Swap Stuff!

Swap: Friend of Craftster Round 4
Partner: ??? (though I'm formulating an idea or two...)
Let me start by saying that I ADORE THESE PILLOWS. I squealed (really and truly) when I opened the package. They are based on a log cabin pillow that I had in my wists. The fabric selections are just perfect. Both pillows are so unique and beautiful!

Here's a shot of the backs.



And there are closeups of the two fronts. I can't tell you how much I love these! Coordinating with these might just be the only criteria I have in mind when we start sofa shopping. ;) Secret FOC, you ROCK! I can't wait to find out who you are!

Swap: Ongoing Wish Swap 13
Partner: knottydottie
Check out my new wallet from the talented Ms. Knottydottie! After years of carrying around the same old beat-up leather wallet, it's very nice to have something pretty to put my stuff in. And it also served as a catalyst for me to clean out my wallet...which is always a good thing.

Isn't it cute? :) Thanks to the creator for these pictures. They turned out way better than mine!

Swap: Ongoing Wish Swap 13
Partner: dontlookback
This is the recipe binder that I got from dontlookback. I am super excited about this swap goodie! She included a TON (and I do mean a ton) of recipes for me to try out. Including a lot of chocolate desserts! A girl can't go wrong with chocolate...

Here is the back, also very nicely decorated.

And look at these pretty dividers! Thank you, dontlookback!

How did I spend my vacation?

...in the arms of the man I love.


Soft shell crabs eaten: 2
Total crabs eaten: about a million
Large holes dug on the beach: 2
Times bikini top misplaced during boogie boarding: 5
SPF 50 used: about half a bottle (only on me)
Breakfasts in bed: 1

I'll post some crafty things after I'm done unpacking. :)

Occasionally I do send out swap packages.

Finally, a few of the things *I've* made!

Swap: Ongoing Wish Swap 12
Sent to: anime_girlie
Here is the circle skirt that I made for anime_girlie, as modeled by the recipient.

In all my years of sewing, I've never actually made one. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was. It probably took me longer to re-thread my serger than to make the skirt!

Swap: Ongoing Wish Swap 13
Sent to: dontlookback
I sent dontlookback an Amy Butler pattern for Madison Bags. I'd bought a bunch of her patterns a while back and had just never bonded with this one. I'm glad it's being appreciated by someone else! I also included a little something extra: a yard of fabric with cherries on it.

Swap: Ongoing Wish Swap 13
Sent to: SonjaBoo
This is a tote bag / zip pouch combo that I made for a girl who's going to Hawaii in October. She wanted something neat to bring along on the trip. I had just the thing! These have been cut out for over two years, but I've never gotten around to making them.

Closeup of the fabric. Aloha!

Edited to add:
Here's a picture I took myself, which is closer to the true colors. Isn't the fabric great?

More swap goodies

I'm trying to be more organized about posting the great stuff I get in swaps. Let's try this...

Swap: Ongoing Wish Swap 12
Partner: xladyluckx
This is the biggest package I've ever gotten in a Craftster swap. Can you believe all the fantastic things she sent? Read on...

This is a log cabin pillow from my wists. xladyluckx added her own little twist to it, and made it with sushi fabric! I am very fond of sushi, now that I have been introduced to it by the boy. Surprisingly enough, raw fish does not equal gross! Anyway, back to the pillow. The fabrics are gorgeous!

She also sent me three pieces of asian brocade fabric. Aren't the colors lovely? And they are *big* pieces, too...I'd say a yard each. Lots of crafty possibilities...

What looks like an innocuous toolbox...

...until you open it up, and it transforms into a MICROSCOPE SLIDE PENDANT KIT! Aaaah! I was so excited when I opened it that I kind of did a happy dance. Hope the neightbors weren't watching. It includes: plastic gloves, flux, a flux brush, slides, jump rings, thick and thin copper tape, lead free solder, and a whole ton of different kinds of paper to use in the middle. I love getting crafty kits, and this one takes the cake. Everything is so neatly labeled, and there is everything I could possibly need.

Swap: Ongoing Wish Swap 12
Partner: catpants
A Domokun stuffy! Domokun is a Japanese cartoon character that I'm kind of obsessed with. This stuffy lives in my sewing area, in a spot of honor.

And a bonus gift! I am now the proud owner of my very own nestlace. The 'eggs' are such a beautiful color. I've gotten a ton of compliments on it already. And check out the Vote for Carl campaign sticker! Ha ha ha...

Swap: Ongoing Wish Swap 13
Partner: redheadskydiver
Thanks to redheadskydiver, I finally have a cop of Stitch 'n Bitch: Happy Hooker! For those of you who don't know, this is the crochet counterpart to the wildly successful Stitch 'n Bitch knitting books. I am very excited to learn how to crochet. This may test my patience, as I've failed in the past, but I am highly determined.

Check out the hadmade crochet hook roll that she sent! Is that the cutest fabric ever, or what? And it came with crochet hooks in it, so I can start working on some projects right away.

