1. Untitled, 2. Quilt top done., 3. warms + cools baby quilt, 4. Macaron Top, 5. Finished pillow top for my niece - not sure yet how I'm going to quilt it., 6. Radiant Circles, finished, 7. Shape Shifter blocks ~April, 8. do good stitches Hope, 9. Seeing Red Quilt

Every week I go through my favorite photos on Flickr, and choose nine sewing/quilting related projects to showcase here. These photos and projects are not my own, you can find the original images and creators by clicking the coordinating links! If for any reason you do not want your project featured here, please email me and I'll remove it!

Happy Friday!

Five Tips for a Successful Craft Swap Experience

There are lots of great craft swaps happening these days, especially on Instagram. It's also common to see swaps organized for quilt retreats and quilt guild meetings too. I've participated in a number of swaps over the years, so I thought I'd share my top five tips for having a successful craft swap experience!

1. Be Flexible

Generally in a swap you get paired with someone (who you may or may not know) and are asked to provide a list of things you like and dislike. Keep an open mind and make it easy on your partner by being easy to please. You want your swap partner to have just as much fun as you, so let's avoid the stress of being super specific. Share your favorite colors, describe your style, and maybe make a Pinterest board or mosaic. It's cool to receive something you wouldn't necessarily make for yourself. That's really half the fun!

2. Try Something New

I like to take the opportunity to try something different when I'm working on a swap. Maybe a new technique or style, depending on my partner's tastes. I always tend to want to do something extra special for swaps, which can be a good thing and a bad thing. Be realistic about what you can complete within the given time frame and what kind of expectations you are going to have for what you receive.

3. Practice Good Swap Etiquette

Swap etiquette is really important. Try your best to abide by whatever guidelines you are given and be timely. If you are unable to meet the deadline or simply cannot finish out the swap, let the organizer know as soon as possible. Communication is key! Things happen, but be considerate and take responsibility for it.

4. Go a Little Overboard

I think the hardest part of a swap is knowing just how much to make/send. Sometimes there are very specific guidelines on what is appropriate but other times it it is up to you to make that decision. My gut feeling is usually to go a little overboard but not by too much. You want your partner to feel excited but not embarrassed!

5. Have Fun

My last bit of advice is to just have fun. I try to pull my enjoyment from the making and giving, and I find this helps keep my happy with whatever I receive in return!


Be sure to check out Stitch 'N Swap. It's super cute, and I happen to have a project in it. That's my pincushion project on the cover! It's one of 25 projects in the book that are perfect for swapping along with tips and tricks for organizing and participating in swaps.

Behind the Scenes: Sweet Meadow Print

Happy Tuesday! It's time for another Behind the Scenes post for Dreamin' Vintage! You can find the first post here. The collection is arriving this week, so look for it at your favorite shops! Today I am excited to share the story of my very favorite print I've ever designed! Let's chat about the Sweet Meadow print!


This was the first print that I designed for the collection and also the most involved print.  I wanted to design it first because A. I knew exactly what I wanted it to look like, and B. I wanted to be able to pull elements from this print into the rest of the collection. 


I spent about a week just drawing different types of flowers. I would sit down when I had a minute or two and sketch 10 or so flowers/shapes of the same type. I use a Wacom digital tablet and Adobe Illustrator to draw directly into the computer for all my hand drawn fabric designs. Here is one of my sketches for this print, where I have lots of different elements going on at once.  Also, I love to draw outside the artboard, haha.


The inspiration for this print is from my absolute favorite fabric of all time.  It's a vintage quilting cotton from my Mom's fabric stash.  So ridiculously good.  There is a meadow filled with flowers and animals.  I knew I wanted to do something similar with this print! I of course still love the original version, but I love the way mine turned out too.  It still has the same feel, but it's different!

I only have a small scrap with no selvedge information, if anyone knows anything about this print or has any to spare, please let me know! :)


I looked to other small vintage florals from my stash too when I worked on this print.  There are so many good ones out there!


Sweet Meadow in Rose.


Sweet Meadow in Orchid.


If you're a shop interested in carrying Dreamin' Vintage, it can be ordered through Art Gallery Fabrics.  Find your sales rep here, or call toll-free (888) 420-5399.

Happy Sewing!

Happy Easter Bunday!

Happy Easter from George the Easter Bunny and I! :)


"What are you looking at?"


"Are there any real carrots around?"


"Get out of here, I haven't hidden the eggs yet!"


"Seriously, where are the carrots?"


"Hmm, what is all this silly stuff?"


"Get me out of here, I was alseep!"


Thought you might like to see a behind the scenes shot, haha! I'm sure my neighbors think I'm a crazy person :)

Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy Easter!