Scrap Swap

Here's a cool idea for your sewing group:

Recently our guild (MadModQuiltGuild) did a scrap swap. We each brought in a gallon ziploc bag of scraps, and swapped with a random partner. Then we had 2 months to make a project to give back to the scrap owner. 

Most of us have a ton of scraps laying around that we never seem to put a dent in, am I right? This was a fun way to use some of those up and get a surprise at the same time!

The scraps I got from my partner included all kinds of colors. I decided to pick out all the low volume, black, and one particular blue striped fabric to make a scrappy rope bowl. 

I wanted to make a little something else to go with it (and use up some more scraps), so I made a zip pouch and added some Modern Stitching Affair hexie templates and candy. 

I used up about half of my partner's scraps. I hope she likes what I made!

Simply Mini Swap

The #SimplyMiniSwap was hosted by @purplepoppyquilts, and it was meant to be simply a mini quilt - no extras. This was a really fun swap for me, because as soon as I saw my partner's mosaic, I knew exactly what I wanted to make for her. She had all blues and greens in her pictures (which are my current favorites), and she also said she likes stars. I had been wanting to make a New York Beauty for a while, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity.

This was the first time I had ever tried piecing curves, so I went hunting for some advice online. Luckily I found an awesome tutorial for piecing a New York Beauty by Kati at From The Blue Chair. Her pointers helped immensely, and the whole process was a complete success. All of the seams lined up pretty much perfectly. 

This quilt was really hard to give away! It's my favorite piece that I've ever made. Every time I posted a picture of my progress on Instagram, my swap partner always commented that she liked it, even though she didn't know it was for her. I'm so glad this quilt went to her!

The quilt I received from my swap maker is so incredible, and I couldn't believe it when I got the package! 

I had been admiring her posts on this quilt while she showed her progress on Instagram. I never dreamed it would actually be mine! Cassandra (@cassandra.beaver) designed this quilt herself, and there are 83 different fabrics! Everything about it is gorgeous, right down to the intricate quilting. I'm a very lucky partner!

Sew My Stash Swap

If you haven't checked out the #sewmystash2015 hashtag on Instagram, you should. And you should use it! It's great to see what people are making with what they have in their stash. I think a lot of us have a tendency to hoard fabric (Guilty!), and it's nice to be able to pull and make something without having to go purchase anything new.

The Sew My Stash Mini Swap required that you use at least 75% stash to make a mini quilt for your swap partner. I was able to use 100%! (As long as you don't count the pattern: I purchased that specifically for this swap.) 

My swap partner had this pattern in her inspiration mosaic, and I've been wanting to make it, so it was easy to settle on a plan. This is the Take Wing Pattern by lillyella. It's a great pattern that allows for a lot of customization based on color choice, and it also makes a nice size mini to hang or use as a centerpiece. 

I was so excited when I opened the mini I received in return! Lucy (@pearhugstudio) did a great job. I love greens & blues together, low volume prints, and I really dig geometric paper piecing patterns. This will hang in my sewing space. 

The Sew My Stash Mini Quilt Swap was hosted by @projectleasa. 

Baby Shower Gifts

I wanted to share a couple of quick baby shower gifts that I was able to stitch up the evening before they had to be shipped off! It seems I'm running late for everything these days, what with chasing around my own tiny human.

The first is a little crinkle/ribbon toy.

All this takes is a couple squares of fabric (I made mine 8"), some small pieces of ribbon (I cut mine 5" long), and a cereal bag. It literally only took me about 10 minutes to make this toy. A friend made one for my baby shower, and my son loves it, so I thought it would be something great to do for my cousin who is about to have her first baby (girl). There is a nice tutorial for this project by Cucicucicoo. 

I also made a couple quick bibs with Heather Bailey's Slobber Monkey bib pattern. These are super quick to make, and I used a piece of scrap (cotton) batting in the middle of mine so they would be more absorbent.

A couple easy handmade gifts to toss in with some other baby essentials: it's nice to be able to add something personal and handmade.

October Stitch Tease

October was Jennifer's month in the Stitch Tease Bee, and she chose Bottled Rainbow blocks. These are ticker-tape blocks that are really fun to do, and they are perfect for using up those scraps. We used the tutorial by Stitched in Color. These blocks can be done using Quilt As You Go (which we did for Jennifer). Each block finishes at 16" x 20", so we only made one this month. Everyone did a different color, and I did dark green. I can't wait to see this quilt put together, and it's definitely a quilt I'm going to put on my "to do someday" list. Hopefully "someday" I'll find the time.