should I participate in a swap or not?

I have been swapping for a couple of years now and mostly with great rewards. I have made friends, learned, shared, received, was spoiled, and was amazed..but also let down and disappointed. I know there are many other of you out there too, who have this same problem and ask yourself continuously, should I participate in a swap, or should I just forget about them?

As is everything in life, there are always a few bad apples. (I think this was in a book from the Berenstain Bears I read to my kids.) I rarely ever get disappointed from a swap or from a swap partner, for that matter. There are so many amazing women (and men) out there that totally and completely rack their brains to come up with original ideas and transform them into needle and thread simply for the pleasure of other's happiness. For the most part, I think this is and will remain the truth. Unfortunately, there are a few out there, that have forgotten to be kind and polite. Yes, we all have "real lives" and things come up that prevent us from fulfilling our commitments, but we owe it to our swap partners (our friends) to inform them. A simple one line email, SMS or Instagram message would do the trick, but these people are just not motivated for that simple courtesy. Why is it that everything else is more important...and we are just a stranger...no courtesy needed? Maybe someone could explain this? This is sad, sad, sad., so very sad...(Dr. Seuss is coming to mind now.) Aha...that is the problem. These swappers have never read the traditional moralistic books I now read to my kids? Morals, values, norms. What are those again? In today's world we don't have time for those do we? YES WE DO! And I practice them too...!!

I recently participated in the Forth Worth Fabric Studio Spring Mug Rug Swap! And I loved it! I made this very springy mug rug for my partner, Nancy. I still don't have a formal "thank you," from Nancy, but I am still hopeful there will be a note one day in the mail. Lindsey, from the Fort Worth Fabric Studio, forwarded an email from Nancy stating she was pleased with it.

 

Thank you so very much, Lindsey, for organizing this swap for us 50 swappers! We all had a secret partner and didn't know who was swapping for us. The ever talented, Dorothée commented on a post of mine that she too was participating in the swap. It never ever occurred to me that she was sewing for me until I received her ever most beautiful package! I have never, ever received such a beautiful package in my life from a swap partner!!

Dorothée is a skilled mini stitchest (that is not a word but fits the skill)! She sews these tiny, micro stitches that totally blow my mind away!

She was only "required" to send a mug rug, but sent all of these goodies as well. The one thing that was the first to disappear was that fabulous bamboo box with handmade chocolates!

And here is her spring mug rug using garden flowers and again her tiny hand stitches! Amazingly beautiful! Thank you, again, Dorothée!

Now, keep in mind, my swap partner was Nancy. And Dorothée sewed for me. I quickly wrote her an email directly and thanked her for the beautiful package. I was so moved by her generosity and warmth, I sent her a small "thank you," in return. I finished my bee swarm mug rug and sent it to her!

Yes, every cloud has a silver lining! If you want to participate in a swap, you will be a richer person for doing it. In general, you will gain many things, meet new friends, build skills. But, don't be too disappointed if it doesn't turn out the way you planned. In a rare few cases, you will be disappointed.

What did I learn this week? I hate to constantly get pricked by by straight pins! You know you are a sewist when you have little wounds all over your hands from them!

Thanks for stopping by!

my Moda Bake Shop experience

Happy Friday everyone! The weather was great this week. I think the sun shined a total of three days which is a record for the year!

If you don't already know, I had a pattern accepted and posted on the Moda Bake Shop blog back in January. Here is a little follow-up post about my experience for prairie Traditions.

I submitted my pattern to Moda using a pre-cut layer cake in September of 2012. I was elated to receive an email a few weeks later telling me that my pattern was accepted. I would have to make the quilt again using a newer fabric line, but that was okay. (I could request three Moda fabric lines, one of which would be sent.)

A month later I received my package. Remember, the package had to be sent from Texas, USA to Ulm, Germany. And it had to pass through Customs that loves to put an extra high import tax on the fabric, because it is produced in Asia. I just love the Zollamt!  I was shocked to find out that the Sample Department was nice enough to fulfill my wish from the fabric line "HONEY HONEY" from Kate Spain. It is such a great springtime fabric!

Sewing the quilt and writing the pattern went like a piece of "cake" -pun intended. I took many photos along the way and wrote instructions using computer diagrams for better understanding. I like photographs, but sometimes diagrams tell me more.

I simplified the quilting to make it easier for everyone to accomplish. I used 100% cotton batting-my personal choice for most quilts.

After the quilt was finished, I waited for more than one week on that perfect day in winter where the sun shined for all of two hours. I rushed out with the quilt and my camera. I already had the location picked out, so the rest was quite easy.  Snap, snap, snap...finished.

I wrote to Moda that my pattern was finished and my photographs were uploaded. Lisa informed me of when my post would be scheduled. On January 7, 2012. I was so excited to see my quilt on their blog. I emailed everyone I knew and stuck to the computer like glue for an entire week reading posts. Thank you for your support!!

Kate Spain also contacted me and posted the quilt in a newsletter for her Flickr-Group - All Things Kate Spain. Wow! I was so moved that she even noticed me.Thank you for your support as well, Kate!

I look forward to making more patterns for Moda Bake Shop as well as other platforms.

I wish you a great weekend!