A bit of February warmth from Arizona

This is the lovely sampler that arrived today from Pam in Arizona. She said she thought I could use a bit of Spring. It has just begun to snow again, and it is so very cold here is St. Louis. She is absolutely right!

I love the textured fabric. I'm not positive, but it looks like a piece of vintage duck cloth to me, which is something I dearly love. Such beautiful detailing, from her expert machine stitching to the sparkling sequins to the hand-stitched message "SPRING". I especially love the touch of butterscotch(one of my favorite colors!)in the lace accent. Even the back is a lovely bit of patchwork. Perfect.

Thank you so much, Pam. It is a cherished addition to my growing garland!

It's a wrap

This is the last post for February. The next post will be March 1st, with the beginning of the March Swap and the announcement of the next free giveaway! Thanks for following along this month.

The links to the swap participants' blogs is in the right column over there>>>>>> if you would like to take a hop around to see some of the February samplers as they are posted. You can also visit our Flickr group page or find us on Instagram at #aswapforallseasons.

See you soon!

a "twofer"

I got a little behind this week, so today you will get a "twofer" (as in "two fer one"!). I have 2 special samplers to show you today, from 2 of our own swappers!

The first is a lovely sampler that was made by Elizabeth. She likes to find fabric panels with special little squares to use in her mini quilts. She found a bit of fabric with this little star fish and also some seashells that she is using to make a garland. She lives close to the see and loves all things beachy! I love the simplicity of it, and I'm sure it will look fantastic in her garland- do send me a picture of it when it's finished, Elizabeth!

The second sampler was made and sent to me by Sherry for Valentines Day. What a wonderful surprise! I will certainly be adding it to my garland. I love everything about it, especially all of the wonderful sewing and the vibrant color. Even the back is gorgeous! Thank you so very much!

what's in the pocket?

Since it is February, and since the colors of my sampler are red and pink, I thought a few little valentines would look cute in the pocket. I chose an adorable vintage valentine, a little heart embellishment, an image, and a valentine atc that I made. I wrapped it up in some sweet cherry printed tissue paper, tied it with baker's twine, and it's ready to go. I am sending it off to Jan today. I hope she likes it, and doesn't mind not being surprised! It's almost time to reveal who won't be surprised next month! March is right around the corner!

finishing it up

I hope you are all staying warm on this cold Monday morning! It is 15 degress and snowing here in St. Louis.

Back to the sampler...I decided to create a pocket on the front of the sampler with the eyelet trim and the quilt piece. After sewing the sides, I sewed a short line above the pink trim of the eyelet to form the bottom of the pocket. I sewed a cute little flower applique onto the center of the quilt piece, and then I secured the triangular quilt piece in place by sewing a button on the top 2 corners. I added another decorative button to the center of the rick rack and it is finished! I like the cherries so much that I didn't want to cover it all up! And by creating a pocket, I have a place to tuck in a card or tag... tune in tomorrow to see what I tucked in there and how I wrapped it all up.

back to my sampler... kind of

Yesterday, I sat down to work on my sampler. I decided upon the layout of my fabric pieces, and ironed them. I cut a piece of warm and wonderful batting for backing to make the sampler nice and stable. (I'll explain why tomorrow.)

At this point I must digress... Can we talk about needle threaders for a moment? I have a devil of a time threading needles, even with my readers on. I use needle threaders, which I have in abundance, until of course, I need to use one. At that moment, the only one I can find is the broken one that I won't throw away because it has the pretty vintage lady on the top and I might want to use it in a craft project. (I have never actually used one in a craft project.) I also keep handy a package of the handy dandy floss threaders. (You can find them in the toothpaste aisle.) They are perfect for threading ribbon through buttons, small holes, etc. They also work for threading needles when all I can find is one broken vintage lady needle threader. So I get one of the floss threaders out to use, and before I can thread my needle with it, I accidently knock it off onto the floor. I proceed to crawl around looking for it, only to discover that it is stuck to my arm.

Does any one else craft like this?? Lord, help me! And thank you for listening.

In tomorrow's post, I will actually finish the sampler. On Tuesday, I will show the presentation & packaging and send it on its way to Jan in England.

Happy Valentines Day!

To all of my swapping sweethearts...one of my favorite vintage Valentine images! Have a love-ly day!

think lucky thoughts!

Great Idea

Debbie shared this fantastic idea (and also this great blog) with me and I couldn't wait to pass it on! It is a perfect (and easy!) way to create a hand made card that coordinates with your sampler. I know that this swap is not about sending a lot of extras, but most of us like to send a personal card or tag along with our gift. I also enjoyed reading the blog. And you could seriously get lost in the blog links at the bottom! If anyone participating or following along has an idea for a post, a photo of a fabric sampler you've made or received, or just anything you'd like for me to share on the blog, PLEASE drop me an email at aswapforallseasons@gmail.com. I love getting ideas from you!


