For Swaps!

Last but not least I have to show off some swaps.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

I just mailed these TODAY so if any of my swap partners happen to be checking out my blog I'm about to show some surprise items.

I know I show off my stuff a lot before it arrives to my partners but in this post I'll be showing the LBOE In a Bag swap which has an actual surprise item involved.  I mailed the box priority mail so it should get there fast (it's only going to Mass.) but I feel a warning is fair.

So I'll type it once more.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

(and I'll start with the non spoiler stuff)

First is just a single patch.

I made it puffy style using scraps from the cats I was sewing up.

Just a bit of free motion quilting and some embroidery.  I wanted the fabric to just speak for itself (because, as I've already noted, I love that freaking sushi fabric).

Next up is a dotee.

The theme (if you couldn't guess) was puzzle piece.  The doll had to be shaped like a puzzle piece.

How great is that button?  I'm totally obsessed with the Dress Me Up brand buttons.  They have the best funky designs (in fact, I have one that's and angler fish--an mother effing angler fish!  love that!)

He's pretty basic but very cute.  Little embroidered face and fancy dancy bow tie.  Oh and some cool chips for the tail (like gemstone chips?  not sure exactly, I got them because I liked them, not for what they were made of).

Ok, now for the reason for the spoiler alert.

This is for the LBOE: In a bag swap.

The swap requirements were to make (or buy) a nice bag and then put in two patches, a stuffie, and a profile based surprise.

Ok, so all the stuff didn't fit in the zipper pouch I made (using super cool Lorax fabric).

So I put the three little dolls (wrapped in a ton of bubble wrap) in the zipper pouch to make them more of a surprise.

The patches I already showed off.

Then I made a purple tiger (since I was already making a bunch of cats).

My swap partner likes purple and tigers so I thought this would go over well.  (and I wrapped him in some extra lorax fabric)

In fact, everything in this swap is profile based even though it didn't have to be (except for the surprise item).

I LOVED doing this swap.  In no small part because I love the folks I swap with.  The recipient of this swap I trade with all the time and I she always sends great stuff so it's a treat to make things for her.

So now I'm almost all caught up with my swaps.  I have one that's currently open and then the one I'm hosting will assign partners in about a week.  So it's probably time to check and see if there are any new swaps I can get mixed up in!