my swap came!

i received my mini from Victoria's Something From Nothing Swap yesterday! i knew it was something really special when i opened the mailbox and didn't recognize the return address....plus it was squishy :) click the link and go look at all the quilt love!

thank you to margaret in NY- i love it. it will fit in just fine around here. now i need to go find it a home...

i'm still waiting for my ipod cover...i got an email telling me it shipped last week *fingers crossed* maybe today

my forum swap mini

my miniquilt from the forum came today! my swap partner was leslie in texas...

isn't it beautiful! i love it. the colors and design are perfect...it's measures 20" square.

i've already hung it  opposite of my studiothat way i see it everytime i come and go. i hung it on point and it's perfect for that spot!

thank you leslie!!

look at her micro quilting...all those itty bitty feathers!

and she included some great goodies.

i like participating in swaps. as a quilter it's really the only time a quilt gets made for me. plus, it's fun to make something for another quilter that might push you out of your comfort zone...i encourage my readers to try it if you have the oppurtunity.

the other one

i'm still here. i did something to a muscle in my back around my shoulder, so i've had a bit of a hitch in my giddy up. all i did was get out of bed on saturday and i stretched and felt something *pop* it immediately hurt! i'm okay- just taking it easy.

i don't have anything quilty to show yet. i'm working on show quilts and i didn't realize how many locals read my blog and i don't want to show the quilts til after the show. i don't want people to attend the show and see the quilts and keep walking by, "i saw that one on her blog" i think it's proper blog etiquette :)

linda posted about my other swap quilt on her blog Flourishing Palms.

it's an original design that i hand appliqued.. i underestimated the degree of difficulty of needle turning all the crooks in those letters!

Forum swap quilt

my swap quilt i made for cindy arrived safe and sound.

i made her my little splosh flower banner. i borrowed her pictures because they look much better.

i included a mug rug made from 'bonus' HST that i saved and a scissor fob i made with her name in it. 

here's a picture of the back...












i have another swap quilt to share, but i'm waiting for her to post to her blog first as to not ruin the surprise....

playing around

victoria is hosting a 'something from nothing' swap and of course i signed up. so i've been thinking about what i might do... see, i'm not a free piecing/wonky/crumb piecing type of gal. i like structure. i like my points to be pointy and my seams to nest. but i wanted to push myself outside my own comfort zone to try something different. if i didn't have a reason i wouldn't tried it.

so i pulled out my scrap bins and gathered all my batik scraps that i had in lime green, yellow, and dark blue/purple. i sewed all my scraps into one big piece to make 'new' fabric. i'll admit- i was really surprised how fun that was!! the saw tooth star is my favorite block, so i cut the pieces i would need to make one.

i sewed my 'new' fabric into the star...*drool* i REALLY like it....i like it so much, i'm keeping it (i think you should always keep your first anything) and i'll use the idea for another block and use that one for the swap.

and my mind is already running full force thinking of ideas to make a bigger quilt!

thanks victoria for hosting a swap that made me step outside my comfort zone. i encourage my readers to try something new...you never know- you might like it!

*****SQUEAL****

 i'm chatting away on the phone and my two four-legged doorbells go ballistic. it was my snail mail lady, donna with a box...."huh, i didn't order anything" then i noticed the hawaii part....she jumped when i squealed.

my MiniQuilt from the APQS swap arrived!!!!!

(HI has their own special priority boxes!)

join me as we open it together....

oh, dark chocolate covered macadamia nuts and toffe popcorn and macadamia nuts!  Quilt fuel!

look at the pretty tissue paper....

i love the necklace....thanks to google i learned it is Kukui Nut Leis.

i love surprises! what could this be?

this is a travel pillowcase wrapping.....

(the pillwcase's form was included)

a very appropriate book :)

a CD with music i can quilt to! i already loaded it into my Ipod...

 *drumroll* without any further adue

MY MINI-QUILT!

can't you just smell the salty sea air and hear faint ukulele music?

i love hibicus! my granny had tons of plants in the front yard.

thanks again barbara- mahalo makamaka. malama pono i kou ola kino! 

i am going to cherish it forever....

APQS MiniQuilt Swap

suzan in france was my secret swap partner, and has received her quilt i made for her.

this is her picture i borrowed...i forgot to take a good straight on picture...


she was very pleased and it worked out well- she collects birdhouses and loves birds...

but my pics show the quilting....


it is an original design using my signature fried egg flowers and my favorite new design: a blue bird (of happiness) standing on a spool of thread.

i added the butterfly cause i felt like it.




i have it on very good authority that my miniquilt is winging it's way across the pacific as i type! i'm anxiously watching the mailbox for a squishy!

i'll keep you posted!

APQS Swap info

dear swap partner-
here's is a photo mosaic of some of my favorite quilts from flickr. i like bright colors with high contrast....i like simple graphic designs....i'll will be happy with what ever you send!

 1. cindys cushion, 2. DSCN0700, 3. Modify Tradition Swap, 4. MT swap - incoming, 5. Half Square Triangle Quilt, 6. 100_5656, 7. Flea Market Fancy Quilt Progress, 8. Some "love" with Amy Butler, 9. Modern Baby Quilt Back, 10. modify tradition quilt top, 11. Hurricane Katrina Quilt, 12. hangover the wall hanging, 13. flock of triangles front, 14. Julia's Water Color Quilt, 15. Quilts on the Double, 16. Kandinsky Quilt

pieceful kwilter mini-quilt swap??

would i have enuf interest for a mini-quilt swap? i'm thinking a three month deadline and it would be a secret swap...there would be a minimum size limit...and there would be a sign up deadline....

if i made the mail out deadline just before the craziness of the holidays start (beginning of nov) would ya wanna play?