Modern Quilt Guild of Ireland Christmas Swap

After several weeks making a Christmas table runner for my partner in the Modern Quilt Guild of Ireland Christmas Swap, this week was posting week and table runners have been winging their way across Ireland and landing on excited quilters' doormats.  I blogged about the runner I posted to Annette here.

On Thursday I arrived home to find that my swap parcel had landed!

 My partner took great pains to wrap my parcel beautifully

with several layers (just to keep me guessing).

And, here is the stunning table runner that was cosied up inside those layers.  Isn't it great?

I didn't waste any time getting it on to my table and in use.  I love the colours, the quirky fabrics and the fabulous fussy cuts that were included by Betsy Grey Crafts in the runner she made for me.  The whole things feels so fun and festive and got the seal of approval from my men too.

This last wee pic shows the wee yoyo Christmas tree decoration included in my parcel.  It's now hanging on our tree as a memory from the MQGI swap of 2013.

I am so delighted with this runner and cannot thank my swap partner enough for all the care and attention she took making it.

There will be many happy folks at the end of this swap and my smile is definitely as big as anyone's will be!

MQGI Christmas Table Runner Swap

The Modern Quilt Guild of Ireland's Christmas Table Runner Swap is posting at the beginning of next week.  Wanting to avoid a last minute panic (not pretty), I got my skates on last weekend and I'm all ready to find a plastic envelope and write the address on.  Would you like to see what I made before I parcel it up?

Okay, but first you have to sing along for a few seconds (tune: 12 days of Christmas, starting at day 3).  Here goes,

In the run up to Christmas

My partner sent to me

Four wonky stars

Two abstract trees

And a mill-i-on seams that she'd pressed!

Okay enough singing and yeah, I don't know what happened to 'three' either! ;-)

So after that nonsense, here's the runner for real:

I think it fits well with the likes/dislikes of my partner.  I felt like Santa checking that list and checking it twice in case I missed the bit where she said "no Christmas fabrics please" or "only red on pain of death".  But she was quite easy on me really.

I got a bit carried away with the angled shots because I actually really love this runner a lot and would happily keep it if my partner isn't fussed.

All my planning and maths worked out a treat and I even managed not to mess up a partial seam that I couldn't avoid (try as I might).  The full measurement is about 36" x 15". I finished it off with one of my favourite prints from Kate Spain's 'Joy' collection as the binding - others of her prints are in the trees - and a wee bit of outline hand quilting.

It was a real pleasure making this runner for my swap partner and when she finds her name under that wee bit of paper up there I do hope she'll enjoy it!

The swap includes sending a small tree decoration, so one of the little houses I made and showed you last week is destined for the parcel too.

Fingers crossed this will be happy mail for you partner!

Thanks to Sarah for organising the swap too!

MQGI Christmas Swap

It's been ages since I have been able to participate in a swap so when the Modern Quilt Guild of Ireland sent an email to say they were running a Christmas Swap I was easily persuaded.

1. Modern Christmas tablerunner at home, 2. Christmas Table Runner, 3. table runner, 4. Mod-Xmas-Runner-Sent-2012, 5. Christmas quilt!, 6. Christmas Tree Pillow_1, 7. Modern Christmas tablerunner 2012 - received, 8. Christmas gift pillow, 9. Christmas pinwheel, 10. Modern Christmas Tablerunner Swap - Finished!, 11. Modern Christmas Table Runner Finished!, 12. MCTR Finished Front


This is my inspiration mosaic for the flickr group.  The swap will be to make a Christmas table runner or table topper and one small tree decoration for our secret partners.  Just the sort of festive challenge to inject a bit of fun into the pre-Christmas madness.

If you are a quilter on the island of Ireland you are welcome to join with the swap fun too.  All the details can be found here but you'll need to hurry, sign ups close on Wednesday 6 November.