Mug Rug Swap

The latest swap that I participated in is this Mug Rug Swap. I have never heard of a Mug Rug until I read through the tutorial!! These are a bit on the larger size so I think they should have been called Snack Mats!

Here are the two that I made for my partner. She lives in Argentina and loves fall colors. I hope she enjoys these! I sent them out to her last week Friday and haven't heard from her yet. I hope they arrive to her soon and that she enjoys using them as much as I enjoyed making them!

Winter Mini Quilt Swap

This is the second swap I have participated in and I am really enjoying them.

This swap's theme was winter. You had to make a mini quilt that could be anywhere in size ranging from 12X12 to 24X24. It had to have a "winter" theme. I hand-appliqued all the shapes onto the background. I also quilted it but forgot to take pictures of that! :-) This was sent off yesterday to a fellow quilt swapper, Ellyn, in Texas. I hope she enjoys it!

Inchie Swap - Christmas 2009

I participated in my first swap this Christmas. It was an Inchie Ornament Swap. They were difficult at first but after the first six, they weren't too bad! I made mine for a fellow quilter/crafter in Washington state. I received two ornaments from another fellow quilter/crafter in Australia.

I had some help with the bead work from my sister and mother-in-law. I had a lot of fun doing it and hope to participate in another swap soon!

Candy Jars

I made these adorable candy jars for my daughter's preschool classmates. They will be having a Halloween party next Thursday and she will be handing these out to all her friends.

I found the tutorial here.

Real Leaf Wreath

What a strange week! I suddenly decided to embark on a new project that did not involve my sewing machine but it did involve my two little loves, who just don't seem that little anymore!

Our area of the country had a bit of cold and rainy weather (and too early in the season for it too, if you ask me!), which seemed to keep us indoors. By day four we could not stand it another minute!

We bundled up and headed into the rain-driven wind to collect beautiful fall foliage from our neighbors tree (they were not home at the time so we could not ask permission but most of the leaves had fallen into our yard...I promise)!

Once we had enough for the job, we headed back indoors to dry them. This is the quickest way to do it: Place a few leaves, of similar size, on a sheet of paper towel; cover with another sheet of paper towel and place in microwave. Heat on 50% power for 30-45 seconds, depending on the amount/size of leaves. You will know they are done when they are a bit stiff to the touch but not curling at the edges. DO NOT OVERHEAT; you can start a fire if you are careless!

Spray both sides of the leaves with this finishing spray by Design Master. You can find it at just about any craft store for about $4.99 or even ask your local florist; it is the perfect sealer for dried flowers! Lay out on newspaper to dry completely. I covered my entire counter top where I was working, just to be safe!

Purchase (or make) a grapevine wreath, or even a Styrofoam wreath, to the size you desire. I purchased an 18" grapevine wreath for about $3.99.

I did not plan my attack with this kind of project; you will drive yourself crazy! I just started in one spot and started hot-gluing! Some might not like the gluing part but I felt it was the right choice for this project that would be outside.

And here is the end design!! I have to say, I love it! My daughter was just amazed how we took things off the ground outside and turned them into something "so beautiful", as she claimed.

I am not sure if it will store well once the fall season is over but the grapevine wreath can be re-used. And for the whole $9 spent on the entire project, we can make another next year!

Happy Autumn! Enjoy!

Sassafras Wedding Quilt

This is a quilt that I made for my cousin as a wedding gift. I saw the pattern here and just fell in love with it! Not only did I love the pattern but I loved the colors and fabrics that were used for it. It just screamed for my cousin! The flowers were appliqued on by hand and I did the quilting with my trusty Pfaff using the simple stitch-in-the-ditch method.

Her wedding was last weekend and when she and her groom returned home to Colorado, she emailed me to say it was just wonderful; Everything she could have asked for in her first handmade quilt! Nothing else could have made me happier at that moment!

Crayon Rolls

I see it has been a very long time since I have posted and it's not that I haven't been doing anything; it's that I have been too lazy to post and have forgotten to take pictures of my projects! I do apologize for that!!

I am making 10 of these for my daughter's preschool classmates as an end-of-the-school-year gift. I found the tutorial here. It is very simple and, if you have a large enough supply, you can use scraps!