Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

Geez.  I have been MIA, haven't I?  I'm sorry about that.

Merry Christmas!  Happy 2015!  I trust everybody had a nice holiday?  I did.  12 days off from work.  Relaxing, sewing, and hanging with my Punk.  Today was rough, getting back into our morning routine.  Give us a week, we'll get it down pat again.

I had to look back to see where I've stopped with my updates.  Ah.  Swaps.  Okay, let me show you what I gave (and received!) in the couple of swaps I participated in over in Instagram-land.  AND I joined another one that starts at the end of this month for Spring.  Can't wait for my partner assignment. I already have a few ideas brewing.

Okay, here is the mini that I made for my partner.  She liked purple and rainbows.  I've been wanting to try this block style and tried to figure out how to do it in a rainbow fashion but it would not work.  So I stuck with purple and green.

I did my best with the quilting.  I did some straight line and echo quilting in places.  Here are the extra goodies I included.  I made her a rainbow Dresden mug rug, thread catcher and a few other odds and ends.  It was well received.

I received this:

I happened to be paired with the swap organizer.  Or should say, he was paired with me.  My partner made his and I made for my partner.  It was a triangle swap.  LOL.  This was his own design and foundation pieced.  It's all dotty goodness and I love it. I watched his progress on IG during our creative time and never thought it was coming to live with me. I also got a bar of genuine Cadbury chocolate from the UK but I've been nibbling on it.  :)

Ellyn and I did our own personal swap.  I was whining that I was seeing all the swaps happening over in IG-land but was always late to the party to sign up; I was itching for swap.  It's been some time since I was part of one.  She took pity on me and we did a personal swap, just the two of us.  LOL!

This is what I created for Ellyn:

Mini version of the Moda "Love" layer cake quilt.  I love it and I bought the layer cake in "Horizon" for myself to make. I even shamelessly copied Kate Spain's layout of fabrics.  That's how much I loved what she did. I will make my version as soon as I bulk up on my white solid. I ran out right before Christmas.

Since this was a mini-mini, I added another mini for Ellyn:

She can use it as an overgrown mug rug or hang it on her wall. I think she hung it.  Thread catcher, matching half Dresden pin cushion and other odds and ends.

Ellyn made me and I love it!:

Hand quilted too!  Isn't it fab?!  Someone need to teach me.  I want to learn so that I can be cool and creative and hand quilt a mini or two.  I was sent extra goodies but I can't find the picture I took!  And she blogged about our swap too!  I've been very lax in my blog reading.  I will get back on it in the evenings again.

I have more to talk about but I will save it for another post.

Enjoy your day!
Jen :)

Mini Quilt Swap

Kris hosted a mini quilt swap and Sinta and I were partners.  She has received my mini and I received hers on Monday.

This is what I made for Sinta

Of course with a couple of little extras

After I took the pictures and sent my mini off to Sinta, I stared at the pictures and noticed a big mistake.  Take a good look... do you see it??  Maybe not so much a mistake but it bothers me.  There are 2 gray centers on the top and 2 orange centers on the bottom.  But that wasn't my intention.  I was doing an "AB/BA" pattern based on the fabric pattern.  The bottom left should be the top right.  What a dope.  I really wasn't pay attention.

I received Sinta's on Monday.  Oh how I love it!  It matches my sewing room perfectly.  I need to go to Target this Friday for a birthday gift and while I'm there, I will pick up a curtain rod with clips so that I hang it in my sewing room.  Sinta added a cute pattern and a pair of embroidery scissors too.  I haven't looked a the pattern yet.  I don't need the extra temptation right now.  ;)  Thank you Sinta!

Kris had an extra incentive to be an early bird sender.  The swap was sponsored by Sew Lux Fabric and Gifts .  Send early to your partner and win a secret prize.  There were 2 winner and I was one of the lucky ones.  My prize was in the mail too on Monday.

I haven't busted it open yet but I will.  Soon.  :)

Enjoy your day!
Jen

I'm going to have to start collecting towels

Stacy and I are doing our own mini-swap; one of her knitted scarfs for a couple of my potholders.  THIS is my gorgeous scarf that Stacy said she was all done with and I've been a slacker in the sewing department but I got my end of our swap done.  So Stacy, if you are reading this, I need your mailing address!

Stacy told me to do whatever I liked for her potholders.  She didn't mind color or anything.  And she likes owls (she better!  I hope I didn't get my blogs mixed up!).  I had a cute charm pack that I ordered from Quilt Taffy and the potholders were created.

I totally need to work on lining things up right.  But I digress... I like the potholders and I hope Stacy does too.  But what I REALLY like is the little extra I'm including.  I LOVE it.  It is soooo stinkin' cute!  And I hope Stacy loves it too.

First, the potholder fronts -

The potholder backs -

turn your heads to the left...  :)

And now the little extra I'm adding...

EEKKKKK!  CUTE!!!!

I won a Facebook giveaway from Sharon and my prize was a very cute zippered pouch, CUTE little stork scissors and some jumbo ric-rac.  I thought the pink ric-rac just made the owl towel extra cute.

And here they are all together -

Hence my post title.  I need to start collecting more towels to make for gifts and for myself.  I'm lovin' that owl.  I think I need one for myself.

I'm also thinking that a cute towel and some hand soap would make cute gifts for teachers and others.  And thinking like that... my very good friend from HS birthday is in a couple of weeks.  Plus her mom... maybe they need a couple of towels too.

Stacy - I hope you like them!!

Enjoy your day!
Jen