The Great Aussie Name Tag Swap

I recently participated in the #GreatAussieNameTagSwap on Instagram which was hosted by Angie Wilson @GnomeAngel  

Participants were assigned partners and we were required to make a quilted name tag that needed to include the person's first name and their Instagram name.  The minimum size was 5" x 3" and it had to be quilted.  Making a lanyard was optional. It was a fast turnaround swap so we only had approximately 3-weeks to make our creation and to pop it in the post.

WHAT I SENT

Sadly the partner that I was assigned has failed to check in throughout this swap or to acknowledge that she has received what I sent her.  According to Australia Post she received it last Friday, so I can only assume that she did not appreciate my handmade gift.  Anyway, I thought that I did a good job and that I met her brief as best as I could.  I don't know her or her circumstances.  All that I knew about her (apart from her name) was that her favourite colours were blue, purple & teal; she likes Tula Pink fabric; and she likes squirrels & stars. No other information was provided. 

This is what I sent her together with some chocolate:

The Name Tag, Lanyard & Tula Pink Key Fob that I sent together with some chocolates.

A close up of the front of the Name Tag.

This was the back of the Name Tag

WHAT I RECEIVED

As we just had a long weekend, our mail delivery was delayed so I only received my parcel on Wednesday, but I am so completely and utterly blown away with what I received!!

Alison Goodall @quiltalicious was the person who made for me and she totally & utterly excelled.  She made me the most amazing name tag & lanyard which is so "me"!!  I absolutely LOVE IT!!!!!!!! 

I'm not sure if you can see the detail, but she has used some Tula Pink and Emma Jean Jansen fabrics in the lions mane, and the lanyard is made from "Terra Australis" by Emma Jean Jansen.  Her embroidery work is also perfect!  Seriously I am just totally blown away with the exquisiteness of her work! 

Here is a close up of the Name Tag & the Lanyard.  The lion pattern is foundation paper pieced and is a pattern by @QuietPlay

I also received some rather yummy chocolates

Isn't it utterly gorgeous!!!!  I'm going to Craft Alive on Friday & I am going to wear this with pride!  If you see me, please come & say hi.

Hexie Down Under Round 3

Welcome to Hexie Down Under round 3!

#HexieDownUnder3

Are you a hexie fan? Would you like to create your own hexie masterpiece but are limited by what's in your fabric stash?  Swapping with other hexie fans is a great way to mix up the fabrics in your hexie collection, so Isabella Golightly and I have decided to set up an affordable swap just within Australia.  One that is EASY to do and INEXPENSIVE to be a part of.

• Can you accurately thread or glue baste a 1" hexie?  
• Can you neatly stitch these hexies into a hexie flower?  
• Do you live in Australia?  

If you answered yes to each of these questions then you are eligible to join #HexieDownUnder3  This swap will be for both thread basters and glue basters.  You can specify your preference and depending upon numbers we will attempt to keep these two methods in separate groups.   

We have had a number of people ask us if we could include an option to request LOOSE HEXIES as either they already had sufficient hexie flowers for their chosen layouts and/or their health conditions restricted the number of flowers that they could stitch. Therefore we have decided to introduce a "LOOSEY GOOSEY" group. This group will be required to send a total of 13 basted hexies to each of their group members.  You will be able to choose one of two options:

• 12 hexies in the same fabric plus 1 signature hexie, or
• 12 mixed hexies plus 1 signature hexie

There is a separate sign up link for this group (further down). You may choose to sign up for the "LOOSEY GOOSEY" group or for one of the regular hexie flower groups or sign up for both options.  Postage for the "LOOSEY GOOSEY" option should only be $1.00 per envelope as they should be able to fit in a regular sized envelope.  Please leave hexie papers IN the hexies.

REQUIREMENTS:

• This swap is open to Australians with an Australian postal address only. Sorry, no international members.
• You MUST have a public Instagram account (no exceptions this time).
• Members of Hexie Down Under (regular groups) are required to create and mail at least two (2) hexie flowers to each person on their list before 31 March 2016; 
• Loosey Goosey members are required to send 13 hexies to each member on their list before 31 March 2016.
• All members should be able to accurately thread or glue baste 1" hexies and if in one of the regular groups they are required to sew them neatly together into a hexie flower.  Please ensure that your stitches are tight enough that the petals will not fall apart.
• Members are to use a good quality quilting cotton. Please do not use any other type/s of fabrics 
• All signature/centre hexies should be white (unless requested otherwise) and you are required to write your name, your Instagram account name, and where you are from on the signature/centre hexie with a permanent fabric marker.  
• Please leave the papers/cardboard in so that the recipient can join them together easily. 
• Post a photograph of your finished hexies on Instagram tagging the recipient together with the hashtag #HexieDownUnder3 or #HexieDownUnder3LooseyGoosey prior to mailing them off.

