Cara Box Exchange

I love a good swap and this has been the BEST!

Cara Box Exchange is hosted by the lovely and very strong Kaitlyn of Wifessionals, it is huge in the States with lots of participants but this was the first time it went International (Europe and Asia), you get 2 partners, the one you send to and the one that sends to you.  I sent my box to Cornelia in Austria and Ellyn in Malaysia sent a box to me.
This is what I got in my box, hope you don't mind the massive photos, Ellyn wrapped every single thing up separately it was great fun for the kids and I will be doing this to others in the future, because it really was so fun.

Each gift individually wrapped

One was even double wrapped my son got a big kick out of that.

eeee, my daughter squeals.

Teeny teeny, ooohhh, so teeny.

Ellyn packed up so many cute little goodies it was hard corralling them all for a photograph, I got everything pictured below except 2 key chains for the kids, one was a dolphin and the other a seahorse.

She's pointing to the tea that is for Nik, he drinks massive amounts of it.

Shell keychain, Beautiful boat earrings.

Katerina wearing her new shirt from Ellyn and holding the cute turtle.

A glass boat, I have always wanted one of these.

I told her I collected coins

and postcards and stamps :), lol.

Thank you Ellyn for a great gift, but more importantly for the new found friendship I have found with you and Cornelia.  This has been the best swap ever.

Sunday Stash and Le Challenge project to return

I think this is becoming my favorite way to blog, all about getting fabric in the mail :)
I have been doing some sewing, but they are all for swaps, so no picture showing :(

Once again everything came on Friday, a lovely package of 3 FQ's from Fenna at FABulous Home Sewn, that I won 2 weeks ago.  She is doing a wonderful on-going charity event of "Sewing for  Pregnancy Care Centres" and if you live in America or Canada, you can help her out.

Isn't that key fabric awesome, I see a triple zip pouch being made out of these.

My daughter immediately claimed the keys for herself and my son took the black fabric, it is his favorite color after yellow, so that left me with the red fabric.  I think their stashes would be as big as mine if I actually let them keep the fabric, lol.

I also got 2 more packages in the mail, but for some reason they didn't even send a letter telling us they were at the post office, but I told my husband to go down to check because I was waiting for some fabric to come in and it still hadn't and sure enough there were 2 packages down there.  I wonder how many times the guys do that and then just wait a year and if you don't claim it they take it, what do you think?  I have had 2 packages not arrive to my house, many years ago, so maybe.
I will show you only 1 package now, I got a super deal, 33 FQ's for $35, Awesome right, I mean that is like $4 a yard but in FQ's.  How did I find this sweet deal, well I don't know if you saw but I won a cute mini charm pack from Erin and I started to look around to see where this fabric was from, I finally found that it is called Dessert Party from Anne Kelle for Robert Kaufman fabrics.  So I had started making a project for the Le Challenge "Toffee" with these fabrics.

Dessert Party mini charms and some Oakshott Toffee

Actually just kidding the Oakshott is really Coffee

I am just putting this out there, I don't like Oakshott fabrics, blasphemy, I know but when you buy fabric off the internet it would be really nice if shops where more specific with the colors, I got a whole bunch of their fabric that I am just trying to find a way to use.
My project was looking a little like this.

I never did finish my toffee project because I wanted more of the Dessert Party fabric and found it at Janes Fabrics Etsy shop, for cheap!

13 FQ's for $15 bucks

 Talk about a Sweet Dessert Treat!

But I wanted some more to play with than just those tiny squares, I am in some sweet dreams

And speaking of Sweets, how about the new "Sweet Pouch Swap", Alyce of Blossom Heart Quilts is in charge this time around and I saw the pouches from the last swap and they were awesome, I signed up and so should you, get all of the nitty gritty details here.  You fill the pouch with sweets and you get a pouch with sweets in return, SWEET!

I also got some red, black and white fabrics $1 a FQ.

