Do you Swap?

I participated in my very first mini quilt swap!  The Gardenvale Mini swap hosted by my daughter @linneypooh.  The fabrics used were from the Gardenvale line by the amazing Jen Kingwell.

I met Jen and her daughter Lucy at Houston Quilt Market and I immediately fell in love with them!  Jen is simply delightful!  I loved her style, her designs, and of course her Gardenvale fabrics!

I just love her great sense of color and how she uses a lot of prints, florals, stripes and dots in her quilts...and gray is a recurring theme in most. 




Although I was a little nervous to participate in a swap, I couldn't go wrong if the fabrics were Jen's!  right...

 So I decided on the Cathedral Window pattern and it showcased the fabrics perfectly.  I used darker fabrics in the "base" and medium and multi-colored prints on the "top".  This was my second attempt at a cathedral window making only a pincushion once before...and I loved how it turned out

Click HERE for the free pattern Charming Windows by Angela Nash on Moda Bakeshop

It was really hard to let this one go, but it went to a good home...to Stacy Lee in West Monroe, LA @tophatquilter.  Her favorite color is purple so I chose the pebble print for the center block and the inner border.  I love the scrappy binding don't you?  I machine quilted this on my Featherweight and it's not great quilting, but I think it turned out okay. 


So when your daughter is in charge of a quilt swap, and someone drops out you become an "angel" so this quilt was plan "A" for my gardenvale swap and luckily I had the top finished when I was called to be an "angel", so I only had to finish the machine quilting and the binding.  This one went to Cathy Kirk in North Carolina - @thequiltingcowgirl

 I used the Missouri Star Bordered Periwinkle pattern and tutorial and the large triangle papers.

 click HERE for the tutorial on MSQC

I used black Essex Linen for the "borders" between the blocks, and for the outer border.
(see previous posts for helpful hints on making this block)  I echo quilted the entire top in 1" increments.  I am not a great machine quilter and I could use a lot more practice.  Cathy is a full-time machine quilter, so I hope she doesn't laugh out loud at my machine quilting skills!



So after sending off my two swap quilts,  To my surprise I received this beautiful mini quilt from @amysews from Charleston, SC!  Isn't it absolutely gorgeous!!!
 

 Amy hand pieced and appliqued the flower block, and also hand quilted this beauty.  She really spent a lot of time and I am so appreciative of all the work she did on my quilt. 

 

 The back of the quilt (upper right) is one of the polka-dot prints from the line and I love the striped binding.


 

 

I also received so many goodies in the package.  The "jug" is a mason jar with a lid and straw and Amy made a quilted coozie for it.  (I love real southern sweet tea and can't wait to use this!) She made a pieced needle-case, and a finger pincushion for me which I have always wanted.  I got some Bennie cookies, a coloring book with colored pencils, and a postcard from Charleston, SC  with a cute note.  Amy really spoiled me!


 If you have the chance to check all the truly AMAZING quilts that were made take a look on Instagram at the #gardenvaleminiquiltswap.  I am so thankful to my daughter Lindsey for putting this awesome swap together for us.  Jen Kingwell would be so proud of what we all made out of her beautiful fabrics!


I enjoyed this swap so much I just might join another one...or two.  I got lucky with this one, but the fun of a quilt swap is...you never know what you are going to get!!


until next time... 
Happy Quilting!
 ~Joni