Do you enjoy making gifts for other people? Then SWAPS might be for you.

I love making things for other people to enjoy.  It can be anything from family meals and snacks to something I have crafted .... sewn, crocheted, knitted.  I get enjoyment from the making process and hopefully they get enjoyment in using or consuming the gift.

This month I saw a Facebook post asking for people to make 6" blocks to be used in a quilt for a girl about to have a bone marrow transplant.  Her mother thought she might benefit from knowing she was loved, by lots of people she didn't know, while undergoing her next treatment in her battle with cancer.  Now I could have said - 'Oh, what a nice idea' and left it at that.

But this Nanna has a purpose... to do more things that will show love to other people I come across, whether face to face or through the internet.

So out came the cotton from here and on Sunday evening I made 2 squares.  The pattern is the one I made up when making a mat for Noela for the Initial heart swap (I left out the initial as it wasn't an 'N') My squares came out just the right size too.

They went into the mail on Monday morning, with a get well card for the girl, and are now flying to the UK.  I wonder where the other squares will come from?  I hope I see an update for this project.

Another way to enjoy your craft is to join SWAPS.  This is where you make something, following a theme, and send it to the person you have been partnered with for that project.

I have been involved in a few of these now and am finding people who enjoy the things I enjoy all around the world.  

Last year's quilt involved sending blocks to people in the colour and design of their choice (from a selection given by the organiser).  I chose pinks and purples and this is my quilt (don't mind the pins - the handwork always takes a while to finish).

As this was an international swap, I backed it with fabric I purchased while visiting Singapore on a cruise last year.  This swap was organised through Jody, who is in the process of organising another one at the moment.  What will we be making and where will we be sending our blocks?

My recent SWAPS have been with aprons and Tote bags.  

The first apron swap was organised by Jenny and Wendy.  It entailed making and apron and sending it with a recipe to your swap partner.  My parcel arrived in Germany yesterday, so I could finally open the parcel which arrived here 2 weeks ago.

Käthe has made a beautiful full apron with 2 pockets.  I am going to love wearing it.

She also included a lovely hot mat and a recipe notebook with the recipe for Meatloaf - can't wait to finish translating it so that I can make one.

Kathe received from me a full apron, a knitted dishcloth and 2 recipes that I love making:

Apricot Squares and Banana Cake.

   

 

So, until the other apron and the Tote bag arrives, I'll be looking for things to do for others.  How about you?

Making a Bag is Fun.....

........ especially when you have a couple of hours to spare and no deadlines to meet!

Today was the day I set aside to make a trial a bag for a Tote Bag Swap.  Wanting to use some of my small (well if I am honest - very large) stash I came across a jelly roll of pre cut fabrics with 2 widths of 10 different coordinating fabrics.

As I didn't have a particular size in mind for this bag, I decided to make the body of the bag from 4 jelly roll strips and use an extra strip for the handles.  You will also need something to line bag - go on ... look in your stash, and some ribbon (about a metre) to use on the handle.

(If you want to see the finished bag, scroll down to the bottom, otherwise you could sew along with me and see what happens.)

Cut each width of fabric in half.  Lay the half strips in the order you are going to sew them. Be careful with one way designs - I had some upside down hearts.  Oops.

With right sides facing, join the strips together, using a 1/4" seam.  If you want a longer bag, add more strips.  Mine has used 7 strips.

Press the seams to one side.

Square up your sewn section.  I do this by folding it in half, right sides facing, making sure top and bottom edges line up.  Pin side edge together.  Using your cutting board as a guide, rule a stitching line 1/4" in from shortest side strip.

Machine side and bottom edges together.  Trim seam allowance evenly and clip corner to remove seam bulk.

Turn bag right side out and press.

Now for the lining:  I found some white with a pale mauve, pink, yellow check fabric in my stash and it is perfect for this lining.

Fold lining fabric so that right sides are together and selvedge edges meet.  Place bag on top of lining fabric with bottom edge on fabric fold.

Draw a stitching line along each side of bag.  (I sew just inside this line so that the lining is just smaller than the bag.)  Cut out lining, leaving a 1/4" seam along each side. Press lining to crease bottom fold.

If you want a pocket inside your bag, make it now - it can be the full width of the bag or a patch pocket.  Attach pocket to right side of bag lining.

