It's Wednesday - some progress and more swaps received

I have been making a name tag for my secret partner for the Fat Quarterly Retreat in London which I leave for in about one exact month (yahoo!). I am going to put my partner's blog and flickr name on the lanyard using recycled hardware from one I kept after a conference - and technology has wiped out the name in the middle for now. The fabric is Hometown by Sweetwater, in case you were wondering.



Since I was travelling last week, I pulled out my knitting. This is very soft 100% alpaca yarn called Melange by Blue Sky Alpacas. I am making mittens, the pattern is called Ceangaltas by Robin Melanson from her book Knitting New Mittens & Gloves. I tend to knit mittens, hats and sweaters in the summer, and shawls in the winter. I don't know why but I just go with it.



This loot arrived this week for me from Catherine at Sew Wonderful Life. You might remember that I made a Christmas table runner for Catherine last fall so it was so nice to be partnered with her. It is my name tag for the FQ Retreat. She carefully hand cut and created that Canadian flag, maple leaf and all. And look, a zippered bag too, for my sewing bits - it is perfect, thank you Catherine!



And a close up too, just because it is so cute.




This amazing little quilt arrived for me from my secret partner - Betsy from Lily Petunia (BetsyLynn50 on Flickr) in Doll Quilt Swap 12. It is perfect in every way. Carefully pieced tiny log cabins (the logs are about 1/2"), shot cottons, and hand stitching. And those tiny triangles in the corners finish it off so nicely.



Look at the details!



And the whole package. Well there was a magazine too but it migrated immediately to the side of my bed. This last picture did not capture the purples well, you can see the colours better in the other photos. Thank you Betsy, this package and the quilt especially is wonderful!

I need to get back into the Wednesday WIP habit, and I am linking this with WIP Wednesday that Lee hosts at Freshly Pieced, and with the Needle and Thread Network. Both buttons are over on the right side of my blog. So allow me a small list about the rest of my work in progress (next week I will get pictures taken and organized better, I promise):

• I have prepared backs and basted both the Mystery Quilt and the Summer's Blush quilt - you can read about them here. I hope to have time to do some quilting later this week or on the weekend, although this may have to wait on my finishing some of the other things on this list.

• I have started making a table cloth roughly following the Patchwork Prism Pattern from Anna Maria Horner. I am using really old fashioned blue, yellow and white fabrics and will take some pictures later this week. You are going to laugh at me, I was missing my grandmother I think when this idea came to me. I just love it so far. There is a QAL here, in case you are interested.

• I have to figure out what to make and make 4 sample things to swap for the FQ Retreat Sample swap. Any ideas?

• I just received fabric for a bee block that is due by the end of the month.

• I have two potholders to pick a design and fabrics for, make and send out by the end of the month.

• I have three or four other projects I am just itching to start but they are going to have to wait a week or a month or so, I expect.

So wish me luck and I hope to report on all these immediately due items soon.

Best, 

Leanne