Sewing Room Swap

This weekend I finished the main item for my ~sewing room swap~ partner.  I'm really quite pleased with how this set of fabric baskets turned out.  Like my prototype a week or so ago, I used the nesting fabric bowls pattern from a cuppa and a catch up (this is the 7" size).

 

I would describe the central panel of each basket as "free piecing" - I didn't have a pattern or much of a plan in mind when I started, and apart from trimming each panel to the right width, there was not a lot of measuring involved.  It was really quite fun and a liberating way to work.  I learned something too.  If you are going to make free pieced little houses, it works a lot better if you make the roof first and then make the main part of the house to fit the roof, rather than the other way around.

I really hope my partner likes these!

Linking up with:

    

and with Finish it up Friday at crazy mom quilts.

Sew Sew Modern Received

A couple of weeks ago I received the most wonderful parcel in the mail - my amazing swap goodies from Cindy, who blogs at Adventures of the Singing Quilter.

 

I asked for a few different swap items - to give my partner options (I know I like having options when making for a swap partner!).  But what I was really hoping and crossing my fingers for was a sewing machine cover.  Cindy really pulled through for me!

 

Isn't it gorgeous?!  Cindy used linen (love) and lots and lots of different text fabrics (more love) and that fantastic measuring tape trim (so cute).  Linen is not that easy to work with on this scale, and Cindy did a fantastic job.  It fits my sewing machine perfectly and I absolutely adore it.  Even the lining and piping fabric (Cindy made piping!!!) is beautiful

 

How cute is this little thread catcher?  I love the little bits of Flea Market Fancy and there is even a smidge of text print here too.  I cleared it out for these photos, but I have already been using it - there are far fewer threads on my sewing room floor thanks to this little basket.

Finally, how sweet is this little pincushion?  It's filled with what feels like sand, which strangely enough makes it really satisfying to stab pins into.  What can I say - it's the little things!

Cindy also sent me a lovely note, a cute postcard and a spool of Aurifil!  So generous!  You can believe I am excited to start sewing with that Aurifil - I've read so much about it online but never used it myself.  It's a light grey - a perfect all purpose colour, and I'm going to save it for quilting to really get the most out of it.

After quite a lot of swap activity over the last three months, I think I will take a little break for a while, but I will definitely sign up for the next round of Sew Sew Modern - it's a fantastic swap group!

Linking up with:

Blogtoberfest - the last day

Phew!  We have reached the end of October, and I am very happy that I managed to meet my goal of posting every day for the month of October.  In fact, this post will be #36 for October - more than double the number of posts I had done previously!

I'm glad I decided to participate in this exercise - I found having a set goal (and an end in sight) really helpful.  I don't plan to continue posting every day.  I have, however, decided to set myself a few goals for the blog for the next few months:

• I would like to blog three times a week - I am thinking Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  If I have more to say, I will certainly blog more often, but otherwise, I think three days a week is manageable.

• I want to write a couple of tutorials.  One, a skills tutorial, for something I have done a lot of times and think maybe I have some tips that would be useful to others.  I know that seeing other bloggers' methods for doing things has helped me get started on projects I was otherwise intimidated by.  The other, a tutorial on how to make something I have designed myself, that doesn't require any special tools (other than the usual rotary cutter, mat, and straight ruler), and that uses fabric efficiently.  Yeah, gotta design that thing first...

• I have enjoyed getting to know more people out there in the quilt blogging world.  Thanks so much to everyone who has left me a comment - some of you feel like friends already (I think you know who you are).  I want to keep up with that, so will be looking to participate in more swaps, quilt-alongs, etc.  I am currently participating in the Scrappy Swap and am enjoying how active and positive the group is.

This is my selection of fabric for the handmade item for the Scrappy Swap.  I have started sewing, but I can't show what I have made yet, as it would totally give my partner away at this point.

Does anyone else set goals for their blog?  If you are happy to share, I would love to hear them.