For back-tack, I was paired up with the lovely Theresa.  She sent me some beautiful goodies which I promise to share soon.  I still need to get decent photos (that darn winter light!).  For her, I made a simple throw.

When I found the very last piece of this fabric in my studio, I knew it was meant for Theresa.  I considered making a bag out of it, but I just couldn't cut it.  It is a wool cashmere blend and I had just enough to squeak out a 60" square throw.  I used a Japanese polka dot to bind it.  Simple, but luxurious at the same time.  I hope she enjoys it during these cold winter months.

I sent some other goodies as well - vanilla tea, sea salt caramels and an ornament.  I never tire of brown paper packages and red and white string.  That is my go-to wrap this year.  Speaking of which....time to get back at it.

Hey there.

A couple things:

1.  I didn't take any photos of the items I received at the craft swap on Tuesday night, but Caroline did.  Pop over to this post if you want to see how talented my friends are.  Psst....she's having a giveaway too!

2.  I changed the links that are over in the top right side bar.  It had been a long time since I changed them.  So now you have some fun and some new blogs to check out.

Aren't these dahlias pretty?

I'm off to knit in the carpool line.  It's Friday which means the girls and I are going out for ice cream.   A nice way to end the school week, if you ask me.  Have a great weekend!

You are good guessers!  Congrats to Meg, who had the first correct guess.  I'm going to make a second pair for qalballha also.  Ladies I will email you later today for some info.  If you didn't win, don't despair. I have something else to give away in the next week or so.

Here's a shot of the eight pairs of lounge pants hanging on my deck.  I made them using the pattern in In Stiches by Amy Butler.  The cuffs are made with some of her Midwest Modern prints.  This was plan B.  Plan A wasn't super successful, but I will tell you more about that at another time.

My to do list is crazy long today.  See you all later!

I'm finished making my craft for my local craft swap tonight.  I have supplies to make one extra item and so I thought I would have a little giveaway.  First person to post a comment with the correct guess wins the extra item.  Those of you who know what I am making are excluded of course.  I'll give you a clue:  I have made this in the past year and I am very comfortable with it.  The photo above might help you, too.  Good luck!

While the kids were at school on Wednesday, I worked on my note cards for Sarah's Art of the Note Gocco Swap.

I had ordered my paper back in July from Paper Source.  There was a reason why I choose an aqua note and an orange envelope.  I wish I could remember what the reason was.  Somewhere between mid-July and Wednesday, my brilliant idea was lost, never to be found.  So there I was stuck with a color palette and full of ideas that wouldn't work so well in blues and oranges.  Figures.

I ended up getting out the spirograph and made lots of random shapes on different papers.  One of them looked a lot like a flower to me so I added a stem and some leaves.  Voila - a flower!

The screen did not burn as well as I had hoped.  I knew Dana had a hard time with her spirograph screen too, so I didn't think I would get any better results burning a new one.  I went ahead and printed with the one I had.  The ink dried a bit dark, but I think it still looks good with the envelope.

Thanks for organizing the swap, Sarah!  I loved having an excuse to get the gocco out and get printing.  Speaking of which, I have another stencil to cut.

Happy weekend to you all.

For my end of the swap with Lisa, I made her a tote bag.

I used Anna Maria Horner's Drawing Room fabric and some brown linen from the stash.   The inside is lined in a pale pink linen and has a pocket, too.

I love adding personalized details to the gifts I make so I embroidered Lisa's initials on the pocket and trimmed it with some ribbon I had on hand.  I think the ribbon came from Blair.  (Am I right, Blair?).  The tote is about the same size as the wool patchwork one I made for myself.

OK - that's all I have for this Tuesday.  Fatty's gone home, my parents are off to meet the newest family member who is being born today and the girls are at day camp.  I think I will knit - and maybe take a nap.  Sounds like a plan.

Awhile back, Lisa Leonard asked if I wanted to have a little swap.  If you have seen her jewelry, you can understand why I did not hesitate one bit.  The hardest part was choosing what I wanted!

I decided on the open circle necklace with my initials on it.  And it is perfect.  Simple and elegant - it is just as great with a t-shirt and a skirt as it is with a pretty summer dress.  The preppy me loves the single pearl and the monogram.  I adore it.  I am sure that I will buy more of Lisa's jewelry  - for myself and for gifts.  She has so many beautiful baubles to choose from!

Thanks, Lisa!  I am so happy we swapped.  Back tomorrow with details on what I sent.

I spent most of the weekend sewing, but I don't have anything to show for it.  All of the projects are in different stages of "not yet finished."  I have myself to blame for this:  running out of thread seems to be a specialty of mine.  And now, I can add math miscalculations to the list as I cut a two and a half yard piece of batting in to a completely unusable mess along with squaring a full size sheet incorrectly.  Yikes.  I think I might start chanting, "Measure twice, cut once" but I am not sure it would help.

The good news is that there are a few things making my heart race lately.  The first is Sarah's latest gocco swap.  Oh boy!  I love me some good looking notes.  See the button on the right side bar?  Click it and sign up.  You know you want to.

Second is Pam's February Lady Sweater.  Seriously.  I have spent a couple weeks deciding if I love this so much because it is the most perfect shade of green or because I really like the sweater.  Turns out, I think it is both.  So now I am on the hunt for the most perfect yarn in the most perfect green.  You know, so I can knit the most perfect sweater.  Preferably wool - suggestions?  I won't start it for awhile - the wrist, you know.  But the girls and I are headed to my favorite place at the end of the week (another thing making my heart rate rise) and the tangled yoke is coming along.  It is the only crafty thing I'm bringing.  That will be either disastrous or genius (the wrist,  you know).  Only time will tell.

Finally, Blair sent Emily, Tracy and I our new assignment.  (As an aside, can I just say how happy I am that Blair is back at the blog thing?  So very happy - I really missed her words).  I pulled out the dictionary - man, oh man!  There are lots of choices with this word.

Cover.  Noun and verb.  My initial thoughts surprised even me.  Wordplay is so fun - it gets me thinking in so many different ways.

Enough for a Monday morning.  Back tomorrow with quilt news.