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Tuesday 10 January 2012

Anybody ready for a SWAP??

Ladies, there's a new swap in town, and now is the time to reveal all!

For months, my dear bloggy friends Susan, Cindy and I have been chatting away, plotting and scheming, and now the Christmas makery and New Year excitement has passed, it's the perfect time for a swap to share the love with a stranger!

We have called this venture Mouthy Stitches.


The clue is in the name; we are aiming for a chatty, actively creative, fun and friendly flickr-based group.

Obviously it won't be much of a mystery swap if there are only the 3 of us, so please come and join in!

I suppose you need to know what you could be letting yourself in for this round, (yes, we are thinking long-term here!), we are having a:

Zippy Purse & Scrap FQ Swap.

A purse, by my definition might be what you call a pouch, or a clutch or a wristlet.  We are not talking a full handbag, more something to hold a little money, cards and phone when you pop out, or maybe to keep some hand sewing gubbins, or your pens and pencils safe in style just like these...


You will be assigned one partner to make for, but they will not know you are making for them, likewise you will not know who is making for you.

We also want to limit the 'extras' which are customary with such swaps, to a simple fat quarter of scraps, be that 2 fat eighths or 20 smaller pieces; you should ONLY send those, along with a handwritten message.  We want the purse to be the focus, and no competition or anxiety about what else to send.

This swap is open to international participants, so you must be prepared to make and send to someone anywhere else in the world.

What you need to do:
  • Join the flickr group here and express an interest in the sign up thread.
  • You MUST then complete the sign up questionnaire, signing over the rights to your children, car, home and more scarily, fabric stash, should you renegue on the swap rules.
  • You MUST also post a photo mosaic in the group pool.
  • This part must be completed and uploaded by Sunday 22nd January.  NB sign ups may close sooner if we reach over 90 swappers before the 22nd.
  • Partners will be assigned and notified by Sunday 29th January.
  • Posting must be during the window Saturday 25th to Wednesday 29th February.
That gives a month to stalk, ponder and make for your partner.

In the meantime if you do not have any zips, or need to practice, maybe get a bundle ordered from Zipit or any other retailer you prefer - pick a multi-colour bundle and there's bound to be one to match your partner's loves.

Please feel free to add discussion threads about great deals, tutes and patterns or ask any questions in the flickr group even before the making starts.

Please note, we want this, above all, to be fun and stress-free.  We do not approve of silent partners, we want Mouthy Stitchers.  We do not want anyone worrying that theirs is the partner who hasn't uploaded any pictures or commented on any of the marvellous creations that we are hoping will appear.  We want to have a laugh, inspire each other and produce beautiful, thoughtful makes that our partners will love.

You do not have to comment on every picture or thread BUT you will be expected to join in, plot your progress and to let your swap mama know if anything is conspiring against you as early as you can.  If you prefer to work quietly, without any interaction, this is probably not the swap group for you.

Susan, Cindy and I will be cracking our whips if we think you have gone AWOL!

If February is not a good month for you, or you already know you cannot make and post in the above time-frame, don't worry, we want to run regular swaps, so you can join the next one.

Think carefully if you have commitments that may impact your ability to meet the requirements, if you have unpredictable computer access or are off on your holidays.  Please do not leave it until the last minute to start making, that's common sense; life happens, we do understand that, but 'sloppy swappers' will have their cards marked and may be excluded from further swaps if they don't play fair!

Do you think the power is going to my head?

Well what are you waiting for?   Please come and join the fun, you know you want to, and we want you too xxx

29 comments:

  1. oh i want to join up but i am so swamped right now. i promise i will be in for the next round!

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  2. Sounds like fun! I am keen as a bean! But have no clue how to make a mosaic!

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  3. I'm in honey! I figure I'm a gobby cow so should fit right in :-)

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  4. he he, I'm in, I'm always stalking Flikr! A seasoned Gob Swapper!

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  5. Lovely idea Hadley. I am crying ... all my crafting stuff is packed away, the decorators and carpet fitters are here and my sewing room will not be completed for a few weeks!!! I would LOVE to join in but dare not ... maybe within a few days things will look more positive so will check again. Good luck to you all anyway. xx

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  6. I'm in! It looks like its now or never to sort my fear of zippers out :)

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  7. I'm in bossy mama! Wouldn't dare say no to you ! Jxo

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  8. Well, I've been sworn off swaps for about the last 8 months but how can I resist this one? See you in the flickr pool!

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  9. Their house, their car and their fabric stash we want if they renegade on their swap commitment - but are you sure we want their children?!

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  10. I'm scared to say no!
    Actually, I'm delighted to say yes please!!:)

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  11. As much as I would like to do this, I can't do this one and a brown mini quilt too. I would never have the time to get everything done. I thought when I joined this Flickr group I was joining the brown swap thing....would someone please direct me accordingly!!!

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  12. Yes please! This I can do...! Woohoo..

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  13. This sounds like such a fab swap! I hope there is a round two because it is with regret that I adorn my sensible hat and sit this round out.
    Nuts!

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  14. Oh Hadley, I want to join in! I so want to, the problem I have is that im off to Australia that week so im going to have to sit this round out :-( I have joined the group though so I can chat along with you. Hopefully I can jump into the next round

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  15. Ok now I'm thinking of you three in Emma Peel outfits cracking your whips! Oooh I'm scared! But I am joining in...LOL!

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  16. would love to join in ... however I KNOW I cannot manage it this month...JUST too much going on! Will be lookin gout for next post xx good luck x

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  17. Count me in - only when I haven't got a migraine because I will probably put something stupid on the sign up form through my head currently being at war with the rest of me x

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  18. I ran off and joined the swap before I had even finished reading your blog entry. I think I may have gotten a tad over excited. Yay zippy purses!

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  19. Oh my, a swap with whips and chains! Oh I so want in, but I also have to be sensible this round (damnit!) as I've a pile of other stuff on, but hopefully next round the mania of the new years swaps/sew alongs will have died down!

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  20. do I dare? I think i do. Can you count me in please?

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  21. oooh, ooh, tempting, but I'm scared of zips, are there any purses without zips? (Benta on daughter's computer!)

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  22. Oh no....I so, so, SO want to do this swap but realistically I just can't do another swap in Feb :-( WIll be watching from the sidelines cheering you on and fingers crossed for the next round!

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  23. Ive joined. I thought that I had missed all the swaps.....happy days!

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  24. I like a control freak! Off to jump in.

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  25. Sounds like you're the iron fist in the velvet glove!! Have fun - I'll be cheering from the sidelines!

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