Aunt Pitty Pat's Sewing Accessories Swap

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...

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!

Creativity that I find amazing

I love Etsy. I know some of you do too. There are two things I really enjoy - Pounce and then the front page items. Both really get me all sucked into things.

I found these and I'm loving this artists work. "Leap of Faith" by Mama Gourds. I mean really? how did she do that?

Then we can discuss favorites and circle and all the fun stuff that people like that you didn't know they liked.

It's addictive and wonderful!

Have you Etsy'd today? I have.

The Method

I've touched on this in the past. But as I work more and more into my inner crafter, I'm finding I am evolving in my creative methods. I now look at burlap with a whole new desire. That I see how linen just may be the most perfect fabric out there but with it's own share of angst.

I look at something in my house that just isn't working right and ponder about making it slip cover or what fabric I have on hand to drape over, around or under it. Then I think about what the pattern pieces would look like.

What is the method of being creative. What does it mean to you? Is it just a form of expression, does it manage your stress or does it oooze from your very existence?

Process of Creativity

I was thinking about how I go through a process when I want to make something. Especially, if I don't have a pattern or a guide. On sewing blogs I sometimes see where the design has been drawn out. I will occasionally scribble out a sketch of what I want to make.

My process is one that works or mulls inside my head for days - sometimes weeks. This week I was chatting with Karen and Regena about an apron idea I've been thinking about. One where the bib buttons on and off so it can be a full and/or half apron. I'm sure this has been done before, but I don't have a pattern and I'm pretty sure of my design right now.

In my mind this apron skirt is mostly white (not a good apron color). It has splashes of bright color stitched here and there. The bib is mostly red with some white dots or flowers. The attachment of bib to apron is by a row of big red buttons - probably 4 shiny buttons, 1 inchers. The ties and waist band are some sort of fabric with all the colors - white, red, yellow, green, blue and the ties are wide and long for double wrapping for a bow in the front. I see some bright felted flowers somewhere too.

None of this is written down on a sketch pad or scrape of paper you see because it's all in my head still.

Wait.