So, as usual, it appears as though I have been thoroughly spoiled by my Craftster partners. I can't tell you how much I love swapping! It is so thoroughly satisfying to make something for someone else. It gives me a chance to try out new techniques, and to stretch the boundaries of what I make. Half of the time, I forget I'm getting something in return! The real reward for me, is making something for someone else to enjoy. Receiving crafty gifts from others is just the icing on the cake. Damn good icing, though... :-D

I know it seems like I haven't been posting a lot of things that I've made...I've been doing a lot of swap stuff, and some of the people I've sent to haven't been putting up pictures. I'm going to try harder to get pics of stuff before I send it out. It makes me a little sad when I work hard on something for someone, and they don't take the time to snap a photo of it. So from now on, I'll take my own! :)

Incidentally, my secret partner for the Friend of Craftster Swap (Round 4) has posted some great pictures...but I can't put them on here yet, lest she figure out who I am! I can't wait to show you guys what I made/am making for her...I am very proud of my work.

Once I get a chance to hardcore finish up some swap stuff to send out, I'm going to be working full tilt on dresses and skirts for my beach trip in only two weeks. I can't wait! The boy and I are staying at a beautiful B&B right by the beach. Very relaxing, very romantic, and exactly what I need right now. :)

P.S.

I made yarn, y'all.


It ain't perfect, but it's all mine. :-D And I'm getting better as I go along.

I got *two* packages from bhean on Craftster:

One for the DIY Kit Swap Round 5. It's a scrapbooking kit! I am a fledgeling scrapbooker, so I'm very excited about this one.

The second was for the Ongoing Wish Swap 12. Look at all the Blythe goodies she sent me! Apparently this was her first time making Blythe clothes. I find that hard to believe, though...everything is so well made! My favorite are the little teeny bunny slippers...they're so cute!

Annnd....I got my first package from the Friend of Craftster Swap Round 4 today. It is so awesome! My craftster sent six beautiful kanzashi hair clips, and some adorable thank you cards from my wists. I am already *very* curious to find out who my partner is!

First, you may notice that I've changed the title of my blog. Now that I'm no longer a college sudent (I'm getting used to the 'alumni' thing), it doesn't make much sense to be 'Of College and Crafting.' Unfortunately, my clever wordplay ends there. Any thoughts?

On to the swap stuff!

A fabric thank-you from snacker. I crafted for her in the Friend of Craftster Swap, Round Three. I love the owls!

Spinning kit from hoxerice for the DIY Kit Swap, Round Five.

And a close up of the lovely colored fiber she sent. I can't wait to get started!

And last, but certainly not least, here is the lovely embroidery that I got from kittykill.

Not one, but *two* pieces! They're destined to be applied to tote bags for knitting and other crafty endeavors. Aren't they beautiful?

And a bonus! Two tea towels that she picked up at an estate sale. The blue one will be the center of some kind of quilted wall hanging, and the asian print is destined to become yet another purse. Purses, like shoes, are one thing a girl just can't have enough of.
One thing I forgot to take pictures of is my booty from the QUILT CONVENTION that I went to this weekend! Or, more accurately, the quilt convention that my BOYFRIEND took me to. He told me that I had to post about it here, to show my crafty friends what a fantastic and supportive better half he is. Well, I already knew that, but now you do, too. ;)

It was his idea, believe it or not. He patiently followed me around for hours looking at beautiful quilts on display, then acted as my 'enabler' at the merchant section. I mean, he had me try out a $3K long-arm quilting machine! I almost died. I got four patterns, which I'll post as soon as I get the chance.

You're the best, babe. :)

How I Spent My Summer Vacation, by Amanda

At a farm. In ten foot tall corn. Obviously. ;) Farm >> Sheep >> Wool >> Knitting, so of course this is a craft post.

Chicks dig me.

selfish crafting

ITEM ONE:

Love, Amy Butler's Weekender Bag is thy name.
Or, as Carrie Bradshaw would say, "Hello, lover!"
Okay, it was a major pain in the butt to match up all the patterns. And sewing that monstrosity together through eighty bajillion layers of fabric and interfacing and cording and Peltex tested the strength of my machine *and* myself. But, simply put, I LOVE IT.

I'm anal retentive, and glutton for punishment to boot. It took a lot of measuring, but the pattern is perfect all except for one spot...which my sewing buddy (Mom!) claims to not be able to see. But *I* know it's there.

Craftster user AriadnesThread made a backpack from this fabric, and I loved it so much I asked her where she got it, and bought some myself (FYI: 45" home decor section at JoAnn's, if you're interested).

The cording and (eventual) lining is cotton duck. It was a pain to sew through, but I couldn't find anything else that was the right shade of green. It's verrry sturdy, even without the lining. I cheaped out and used Peltex instead of Timtex. Hint: it's the same exact thing, only cheaper. The zipper is a 30" separating parka zipper that I 'modified' (read, 'almost killed my machine sewing over') to work. A.) I wanted big zipper teeth, and B) I wanted them to be plastic, not metal, and C) it was all JoAnn's had.

