 2).  Among other things, my partner said she likes flying geese, so I chose that as my theme.  I sewed together lots of flying geese using gray for the geese and rainbow-colored fabrics for the backgrounds.  I made up my own design, arranging the smaller geese in a sort of curve around strips of the larger geese.  I was going for a gradient effect and I thing it turned out pretty well.

I went simple for the quilting, but with a contrasting light gray thread, which adds just the right amount of brightness to the darker colors.  The stitching for the small geese follows along with the direction of the geese to evoke a flight plan of sorts.  The stitching for the larger geese goes along the top sides of the "wings" with a connecting line to one side.  On the back it looks like a chevron pattern.

I went above and beyond for the backing, especially considering it isn't usually the displayed side.  I carved my own rubber stamps (you can find out more about how I learned here).  One is a flying goose and the other reads "flying geese" and is written in a text that reminds me of feathers and flying.  The label was made on my sewing machine (I love that it can do text!).  You can see the chevron quilting better here, too.  Since the mini is mostly solid fabric, I decided to go with a fancier print for the binding.  It's a two-tone magenta that provides a nice contrasting border but still matches the simple colors theme.

Of course, I sent some extras along with my mini.  I made a stitched mini paper banner with the word "STITCH", picked a fat quarter of fabric that I thought my partner would like, bought some adorable tiny clothespins in rainbow colors, and added some Starburst candies in rainbow colors.  My partner received it all and loved it!  It's fun to make these minis, but it's even better to make something for someone else and have them appreciate it.

A few days after my partner got her package, I received mine from the person assigned my name.  I was so excited to open it!  Inside was a rainbow cross-stitch design in a hoop, a lined notebook, a tape dispenser (because you can never have too much tape), moisturizer, dark chocolate candy, and the mini quilt.  My favorite part of the mini is the matchstick quilting in rainbow colors.  It must have taken forever, there is so much of it!

I can't wait for the next mini swap!  I've got a pouch swap I'm supposed to be working on, so you can look forward to seeing that soon.  I'll also be working on lots of English Paper Piecing, which you see my day by day progress for on Instagram.  I'd love to see what you're working on, too, so leave a link in the comments if you'd like to share.

I just finished up my second Artist Trading Card swap with Ali of the Very Berry Handmade blog.  It was so much fun!  I even contributed a guest post on construction techniques for this one.  If you even find yourself in need of stabilizer for an ATC, but without any of the traditional ones available, definitely check out that post. 

The theme for this swap was "Winter Comforts" and we were allowed to interpret that any way we wanted.  I thought and thought about what I wanted to put on the front of my ATC that went with the theme.  My first idea was to have a fire and something edible on a table, but then I realized that fire was probably a total cliche winter comfort, so I tried to think of something else.  Try as I might, everything I came up with included fire.  Kind of strange, really, since I grew up in Southern California and, even though we had a fireplace, we hardly ever lit a fire.  However, when there was a fire, I would sit as close to it as humanly possible, soaking up the warmth and glow, sipping hot cocoa.  To me, there is nothing better than that during winter.  So, I went with cliche and did a fire theme.

The window fabric I used is a Cloud9 print designed by Eloise Renouf.  It's one of my favorite prints from her and it made perfect "snow out the window" fabric.  The satin stitched border provides a bit of dimension that makes the "snow" look like it is actually outside.  Below the window is a bookcase made from a scrap of brown flannel with simple embroidered books lining the shelf.  On top is a single red flower in a glass vase beside another book (the one I'm reading by the fire, of course).  The fireplace is a simple gray fabric with embroidered mortar to make it look like a stone chimney (a much nicer version of the one we had in my house growing up).  The flames are embroidered in red and orange using a version of the stem stitch to give it a nice curve and flow.  I'm so happy with the way it turned out!

For the back of my card, I used a piece of veg tanned split hide that is super stiff.  I chose it so that I could use my woodburner to write in my name and the swap details.  I think it adds a nice bit of warmth, which is really what cold winter days are all about, right?  I finished the edge with a simple (yet time-consuming since I was going through leather) embroidery stitch of unknown name.  I just stitched through each hole two or three times to get a triangular edging.  It turned out great.  And the card has just the feeling of warmth I was going for.  And we could all use a bit of warmth right about now.  Whether it's snuggling up in front of a fire with a book or, as I do now, turning up the heater just a bit to get that extra bit of cozy.

I absolutely love the ATC I received from the person assigned to me.  I'm sure you can see why!  Tiny applique attached with tiny stitches, an embroidered marshmallow, a steaming mug, and a background filled with a list of other winter comforts.  By far, my favorite part is the appliqued and embroidered flames.  At first I thought the thread was one of the variegated variety, but it's not.  The different colors of thread were masterfully mixed to create dimension and movement for the fire.  The back of the card is a super cozy fuzzy green fabric with a printed tag.  From the moment I opened the envelope, there was so much presentation and care, I couldn't help but feel special.  A postcard with a short note, a ribbon that said "made by me" tied around pretty red and white tissue paper, and then the beautiful card inside.  It really makes me wish the next swap started tomorrow.  Please, Ali, please start the next one soon!

You can check out my first ATC swap post here.

A couple months ago I signed up for a different kind of swap.  This one was all about making miniature quilt blocks resembling polaroid photographs and sending one to each of the people in a small group.  There were twenty people in each group, so I made nineteen blocks to mail out, plus a couple extras for myself.

I chose fabric for each block based on a fabric designer the each person was interested in.  Each block was to be sent in a greeting card of some kind.  I decided to make my own cards, as well as my own stitched envelopes.  For the cards, I tore a circle out of the front using a template and taped the block to the inside so that part of it showed through the hole.  Each one was then individually decorated, so each card is unique.  I love the way they turned out.  Here is a sampling of the blocks and cards I sent out.

My group was so varied in the type of blocks they sent.  Some people went with modern prints, others chose simple designs, and others chose a motif that looked like something you would take a picture of.  The variety is one of the special things about this swap.  I received my final polaroid block a few days ago, and I'm glad I can show all of them here.  Take a look at what I got from the others in my group (a couple people sent two blocks each, so I actually have more than nineteen).  There are so many creative cards.  You can tell they had fun deciding how to design them as much as the blocks.

OK.  Another quick swap report.  I signed up for the super-popular Schnitzel & Boo mini quilt swap.  It was a fun one, but the time seemed to go by so fast that I found myself finishing almost at the last minute.  My partner, who lives in Germany, mentioned in her comments that she doesn't have much wall space and would actually like something that could double as a table runner.  I went with this idea and chose a simple design with bold fabric colors and equally bold quilting.  Most of the fabric is Cloud9 organic cotton.  When it was done, I realized it matched my own aesthetic so well that I wanted to keep it for myself (a first for me).

And here's what I received from my swap partner.  The design is the Take Wing pattern.  I love the colors she chose, as well as the texture of the linen.  She even matched the backing to the design on the front with purple butterfly fabric.  While I was photographing everything, my little guy kept pointing at the mini and saying "buh-fy."  It was so cute!  I think I'm going to copy her scrappy binding technique for my next mini.  It adds such an interesting feature and keeps your eye moving around the whole thing.  The extras she sent were amazing as well, but my favorite was the pre-cut squares.  So many beautiful colors in there.  Of course, the chocolate she also sent didn't make it to the photo shoot.  It's much too dangerous to have chocolate within sight of my son as he will snatch any within reach.
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That's all my swap news for now, but I've got one more ending soon and I signed up for two more that will wrap up in January and February.  I'd love to hear if you've got any swaps you're working on as well.  I'm always interested in finding new ones to get involved in and seeing what other people make.