Schnitzel and Boo Mini round #4

After the rush of swaps that I did earlier this year I had decided to take a break from swapping for a while and focus on my projects -- well apparently I work much better on all things and get way more accomplished when I have deadlines to keep me going. My goals for the last 6 months have remained the same and my progress on my projects hasn't been very noticeable -- so I decided it was time to dip a toe back into swapping and joined up with just over a thousand other quilters for round 4 of the Schnitzel and Boo Mini Quilt Swap (WOW!!)

I provide lots of information on my sign ups and always seem to get the person that says "make what ever, I'll love it" -- this time was no different but once I did a bit of stalking I knew exactly what I wanted to make and that she'd love it. Our interests were similar, fabric wise and color wise. We even included several of the same patterns in our mosaics so I knew one of these had to be the project that I made for her. 

Color pallet would be brights -- focusing on pink, yellow, teals and greens with splashes of white 

We both love the flowering snowball pattern and I found some templates online to make smaller blocks rather than making 12 inch accuquilt blocks (which I could have done). 

So now it was time to start putting things together and see where this mini wanted to lead me. 

I'm happy with the outcome and sure hopes that my partner loves it as it makes it's long journey to it's new home all the way in Spain. 

Here's another photo in better lighting to see how lovely it really is, I was so hesitant with those wrinkles but they quilted right out. 

Alison Glass Swap

Swap number 10 for 2015 is in the book and this time it was all about one of my favorite designers Alison Glass. Now as you may recall I met Alison at a small trunk show that she was doing at a quilt shop a few hours away from me and she was delightful.

So my partner for this swap was Amy Verne @amybob3kids, and she really loves the handmades -- which I had none of so a quick trip to Mary Joe's was in order and I was all set up. She also likes stars so I elected to make her this mini. 

Throw in a few extras and you have yourself a swap package.

In return I received from Tricia @mothersneedle 

What a lovely Mini -- learning to do cathedral windows is on my quilting bucket list so I love it. she even threw in some fun goodies.

This marks all my swaps for the first part of 2015 completed and for now I don't have any more lined up. I have decided to take a few months off from swapping and focus on completing things that I have been wanting to do for a while. Not being able to quilt last month really helped to remind me how much I love it and with the summer heat here I know I will not be spending lots of time outside. 

There has been lots going on with the civic project but I haven't made any headway with the seat covers so I am moving that up on the priority list. I have 2 bees that are ending this month and one that goes through the remainder of the year so getting back to me sewing will hopefully be easier -- perhaps the 3rd quarter will be more productive than this one. 

Spring Fling Mini Swap

I know you all are starting to think all I ever do is make swaps and bee blocks lately and really it's starting to feel that way. 

This one was all about spring time and I was partnered up to make for Kimberly Russell (@kipperson) who loves Amy Butler and the color purple. I am a fan of some of Amy Butler but not a super fan so I searched around and found out that there isn't a whole lot of purple in Amy Buttler (at least what I was able to find) but I did find this lovely fabric -- 

and did the rest of my fabric pull from there (mostly stash). 

Being in the Spring theme I wanted to make something that looked like a flower so I went for a paper pieced Dresden, then I added to it to make it really special.  

I added some quilting, this was my first time using invisible thread and I seriously love it and I love the results.

and so does Kimberly. 

She liked me extras that I threw in, too. 

Be sure to check out all the great minis that I've gotten in the last 6 weeks in my other post. 

Swaps Received in March and the first part of April

Since the end of March and April were busy with swapping deadlines that meant lots of happy mail was coming my way so here's a recap of the 5 exciting  swaps that I received in return and another that I am still working on, but my package arrived early. 

Tula Pink Swap from @TawnyTawny

Studio Ghibli Swap from @Sewninred

(great extras -- she thinks I need to take up EPP, and I have to say I am intrigued)

Viva La Villains Swap from @beebsinwonderland (this one was a little bit early but well worth missing out on the anticipation of waiting at the deadline) 

Awesome Right!! 

The extras were equally awesome -- esp that cross stitch 

Rainbow Swap was from @sewkristen 

Isn't it cool -- I love things that are appliqued because of the effort that it takes and the lack of patience that I have for doing it. Plus this one is kinda naughty if you have a pervy mind. 

