The swap was a make a friend swap...so in this type of swap you have the opportunity to get to know a fellow crafter. The items to be swapped were something you do well (crafted item), something you love (non-crafted item), and a surprise...up to you if it is crafted or not.
I learned mid-way through the swap process that beading is not something I do well. I thought how hard can this be if I follow a pattern? Well, I guess I had problems following the pattern because I messed up my rows & the image I was going for ended up skewed. I scrapped that idea & sought inspiration elsewhere...& went with something I knew I wouldn't mess up.
I made a cute batik blue & green pieced clutch purse with a kiss lock frame based on my partner's likes. The purse was time consuming certainly due to piecing & selecting the fabric squares to make an attractive pattern. The construction of the purse itself was fairly easy because of the fabulous pattern & instructions I got at While Baby Naps on etsy. I also bought the fabric glue, frame, & chain from them. It was a great etsy experience with super fast shipping & great communication. I highly recommend their shop to other crafters out there looking to make something similar.
The work in progress...making sure I had bits of fabric that looked good next to each other...then cutting them into rows of squares...
Sewing....
Lining up the different rows so that no two of the same pattern were next to each other. I wanted a nice contrast where the squares complimented each other. Once this was done & my pieced fabric panels were done, I could cut out my pattern.
After adding fuseable interfacing, pressing, sewing & turning, this is what it looked like... all ready for the frame.
I attached the frame one side at a time...allowing the first side to dry completely before attaching the other side. This part made me nervous that I would somehow screw it up, but it went together fairly well. Doing a dry run to see if the pattern fit the frame before adding the glue is definitely a must. It would be tragic to have done all that hard work, only to mess it up in the final stage of the process.
I love how this project turned out! The colors are so yummy & bright... super cute for summer! It makes me think of the Earth & Sea!
Here are a couple more glamour shots of the final piece:
I'd love to make a few more of these in different fabrics... vintage linens, kawaii cute Japanese prints, & more colorful rainbow batiks! I'm officially hooked!
Here is the whole package I sent to my partner:
There is the purse, one of my resin glitter bubble rings, some tea by teaman on etsy, a tube of glitter, and an Ohio magnet. My partner is also from Ohio...so it seemed a good match! The glitter & the tea are my loves... I can't not walk into a craft store without buying at least one tube of the twinkly stuff... and teaman's tea is the best! If you love tea, try the Christmas blend or black raspberry. They're my personal favorite!
The ring is the item I do well. I've gained a lot of experience working with resin & wanted to send something sparkly to my partner that she could wear out to the pool or the beach...it's waterproof & so twinkly in the sunshine!
Here is the super amazing package I received from my partner, Loves2experiment, on craftster!
When I opened the box, Hello Kitty was looking back at me! I knew this was going to be really good!
What an unexpected delight! A book about a craft I have not yet tried & was looking into just this week! Seriously, I googled how to make yarn & spinning with a drop spindle! ...you can even ask my BFF Kelly...she'd vouch for me! ;)
The cutest craft bag... with one of my favorite quotes inspired by Hyperbole and a Half! "Craft All the Things!" LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!
...and there's more inside!
...super squishy fiber & a drop spindle...no, a 'glittery' drop spindle!!!
Just look at the eye candy colors!
I need to learn how to use this asap! I'm so excited!
A closeup of the gorgeous lining fabric in the pouch... so beautiful!
The surprise goodie my partner sent was a crafted unicorn zipper pouch. The unicorn is embroidered! My daughter would claim it if I let her see!
How cute is that?!!
And finally, the goodie my partner can't live without...or something she loves... candy! You can't go wrong with candy!
This has been a super-fun craftster swap & I had as much fun crafting for it as I had fun opening all the goodies! I can't wait to try spinning & hopefully will have updates on my adventures with that soon! Thank you so much Loves2experiment! I'm over-the-moon thrilled with my goodies & you made such a beautifully crafted & thoughtful package! I'm going to treasure it!!!
Stay crafty!
