Karen likes it, so it was!
Thank you Chookyblue! I would not experience the magic to be a Santa Clause assistant without you! Merry Christmas!

I still have something to show you and it is fantastic! It stays close to me so I can see it every time I lift my head from the laptop or my knitting.

I am so proud and happy to have it and to show you….  the Doll Quilt Swap Quilt Pink Trees sent me!
I usually post just one picture per post. I have to change this right now! There is so much to see and admire in this little beauty! So read on for more pictures

This quilt is very special for so many reasons apart form the obliviously perfect style and brilliant craftsmanship!

It is the second one she made for this swap. The first was ruined by unexpected and unlikely rain. I was sorry because I loved the first and I had some feeling it was for me.

I felt it when I saw the fabrics she was planning to use for it. I doubt it was really ruined but I am happy she made this marvelous second quilt.

I love the colours, the prints, the quilting, the little details.

It is perfect. And it is mine!

Look at it!

I got a an invitation to visit the customs to get this quilt. I was back from a trade show in a super rainy, chily, windy evening when I saw it. I had to go and visit them and then do a whole buch of various thing downtown.

And I was carrying the big box, slightly disappointed the packaged seemed to come from a “wrong’ country. I wanted it to come from Pink Trees! Then I realized it might be anyway and I believed it. I was right and so happy to open the box after carrying it unopen for almost 2hours.

The houses are drawn by her son!

You see, I have no choice but love this quilt! Thank you, Pink Trees!

And if you are not sure it is fantastic, have a look at the back!

It is another quilt! So I got two. It is reversible and I love both sides.

PS Pink Trees sent something adorable along with this quilt. I have not used it yet and will show you her amazing creation soon.

I mailed this week. It has to arrive in time. I did not send exactly what I wrote on the customs form, so my partner could be surprised not only by the look of the present, but by the content too.

Each little item in the parcel is tissue wrapped so, my dear partner, you can open the envelope if you wish and will not see the gift.

Oh, and it will not look exactly like the pile shown here. I hope my partner will like the secret present.

It was packed and mailed few days ago and I am now waiting to see whether my partner will like it.

EDITED TO ADD: I took a picture with the top outside but I mail and store quilts folded with the back outside.

I find the back on the outside more practical /and surprising for gifts and orders/, but like the other way for pictures.

Which way of folding do you prefer?

I now have a clear plan for all the swaps. And no time to make it. I will be hardly able to work on them in the next 10 days. The good thing is I will probably be fast in the making as I have them all ready in my mind, including the package, which will be similar to the one on the picture.

I pieced a small quilt top today and I am happy I did. My machine is happy too as it got a nice massage before I started using it today. She deserves some spa from time to time. And I am anxious to start working on my swap creations but I had to sew some other things first.

The other has no sewing involved so its almost instant gratification swap. I will start working on all the swaps tomorrow to make a very busy week more interesting.

Wish you a nice and productive pre-holiday week!

I have finally picked up the pattern for the Doll Quilt Swap yesterday evening! This is a huge step as I was very uncertain what would be the best choice for my partner’s tastes. Hopefully I have guested something. At least I picked up a pattern I have wanted to make since I first saw it. So I will enjoy making it and this will result in a nice quilt.

The Secret Santa Swap is a different story… I was about to start five times … or more. But never felt the choice was really appropriate. Yesterday an unexpected idea hit me. So I will give it a try. I have almost no time left…

I am really anxious to start cutting and making blocks, assembling tops, quilting and packing…. I have so many ideas and patterns listed already. However, I have to make the swap entries first. And they might not be two quilts. I wll not ruine the Secret Santa surprise by telling you what it will be!

So here is what you would better not send to Bulgaria using the postal services:

• precious metals and stones,
• guns and similar items,
• things that may stain the package or the other packages /maybe chocolate was considered part of this category/
• things that may be harmful to the postal stuff.

This is the official list of the Bulgarian Post Office. It seems plain and I doubt you would send any of the listed forbidden items.
If you would really like to send me something special, consider fabrics, or something like trims, buttons sewing aids, or knitting ones I am currently into socks, hats and shawls knitting, a craft magazine, etc. It is so much better than chocolate and the post office would not mind. Being in Europe I have to shop fabric in local fabric stores or online, so any nice cotton or flannel fabric will be appreciated and cherished. Local shops offer no quilting fabric at all so you see why I love fabrics best.

