Last word on the swaps!

Well it will be until I receive mine - I promise!




I have managed to meet my deadlines!  I am such a happy and relieved person!  I think I went a bit swap mad and would rather stick to one swap at a time in future - feel free to remind me if I stray from this path of sanity..!




I have finished my Brit Quilt Swap Pillow Fight cushion (you knew that already)  and with it, is going this tree pincushion plus a bit of chocolate.  So this is my first package....

I am hoping my partner will like it but should know soon as it stays in the UK of course and was sent 1st class - must say the postage was quite a lot as I sent the inner feather pillow but wanted it to be seen at it's best when opened and not lie around until an inner was bought to fit!  


It is quite a size and I was finding it difficult to find paper big enough to wrap it in!  So lots of different colours of tissue paper went into the wrapping of it, two recycled layers of plastic and a final wrapping of brown paper!   It should arrive safely and remind my partner of Pass the Parcel though she will need to provide the music....la, la, la!




I have finished two tablerunners giving my partner in the Modern Christmas Tablerunner Swap a choice....

One might have been the back but I decided to offer two front instead!

And here is the Christmas decoration I have made for her....

....ooh and a bit of Fairtrade chocolate thrown in!


Which runner is being packaged up you ask?  




Both!  As I have a plan for the one not going to my swap partner!


Which is going to whom??  Sorry I want to keep you in suspenders just a bit longer so you will just have to wait and see!

Finish up!

I showed you my progress on my trees runner yesterday and now it is the turn of my North Pole scene.


It has been sitting waiting to be quilted for quite a while - to tell you the truth I wasn't sure what I was doing on the back and then I just worried about the quilting, fearing I might mess up!


The pressure is on now though and I couldn't prevaricate any longer - after all it should be winging it's way to it's new owner on Monday!


Did I mess up?  Well it's not perfect - my FMQ is not that good but on the whole I am pretty pleased with it!

I stitched round all the applique and the border.  I stitched a horizon line or two giving the trees, houses and reindeer something to stand on. 

I joined some of the stars, trying out a variation on a pattern by Leah Day called Star Flower Bands.  We have been following her tutorials on FMQ Friday with Cindy at Fluffy Sheep Quilting.  


Then I added some giant snowflakes to the snowy slopes and some smoke to the chimney.  

Do you think it a chill wintry scene?  Never mind I am sure you would be welcomed in that little house by a warm fire and a cup of cocoa with marshmallow topping!




And here is a sneaky peek at hand stitching round some trees....more of that tomorrow

The alternative!

I have been focused and have been working on my alternative for the Modern Christmas tablerunner.  I have sewn the trees together, put the borders on and even started quilting.


It now looks like this....

I have just machine stitched around the trees and inner border so far...still lots to do before I can relax and wait by my postbox....!








What arrived in my postbox today?  A package I was quite excited about!  But it was neither a Brit Quilt Pillow Fight Cushion nor a Tablerunner.  




I have been buying this magazine when I see it in the shops....

It is quite fun and I have quite enjoyed looking at it!  In this issue I noticed a subscription offer that tempted me just a bit more than usual and so I succumbed and became a subscriber and today I received this... 

Fabric from The Makery in Bath!  Quite an assortment of colour, pattern and weight.  Just the sort of temptation I couldn't resist!