Adding this on at 6pm: I actually forgot to share the link that the scrap cards originated from. This is the blog that has all of the blog links at the bottom that I mentioned above. Sorry! crazymomquilts

wednesday wow

Today, a lovely ivory and white sampler featuring a heart. Such a pretty mix of vintage fabrics and trims. It is another from the HappyArtHappyScience Etsy Shoppe.

Five Most Common Embroidery Stitches || KIN DIY

Technique Tuesday. This is a delightful (and short!) video on how to do a few basic stitches that might come in handy as you make your samplers. Even if you already know the stitches, it's an enjoyable refresher. I hope you find it helpful.

Happy Monday!

This beautiful fabric sampler banner/garland was made by Constanza of peregrine blue. She is a lovely woman and artist whom I've been following on flickr for many years. Her garland is a lovely example of what we will have at year's end. Depending on how many months you choose to participate, yours could be twice as long. And no two garlands will be exactly the same. I find that very inspiring!

vintage valentine saturday...these are sew cute!

sitting on my desk

What is going on with my February sampler? Well, it is currently sitting on my desk. At least daily I move things around on it and think about it. This is what it looks like today. What was I just saying about being more spontaneous?

tbt

Another "throw back Thursday" sampler from the ASFAS 2011 Mini Fabric Sampler Swap. I made this one as a sample. I remember that it was way more simple than pie to make. I used a piece of an old quilt as a background. I rubber stamped the saying with a "Staz On" ink pad onto muslin. I added some lace sewed it all together on the machine. I added a few buttons (of course) and then pinned an old pansy brooch to the top. My mom loved pansies and they always remind me of her.

a Wednesday wow

Isn't this great? You could use a complete fabric piece such as this lovely vintage oval linen as your background as long as it is roughly 4 x 6ish in size. And such a great idea to trace (copy/free-hand) a simple image onto fabric and then do a simple stitch of some sort over the tracing. You wouldn't need to know any fancy embroidery stitches- a simple back stitch or running stitch will do. I will have a "technique Tuesday" with some tutorials next Tuesday.
You can find this sampler in this wonderful Etsy shoppe. I love the colors and the overall simplicity of this.

Who was born in February?

Jennifer Aniston 45, Abraham Lincoln, John Travolta 60, Vanna White 57, Drew Barrymore 39, Steve Jobs, Cindy Crawford 48, George Washington, Sidney Poitier 87. Do we have any February birthday girls in our group?

Happy Groundhog Day!

Well, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning, so I guess we had better burrow in and work on crafting for another 6 weeks! If the idea of 6 more weeks of winter bums you out, how about making these happy little groundhog cupcakes to cheer you up! You can find the recipe and some cute crafties here.

Inspiration

Need some fresh inspiration for your February mini sampler? I think these are lovely. The first one is my favorite. They arePam Garrison's "mini sampler stitched bits".

Looking at these inspiration pieces, I am reminded of something that I want to work on this year with my samplers.
I tend to over-think the placement of elements on a collage- whether it's a card, tag, mini sampler or whatever I might be making. The result is often a "tidy" look, (like a scrapbook layout) which is not the spontaneous look that I would like to achieve. Haphazard placement and irregular bits can add so much interest.

Happy February!

I'm excited to begin another Mini Fabric Sampler! This month I am making mine for Jan, who made that gorgeous one for me last month. I really want it to be special. I went back to my project box and started digging, and this is what I pulled out.

The fabric samplers do NOT have to be seasonal or themed, but it is very like me to do this anyway, without even thinking. Ask my husband about the paper towel thing. For example: Me- "Why would you buy a roll of paper towels with blue flowers for February? Didn't they have any red?" Him- "Paper towels are paper towels".) Au contraire! We've been having this same conversation for 30 years. I will try very hard not to go overboard with the Valentine thing on this fabric sampler. So please, when making yours this month- choose blue if you like!

See you tomorrow!

a lovely bit of Royal Mail- The January Mini Sampler I received from Jan

I received some Royal Mail this week! I received my January Mini Fabric Sampler from Jan in the UK. I was blown away by how beautiful it is. My goodness, she is talented! I love every last detail. The images are beautifully printed on fabric. The Mary Jane shoes (which is my favorite part of all!) were free-handed and stitched by Jan. Every last detail is a delight-(like the bit of lace on the baby's head!) The handmade tag that she sent along was a pleasant surprise and every bit as beautiful. I have posted a couple more pictures on my blog if you would like to check it out. Oh Jan, thank you so much for your beautiful work of art! I am honored to have it!

