I felt quite intimidated this round. My prather is  a talented prson, whicjh was more than expectad in the swap participants company. However I have alway liked her creations a lot. Anxious to see if it will be liked. HOping it will be!

And anxious to receive the quilt made for me…

Making this one was great pleasure. I machine pieced and quilted this time. Only one totally handmade thing – the labeling.

Hope my partner will like it. It will be in the mail on Monday. When I am back to normal.

More pictures on my Flickr.

But I see a prominent Doll Quilt Swap routine here… every time I sign up, an extremely busy period starts… So far I have always been able to send in time or almost in time. Hopefully I will send precisely on the deadline this time.

As always I started with a long ideas, deciding and un-deciding… period. It is not easy to make something you would like to do and seems your partner will like too. I started with some ideas and had to leave them. The official quilt is in my latest quilting trend – solids, so it felt great and hopefully my partner will feel it too.

It is almost quilted now.

First of all, I missed a “not” in my sign in info – I do prefer fabric and crafting notions much more than chocolate. Plus I can buy chocolate here but fabrics.. it is a different story…

I have written similar post for every round here. I never read the previous before writing a new, so they might be all the same or totally different. Never mind, here are the crucial things:
Enjoy making it.
Use or come up with an idea you like or wanted to try.
Use a technique you like, or what to try.
Use your colours. Just make sure there are colours in there – it is likely I am not in in love with completely black and white quilt. But who knows…

Other detail. I will hang it and enjoy it, wash it from time to time. So make sure it is washable. Hanging aid is an optional as I will find a way to hang it without any too.

By machine, by hand, with or without embellishments – all your choice.
What really matters most is the fact you made it for me, if enjoyed making it and created something you like, than it is a treasure.

Happy Quilting!

What to make, how to make it – by hand, by mashine, both; with or without appliques… my colours, partners, colours.. or both… wondering if I will get the right clue on the photostream or blog… trying to be not too specific here so I could keep the partner’s surprise safe…

PS If you are wondering similar questions and readying my blog secretly to get same clues… /you are making a quilt for me/, I will write something especially for you here this weekend.

I promised you a glimpse at them and the lovely quilt I received. And here are the extras first. The quilt is even better of course!

My partner – Mrs. Schmenkman Quilts sent me the loveliest little button tin, a stamp ring, fabrics! and magazine! , lovely postcard, buttons and handmade wallet!… I am totally spoiled now…. and I will add new pictures as soon as my camera baterries are charged.

When I got the package I had not sent my quilt yet, I had a custom order to do and lots of school things to do with my little pupil. So… when I opened the big box and felt the Christmas spirit with all this Christmas colours strips on lovely tissue paper… I opened just the quilt. You will see it soon and I am pretty sure you will know why it was enough and I had the strength not to open all the little striped packages all at once…

So I saw all the extras yesterday. And I love them all. Thank you, Amy!

I made another entirely handcrafted quilt. I used just needle and thread. No rotary cutting and no scissors either. I used the little thread cutter instead for some tiny cuts… I love the vintage feel it gives. And the fact I used some of my favorite colours and favorite combinations. My sense of colour is a little bit exotic but it seems this quilt colours got some approval on the Flickr group.

Do you like red and fuchsia or hot pink together? I do. My mother used to think its too crazy to be stylish. It was about 2 days before we watched together a documentary for Lady Diana visiting Paris and wearing a red-hot pink suit. Same feel is orange and pink. I like exploring around the limits of good taste and shouting random colours.

I also received the quilt made for me. This is the other great thing about this magical swap. I opened the big box and hang the quilt. It is in my kitchen – a bright beauty to have a look at in the dark busy early mornings of a new first grade pupil’s mom… I have not opened the adorably packed little treasures that arrived with the quilt. I will go and see them now. I promise I will make pictures and show you all beauties soon! I just need some good light. It is a gloomy autumn afternoon now. This quilt and the package that came along deserve a post of their own here!

The Independence day seems to be a good day for me to be back on my blog. So here I am. Happy Independence Day Bulgaria!

It took me some time to get used to being a mom of a pupil, which includes super early start of the day and driving, being sleep deprived and my sewing machine being neglected… To make things even more interesting I dropped my camera by some really stupid incident… but it is back working now…

I am behind the Doll Quilt Swap schedule, but the quilt is ready finally. I am happy with it.

I had never made such a complex quilt entirely by hand before. My first entirely handmade quilt was simpler. But wanted this one colourful and cheerful, not so stylish as the first one. I am now showing the quilt as it is a surprise package which has not reached its recipient yet. It was great pleasure making it. I did not follow precisely my partner likings. I hope it will be liked. I really love being part of Doll Quilt Swap.

And I received a DQS package too. Will blog it soon. It is gorgeous!

first of all

I like lots of things and I am pretty sure it is impossible that anyone can incorporate all of the things, listed below in one quilt. I hope you can get an idea instead, so you can make something you would like making and feel confident too.

patterns and style

I prefer it modern – clean, serene, crisp and stylish. But also like traditional with a wonky or modern colours/placement twist, free cut patchwork or applique, etc.

colours

I love them all, but I do not consider some to be colours at all too LOL.
I like bright /not neon/, vibrant or serene, matured or clear colours. White is OK, off-white and ecru liked, but black and grey…I like them only like pepper and salt – not too much. All brownish and earthy tones are OK with some cold tones, but I do not like the brownish, washed out grey style. Modern colours and combinations make feel good – orange and fuchsia, red and fuchsia, sky blue and brown, aqua and green, etc…

prints

I like solids, polka dots, stripes, modern prints – designer, zakka, japan, or cute and any combinations of these. No fur prints or hunting, country style /unless it is the warm and serene North European style/ please. Some print will be loved by my kid – orange, dragons, penguins and orange colours.

final notes

… as it really gets big LOL… it will be liked, loved and hung, so please make it washable if possible, please. And have fun making it!

List оf the inspirations above:
1. All done., 2. Doll Quilt Swap 6, 3. Kaffe Fassett and Amy Butler fabric, 4. dqs5 completed, 5. Kaffe’s flower garden, 6. Table Topper close up, 7. dqs6 front, 8. DSCN0632, 9. swap quilt sent to helen/mini millie, 10. scraps quilt #1, 11. red and aqua quilt, 12. Squares, 13. “Postcards from Hawaii” Quilt, 14. DQS5front, 15. Wedges!, 16. DQS5 received from Mimi Park!

I got some fabrics in two swaps and one of them will be mailed to the sender after I make her a quilt from what she sent me… I see now, I never wrote about this swap: “Mini quilt in a bag”. I will write a post soon with the fabric I got in the email. All the fabrics look and feel great.

I also got a Christmas present as part of the Secret Santa Christmas Swap, Chookyblue hosted. I knew nothing about this swap when I realized great part of the crafted beauties I see on the web have someting to do with it…. So I waited and signed up. It is interesting to make something for someone you do not know. I had hard time picking what to make. Maybe Gaizie felt the same… But I got a perfect Christmas bag that goes with me anywhere now. And the only Christmas wall hanging we have at home. I had to take it off the wall yesterday, but I am looking for its new wall already.

It feel great to get a nice handcrafted bag you just love from a nice person! I will post and show these beauties too, of course.

I already found my next swap and will officially sign up today. The banner will be here in a minute.
The picture above shows two of the packages I mailed – a picture taken in the post office with my new bag behind them.