Hope this helps my swap partners.

Note: I will try to explain I generally like, but I do not stick to this only. All of following things here are just some vague ideas to help you find a starting point for your creativity.

USE & WASHING:

The quilt will be used for display for now, but I prefer it to be washable if possible /it may find a doll later on/. However, if you thought of something artistic with felts, etc, why not? I want you being happy while making the quilt. This matters and makes difference to the final result.

COLOURS:

I like bright colours, full of energy, as well as subtle elegant tones. I like orange, lapis blue and grass green, soft blues, sky blue and dark chocolate brown combination, pink and brown combination, generally prefer ecru /instead of white/, like all natural tones - unbleached cotton, natural linen, etc /preferably with a fresh colour  accent/. I am not a black and white person, I think of this more like a salt and pepper - some may help, too many will ruin. Like the modern designer fabrics prints, Japanese or Japan inspired prints, dots, stripes, solids, large florals, repros.

PATTERN AND QUILTING:

I like authentic looking quilts, that have handmade feel - may be wonky, puckery, traditional, simple, modern.. or not, pieced or appliqued… I like both machine and hand quilting, straight lines, free motion by machine, free hand quilting. You see, I like almost everything. But I do not muddy colours.

HANGING:

I will hang it so some hanging aid will help. Never though about this part until I received my quilt from the previous round. If you add something for hanging consider either triangles or a divided hanging sleeve please. I will either cut /which i doubt/ or not use a one-piece hanging sleeve. However you may add no hanging aid and I will still hang it.

I  doubt this may help you, as I really like and love all sorts of beauties. Hopefully you will find something useful though. If not take, a look at the beauties of the previous round on Flickr group, or check some my favorite quilts form this swap.

The beautiful doll quilts you see in this post are from my favourites in Flickr. If you need details on them and their authors, go and check my Flickr or ask me here. Most of them were created for the Doll Quilt Swap, but not all of them.

PS I have just noticed that I have on of the beauties included in both pictures. You can see now how difficult the choosing process was!

First of all, a big “Thank you!” to all of you, who commented on my #100 give away post - you are all so kind! I will reply and show all the cards later today!

Back to the swap now. I was quite vague in my likes & dislikes in the sign up message. I would like a quilt that is made with enthusiasm, care and love. So I thought I will not specify what I like /and I hardly can do this/ but give my partner absolute creative freedom instead.

However it may be difficult to start sometimes, so following a Flickr discussion idea, I am showing you here some of my favourites from the previous rounds.   These are only 36 as this is the maximum I could include. This is the only reason! They are all soo beautiful!

You can click on the button on the side bar to visit the Doll Quilt Swap blog. I modified it a bit.

And here you can check more on each of the beautiful quilts below.

1. dqs4 top, 2. finished Doll quilt!, 3. DQS4 for Ezri_B, 4. DQS4 - it arrived!!!!!!!!, 5. DQS4 In the mail today!, 6. breaking free, 7. dqs4_15, 8. DQS4 - Finished!!, 9. doll quilt came home, 10. DQS4 Petite Bento Box, 11. she made this with all vintage fabrics, 12. Dresden Mod doll quilt, 13. Received from ezri_b!, 14. Journey to Mama Sugar’s House, 15. DQS4 Apple Tree Quilt, 16. Completed doll quilt: Strawberry-Rhubarb Πr2, 17. cartwheels on the line, 18. DQSII Tropical Flower Log Cabin, 19. Peachy Keen, 20. finished doll quilt, 21. jelly beans complete, 22. bad lighting, 23. Doll Quilt Swap 3, 24. The front of doll quilt for swap III, 25. A little birdie told me…, 26. DSC_0156, 27. catquilt 66 - Jasmine, 28. Doll Quilt Swap 3, 29. doll quilt, 30. Doll Quilt Swap 4 FINISHED!, 31. Alphabet Quilt, finished, 32. Dotty Finished, 33. DQS4 In the mail today!, 34. DQS4 Quilt Received, 35. DQS4 received!, 36. DQS4 Received