She now has this FQ bundle for only $10 so get on over there and pick up 14 FQ's for $10 bucks, wowzers, to bad the husband took away the credit card, hehe.
I also got some dots.

A great bunch of fabric in my mail box for sure.

The next LeChallenge is "Heroes" and Anne Kelle is coming out with a new collection called Super Kids how cool would that be to use those cute fabrics, and we have 2 months to complete this challenge, the button is on the side if you haven't checked it out before.

Linking up to Sunday Stash over at Quiet Play this week!

Sunday Stash

Well Sunday is almost over, but I am going to write about the FANTASTIC mail day called Friday.  I swear the mailman keeps my packages until that day, because really that is the only day I get packages, weird huh!  It could be a conspiracy, that they want you to have a great weekend, nay, they aren't that considerate in Greece.

So on Friday my husband calls and says 2 packages have arrived, (we get our mail delivered to the business), I urgently told him "Well bring them up!"  He says one is at the post office we have to pick it up, it is from Holland, I say, "oh well that's from my fellow bee girl, she must have sent the letter and I have to sign for it."  The other is from Utah a place called Stitches and Giggles "yippee that's the charm packs I won".  He brought up the charm packs and I immediately ripped into it.

So cute a hand written quick note, her card and the 2 Charms!
The cost to mail.

A little less than 10 bucks, USPS First Class Mail International Flat, she paid for the shipping too!  What an awesome win from A Lovely Year of Finishes, if you have not linked up to their get your bum in gear goal setting parties, well you better start.

Boo Crew

Road 15

8 different prints- colors: black, cream, purple, orange and green

my favorite print, the little monster bash

9 different prints- 6 colors; black, grey, cream, teal, barn red and green

 I have 3 favorite prints in this collection, I actually kind of like all of them, the barn yard red and teal colors are nice the black, grey and off whites I totally didn't have before so they are pretty awesome too.

I'm calling this one the Park, not sure of the proper name.

Love the houses.

So then the kids and I went on our Friday excursion, it is always a experience going to the post office, I try not to go Friday's because this is when our town has market day and all of the outlaying village people come and they always crowd the super markets and other businesses.  But this Friday wasn't a last day of the month Friday so the post office wasn't to full.  And to get my kids cooperation we first went to our favorite coffee shop to pick up a "coffee" for them (okay it is hot chocolate, but I have them thinking they are getting a coffee like mama)
SO they were pretty good while waiting to get the letter from my bee girl Betty.  You see I am in the European Siblings Together bee and each month we make a block designated by the Queen bee out of our own stash.  For this month Betty the Queen bee wants the block made with reds, greens and neutrals, WELL, I got a problem there, I don't have any neutrals, NONE.  I told her I didn't have anything except Kona Snow and she said she would send me some, so I was thinking she would measure what was needed and send a letter.

In fact I had just used Kona Snow recently for a project and my son asked me why I was sewing with toilet paper, lol, I have really only used colored fabrics and only own colored fabrics.
UNTIL NOW!  LOOK WHAT BETTY SENT!  A BOX!

Filled not only with fabric, but with toys for the kids, how absolutely considerate, although I must admit both of my kids love fabric, so they always get just as excited as I do when some comes in.

bursting with fabrics and a lovely hand written card!

Katerina picked out her choices from the box

Katerina claimed hers (it was hugged several times and that is the reason it is so wrinkly) a fabric panel with a fairy, Nik wanted it to, because the fairy is surrounded by yellow flowers, his favorite color.  Lucky for me Betty sent some cute little skateboards that you can decorate with stickers.

he did the stickers by himself look how coordinated they are

 A whole bunch of fabric, some reds and greens and 2 layer cakes from a shop in the Netherlands.

And the promised neutrals, SWEET!

I now have more than enough neutrals to do several projects, it was so fun getting this surprise box.

I am really touched by her generosity, Thank you so much Betty, these fabrics will be petted and sewn with love.