YOU ARE ***NOT*** REQUIRED TO SEND ANY OTHER EXTRAS!!! 

Yes you read that correctly, you are not required to send anything other than the hexies to the members on your list.  Please note that Australia Post has increased the price of postage stamps from 4 January 2016.   If you use a C5 sized envelope (162 x 229 mm) it will now cost $2 to post within Australia at the Regular rate.  Please refer directly to Australia Post for their new pricing structure. Loosey Goosey members should be able to fit their loose hexies in a normal sized envelope which will cost $1 to post within Australia.  Please note that Aged & Disabled Pensioners are eligible for concession stamps.  Please contact Australia Post direct for further information.

Maximum estimated participation costs: $2 @ 20 group members = $40 postage costs over 3-months (less for eligible pensioners) PLUS the cost of your hexie papers - you will need at least 280 papers.  A packet of 100 papers costs on average $5 - $7 depending on the retailer.  You are welcome to make your own papers.  We encourage you to use the fabric & threads that you already have in your stash. If you do not have a certain colour/print, please ask your group leader, they will be able to assist you and/or arrange to trade fabric with another group member.  

Once the sign up data has been collated, you will be emailed a spreadsheet containing the details of the people in your group.  You can work through this list at your own pace and mail them off as you go, however, we do request that you complete your list before 31 March 2016 - that gives you approximately 3-months to complete your list. There will be a mandatory check in each month and again towards the end of the swap where you will be asked for a status update of your work and a list of who you are yet to receive from.  If at any stage throughout the swap you need assistance to complete your hexies PLEASE ASK!  We understand that life happens and Hexie Angels are there to assist if required.  All members will be checked against the Swapper's Black List and any known "flakers" will not be accepted.  If you deliberately flake on us you WILL be added to the Swapper's Black List!

This round we plan to provide a few articles to assist with organizing yourself and the best methods of stitching your hexies.

We will be capping the groups to a maximum of 20 members per group to keep numbers manageable so the MAXIMUM number of hexie flowers that you will be making will be 40 (2 per person if we have 20 members per group - in round 1 we had 18 members per group / in round 2 we had 15 members per group).   Sign ups will remain open for one week or until we have reached 60 members (whichever comes first), so be quick, latecomers will not be accepted once group lists have been compiled!  Existing members are welcome to re register (anyone who mailed their hexies late in round 1 or 2 will have their application assessed on a case by case basis by Isabella & I and will be accepted at our discretion). New members are welcome so please tell your friends. 

Please click on one of the registration logos below to access the sign up forms:

 

If you are interested in being a Group Leader, please contact me direct to discuss.

Depending upon popularity, we aim to have #HexieDownUnder4 commence in April for a June 2016 finish.

My Kitten Mini Quilt Swap parcel of awesomeness

Further to Tuesday's post about the Kitten Mini Quilt Swap - here is the parcel of awesomeness that I received from my swap partner who funnily enough was Jeanette! @jeannettelgraham  Yes, unknown to both of us at the time, Marni had matched us both up together.  

When the parcel arrived, I went outside to open it with Gemma:

Lots and lots of pretty brown paper packages tied up with string

There was a special parcel with Gemma's name on it.

"Thank You Auntie Jeanette"

Inside were some yummies just for her!!!

The complete parcel of awsomeness

Biscuits & coffee for me and Whiskas for Gemma

This beautiful softie is actually a scissor holder & pin cushion

Tea Towel

A lovely mini quilt

A beautiful embroidered wall hanging which is now hanging in my kitchen/lounge room

Kitten Mini Quilt Swap

Last year I participated in the Kitten Mini Quilt Swap which was hosted by Marni Franks @FrankiesFabrics.  At the time of completing the swap I was without access to my laptop and by the time I was able to sit down and blog about it, my darling Gemma had just passed away.  Hence I kept putting it off. Since Marni has just opened up registrations for this year's round, I thought I'd better type this up.

