Belated swap posts! Part One

Time sure flies, doesn't it!  I have been busy doing everything and nothing all at the same time!
I have participated in a couple swaps recently and received some wonderful items.  There has been the Pretty Little Pouch Swap 5 (PLPS5) in which I received this great pouch and goodies:

Thanks, Jill!!  (JMCBroom)  I adore this!
 Here is the pouch I made her with the goodies:

I appliqued the flowers and the lady bugs onto the lining of the pouch. I loved that idea. She will be the only one able to appreciate it!

From the PLPS 4 swap I received this beauty:

pouch back

pouch front

Thank you, Sara!!!!  (simplybeu)  LOVE IT!

Here is the pouch I made with its goodies for my PLPS4 swap partner Wambers Whimsies (Amber)  

The back...before I ripped it all apart and added hardware and fixed the zipper
corners.

So...... this is it for tonight!  I have more to post but this one is long enough.  LOL  Two more swaps to tell you about plus ones that I am getting ready to particpate in!

EDIT:   I just realized that the last two pouches I had already blogged about! Sorry for the repeat!  It's old-timers, I swear!

Pretty Little Pouch Swap 4

I am getting ready to start round 5 of the Pretty Little Pouch Swap and I realized

that I have yet to post my pouch from round 4.    I really liked the body of the pouch but my wristlet looked like it was on Viagra and the zipper ends just looked horrible.  I made a quick call out to my handy side-kick, Mr. seam ripper, and a rippin' we went!

I took apart the entire pouch and reassembled it into a pouch that I would be proud to have my name associated with.   I did not have a pattern for this and just kind of made it up as I went along.  

                                                      BEFORE

                                                       front of pouch    

Back of pouch

Inside the pouch I added a divider and pocket the was also divided.  Just the perfect size for placing your drivers license and credit card.  

Remeber that ugly zipper finish I was telling you about....... here it is upclose and personal:

 


After adding some hardware to my wristlet and  making some adjustments for the zipper, I had a lovely pouch...   I also made a cathedral window pincushion, threw in a charm pack and other goodies and mailed my pouch off to my partner.  I think she really liked it!

The pouch that I received was lovely. Lots and lots of french knots big bold pattern ... not really my style or anything that I had indicated that I liked but that is the great part of being in swaps..you get to meet all kinds of creative geniuses who expose you to beauty outside your box.  I love knowing that she spent so much time making this pouch that her hands made every single knot.  I can picture her sitting in her chair working on the pouch.  She made it beautiful.  

 So this is my pouch...her hands.. I took the pictures off Flickr... I just purchased a new camera and still have to learn how to use it.  She also sent me some cool fabric earrings and some note cards...  A very lovely swap for me!!!

Until next time my lovelies, have the most blessed day!!!!!

Quilts for Kids--The Asterisk Quilt

My most recent contribution to Sarah from SewSarahSews are two asterisk blocks.  This was the first time I have ever made anything like this.  I love that she provides links to tutorials for the blocks that she wants made.  The commitment for the number of blocks you make is completely up to you...which I LOVE.  She will complete the quilt and then send it to the home of the foster child.  They will keep this quilt.... forever.

This is the first asterisk block that I made.  Cute but kinda boring.  It did give me an opportunity to test my skills...or should I say to follow directions and overall, I am happy with the outcome.  But since I committed to making two blocks, I decided to jazz it up a bit.  But if you want to know the real story.....lol... here it is.  I made the second just like the first only in different colors.  When I went to square it up I wasn't even close to the 12-1/2" block size.... so I thought hmmmmm, how do I fix this?... Wonkiness!!  It fixes everything! So I offset the asterisk and added the grey border on two sides...a sweet look and by my initial calculations, it should have measured the correct size at that point.  But alas, it did not.  So what is a girl to do?  That's right... add another border!  Cut it big and then trim  it down afterwards!  No more  precision cutting and sewing for me!  Just like Eleanor Burns.... just trim it and toss it over your shoulder and sew some more..trim, toss, sew...that is my new sewing motto

Don't you love it!!!!!  I do!

If you would like to see the finished quilt from the first Quilt For Kids that I participated in just click here.  The blocks I made are here..but they look like the rest. The quilt is sooo cool.  Great for a boy.

Happy Sunday Everyone!!!!

My Pouch for the Zippy Pouch Swap

I am so excited to share my pictures of the pouch I made and received from the zippy pouch swap!  I am happy with the results of the one I made.  There is no pattern for it.  I just made my front and back and then took tidbits from zipper tutorials and boxed bottoms....and this is what I came up with:

Yes, it's a bit blurry but I wanted to show the charm I put on the zipper!  Some day I will figure out my camera!

Nothing to exciting happening on the inside.  But heck..it was my first big zippy!

Those lovely hexagons are only 1/4" in size!  

