Instagram has an allure all its own for quilters and quilter bloggers. There are quick fabric deals made daily. Want to re-vamp your stash? Grab a stack, snap a picture, and name your price. Someone may be looking for just that thing, and you might become friends in the meantime. There are posts by companies for new products and sales, but only if you follow them. Sometimes they'll have link ups and giveaways, too. Fun! People throw out pictures of whatever they're working on, and some are very inspiring projects. And, if you're interested in trying out a swap, it's heaven! There are oodles of mini quilt swaps, and Kate Basti does an amazing job of managing many of them. #katebasti #annamariehornerminiquiltswap
This was my first, and I signed up almost without hesitation because it was Anna Marie Horner fabric. I adore her prints! As you can see, I survived it, and got my mini mailed out this past Monday. My swap partner got her package already, so I feel safe posting my finish now.
The backing is one of the few fabric not in the Folk Song line, but still AMH. It's called "Innocent Crush."
My personal goal is to always push outside my comfort zone, so I did something I'd never done. I decided to add pearl cottons to this mini. Working with large eye embroidery needles, I actually quilted through the orange fabric and all the layers. It was hard work, but can be done. When I got to the corners, I lifted the fabric, and just stitched through the top layer. Easier, longer stitches, and it showed off the pink and salmon threads better. There are additional stitches and French knots in the main part of the mini, too.
The binding is the only semi-stripey fabric I had left, and I cut it so it showed some striping. I machine stitched it to the back, and turned it to the front. I kept with the spirit of hand quilting, and hand stitched it to to the front. I admit that I actually enjoyed finishing the binding this time. I wanted one last intimate look before I mailed it off.
I'm waiting on my package to arrive, and am excited to see what someone might make me. Whatever it is, I will be delighted. There are a lot of different skill levels involved in a swap, and you never know what you'll get. What you do know is that someone out there lovingly made a gift for you, hoping you'll appreciate it as much as the one you've sent. It teaches us to be gracious receivers as much as generous gifters.
Have a wonderful weekend, and don't forget to link up to the Pink Doxies Pet Project Show tomorrow. You may post as many links as you'd like as long as they are posts or links you've created in the past week.
Come on, Doxie girls.
Let's go sew.