We were assigned our partners back in December 2014 and we had until 31 March 2015 (3 months) to create a mini quilt to send to our secret partner. The theme was Cats and Kittens.  Much to my delight, my assigned swap partner was a good friend of mine - fellow crazy cat lady Jeanette in Queensland @jeanettelgraham.  As Jeanette is a friend of mine, I included quite a bit more than normal in this swap parcel.

At the time of this swap Jeanette had 5 cats living with her.  Her favourite colours were purple, red and blue.  This is what I made and sent to her:  

The parcel we sent

Some extras - a note pad and some stickers

The card we sent was handmade by Willow Fox Design in Bendigo

Some more extras - a Cat Purse (design by LYPatterns), a key fob and some washi tape

Some more extras - a set of three Cat Lady Embroidery Hoops - pattern by Becky Helms

"Fish 'n' Chips" cat softie - pattern by Ric Rac

The mini quilt that I made - designed by me - made from "Here Kitty Kitty" fabric by Alyssa Thomas for Clothworks.

Gemma helped me to wrap all of the items

There were extra yummies specially packed for Evie, Bella, Lucy, Garfield & Mr Hyde  - Jeanette's pussy cats

Tea Time Swap

I recently participated in the Tea Time Swap via Instagram.   My good friend Alison White @alisonwhite31 was the Swap Mama for all of the Australian participants.  Our secret swap partners were delegated in late June and we had until November 1st to send off our parcels.

The swap requirement was to send 1 main handmade gift & 1 item of tea in your partners preferred flavour.  Suitable items could be; cushions, table runners, embroidered hoop, mini quilt, wall hanging, mixed media canvas etc. This was not a mug rug swap therefore a mug rug was not considered substantial enough to be considered as the main gift.  The tea item should consist of special flavoured tea that our partner likes.  If we wished to include extras, things like a mug rug, tea making supplies, a nice mug/tea cup & saucer, tea towel, basically anything else with a tea theme that our partner might like, was up to our discretion.

What I Sent:

I was quite excited when I received the email containing my secret partner's details as I was assigned my dear friend Faye Peresipkin @mysewbusylife  Throughout the year, Faye and I have been partnered up in quite a few swaps and have gotten to know each other quite well via our Insta-stalking. Faye's craft work is amazing and she has a track record of spoiling me rotten.  Time to repay the favour (again)!!! 

Some time ago I had purchased a 7" stacker of the fabric range "To Norway With Love" by Sue Daley Designs.  I had put it aside together with a pattern named "Angel of the Tea Party" by Michelle Ridgway which was published in "Inspiring Country Threads Stitchery" magazine.  The two were a perfect match and I thought a perfect gift for Faye.

This is the original version of "Angel of the Tea Party" by Michelle Ridgway as featured in Inspiring Country Threads Stitchery magazine volume 14 no 1.

I added very simple stitch in the ditch quilting to the finished top.

The completed Mini Quilt that I made for Faye.

Some of the extras that I sent to Faye - a magnetic grocery list pad; a wooden tea themed shelf ornament; some ribbons for her daughter; a handmade trivet; and a tea themed card.

Faye stipulated on her application form that she likes black tea, green tea and peppermint tea.  The tea that I sent to Faye was an organic tea called  "Choc Mint After Eight" by QT Tea Co.  It is black tea with mint leaves and chocolate pieces with a chocolate mint flavour.

What I Received:

These are the mosaics that I created for my partner to give her an idea of my preferences:

@jennyofelefantz has some beautiful embroidery patterns that I like.  My kitchen colours are red & white so any red work will look fantastic.  As I often use my kitchen bench as a cutting table, a tea cup pin cushion in red & white would look lovely in my kitchen. 

I don't drink regular tea but I do drink Peppermint Tea, Spearmint Tea, and Ginger Tea.  I also don't mind Chamomile Tea or any Sleepytime Herbal blends.

My secret partner ended up being Rommy Laurie @Rommy2704 and this is what she sent me:

This is the entire parcel of goodies which I received.  It included a tea bag holder made out of Lori Holt's "Bake Sale" fabric with a selection of T2 Teas and other tea bags; a picnic set also made from "Bake Sale" which included a set of 4 coasters and a fold up placemat/table cloth; a pretty mug and a very very gorgeous mini quilt. 

Here is a close up of the beautiful mini quilt which Rommy made.  The feature fabrics are Lori Holt's "Bake Sale" and feature a kettle with a stack of tea cups beautifully hand embroidered on the right.  It is so beautifully made and will look lovely hanging on my kitchen wall underneath the Lori Holt "Farm Girl Vintage" bunting that I have made.

