Stocking Swap

Second Post of the Day!

I can't believe it is the middle (okay - 2/3 through the month) of October.  If you haven't worked on your potholder for the swap - you need to get on it!!  Not really - you have one more month to finish things up, but if you are like me, the year just gets busier and busier.  That is why I put for November a book - something you don't have to make and December - candy and nuts.  Again, something you don't have to make (unless you want to make something special)  By now, you should have most of your sewing wrapped up (I still need to make some pillow cases from March since I gave those away)  You can start gathering your items together and if you are like me and made more than one item each month, decide what goes in the box for this swap and what goes as Christmas gifts.  I will be calling for names and addresses soon from everyone who is participating in this swap.  If you can sew really fast and get it all together by the end of November, come join in on the fun!!  It's not too late.  Just go to this link - Stocking Swap - and start sewing. 

I have posted some pot holders before, but it has been awhile ago, so I will post some I made for this swap.   

OOPS!!  that is the only one I could find that I have a picture of.  It may just be the only one I have.  Now, I am the one scrambling to find out if I have made anymore pot holders.  If not, you all know what I am working on tonight!! 

New SWAP!!

I have come up with a great idea for a December/Christmas exchange.  For now, I am calling it The Stocking Swap.  The premise is very simple, you make and stuff a stocking, then swap it for someone else's stocking in December.  Simple! 

"But that is just so boring." 

 "We've done that before."

 "Why would I want to participate in that, especially since it's January." 

 I know, I hear your comments even as I type this.  If that is all there was to it, then I would agree whole heartedly with you.  Yes, it's a stocking swap, but it's more than that.  It's a game and a challenge and you will get back a wonderful stocking full of surprises. 

"Now, putting it like that, I  am a little more interested, tell me more."

The game will be ongoing throughout the year and at the first of December you will send me your mailing address, (don't worry, I don't expect you to remember that far in advance,  I will post on the blog when to send it to me)  At that time, I will put the name of everyone who is playing, in a hopper and randomly assign who your swap person will be.  (This way, only the people who are playing will make the exchange.  You will definitely get a stocking and not get shafted if your "partner" decides to drop out)   You won't know until it is time to make the exchange who you are making your stocking for.  You may get a stocking from person B and send your stocking to person E.  (So you have to be prepared for shipping costs if for example you live in California and your swap person lives in Virginia.  However, your swap person may live next door to you, you never know.  It all depends on who is playing)  Similar to the Blocks of the Month "game" there will be something to add to the stocking every month.  You will know what the addition to the stocking is before you start, so if you get behind, you can catch up or even work ahead if you know you are going to have an extremely busy month.  It all has to be finished by the exchange day in December. 

Okay, this is sounding interesting.  Since I am going to know what I need to put into the stocking each month, I can work ahead if I find the perfect item. Or, if I get really busy during the summer months, I will still have a couple months to make those items I didn't get done during July.  I'm with you, now what? 

Now is the time to let me know if you might be interested so I can get a preliminary count of who might be joining in on the fun.  If you want to wait until you know exactly what you will have to do each month, I understand.  Sometimes it is better to be cautious than to just jump in feet first.  My next post will have all the directions, etc.  I am just trying to narrow down and finalize the list.  I hope this interests you and you join in on the fun with me.    

After Christmas Sewing

I have been sleeping alot this past week. Trying to get well and back to feeling much, much better. I think I am on the right track, but it is taking a bit of time. I tried to run errands and go to the grocery store today, but got so exhausted after one stop I just picked up some lunch and came home. I guess that I had totally worn down my body this fall semester and am in need of this rest. I only have little less than a week to get back up to speed, so I really need to settle in and work on that and on getting the laundry done. I really am about to run out of clean clothes.

So, when I have been awake, you saw one of the things I made one day while I was playing around with the scrap fabrics from my cutting table. (the Merry Christmas quilt from the last post) I have been trying to clear it off and get the scrap fabric cut into squares or strips so they can be easily used in scrap quilts. I go anywhere from 1 inch square (you know for those tiny quilts I sometimes get the urge to make) up to 5 inch charm squares. I won't let myself go any larger, yet. Now I need to find a place to put these little squares so they will be accessible and not get tumbled around in another scrap box. LIGHT BULB!!! I see two empty recipe/index boxes right here on my desk. What a great way to store these squares. I have several more at school that I have collected that students have left behind. They now will have a home in my quilting studio! What a great idea! Thank you light bulb.

Now, on to two other things I have worked on during the holiday. The place mats that still aren't finished. I just need to hand stitch the binding on two! that's all. Just two of the 4 place mats and they will be all finished.



The other thing that I just finished today and that was because I decided to go ahead and add the flower to the front and then I decided to hand embroider some extras to help it pop a bit more. (yes, it is hand appliqued. Thank you for asking)



it is a Kindle cover. I was going through Moda Bake Shop looking for a quilt that used two honey buns (because I finally found another Arcadia by Sanae for Moda honey bun - yea me only $12!!) Anyway, I was looking through and this is one of the patterns that came up that uses honey buns. Well, how fortunate. My sisters and I got my mother a kindle for Christmas. How much fun would it be to make her a cover? So, I got out my box of 1 1/2" strips - what? I am not using Arcadia for this! - and got to sewing. There are parts of this pattern that I liked and parts that I didn't. One of the things I had to do differently was that I had to draw out my own applique patterns. I tried to download them, but since it had been published so long ago, the site where they are housed wanted me to sign up and pay for membership. I didn't want to do that, so I wasn't going to add any applique. Then this morning I woke up and decide to play around with some card stock to see if I could draw the pieces to my liking. They are definitely not perfect, but that is what I like about them. the second thing is that the pattern calls for a 3/8 inch seam when sewing on the binding. I didn't take into consideration for the extra seam allowance when I turned the corners so my corners are not very good. Nowhere close to being near perfect. Matter of fact, I haven't had any perfectly mitered corners since Gerri's birthday quilt. (feeling great remembering those perfect corners!) Again, I am drifting off subject. Even with those two things, I like the pattern and am going to have to make at least one more. They go together really quick and if I knew more people that had Kindles I might could make some and sell them. Of course, I may have to make some severe changes to the pattern to be able to sell them. I will have to check and see. Wonder if my nephew would want/use one for his NOOK or think it was too girly? yea, you're right-probably too uncool and girly for a 17 year old. (I promise I wouldn't put the flower on the front of his!) We'll see....

Tree top done

here is the top for my le petite tree challenge. I need to lay it out and baste it. I plan on putting some beads on it to decorate it after it is all quilted. Stay tuned and for the final product, hopefully before Christmas.

I am currently working on some placemats. But for now, I need to take a nap so I can cheer on our Idalou Wildcats as they play in the state championship game for the first time ever!! Go Cats!!

Edit: OOPS! I forgot you could see the blocks behind the tree. That block is a cakestand block from our year-long-prepare-for-December-stir-fry-class with Debbie Caffrey. More posted later on that class/quilt