I'm signed up for my frst "Official" Mini Quilt Swap

Last year Holee hosted a Fall Mini Swap over on the HGTV boards and it sparked my interest. However I was too scardy cat to join up... and after emailing with crazy'boutquilts - she and I decided to play along with each other from the sidelines :)

It was so fun and I loved it - so this year when I saw that Holee had already had the signups and I had missed it I thought OH NO... but thankfully sewloves2quilt also spoke up that she would have liked to sign up and so we were partnered up together! :)

I do know that when I messaged sewloves2quilt she wrote back and said that she la,la,loved 1930's.... well.... hum. I'll have to think about that... I've been looking on line already....

However when we were over at the big town this weekend - we took the kids to Chuck-E-Cheese.... we stopped by Joann's and I bought some fall fabrics...... I mainly bought them for a fall colored "Candy bars" swap I'm in that vickquilts is hosting, but I made sure to get 1/2 yard cuts of each for just in case I decide to use them for a fall mini

So..... for now I'll have to let them simmer.... while I finish up some of my own scrappy 4 patches. The rest of the participants are also working away and preparing to mail their packages to me no later than Wednesday.... I can't wait to see all of them together... there will be close to 4000 total! Eeek!


EDITED TO ADD - here's one of the comments that was posted on the HGTV board after I shared a photo of my fabrics in the wooden bowl. (BTW - that bowl was so pretty, and even marked down 70%... but I ended up putting it back on the shelf. I know just under $14 was a good deal... but after thinking about it - I really didn't "NEED" it. ;)

quote:

OOOO, they look so pretty all together. It looks like you pulled all the colors from the end one on the left!

My Reply -
Yeah, you would think that wouldn't ya??? and I sometimes do find a inspiration fabric and pull colors from it... but not this time... nope that one was already at the cutting table from a previous customer and another worker was getting ready to re-shelf it when I spotted it and shouted excitedly - OOooogh I NEED that one too! again, I have no idea if these will be used for my fall mini project or another swap that calls for fall fabrics... I just opened up my EQ7 last night and installed it... can't wait to learn how to use it and make my first project with it for this fall mini




Love from Texas!

blocks from ?? Oh I figured it out - they're from Darcene!

I received THE cutest little square box today - It looked it was made just for these sized blocks! It was all wrapped up in tissue paper just like a gift. ;)

and what a gift indeed!! I think there is nothing that makes a swap hostess more happy than a package that is put together so neatly and precise. nothing to worry about. ;) and who'd thought that plastic paper clips could be so handy! Sure beats being stuck by a pointy pin! :P Great thinking Darcene! :)

Yep 10 in each clip... and 20 sets! :) Welcome to the "Super Swapper" Status for sending in the full maximum amount of 200 blocks! There are several already in this club! ;)

I'm so glad that Darcene found me from the Quiltville Yahoo Chat group!

Love from Texas!

I've had my hands full this week

T.G.I.F. and this week is coming to an end. It's been a fun week! and busy... and tiring.

Not only did the kids all go to Vacation Bible School (the twins' first year to go) but I also helped volunteer with the snacks and so setting the alarm clock at 6:30am each day really made for a long day for all of us.... not to mention that this week David had Japanese Guests visiting the plant and therefore he had to wine & dine them every night after work... so we hardly even saw him at all this week.

So yep, I've done 5 nights of Bath & Bedtime by myself... and oh how I wish I had one of those huge garden tubs or jacuzzi like we had at our home in GA - then we would have all joined in together for a soak! "Calgon take me away!" just don't mix soap with a jacuzzi though... AMHIK. :P

Seems like forever ago that I took a similar photo to this one... one night following bath time. (((I thought I shared it on the blog - but after looking and looking I can't locate it to link to for comparison... you'll just have to take my word for it :P)))

WOW the twins sure are getting so big... and HEAVY. This may very well have been our last group shot with me holding both of them. They are 3 now! Have you ever tried to hold 2 kids and get everyone in the window.. makin sure no one's privates are exposed... AND SUCK IN your own tummy???!!? :P

Maybe one year they'll be holding me up for a group shot. LOL

Love from Texas!

sunbeltsue's package rec'd 7/22

Today I received the sweetest letter... I really do love the notes my swappers take the time to include in with their packages. Before hosting I never took the time to write a note to go along. I jsut stuffed everything required in and sealed the package...

but now that I'm on the receiving end - it's like a note from a friend each time :)

She included a whole set for me! wow isn't that super kind of her... thanks ever so much Sunbelt Sue! It will be fun to pick my "top 10" favorites :) For a first time swapper, I think you are going to be well pleased and may catch "swap fever"... so there, don't say I didn't warn ya! LOL :P

I'm so happy that you jumped in to join my swap! Your work is just fine ;)

Love from Texas!

and the prize for longest distance traveled goes to Canada

When I started this swap and posted about it here on my blog - quickly I was emailed and asked by several of my readers if they could join in too? Sure! :) and then I got an email from Pokey... "what about international swappers?".... sure! :)

Then came another email from her asking if her good friend Beth could join in on the fun too? Sure! ;)

Just as long as you send me enough postage money to get your return package back to you... and as long as you get it here before the deadline.... and CHECK, CHECK! She met both of the requirements! :)

Yeah, I'm pretty easy like that ;) haha and back about 3 weeks ago I when I got a phone call from her I was so delighted that she'd take the time to give me a call to ask me some questions about the swap. Soooo nice and fun to talk to. I even escaped the kids for a while and went upstairs behind locked gates and then into my girls' bedroom and into their closet with a shut door so that the kids wouldn't hear my voice and come looking for me.... haha

At the time I did NOT remember that this was one of my Canada swappers.... and if she told me in the beginning of the call I honestly didn't hear it over the kids at my feet...so Pokey - PLEASE tell me you have FREE long distance or roll over minutes or something! b/c now I'm worried I may have costed you a fortune for the length of time we talked! aak!

I'm guessing that you didn't get charged too awful much, or you wouldn't have been so kind to share with me a collection of your "vintage" floral fabric squares. How cool to make them large enough for using as "bricks" in vickiquilt's upcoming swap! I may just do that.. cut and keep one and then send one to swap... you are so thoughtful Pokey! thank you! ;)

Didn't she do a wonderful job in selecting a variety?

~~~Also included in the package were these blocks made by Pokey's friend Beth~~~

She too, sent in a great variety! Looking at them makes ya just wish you could pick off 1 of each doesn't it? ;)

Which reminds me.... I better get to sewing myself! Only a few more days before the deadline of July 31st.... I am sooo looking forward to the weekend - and NOT going anywhere except for the grocery on Saturday & then to Mass on Sunday. I only want to sew, sew, sew!

Love from Texas!