My cute fairy! French knots and running stitches for a little embellishment!

And here is the whole pouch.  In retrospect I would use a darker zipper.  Not a big fan of the off white one now that I see it in the photo.  Also in the picture are some journal covers I made.  I did all these while at retreat.

The pouch that I received came to me from Ireland!  Once I saw her embroidery I knew it just had to be for me!  But she remained steadfast in the secrecy... I even told her it had to be mine!  It had all of my favorite things...mushrooms, gnomes, hedgehogs and birds!  I love that it is a wristlet too!

I got these wonderful scraps and a lovely note from Ms. Sarah along with my pouch!

I have been so fortunate in all my swaps!   I am participating in another pouch swap and just signed up the Retro flowers quilt-a-long!

As I have been asked to make up a pattern for the fairy pouch I will be making that up one of these days and sharing my tutorial for that... I am thinking by June... How fun will that be!  I will be a little more diligent with this pouch and will write things down as I go so I can share the process with you.
In the meantime yard work awaits and so do those pesky dirty dishes in the sink!  Crap, I hope I shut my water off.  I think I started to fill the  sink before I sat to write this post!  Bahaahaahaa

Zippy Pouch Swap

Well, our Mouthy Mamma's have really done it this time!  They have organized a secret
zippy pouch swap and I am participating in it.  This should be a blast!  I recognize quite a few of the gals from the Modern Christmas Table Runner Swap that I recently completed.  I look forward to chatting with these gals again and to making friends with the new faces of this swap.
 
Since I have never made a zippy pouch this could be challenging...but I think it will be a great time.  I am sure my pouch will turn out great... the hardest part is thinking of a design. But then again, that is also the funnest part too!
And what about the button they made for the swap?!   I LOVE IT!

I am just writing this in hopes that I will unwind.... it is late and I should be getting to bed..okay, it's not that late... only 9:30...but 4:30 comes pretty quickly.... and right now, my mind is all a flutter with design ideas for this pouch... fabric, applique ideas, what shape, color, should I make it wristlet???????? OH MY.. so many ideas, so little time.  I better just sign off and go lay down in bed with the lights out... maybe then my mind will quiet down.  Then again, maybe not.   Does the creative mind ever sleep???

What I did for my Friday Night Sew-in

I fell asleep!  I started out all excited about staying up late and sewing until the wee hours of the morning.  I grabbed myself a cold beer, my projects and some batteries for my camera and I downloaded the audiobook... The Hunger Games...  

I began to cut my pattern pieces out for my apron... I had to giggle when I realized that I put the pattern upside down on my fabric so now my chickens are dangling by their feet!  LOL  I did manage to finish making the  ties and the neck piece for the apron and have everything cut out and ready to sew.   I could feel myself getting tired and the audiobook was absolutely wonderful and found it hard to concentrate on the apron.. that's probably why I cut the pattern out upside down.  LOL...  so anyway I sat down on the couch and just listened to my book... next thing you know, I am asleep.... well, I didn't know I was asleep until I woke up a couple hours later.  LOL  

After I awoke from a 2hr nap, I went back to my sewing room and figured out what I  wanted to do for my quilt back...  I didn't get a picture of that....  :(   I would love to cheat and say I finished it last night, but truth be known I didn't.   I finished making the quilt back this morning and now the quilt is at Diane's waiting to be quilted.  It will be gone just long enough for me to miss it and welcome it back home.

Beer and batteries just what a girl needs for a   FNSI.
The beer never got drank..I fell asleep.  lol

The apron pattern

Facade quilt front.  ( I stole this image from my sisters blog! with her permission, so I guess it's not stealing)

cutting my apron pieces

I think I need to nap before I participate so I don't mess up my cutting. Or maybe give myself an IV infusion of caffeine!

Speaking of naps.... I think I will take one now.  My brother's annual birthday bash is tonight.  Right now I am a little sleepy and I have a slight headache... a nap is just what this non-napper needs!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

It's time for a Friday Night Sew-In!!!!!

Yeah!   I love being able to sew in my  jammies!  Do you????  That is just one of the things making this a fun event... I participated with this last month and did do some sewing, but since it is more than a minute ago, I can't remember what I made!  LOL  
On my sewing agenda for tonight---an apron and a quilt back.
The best part of tonight????  I can stay up as late as I want.  I am no longer working the weekends at St. Lukes Hospital.  I am officially a weekday person!  Only 72 hrs (every two weeks) which still gives me full-time benefits (whew) and weekends of fun!
Last weekend I spent with my sister.  We had the first of many sister sew weekends.  I don't have pics to show  as the batteries died in my camera.... I am rambling..I need to be sewing!  So if you aren't doing anything join us!



Heck... I am not going anywhere tonight  I just might have a beer!   I am also listening to the first book of the Hunger Games...creepy but good.