Some cute and thoughtful extras. 

Kitten Mini Swap, finally arrived after a 10 day delay in Chicago from the AMAZING @jaclynb

I squealed and jumped around so much that my cats wouldn't come in the room with me for about an hour. 

Spring Mini Swap from @jmtuller

Look at all that great color!! She also put in some great extras -- it's like she knew I was running low on pins. 

This was truly a great month and a half of swap packages, now it's time to rearrange my mini wall in my sewing room so that I will be able to display them all. That's going to have to wait till after stash bash and the swapping awesomeness that I will be doing there. 

I have a few other swaps on the horizon as well but they will be in a few months. I think I'm going to take a break for a little while and really focus on the things that I commit to so that I can get some personal sewing done -- those things aren't going to finish themselves. 

Rainbow Swap -- #rainbowteamorange

Since I am all about swaps, sometimes I get paired up with people that I have been admiring for a while and this time I got paired up with Carrie Hanson of Gotcha Covered Quilting. I know that she has great taste and is super generous as she is often one of the sponsors in swaps that I have been in -- so if you haven't checked out her awesome shop you probably should head on over there (once you finish reading of course). 

So, now that I knew who my partner was my initial idea of doing a color block and then fancy smancy quilting was thrown out the window. 

I didn't feel that either of these options were really where I wanted to go with this mini, even though I still really liked the one on the left. 

Now it was time to regroup and do another fabric pull to see where this mini was headed. 

Well sometimes the back up and punt turns into something spectacular and I am really happy with the outcome. 

I got to use my accuquilt and a die that I had been wanting to use for a while and I felt that she would really love the outcome -- and guess what, so did she!!

Extras were all about rainbows too. 

Now it's time to wait and see what I receive -- I'll be putting all my received packages together in a big post once the four of them arrive by mid April.  

Bee Blocks for March

Last week I had a huge pile of things that went out in the mail -- several swaps, a custom order, a few pay it forwards but also my Bee Blocks went out. 

We Be Learning blocks went to Deb and she chose ribbon stars. This is a block I had not made before and while they are lovely I don't know that I want to make them again. She said think Spring, I know these are all going to look great when put together. 

We bee with it blocks were for Celeste and she chose wonky star 16 patches -- this block is so much fun to put together and see what can be done with scraps. She wanted a blue and greens one and an all pinks one. These blocks are great and definitely something that I could see my self using many more of my scrap squares to make. 

Stash Bee blocks were made for Robin and she wanted it to be Half Square Mania -- any block as long as it was all HSTs. I managed to flip flop a couple of my blocks and ended up with same fabric touching but I still like the result. 

These bee blocks are becoming one of my favorite things to make each month. The We bee learning and we bee with it are only 6 month hives and it's hard to think that in a few short months they will be done -- perhaps I will sign up for the next round as well. I was hive queen last month and all my blocks have trickled in and I had to make a few more to round everything out but here is the result so far. 

I get the be queen again in June and then in September and I am so happy that I chose to do these blocks for all of them because this quilt is going to be AWESOME. 

Kitten MQS

Another cat themed swap? Why yes, don't mind if I do.

This time I made for Jeana Schaaf, (@jeanaschaaf) she loves bright colors, rainbows and Japanese themed things --- now who does that sound like?

Initially I pulled out all my cat fabrics that I had on hand -- I'm supposed to be sewing my stash after all.However, Nothing felt quite right and I thought about it for a while and contemplated making her a mini of rainbow kitty heads and had almost settled on this idea and then I went to the annual quilt show in Statesville and I found something that was absolutely perfect for me (i mean her).

I had already decided that I was going to do a pattern called apple pie by Sew What Sherlock and now I had my focal point and it was time to play with color so I pulled out some other lovelies to go with my perfect fabric.

I whipped her up and this was the outcome. You all know how prone I am to making modifications when putting a pattern together (and sometimes I ignore the pattern all together).

I went with a simple --- for my quilting and here she is all finished up and ready to ship. 

Now swaps aren't the same to me without extras -- so here's what I found for her and her fur babies.

Her response -------

Now it's time to wait and see what I receive -- I'll be putting all my received packages together in a big post once the four of them arrive by mid April.