Needle Book Swap - Received!

The time has come to wrap up our

Need a Little Needle Book Swap...

and I can't think of a better way than to share

the one I received from Gabrielle!

As you can see,

the needle book Gabrielle made for me

is just filled with personal touches,
beginning with my NAME on the front!

{Those hexies are so tiny and sweet!}

There are more little hexies
decorating the back cover of the needle book.

{I think that every needle book in our swap has been just as gorgeous
on the back as the front...don't you?}

Inside are thick felted wool pages for needles...

you can almost feel the substantial texture

from this photo.

This particular needle book includes

a very smart vinyl pocket inside,

with a fabulous zipper closure.

{How did she know I adore office supplies?!?!?!?}

When I first saw the labels on the felt pages,
I couldn't figure out how
Gabriella was able to add the words,
describing how they were to be used.

I mean, I've spent quite a few minutes  hours
shopping on the internet,
and I've NEVER seen any twill tape,
printed with names like these!

I remembered that Gabrielle
had contacted me to find out
what types of handsewing I enjoy,
and what needles I like to use.

It dawned on me that she MUST have
printed these tapes herself somehow!

Sure enough, Gabrielle shared with me how she did it,
using a printer, some twill tape,
and a bit of scotch tape.

Someday I promise to try it myself
and explain to you how it's done!

{Ric  rac! I see ric rac!}

Besides the fabulous needle book,
Gabrielle created this beautiful boxed pouch,
in my favorite colors!

Gabrielle's workmanship is exquisite!
I would love to see what her long-arm quilts
look like, as I'm sure these little projects
are a glimpse of what she can accomplish.

There were more goodies, too...
a lovely journal,
some fun washi tape and a package of twine.
I am such a spoiled brat!

Have you ever tried these wonderful needles
from Foxglove Cottage?
They have something for every type of handsewing,
and Gabrielle included a couple of packages
in my swap gift!

{Perfect!}

I don't even know how exactly Gabrielle and I found one another...
but that's the most fun part about the internet...
and swaps!
THANK YOU, GABRIELLE!

Thanks to ALL of you who participated
in the Needle Book Swap
and made it a great success!
You girls are the best!

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Swap Sent and Revealed - Need a Little Needle Book

At long last, it's time to share

what I made for my partner in the 

Need a Little Needle Book swap!

{Visit our Flickr page here to see more needle books from the swap!}

As the Swap Mama for our exchange,

I had the luxury of selecting the person

who would create a needle book for me,

and also the one who would receive my creation.

I chose to send my needle book to

the lovely and talented Gail.

Having just met Gail,

all I knew about her was 

that she enjoys happy bright colors.

That led me to pull these fabrics,

and I named my project the

Bright Idea Needle Book.

{I hope it will inspire happiness and creativity for Gail!}

I could not resist using the tutorial by Nana Company

to create this little needle book.

I see more of these in my future,

because they are pure FUN to create!

I used my mini design boards

to lay out the squares for the back,

plus a strip of squares for the front panel.

I added a ric rac edging, and I really think

it adds sweetness and fun to the finished needle keep.

Want to see the back?
I love it as much as the front...

yep, I need to make another one,

with the patchwork on the FRONT.

And now let's look inside...

this time I chose some turquoise wool felt

for the interior pages.

I used more ric rac - in golden yellow.

I found some lovely lace,

and I added a bit of butterfly...

always a bright idea!

So once that little needle book

was finished,

I decided to create a matching pincushion!

I used a favorite pattern

that I posted about here,

purchased from Details by Des on Etsy.

Can you just imagine how squeezy this pinnie is?

One of the reasons I chose to make 

this style of pinnie was that I got to use...

more ric rac!!!

See those covered buttons, too?

They are another favorite design detail of mine.

I made a couple of extra covered buttons

to send along...

So that's what I made for my swap partner...

stop by again soon to find out

what I received!

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Briar Rose Needle Book - Swap Inspiration

Hello, Friends!

Have you signed up yet,

for the Need A Little Needle Book Swap?

{I'm happy to say we're off to a great start already. Flickr group is here.}

Today I'd like to describe my Briar Rose sample,

and share some ideas for the design details.

I started with a fabric stack

that I'd put together to make this Noodlehead Divided Basket.

I love the unexpected color scheme:

lilac and gold.

I began with prints from Briar Rose by Heather Ross,

along with a geometric print from an early

Jennifer Paganelli line, Bell Bottoms.

A solid from Free Spirit - called Spark Gold - ties it all together.

The wonderful tutorial from nana company

begins with a piece of patchwork.

Can you believe this is the back of the needle book?

{I'm going to have to make one with a patchwork front next time.}

This time, though, I used the solid gold fabric for the front,

and I added a cute little detail,

using ribbon tape.

I stole borrowed that design idea from

 Kristyne of Pretty By Hand blog,

who is an expert at making these needle books.

See her tutorial here for using ribbon tape accents!

I bought my ribbon tape 

from Billy Cotton Shop on Etsy 

and can recommend this shop wholeheartedly.