It isn't even 100% done yet (lining needs to go in), but I already have plans for a smaller bag, a makeup bag, sunglasses case (thanks, alwaysinmyroom ;)) and a shoe bag. A matched set, just in time for my beach trip in August! :-D

ITEM TWO:

Long story short: I've wanted to make a quilt very badly for a long time, but was intimidated by all the cutting out. So, for my birthday a few years ago, my mom (my sewing teacher since I was teeny tiny) cut out 12 different 12x12 squares for me to make. Each one was a different block, with a different color theme. Talk about a GREAT gift! I just finished the top last week (after adding three squares of my own), and here it is...(apologies for the wrinkles!)


Can you believe she only needed about 6 fat quarters of fabric to finish this? We had everything else. Yes, there are many, many large plastic totes of fabric in our household.

Cream baskets, purple card trick, pink pinwheels, yellow ?? (I forget), green flying geese, and med. brown bachelor's puzzle.

Lt. blue spools, grey fans, a yellow/orange star, purple patchwork hearts, green log cabin, red nine square, blue home sweet home, brown bear paw, and some cute black kimonos!

This quilt is not quite twin sized, so it's perfect as a snuggle-on-the-couch blanket! I'm adding a 5" border yet, and then it will be hand and machine quilted (hopefully sometime this decade). I'd like to have it done in time for my first apartment. We'll see how that goes. :)

Comments welcome!

swap update

After being flaked on in the DIY Kit Swap 4, I was very graciously swap angel-ed by Craftster user alwaysinmyroom. Well. She sent me the most AMAZING kanzashi kit. Kanzashi is the Japanese art of folding fabric into flowers for hair ornaments.

She included absolutely everything that I will need to make my own kanzashi...from a glue gun to pre-cut fabric, to barrettes, to a covered button kit, and so much more! And it was all packaged in the cutest tin.

I've wanted to learn for quite some time, but I've been frustrated by online directions. Alwaysinmyroom sent me the most awesome directions, complete with fabric examples. I finally think I can tackle these little beauties!

And some extra, really nice fabric for when I get good at it. ;) Thank you, alwaysinmyroom!

This one's a big oops...rosali sent me some wonderful Japanese fabric, and somehow it slipped through the picture-taking cracks. I'm so sorry!
I love them all, and I've got plans for all four already. Watch out for some FO's featuring these lovely prints...

This is the thank you gift that I sent to quincy134, my secret partner from the Friend of Craftster Swap 3. As you can see from my recent posts, she really spoiled me! I wanted to send her something really nice in return.
Look! A cute sheep tape measure, and a hobo bag that I made from the tinafish tutorial on Craftster.

!

My big projects for myself right now are a traditional quilt, and an Amy Butler Weekender Bag in a fantastic brown fabric with green flowers. Pictures tomorrow, I swear.

I'm in 5 swaps on Craftster.org right now...and having a blast. I have a ton of half-finished random things around the house. More when I've gotten some stuff done.

Very exciting news...I've been given permission to make a costume for the boy this Halloween. And I can keep it a surprise! It'a good thing he agreed to it, because I bought the pattern a week or so before I even asked him. :) His costume, in tandem with mine, should be verrry interesting.

Oh, and: I bought my own car. I'm a brunette now, for evah. I'm 22 (as of a month ago). And we got another dog. I'm not very good at this 'updating thing.' :-P

fabric overload

So, I wasn't going to buy any new fabric this summer, because I have more than enough to clothe a small army.

But, now that I have a big girl job -- and the paychecks to go along with it -- that lasted about a week. Here are some recent acquisitions:

I'm trying to decide if this unusual border print would be better utilized in a knee-length loosely pleated skirt, or a peasant top. Jury's still out.

This pretty fabric is so soft and drapey, I couldn't help but get some. I'm going to make a really pretty spaghetti-strap summer nightgown out of it.

This beautiful brocade will be the main fabric for my first-ever technically correct corset. I think I'm going to go for a sweetheart overbust, 3-4" reduction, with attached garters. We'll see how that goes :)

This, I think, will be made into a sundress. Very bright and cheery, and I love how big the scale of the pattern is!

This piece was given to me by the lovely tatoola on Craftster...she found it in a thrift store, and bought it because she remembered someone wanted kitchen fabric. And she sent it to me, without expecting anything in return. How sweet is that? (She definitely *won't* be getting nothing back from me :)) I love it...now all I need is a kitchen! :-D

Swing, swing...

Spent another wonderful weekend unwinding out west a bit...and got over my fear of roller coasters, for real this time. :)

The boy took a very cute picture of me while I was there, and I just had to share.


Would you believe that was taken at 10:00 at night?

Friend of Craftster Swap Revealed!

I've reached the (almost) end of the friend of craftster swap...and my partner is Gloria (quincy134)! She really, really spoiled me, as evidenced below.

Third package: cherry blossom t-shirt, flower hairpins, a cute white hat, and an AWESOME Shaun of the Dead T-shirt. It's pretty much my favorite movie of all time, and I was so excited to get something SOTD related!

Fourth (reveal) package: all the supplies to learn how to crochet a scarf. It's a really cute pattern, and I've wanted to learn how for ages. She also sent me Knit and Tonic's 'Something Red' sweater pattern, which has been on my wist for a long time.

THANK YOU, GLORIA!!!