The January Mini Fabric Sampler I made for Pam

The Valentine Giveaway Winner

The random number generator at psychicscience.com gave me the number 10. The 10th comment is our winner, and that is.... Beth! She is a follower of our blog and you can learn more about her here. Beth, your Valentine goodies will be mailing out ASAP so you have plenty of time to do some creating! Congratulations, and thank you to everyone for playing!

Don't worry, Helen. There will be another giveaway in the Spring!

One week left to enter the Valentine Giveaway

Here is what you'll win. (There are lots of hidden goodies that you can't see in the photo too!) To enter, click on the link in the right column over there >>>>>>>>>. Winner will be chosen on January 30th. Good luck!

Did I say I wasn't going to post anything until next Friday? Don't believe everything you read! I may even have one more between now and then...

Don't let this be you! Click on the link in the right column to enter >>>

This is the last post until the Giveaway winner is announced on January 30th! You can sign up to enter through January 29th. Don't forget to check in to see if you are the lucky winner!

Daily postings will resume on January 30th and the February Mini Sampler Swap will begin on February 1st.

If you would like to see some of the January Samplers that the swappers made and received, there are 3 ways to do this:

1. Visit the blogs of the swap participants. The list of blog links is in the right column >>>>>>>>>

2. Visit the ASFAS Flickr group page.

3. Find pictures on Instagram at #aswapforallseasons. There is a quick link in the right column (look for the camera) >>>>>>>>>>>


See you all again on January 30th!

off to where?

The packaging is simple. I wrapped the sampler in tissue paper, and placed it in a pretty pouch that I found in my wrappings stash. Throughout the year, I pick them up in clearance sales, after holiday sales, etc and save them for just such occasions. I made her a tag in the same colors and general theme as the sampler and added that to the pouch as well. I added a sparkling snowflake to the pouch's zipper for a finishing touch. And it's ready to go.

The irony of it all, is that it wasn't until I was looking up Pam's address that I realized that this wintery sampler and snowflake packaging that just screams of cold weather and white surroundings is all headed to...wait for it...ARIZONA!

A typical Linda snafu! Well, I hope she will like it despite of this oversight on my part! If someone sent me a sampler that reminded me of warm sunshine this month, I would be grateful for the respite from the cold St Louis winter! I will just hope that Pam will feel likewise!

Off it goes!

more wednesday wows

The first sampler is a stitched postcard. It originated on a delightful site called feeling stitchy Such a cute name! I love the colors and the randomness of it. Very fun!

The second one is a fabric sampler brooch. It's so dear! It was made by Marilyn of Interlaced Textile Arts. You can see this as well as several others on the header of her blog (scroll across to see them all). Her blog is no longer active, but there is a link to her facebook page in her farewell post.

technique tuesday

I imagine that most of you (maybe all) may already know how to do the blanket stitch, but in case you do not, here is a link to a nice tutorial. If you already know how, maybe this can a nice reminder that this stitch could come in handy when making your samplers. It's a nice way to finish or just to add a pop of color to the edges of a piece of fabric.
Even though I am familiar with the blanket stitch, I learned something new from the tutorial. She suggests marking the placement of the stitches before beginning. I've never done that, and since I am the Queen of Crooked, that was very helpful to me!

back to the sampler

After I finished the edges and covered up that wonky stitching(!) and rearranged the elements on the background a few times, I settled on my layout.

The tattered fabric flower and feather are from my son's wedding. I used these to make clips for the bridesmaid's hair and had a couple leftover. The lace trim below it is one of my favorites from my stash- pretty roses. I used 3 teeny tiny fabric yo-yos. I had purchased 50 of these in various colors on Etsy several years ago- they make great little embellishments. The beaded snowflake? I can't remember where it came from. Perhaps in a thank you package from one of my swappers? I decided to use just one button on the bottom, and it took me forever to choose one! As you can see, I went through the whole jar! (me and my button fetish!)

I then used simple needle and thread and sewed each item in place. Nothing fancy or professional, just some tacking stitches where they needed to be to hold the element down. With some embroidery floss I back-stitched the words "begin anew". I didn't use a pattern, I just free-handed it, counting the threads in the linen as you would in counted cross stitching.

On the back, I sewed on an old "made by" tag that I've had since I was in my 20's! I ordered them from Lillian Vernon or somewhere like that and they've been living in my sewing box all this time. They need to be set free!

SIDEBAR- The first 2 photos were taken with my phone, the last 2 with a really good Canon camera. I can't get over how much clearer and more true the colors are with my phone camera. Amazing.

Next, on to the packaging and presentation...

another sweet and inspiring fabric gift

Another wonderful birthday gift from heidi! She really has a way with fabric! I thought you'd enjoy seeing this beautiful apron she made from vintage fabrics and embroidered linens. I took a close up of the side so you can see the fab tags and the apron ties (yellow). And yes, the red and white embroidered linen towel is indeed a big pocket! Amazing! So inspiring!