Kaffe Mini Quilt Swap

One of my favourite swaps this year has been the Kaffe Mini Quilt Swap which was hosted by Leslie Piper via Facebook.   I have recently developed a love of Kaffe Fassett's fabrics as I have been working with them to make Jen Kingwell's Circle Game Quilt. Kaffe's fabrics are loud, bright and happy.

This was a secret swap. I was making a mini quilt for someone, and someone else was making one for me.  I did not discover who this was until my parcel arrived.  Partners were assigned in mid July and we had until October to send our gifts.

Our mini quilts could feature only fabrics from the Kaffe Fassett Collective (KFC) -- Kaffe Fassett, Brandon Mably, and Philip Jacobs. We could use solids or near-solid fabrics (including shot cottons!) in conjunction with KFC fabrics, but the aim was to let those beautiful prints really shine!

Our mini quilt had to be no larger than 24" on each side, and no smaller than 12" on a side.  If we wished to include extra goodies with our mini quilt (scraps, notions, candy, etc.), that was entirely up to us, we were not obligated to include anything other than our mini quilt.

What I Sent:

My assigned partner was Denise {@hotpossum } in Western Australia.

I actually didn’t know Denise so I set about Instagram stalking her straight away.  I was very happy when she sent me a friend request so I could then legitimately add her as a friend without it looking obvious that I was her secret partner.  

Denise had given me pretty much free reign to make whatever I wanted in the swap as she hadn’t specified any particular favourite prints, designs or colours; but now that we were Instagram buddies I set my secret squirrel investigators to work.  They quickly discovered that she was a fan of Jen Kingwell.  Although she did not have the Circle Game quilt pattern, it was on her wish list to make one day.  Immediately I knew what I would make for her – a block from the Circle Game Quilt.  I decided that Block 16 offered a lot of scope to play with and set about making it in rainbow colours.  The top was entirely hand pieced.

The Mini Quilt that I made for my partner was based on Block 16 of The Circle Game by Jen Kingwell.

The parcel that I sent to Denise

Included with the mini quilt was a block of Lindt Chocolate; a key fob; a coin purse made out of miniature hexies; some charm squares of Kaffe Fassett fabrics; and a pin cushion.  Everything was wrapped up inside a fat quarter of Kaffe Fassett fabric and then tied with coordinating ric rac.

What I received:

I didn't post a mosaic for this swap, however I did create a Pinterest  board to give my partner an idea of my tastes.  

My secret partner ended up being Brenda Moore { @eroomkb } from Wilmington, North Carolina, USA. 

The mini quilt that Brenda made was based on the pattern "Kool Kats Kwilt" by Patti Carey and I absolutely LOVE IT!!!!!

The quilt label on the back of the mini quilt

The "extras"

The awesome "Extras" that Brenda included in my parcel included some Peppermint chocolate tea bags (they are delicious too); a Dilly Bag made from one of my favourite Kaffe prints - "Swirly Baskets"; a mini lint roller; a gorgeous lion mug; a toy for Amity - they are cat toy tea bags filled with catnip; some mini Nutella satchets; Junior Mints AND a block of Dove peppermint swirl chocolate; some hand cream; and a lovely bundle of Kaffe Fassett fabrics in various sizes. 

This is a mosaic of the photos that I posted on Instagram as I opened the parcel.  I was completely and utterly blown away by Brenda's generosity and how carefully she had chosen each item to reflect my likes and personal preferences.  What was even more exciting is that I had signed up for this swap with my friend Norma in America, and by chance, her parcel arrived at the same time as mine and we opened them together and shared the experience on Instagram.

Other photos from this swap can be viewed on Instagram using the hashtag #KaffeMiniSwap 

Hexie Down Under

Hexies hexies everywhere.  English Paper Piecing (EPP) is very popular at the moment and almost everyone appears to be doing it.  Are you a hexie fan? Would you like to create your own hexie masterpiece but are limited by what's in your fabric stash?  Swapping with other hexie fans is a great way to mix up the fabrics in your hexie collection, so Isabella Golightly and I have decided to set up an affordable swap just within Australia.  One that is EASY to do and INEXPENSIVE to be a part of.

• Can you accurately thread or glue baste a 1" hexie?  
• Can you neatly stitch these hexies into a hexie flower?  
• Do you live in Australia?  

