As you know I participated in this swap. It was an open swap, meaning we knew who our partners were and we were to communicate with them to find out what they like. My partner was Nadine over at
Apron Valley Road. We exchanged a few emails to each other outlining fabric lines we liked or designers, the dimensions of our sewing machines, if we wanted pockets or not. We were to send each other a sewing machine cover, apron and pin cushion thread catcher. All things we should already have, but never take the time to make for ourselves.
I received my swap package yesterday from Nadine. When I got everything opened, I almost cried at just how wonderful it all was. She is really a creative person with some mad sewing skillz.
Then I started ripping into everything. I just was overwhelmed...
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adorable snips!! love her
An Awesome thread catcher pin cushion
The Sewing Apron for under the sewing machine to keep you tools handy. She even backed it with no slip shelving liner - totally smart.
Look at this cool catch all basket! I already have it full!
She made me TWO of her shoop shoop bags! I'd read her tutorial and they were on my to do list when I finally took time to sew for myself!
In her note to me, she described the wonderful applique pieces with all the fun words on them to me. She used www.wordle.net to create the printed fabric with her ink jet printer. The words are from my blog! Is that not uber fabulous?
She also sent this awesome grey marking pencil, a quilt pattern, some flower top pins (I've been wanting and not getting these for some reason)and this incredible little tool called a "Lil Twister" for making pinwheels easy! I can not wait to try it - I have a charm pack screaming for this!
When I opened up the sewing machine cover, I literally almost fell down. I have no idea how she knew I'm having a love affair right now with dresden plates, but holy buckets batman!
I am kinda sorta new to quilting - I've only made 3 small quilts so far, and made my first dresden just a few weeks ago from a
Missouri star Quilt Company tutorial on you tube!. So when I saw this, it just really did me in. I can not thank Nadine enough.
Ok so here is a little of what I sent to Nadine, that I feel a little like a schmuck about. I had started on her set twice before I finished one set I liked. Yes this means, I made almost 2 of everything. The first one was using the Central Park fabrics. Here is a picture of the sewing apron I made.
I got all concerned it was a little too bold and crazy. Go figure. I always worry that my mixing of prints and fabric will get me in trouble on day and here I thought I'd gone a bit overboard.
That's when I ordered more fabric and a thinner batting. I ordered up Free spirit Moon dance and linen. I love linen and for some reason just thought Nadine would too. I had bought a pattern from
Bloom and Blossom. I really liked the ruler tape but wanted to tone down the design and mute it a little since the Moon Dance fabrics are calming to me. I was afraid if I patch worked them, they'd turn all crazy.
This is the cover and apron that I made up with the Moon Dance and linen.
I was hoping to get to a nice neutral that would go in Nadine's house as her sewing area is out in the open inside her house. I wanted it to be part of her decor with out scream "HERE I AM".
I included some tuck ins, but nothing as fabulous as what Nadine sent me. I'll just have to surprise her one day!
Also, I decided that I may not be sewing the most perfect line all the time, but that I need to trust myself a bit more and reach out to those areas of creativity that I feel I've lost from working too darn much. The quality of work Nadine sent was off the charts and her creativity is something I truly admire. She may not know it but she has set the bar for me to reach out a little farther in my scope of work on just how creative I can be. Thank you so very much Nadine!