Linking up to Sunday Stash at Finding Fifth

Q3- Finish A-Long

This will be my first time entering in the Finish Along, and hopefully if I complete my task it will be my second quilt finished, wish me luck!
I am going to finish my Hexagon Vespa Quilt, I would like to gift it to my brother and sister-in-law for Thanksgiving.

This is what was done in February:

I made this one and my "Get Your Hex On" Bee mates made the ones below, all so lovely, I am thinking of framing them in blue and making strings to connect them.  I am also thinking of making some Paper Pieced Vespas, just for fun.

 Also the last time I worked on my Coral color way Anchor quilt was in February and I need to finish that too, it's difficult to finish a quilt when it is so hot outside.

 This is as far as I have got on this one.

Quilts, Quilts, Quilts, fun, I hope I can get these guys done.

Linking to:

July Goals

Okay I wasn't going to do it, but really if I don't set my goals then I am just afraid things won't get done.

Plus I have been the lucky winner not only once but twice! for A Lovely Year of Finishes and both times from the lovely Lori at Stitches N' Giggles and seriously if you need charm packs you should check her store first not only does she have the best prices you will find but they are of the newest and most recent fabric lines.  This time I picked up a charm pack of Road 15 and Boo Crew, yes both lines from Sweetwater and the first time I will have purchased any fabric from them even though I have wanted too and even used to collect there Scrapbooking supplies.  And Stitches N' Giggles has daily deals that are always fun to check out, like layer cakes for $25.

So I thought it would be unfair to list my goals again, but if I don't will I get anything done?  I better not try and find out, I have to link up and so should you!  Have you

The button is on my side bar or you can click on this link to get to July's goal setting party, only the rest of today to link up.

So what am I doing this month nothing to big, I am participating in 2 swaps, no pictures will have to share those after they have arrived.

I am participating in Alyce's Simple ABC's QAL, fun, fun ,fun, no pictures yet of that either, maybe later today.

Let's see what else, oh yeah the big one, I am finally going to start putting together my hexagon vespa quilt.  How I am going to do it and what I am going to do is unknown.  This was my project for my "Get Your Hex On" Bee mates.  They did a wonderful job and now I have to find a way to put it all together.   I really don't think I will finish it this month, maybe the top?

My Block

Some of my bee mates blocks

I better get to the sewing machine while the kids are watching cartoons, really the only way I can get anything done.

Make sure to link up to A Lovely Year of Finishes or better yet A Year of Lovely Finishes.

Sunday Stash

My daughter and I got our Birthday package from my Mom this week, and in it was a little something for her and a little something for me.  It is only a month late, but that's my Mom, always belated but never forgotten.

The fabric I had actually purchased from a fabric shop in the States last November but their shipping charges are really really ridiculous at this shop, even to ship to my Mom who lives in the States it cost $8.00 when at any other shop the price would have been from $5 to $6.  But I really wanted a few yards of that Juggling Summer Print you see there and they were having a sale and it only cost $6.50 a yard and at the time this was a brand new released fabric line.

This little package includes the fabric to make the block that you see pictured, it was on sale for $5.50, not sure really why I bought it, except it was on sale and at the time I was totally into chevrons.
I also bought Bella Turquoise and once again have no idea what I wanted it for, after all it is 8 months after I bought the fabric.

Now the Juggling Summer I totally know what I want to do with it.  You see I had bought 2 charm packs from Vicki's Quilting Lodge (on sale, of course) before the fabric was even available in other stores.   So this is what I have so far.

The black print (she sent this in February with my son's birthday gift) is going to be used for the binding and the one on the bottom is for the backing, now my Mom just has to send the very last part of the original package sent to her so I can start this quilt.

Linking up this lovely package of fabrics to Sunday Stash over at Pretty Bobbins today.

Have you ever bought fabric and forgotten the reason WHY?
or are you just a Fabricoholic!

Mrs. Bobbins