Simple & Sweet Scrappy Swap

I know it might come as a bit of a surprise, but I joined another swap on flickr earlier this summer. This one is the Simple & Sweet Scrappy Swap. And now, with the deadline looming, I finally sat down to cut up 50 charms and make a simple pouch.

My partner said she likes Heather Ross, so I dug into my scrap bin, and made two simple nine-patches for the pouch.

Heather Ross Scrap Pouch

Although linen, a neutral solid, or even low volume would have been the expected choice for the border of the nine-patches, I decided that I didn't want to do the expected. I have tons of Brown Posies in my scrap bins (it was the backing of my Maple Leaf Rag - which, by the way, I really need to finish hand-sewing the binding so I can show it off), and I thought the colours helped to unite some of the colours of the HR scraps.



It does strike a bit of the 1970's, with all the orange, brown and teal, but I'm okay with that. I was born in the 1970's after all, so it can't be all that bad.

Heather Ross Zippered Pouch

I'm not going to show all of the charms just yet, I want my partner to get them first. But I promise I'll show them then. They are worth waiting for!

Simple & Sweet Scrappy Swap Package for my partner!

A Fun Swap

In the last couple of years, I've become obsessed with Waldorf inspired dolls. Obsessed. I love that they are homemade. I love that they are all natural. I love that each one is a little piece of art. Kind of like quilts, don't you think?

I don't love that they are pricey (like quilts). So at first I tried to make one. Or I did make one. She's lovely, and my daughter actually plays with her. But I discovered that I really don't like making dolls. Actually, I discovered that I really don't like hand-sewing.

Waldorf Inspired Doll - Little Amigo Pattern from Growing Up Sew Liberated

So, recently, to get around both having to make a doll, and having to pay for one, I did a private swap with a mama. I made her some pillows. She sent me a gorgeous Bamboletta Little Buddy.

Bamboletta Little Buddy

My swap partner was the best 'customer.' She asked for bright and modern. She told me she wasn't afraid of colour. That was it. I was free to make whatever I wanted. Here's what I came up with.

The first was a simple string pillow. I used Ashley's tutorial.

The second was a simple bright and low volume hst pillow. It feels so good to actually use some of my hoarded Denyse Schmidt fabric.

Finally, I used a pattern from Amanda Jean Norberg for my last pillow. The pattern in Math Facts and it is in the Winter 2012 issue of quilty magazine.

Math Facts by Amanda Jean Norberg

Isn't the barter system wonderful? 

Thanks Jacqui!

Look what arrived all the way from New Zealand! Lucky me, I won 8 gorgeous DS Quilts Fat Quarters a while back from Jacqui`s blog. Jacqui is a Canadian living in NZ, and her blog is lovely. Go check it out.

DS Quilts Fat Quarters

I`m thrilled to have some of the not-available-in-Canada fabric. And it is so soft. But now I just need to decide what to do with it. If you`re in Canada too, did you get your hands on any DS fabric? If you have some, what are you making with it?

Don't you just love that top blue one?

I've had it in my mind for awhile that it might be worth petitioning Fabricland to carry the DS line. What do you think? Do you know why Denyse Schmidt doesn't sell these lines in Canada?

Thanks again Jacqui!