Christmas Swappin'

The tree is up, most of the presents are planned and I'm mailing out two swap mini quilts this week.  I can show you one of them but the other will have to wait until my partner receives it.

This one's for the Scrappy Mug Rug Swap on Flickr...

Hmmn -- there's sort of a bird thing going on around here.

Yep...I'm one of those people with a fake, white Christmas tree.  Gasp!  

And I love it.

If that's not tacky enough for you...what about plastic blow mold Santas?

And cats.  

Egads!!!

Plans

My new prize from the MMQG Pincushion Swap:Thanks, Annik,  I love it!

Well, November is almost over and the race is on to wrap up our Christmas shopping/prepping before December starts.   It can be done, people.

Front

Since I'm a new sewist/quiltist, I'm only now realizing the overwhelming effects of UFOs. WIPs (Works in Progress) have suddenly turned into Un-Finished Objects all around me and just might be paralyzing my creative progress.  What is more, my intentions for this blog have also greatly surpassed actual content posted.  (Ain't that always the case?)

Back

I started AndChips not too long after I first began to machine sew in January.  Now, it's been almost one year and I really, truly love to sew and quilt.  My mind turns easily (and often!) to sewing plans and ideas..these thoughts occupy most of my waking hours and even some of my dreams at night.  Since you're reading this, I know you know what I'm talking about.

In April when I participated in Sew, Mama, Sew!'s Giveaway Day, more than one hundred people visited this blog and twenty-five of those were kind enough to answer my request for advice they'd offer to a new sewing blogger.  Here's what they said:

• Link up with other, bigger blogs.
• I joined Quilting Bloggers, MMQG, and I made a tutorial for Sew,Mama,Sew!
• Consistently post.
• This is more difficult than it sounds...But I'm thinking about the blog often so there's hope!
• Offer free tutorials and original patterns.
• I've only done the one so far.
• Make the blog easy to navigate as it grows.
• Your input here will be very welcome.
• Get involved with swaps, bees, and quilt-alongs.
• I participated in the Beginner's Quilt-Along
• For swaps, I love Flickr : RATZ, MiniQT, Scrappy Mug Rug, DQS13... 
• My first bee will begin this January!
• And of course, joining a guild should be on this list because they cover all the bases.
• Take the best photos you can.
• One said to snap in the shade on a sunny day and I've been thinking about staging shots
• Conduct giveaways.
• Be honest.
• Have fun with it.

More than anything, this blog documents a journey I continue to enjoy and it serves as a door, open to anyone who passes by.  Come in and take a look around and comment, please!

I think the next step for me will be to put more effort and personality into this blog.  I want to design some projects of my own to share with others and see where that takes me.

More than anything, I'm humble and thankful for what a free sewing machine and a terrific community have done for me at this time in my life.  I'm pleased and I'm lucky and I'm looking forward to what the future holds.

Next post: finished project!

Busy Bee

I made those flower pins myself!

I know it's been a long time!  I actually have been sewing (note the pincushion above--it's for a swap at tonight's MMQG meeting)...and I've got some pretty decent news too: 

I've got a sewing room!

Anything catch your eye?

We totally sent the guest bed off to storage and I've been moving all of my things upstairs.  It's a work in progress but I am no longer stitching at my kitchen table.  Here's a sneak peak:

Since my beloved RATZ Swap never started up again on Flickr I've been a little out of sorts.  I have joined up with some new ones which I'll post about soon.  Oh! And in January I'll be in my first quilting bee!!!



OK then.  I'll be back next week (I promise) and then we can catch up in a proper fashion.