The swap is complete

The wonderful apron swap organised by Sarah at Red Gingham is complete.
My apron for Jenny at Winnibriggs House has finally arrived in the UK, and I'm completely relieved because she loves it!
Jenny told me she was a shabby chic Cath Kidston loving gal, so I tried to sew something she'd be happy to wear.













The fabric is a pathwork of pretty florals, spots and stripes.
I teamed it with some soft pink tape for the ties.
And made some yo-yos to add a little detail.













I am really delighted with how it came together.














And even more delighted because Jenny really loves it.
Check out her blog and see her wearing her apron outside her gorgeous summer house.

Ahhhhh .... all's well with the world.

Lucky, lucky me!

The postie delivered a parcel this week. And whenever a parcel arrives at our house there is high excitement. (Regular readers will know Eliza loves to open parcels - even if they're not addressed to her. )
This time she managed to resist. She was in bed .... but still awake when I trudged home about 9.15pm, after a long day at work (too long!) As I came in to kiss her goodnight she whispered , "I think your apron's here for the swap. There's a parcel from England waiting for you in the kitchen."
And because she showed so much willpower in not opening the parcel .... I let her open it .













There were several gifts inside - one with her name of it!
She was completely delighted and surprised!

And what treasures were revealed as we both unwrapped our presents, sent all the way from the UK.













Jenny from Winnibriggshouse has outdone herself. She posted not one, but two embroidered aprons, some sweet scented hearts for our drawers plus a couple of felt brooches and a lovely card to top it off.
WOW!

Jenny's sewing is completely perfect!
My gorgeous apron features red and white polka dots and stripes, plus ruby red tomatoes - just like the ones we grew in our garden over summer.














And Eliza's apron is pretty in pink ... with an embroidered pocket - complete with her name. So sweet!














And look at these gorgeous hearts that smell of lavender.

Our aprons are in use already ....

And Eliza is planning a batch of cupcakes this weekend to match the card Jenny sent.

My apron for Jenny is winging its way to the UK. (Fingers crossed that she likes it.)

Thank you Jenny for your gorgeous treasures and your thoughtfulness in including Eliza in the swap too.

And special thanks to Sarah at Red Gingham for organising the apron swap. It's been fun!

Eliza's already asking when the next one is ....

Once apron a time (part 2)

The swing machine was whirring past midnight last night. I had a small window of opportunity to finish my apron for Jenny as part of the Apron Swap, organised by Sarah at Red Gingham.

Now .... I'm not really a sewer and I didn't have a pattern .... but I love aprons and wear one every time I'm in the kitchen, so I've got a pretty good idea of how they go together.
I took one of my favourite aprons and roughed out a pattern on some of the prettiest shabby chic fabric I could find. Jenny and I have been in touch and she's a shabby chic kinda lady (and quite a sewer by the looks of things!!)

I had enough fabric to make one for Eliza, too. In fact I made Eliza's first to see if I remembered how the sewing machine worked.

It took me quite a while to thread the needle (!) then wind the bobbin ..... then it was time for a cup of tea .... but when I started sewing they both came together very quickly (and without too much swearing).
All I need to do now is to give it a good iron and take some final pictures.

I'll pop my creation in the post next week .... after after it arrives in the UK I'll post some finished pics on the blog.

Hope you like it Jenny.
I think it's turned out beautifully.
Are you allowed to say that about your work??

Once Apron A Time ...

I loved taking part in the pincushion swap and have signed up for another swap.
This time I'll be making an apron.
Sarah at Red Gingham has taken on the huge task of organising the swap. (Thanks Sarah!!)

It's an exercise in crafty logistics with names and addresses being swapped, emails flying across the world and swap partners dropping by blogs to introduce themselves.
My apron swap partner is Jenny who lives at Winnibriggs House in the UK. Jenny told me she's a fan of shabby chic and Cath Kidston.
As we say in Australia, no worries Jenny!
I hear you ... and what's not to love about gorgeous pastels and spring florals, spots and stripes .























I'm looking for some lovely fabric to create something special. My sewing skills are pretty basic ... but you can be sure I'll pour my heart into this project.
What fun.
And there's nothing like a deadline to get the creative juices flowing.
Drop by again to see my progress.

Pin Cushion Swap - Part 2

My pin cushion for the great Pin Cushion Swap is complete!
I raided my stash for supplies and surprising whipped this up after dinner one evening last week - which is a very good thing because my time for craft is limited at the moment.















The fabric looks like it's covered in hundreds and thousands which means the pin cushion looks like a special cake or iced donut. Sweet.















I confess I'm quite nervous about sending this little treasure to it's new owner. I've been over to check out her blog and let's just say she's a very accomplished crafter.
But I loved making this pin cushion and already have plans for more.
Anything that I can create in one evening, after dinner, with a glass of wine (or cup of tea) beside me, gets a big tick.

Thanks to Kate for organising the inaugural pin cushion swap. Great idea!

You've got me crafting again.