If you answered yes to each of these questions then you are eligible to join #HexieDownUnder  This swap will be for both thread basters and glue basters.  You can specify your preference and depending upon numbers we will attempt to keep these two methods in separate groups.  If you can do & don't mind either method that is even better. 

REQUIREMENTS:

• This swap is open to Australians with an Australian postal address only. Sorry, no international members.
• You MUST have a public Instagram account.
• Members are required to create and mail at least two (2) hexie flowers to each person on their list before 30 September 2015.  
• All members should be able to accurately thread or glue baste 1" hexies and to sew them neatly together into a hexie flower.
• Members are to use a good quality quilting cotton. Please do not use any other type/s of fabrics 
• All centres should be white (unless requested otherwise) and you are required to write your name, your Instagram account name, and where you are from on the centre hexie with a permanent fabric marker.  
• Please leave the papers/cardboard in so that the recipient can join them together easily. 
• Post a photograph of your finished hexie flowers on Instagram tagging the recipient together with the hashtag #HexieDownUnder prior to mailing them off.

YOU ARE ***NOT*** REQUIRED TO SEND ANY OTHER EXTRAS!!! 

Yes you read that correctly, you are not required to send anything other than the two (2) hexie flowers per person to the members on your list.  If you use a C5 sized envelope (162 x 229 mm) it will only cost $1.40 to post within Australia.

Once the sign up data has been collated, you will be emailed a spreadsheet containing the details of the people in your group.  You can work through this list at your own pace and mail them off as you go, however, we do request that you complete your list before 30 September 2015 - that gives you approximately 3-months to complete your list. 

We are aiming for up to 25 members per list to keep the number per group manageable.   If you complete your list early you can request to be added to another group.  Sign ups will remain open until we have reached 100 members. Depending upon popularity, we aim to have round two of #HexieDownUnder commence in October for a December finish.

Please click on the hexie-flower to access the sign up form:

Click here

Please direct any inquiries to Isabella at isabellagolightly@gmail.com

Criminal Minds Swap

 

Are you a fan of Penelope Garcia, Derek Morgan, Jennifer "JJ" Jareau, David Rossi, Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner, Kate Callahan, Spencer Reid or Emily Prentiss (not pictured)? 

 

Do you get excited whenever you hear the words "Wheels up in 30"?  Then this is the Craft Swap for YOU!

 

#CriminalMindsSwap

 

 

Registrations open on Wednesday 10 June just after the show airs in Australia (AEST) and I anticipate leaving registrations open until June 24th unless we receive maximum numbers sooner. 

 

In this swap we will exchange at least two (2) handmade items. At least one of these items must be a major item such as: a mini quilt, bag, satchel, table runner, embroidered artwork, cross stitch, painted artwork, basket, wall hanging.  The other may be a lesser item such as: zippy pouch, needle book, pin cushion, key fob, toy, pillow, clothing accessory, mug rug, placemats, coasters, ornament, bookmark, fridge magnet, notebook cover, hoop art etc.  You will also be required to send your partner at least one (1) naughty treat such as chocolate or candy.

 

You must have a public Instagram account (NO private accounts) and post a mosaic for this swap (you will have until sign ups close on June 24th to post one (or more)).  Please use the hashtag #CriminalMindsSwap. If you have not created a mosaic by then you will not be eligible for a space. The mosaic may consist of: preferred colour schemes, fabrics, décor, actor/characters from the show, show quotes, photos of items that you would like to receive, basically ANYTHING that you feel will assist your assigned partner to make you something special and to your tastes.  Please email Fiona (bendigolioness2@gmail.com) if you have any questions regarding the mosaic. 

 

All participants agree to check in with their designated swap mama at the designated check in times by the due date/s and to post at least three (3) progress photos on Instagram, tagged to the swap's hashtag #CriminalMindsSwap and their designated group's hashtag (to be advised).  These photos can be as detailed or as cryptic as you feel comfortable with.

 

This swap is based around the main characters of the TV show "Criminal Minds"  - the FBI's Behavioural Analysis Unit - and is NOT glorifying any criminal acts or violence.  Please do NOT depict any weaponry or acts of violence in your gifts!

 

The due date for this swap will be NO LATER THAN October 16th 2015.

 

If you are interested to join us, please click on the FBI badge below to access the registration form:

Click Here

 

 

Please note that submitting your application does NOT guarantee you a position in this swap. Spaces that are available are open only to swappers who have a good swap track record (e.g. have not shipped late & have not flaked) and who have a public Instagram account. All applicants will be fully vetted and checked against the Swappers Black List.