Showing you my "busyness"

My last post in November was a quick summary sharing my "busyness". So today I'm bringing you up-to-date with photo's.

Here are the "heart swap blocks" that we swapped in our local patchwork group. On the yahoo DJAlternateGroup, they had a "heart-to-heart" swap at the beginning of the year, which I didn't have time to join in. When our patchwork group talked about what swap project we could do this year, I suggeseted "hearts"!! Which they all liked.

Every two months we swapped them out.

The first month was machine pieced hearts, the second was applique hearts,

the third was embroidered hearts and the fourth was crazypatch hearts.

Each lady gave their preferred colours. It was just amazing to see the same hearts done in different colours. Everyone just loved this swap and want to do something similiar next year.

The next two posts I share about the Centenary Quilt and my daughter's knitted blanket.

Why Swaps and Giveaway?

I've been pondering for a while, why we like swaps and giveaways.

One reason, is some of us, make many things and give as gifts, but often don't have friends or family who do the same in return. So swapping is one way of getting a "special hand made gift" we haven't made, but someone else has invested time into. We therefore appreciate the time and effort gone into it. Whereas when we make something, we're with it the whole process until it's complete - so getting a completed swap/gift in the mail is something special.

I'm swapping in different ways. In our local patchwork group we're swapping heart blocks every two months. We've done machine pieced hearts and appliqued hearts; the next swap is embroidered hearts and finishing off with crazy-patch hearts. I've swapped DJ blocks for fabric and other things.

You can read and see a photo at the bottom of Pam's post here of what I sent her recently.

Sometimes I reach out to someone just for the pleasure and offer to do something, maybe because it's something they can't do or would like to finish.

Then giveaways, there are so many wonderful and generous crafters and bloggers, so many things I would love to have, but the "dice" hasn't fallen my way yet!!

Giveaways are another form of giving, almost a "Pay-It-Forward" thing. Talking of "Pay-It-Forward" I've been working on my gifts that I promised. But I can't show any pictures yet.

Tell me why you like swaps and giveaways. Or if you can think of any other ideas as to why swaps are appreciated.

GIVEAWAYS

So here are two more giveaways.

Frummie is have a "Two 2 yard Giveaway"

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Lurline is have a "Regency Dandy Giveaway"