Two in the bag

Today two swap packages went in the mail. One is just taking a little jaunt a couple provinces over, while the other is U.K. bound. (They cost almost the same to ship, go figure.)

First up is my Thimble Blossoms swap mini. My partner likes the mini swoon pattern and navy, so that's just what I made.

Days before the deadline for both swaps, what did I decide to do but "whip up" two quilted zippered pouches. Silly me. When will I learn? This one started with the lovely navy fabric I actually used on the back of the mini. I even made my own paper pieced pattern! And, even more amazingly, it turned out pretty well. I call it my kite tails pouch. Quilting was done in random lines in pink and teal to echo the shape of the ties. I love this Alison Glass fabric, and the polka dots were just perfect for the lining.

I also wrapped up my dog mini quilt. Oh, I love this one! And it was truly a labour of love because those letters took forever to make (the S especially kicked my butt), and then several hours to rip out all the papers. I like the border I came up with too. My partner makes crazy awesome portraits of her dogs, so I knew I had to go a totally different way because that is totally out of my wheelhouse. I used her favourite fabrics, so I hope she really likes this.

And I made her a pouch too, starting with the cute paper pieced paw print. I'm happy to say my new sewing machine handles bulky seams like a champ. Not a single broken needle!

And look at this patriotic label! My dog mini partner actually completed the paperwork to move to Canada, so I also used this maple leaf fabric for the pouch lining.

Now comes the really tough part - waiting for them to arrive at their new home!