Now, on the inside, I've used some luscious wool felt,

which I bought from another favorite shop on Etsy,

Retromama.

I could not resist buying a stack of felt,

in gorgeous bright colors.

Also, I chose some neutrals.

For my needle book, I selected,

after much thought and consideration...

the WHITE felt.

{The irony is not lost on me. But it just looks so good.}

See that golden ric rac?

I had a tiny spool of it, part of a set I found at JoAnn,

and I think it looks great, holding some fancy pins

and a little swatch of the lilac fabric.

Do you like my little sample?
I've decided to give it away,

to someone who joins the

Need A Little Needle Book Swap!

Everyone who signs up is automatically entered

for the random drawing.

{Because everyone needs a little surprise in their mailbox now and then.}

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CLOSED... The Need A Little Needle Book Swap! ---CLOSED

Sometimes we all need a little encouragment

to try something new...

or we need a little break from everyday stress...

or we just need a little bit of beauty in our day.

That's why I'm putting together the 

"Need A Little Needle Book Swap".

GUIDELINES:

1. Join the swap by May 31, 2014.  
Entries are now CLOSED. Thank you, all!

All you need to do is send an email to me at

eamylove@aol.com
with your mailing address.

 {You can comment on this post, too, but please also email me.}

2.  Let me know if you could do an international swap,

or if you prefer to stay within your own country.

You can also let me know if you have any preferences of colors

or styles you would like to receive from your partner.

3. I will assign you a partner. My target date is June 7, 2014.

You will receive an email from me, near that date.

4. It's up to you, whether you would like to keep your identity

from your partner, or would like to contact her to get to know her tastes.

Either way is fun!

5. Create a needle book for your partner and mail it out

by June 30, 2014.

6.  Feel free to include any extras your partner might enjoy...

sweets, sewing notions, fabric scraps or another handmade item.

7.  Have some fun posting pictures on your blog or on Flickr.

Our new Flickr Group page is here!

You can give sneak peeks or just go ahead and show it all.

It's fun to get inspiration from others.

8. Reach out to me, via email, if you have any issues.

Things happen...and sometimes we need a little support

or just can't meet the target date.

I can contact your partner to let them know to be patient...

something good is about to happen.

9. If you need to bow out gracefully, that's okay, too.

No stress permitted in this swap!

10. Above all, encourage one another.

Make new friends with your fellow swappers,

visit their blogs, comment on their photos, and enjoy the group.

So, now...we need a little information...

just what are we swapping???

A needle book is basically just 

a pretty little sewing booklet 

with pages of fabric or felt,

for keeping pins and needles safe and handy.

For my model,

I used the fabulous, free tutorial found

at Nana Company.

You can find many other awesome designs

and tutorials out there for needle books,

so you are not limited to this particular style.

{But isn't it just so cute?!?!?!?!}

Check out my Pinterest board,

Needle Books,

and you'll see a few more ideas.

Sewing-Time Needle Book from thehappyzombie.com

Here's another style I love...

Tutorial by Stitch Craft Create

I need a little more space...this post is long enough!

I'll be back soon to share more details

about this little needle book,

along with an exciting little surprise!

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Skinny Pinnie - Received!

We are closing out our 

Skinny Pinnie Pincushion Swap!

By now, everyone should be mailing

and receiving their finished pinnies.

As the "swap mama" I had the luxury

of choosing my partner,

and I selected the lovely and talented

Beverly, of golfingbev on Flickr.

Look what came in the mail for me,

courtesy of Beverly!

There is so much goodness in here,

starring the most adorable...

and petite...skinny pinnie,

composed of teeny tiny hexagons!

See that needle book in the background?

It's made to match the pinnie,

from a Nana Company tutorial

that I must try someday soon.

{Sigh...}

{Photo by golfingbev on Flickr}

There are little treasures I'd never seen before,

such as Japanese zippers...

with French sayings...

Or little cherry zip pulls!

There are Japanese sewing and crafting goodies galore

in this little stack of sweetness.

I love each one to bits!

{Everything was all bundled up with bits of Washi tape!}

There was something old...vintage feedsacks!

And something new...this handy Seam-Fix

seam ripper with a little thing on top

for picking up the snips of thread.

{Of course I may never need to try that tool, since I'm such a perfect stitcher. Ahem...}

There are more fabric samples, too...

little teapot prints I had admired on Bev's Flickr site...

and even a Glamping mini charm pack!

{Can you find it, among all of the treasures?}

And look at this darling little tag!

I first noticed Beverly's sewing talents

during the Zakka Along 2.0 Patchwork, Please sew along.

Beverly has a distinctive style,

mixing bits of fabric to create detailed treasures

that leave me breathless.

Check out her photostream, and you will see what I mean!

Beverly's Patchwork Please Apron - Polka Dot Cafe

Thank you, Beverly, for spoiling me rotten!

{I will be able to trace my new Japanese sewing fixation to this magic moment.}

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