The Great Global Christmas Swap

A very sweet box...

I was lucky enough to receive a couple of photos today from a swap participant overseas who has completed one of Bronwyn Hayes Sweet Boxes, and it is gorgeous. She did say it was quite a big job and she spent a lot of time on it. She has decided to keep this one, and I agree it is not so easy to post for those of you who have partners a long way off, however she has used the angel stitchery design on another little gift for her partner that will be easier to post.

I can feel some inspiration coming over me to finish mine now. Hopefully it won't get squashed under the mountain of work I have piling up here to do. C'est la vie!

Happy Stitching!

It's getting closer...

Christmas - that is. It seems I go for weeks and weeks with Christmas a distant idea on the horizon. Half-heartedly thinking maybe I should get a little organised soon. And then, suddenly, it's crept up behind me and is rudely whacking me on the shoulder. It is not desperate times yet. But it is time to start thinking about Chrsitmas a bit more serioously and organising gifts, especially if like me you are keen to go 'handmade' this year. I intend taking it a little further and not only going 'handmade' but adding a dash of 'recycled' to the recipe as well. This whole thrifty lark makes me feel SO self-satisfied.

The advert in the Homespun magazine has come out so I am expecting quite a few more stitchers jumping on board in the next couple of weeks and I will also be recruiting more global participants to make matches. It is so cool to get this opportunity to make a lifetime stitching friend, and even nicer to establish a tradition of receiving little gifts at Christmas from like-minded stitchers. I know many of you have been lucky enough to really 'click' with your partners over the years and have choosen to continue swapping Christmas gifts, and emails throughout the year, which is a lovely side effect of your Great Global Christmas Swap experience.

I have to confess. I keep getting sidetracked and haven't finished my Bronwyn Hayes designed Sweet Box yet. If you have, send me a picture. I promise I won't spoil the surprise and will keep your name secret for now.

I do have a gift wallet ready to go though featuring Rosalie Quinlan's stitchery design. Now all I have to decide is what to put in it...Hmmm.

 Happy stitching!

Choosing the fabric...

This is undoubtably the most difficult, and most anxiety ridden, part of the creative process for me. I think it's because I always expect it will be quick and easy to choose the right fabrics for the right place in the project I am working on. It is only now that I am being more exposed to quilters and their creative processes, mainly through watching The Quilt Show online with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims, that I am realising it is not necessarily a quick and easy process and you actually need to be prepared to spend a bit of time playing around with your fabrics and bits and pieces before the right look comes together and reveals itself. Is it just me, or do you struggle with the process too? Well, after spending probably less time than I should have to find the right fabric components to complete my Little Sweet Box designed by Bronwyn Hayes for The Great Global Christmas Swap, this is what I have choosen...it doesn't look hard - does it? Now my great hope is that it will come together over the weekend.

 
Happy stitching!

 

Jessica's been found...

Hurray! I hope your daughter has a lovely wedding day Jessica.

 

Finding Jessica...

If swap participant Jessica Knowles from Kansas in the United States is reading this could you please contact me at info@fionamarie.com. Your partner Kath and I are having trouble making contact with you using the email address you have given us. If you have an alternative email that would be fabulous.

 
Getting there!

 

Pretty Angels...

Here is what I managed to stitch last night. I know I said I would do it one tone BUT I just couldn't decide what tone - so I looked through my threads and decided on this subtle colour approach instead. With a bit of luck I might get another angel stitched tonight. I decided to practice my satin stitch and used this to fill the frill around her neckline instead of the lacy look in the pattern using backstitch and french knots. It took me longer to stitch it this way as I outline the area in backstitch first before starting the satin stitch but I love the textured look. What do you think?

 
 In case you are wondering, the really cool varigated thread I used for the hair is DMC 4128. I think I'll give her brown eyes...

 

Go!

We are now on our way. I have been itching to put some time aside to start creating one of Bronwyn's beautiful Sweet Boxes. These might not be the easiest thing to post across the globe but I guess they will be nice and light - depending on what you put in them. I love working on stitchery at night in front of the television so I have decided to get started on drawing up the three girls. I also really like working with one coloured thread (I'm a little lazy when it comes to changing colours and just rather not think about it.) I might go blue for a change instead of my normal redwork tones. That is what I will be doing right after I have matched off everyone waiting for swap partners and for the link to these gorgeous designs. I know - you want to get started too!

 

Here is a link to Tanya's blog where she has posted a photo of her made up Sweet Box as well as her interpretation of the Happy Hedgehog pincushion I have available as a free pattern on the fionamarie.com website. This would make a very cool swap gift too.

Please send me through your photos and links that I can post on this blog of your creative swap gifts. 

 

Patterns...

The patterns are now all ready to print out after fixing a couple of last minute problems. I would love to hear from someone who knows a younger stitcher that would like to join the swap to match with a 19 year old New Zealand stitcher. It would also be great to hear your feedback on the patterns once you have received them and had a chance to print them out. Will you make one of them, or something else? Let me know what you are thinking. In the meantime our swap family continues to grow. Your help spreading the word among your stitching buddies would be greatly appreciated.

Happy stitching and have fun spreading the love,

 
 

Matchmaker...

I've just started making the matches. It's a little like a lucky dip. No one knows who they will get. I love it when it all turns out perfectly but unfortunately life is rarely like that so good luck to you all and if you haven't heard from me yet it will be because I am waiting for the perfect swap partner for you! If you would like to give me more information when you place your order or if you haven't already been matched, such as age group, perferred country etc., that's fine. I will do my best but it is not always possible to fill all your criteria from the pool of stitchers I have waiting for partners and I try not to make participants wait too long to be matched up as I know you are all keen and ready to go...

On your marks... get set...

I am just working on a few last adjustments and tweaks to the swap pages but the registration button went live last Thursday and it was great to see a few stitchers found it over the weekend and have already signed up for the swap. I will be getting back to you with your swap partners and the pattern PDF file links over the course of the week.

Here is a picture of the pattern Bronwyn Hayes  of Red Brolly Designs has designed for us this year to use as inspiration for your swap gift.

 
...and Majella Rush from Kookaburra Cottage designed this pattern...

 
...and this pattern featuring a Rosalie Quinlan designed stitchery from the 2009 swap will also be available to download.

 
You can choose to make a gift using one of the patterns you will be emailed OR you can use one of your own patterns to make a gift for your partner. I will keep you updated on my progress here and on the facebook page.