Refold lining, right sides together and stitch one side seam.  Stitch the top 7" and the bottom 2" of the other side, leaving a gap in the middle to turn bag later.

Place bag inside lining, so that the right sides of each fabric are together.  Make sure that the bottom corners are fitting neatly and fabrics are flat.  Pin bag to lining at top edge, 1/4" in from edge.  Machine edges together.

Turn bag through hole left in lining.  

Line edges of hole together and machine or hand stitch closed.

Push lining into bag so that bottom corners and top edges are sitting neatly.  Machine around top edge to keep lining from popping out.  Press well.

The Handles: one long handle or two shorter ones.  I am going to do 2 shorter ones.

Take the remaining strip of fabric and cut in half.  With right side facing down, press the raw edges in to the centre (you should now see right side of fabric only.  Lay a piece of ribbon over the raw edges and machine strap along each side of ribbon. (I have found this to be a quick and easy strap method - no turning and scrunching.)  Press well.

 

Turn raw edges under 1/2" at each end of straps.  Position on each side of bag, taking care that straps end up opposite each other and the same length.

Machine in place by stitching a square.

CONGRATULATIONS .... you have finished your bag.  My finished bag is 10" wide and 13.5" tall.

When are you going to use it?  I've just decided that mine is going to carry the next Kina cardigan I started knitting last night.  I know ... I was going to take a break from these, but I think I'm now obsessed with them and I'm using wool from my stash - always got to be a good thing to do!

The Kina's are made...

Over the last couple of months I have been knitting Kina cardigans.  We have liked them for quite a while, thanks to posts by Corrie.  So now to show you the six I have just finished:

I started with ones for dolls - white (forgot to take a photo of this one), green and red.

 

Then moved on to Miss 3's pale green one.

Next was Miss 7's lilac one.

And now their mummy Wen has one too.

The yarns came from bendigowoollenmills.  This is now my favourite site for yarn purchases. The girls's Cotton (Honeydew and Hollyhock) and Wen's Luxury (Purple Storm) were easy to purchase online,  were delivered to the door and were all lovely to knit with.

This Kina pattern is available through ravelry.  The doll and adult ones are free downloads, but the children's one has to be purchased.  There is a baby version too, but we had outgrown it in my family.

I can see myself having more of these underway in the future - I'm even thinking I may make one for myself!  And I've only got scarves over the past few years.  The knits are usually for the younger members of our extended family.

Now on to some sewing, before Mister 1 1/2 gets some more winter knits.

What happened to March?

My how the months are flying by this year!

I guess March went quickly because we were away for 2 weeks.  We cruised with Princess from Sydney to New Zealand - through the Fiordland National Park, Dunedin, Napier, Wellington, Tauranga and Auckland.  On this trip we missed the Bay of Islands due to Cyclone Pamela's attack coming through the area.  The seas were a bit rougher than we often experience, but as long as you come to lower decks in the centre of the ship you cope pretty well.

Cruising gives me plenty of time for craft, and this journey was no different.  I made another Kina - this time in a size 8, again using Bendigo Woollen Mills 8-ply Cotton:

The Cabbage Patch dolls also received more clothing:

A Spring Fling Fabric Swap was organised by the Facebook Group Sew n Swap.  I took the fabric with me (so I could add a little New Zealand fabric to it) but didn't get it in the mail until we got back to Sydney.  This time the postal services were very quick - under 2 weeks to and from Arizona.

I sent Australiana fabrics to Jan,

and received some very pretty fabrics from Jan - with a note that the fat quarters are for me and the other fabrics for my granddaughters.  How spoilt am I!!!

March was also the time for 2 Apron Swaps.  One was run through Sew n Swap, but organised by Melanie from Mule Time Quilts, and the other through Jenny from elephantz.  My aprons were made and sent (only just in March - 31st) and I will show pictures when they reach their destinations (Germany and USA) and I receive mine.

So what am I doing in April?  So far I will be making the 3rd Kina - this time in an adult size, 

making a bag for a Tote Bag Swap - to go to Western Australia, and starting a bit more warm grandchild knitting now that the weather is starting to turn colder.

Oh, and I'd like to finish a few UFO from the last few months too.

Should be a lazy month, don't you think?