Mouthy Stitches Finish

The Mouthy Stitches Swap is coming to a close very soon.

I'm done!

I'm ready to send this little large project pouch to my partner. 

I've done a little stalking and 

I'm pretty sure she will really like it.

 front

Although I don't know her favorite colors, 

she does like gnomes and I always think gnomes should have a red hat.

I went with red, aqua, a touch of orange, tiny bit of yellow and black & white

The gnome home is around the corner, on the back side.

back

I topped it off with the linen to tie in with the Gnome and a red zip. 

My aqua zipper didn't quite match, so I went with the red and I'm glad I did.

pouch guts

The pouch is lined with some Echo and has blue dot pockets.

Gnome small project pouch

Finished size  9 X 11

 Granny square quilt blocks are very popular right now. 

I got to work on a couple this week.

 I was sent red and aqua fabric from one of my bees. 

Don't these look great side by side?

I love them!

I left them untrimmed so they can be squared up 

with the other February bee blocks. 

These were fun, great for scraps, adorable and addictive. 

This block looks great with any fabric.

I might have to start a quilt with my scraps.

Check out the Old Red Barn Co. Quilt Along flickr group 

for some beautiful granny squares. 

It's not to late to join in.

My pincushion swap is also coming to a close soon. 

I knew right away what I wanted for my partners pincushion, 

but I didn't have a pattern. 

This past weekend I finally had time to work something 

up and made a practice pincushion for me.

Ms. Hootie stands six inches tall, is stuffed with rice and made from scraps.

I went with rice because I had a bunch, but my partner's will be filled with little plastic pellets.

She turned out exactly like I had hoped she would. 

As soon as she was done, my granddaughter ran off with her 

and said it was her owlie. 

She has a soft spot for creatures and talks 

with them as if they are real. 

I think Ms Hootie is kinda cute and I hate to stick her with pins. : )

The Year Of The Swap

Last year I was in two flickr quilt bees. 

One has ended and the other will end within a month. 

Two of the bee members from this last group, 

Katherine & Manda started a new bee/swap group called Bee a {modern} Swapper. 

A bee/swap combo. I really like that idea, so I joined.  

This month we are swapping pincushions.

I love my pincushion. I only have one.

Not long ago my little 2.5 year old granddaughter was playing with the pins. 

She grabbed a handful of pins at once and now my chicken is shredded.

She popped a seam, shredded next to the seam and is losing her beaded stuffing.

This is sad, as she has been with me a very long time, 

but I am looking forward to a new pincushion 

at the end of the month, made especially for me.  Yay!

I don't have any photos of the pincushion 

for my partner because.......I do not have mine done yet. 

Yikes! I know the deadline is coming up soon.  

The idea is in my head, but thats as far as I've gotten.

I joined two other swaps. 

Mouthy Stitches is swapping zipper pouches this month. 

Who couldn't use a zip pouch? I could use several and don't have any. 

I have a button in my side bar and there are some fantastic pouches being made. 

Take a peek.

I've been working on this one for my partner.

I'm not a gnome person, but my partner is and 

I really like how this is turning out. 

Hopefully she will love it. 

I also joined Doll Quilt Swap 12

I already have several ideas floating around in my head, 

but must finish the pouch and pincushion first. 

I've also been working in my Orca Bay Quilt. 

It's a Bonnie Hunter QAL that was started in November. 

I haven't said much about it because the last Bonnie Hunter QAL 

I did looks like this

Just blocks. 

Actually, these are only half the blocks. 

I didn't even make the string blocks.

Now that I look at these again, maybe I'll just put these together 

without the string blocks. I am liking these together. 

I've gotten a little further on the Orca Bay Quilt. 

The blocks are all made, put together and it just needs the border. 

I've renamed it "My Man Quilt", because its for my man. 

He really likes it and I've been wanting to make him a quilt.

up close and personal

I really like it too. I wonder if he'll share. : )

2012 is already off to a busy start.