Oh man, I just loooove swaps. It’s always so much fun, ‘stalking’ my swap partners blog, pulling together a package of things I think (hope!) they’ll like, and sending it off to them.
And then the other part of the fun – getting a swap package in the mail, often from far away!
Lots of fun. 🙂
So yeah, I find it kind of hard to pass up the opportunity to be involved in a swap. (And there have been a few happening lately, so please ‘scuse my happy-excited posts showing off all my swap goodies!)
I’ve been running a swap myself, as part of the Sew Weekly reunion. This one was all about patterns and notions – sending a pattern and three notions to your swap partner. And my parcel has just arrived, all the way from Bea in the UK! I had so much fun unwrapping this, exclaiming over all the pretty, pretty things Bea sent me.
Check out this bundle of happiness:
- 5 70cm long white zips (great for making dresses!)
- A nice long length of pretty purple lace (which happens to be a match for one of the colours in the reunion challenge palette – yay!)
- Gorgeous vintage notions from Bea’s French grandmothers stash (I feel like I’m holding an exotic piece of history!). Four things that look like buttons, but Bea thinks may be intended to be cufflink-sets. And two larger disks that appear to be belt buckles
- And for the pattern – Bestway C.493, a gorgeous dress with a square neckline, centre-front panel, short sleeves, and a full skirt (pleated at the waist). I love that bodice, with the panel and the square neckline. 🙂 (Although, what do you think the model is doing? Holding an imaginary box of chocolates, maybe??)
Here’s a closer look at the pattern. (I’m going to be hunting through my stash this week to choose something to make it in!)
It was all wrapped up, along with a lovely handwritten note, in a UK tea towel, with the added fun of lots of handwritten notes attached to places where Bea has lived or spends a lot of time, giving me a little story all about her – so much fun to read! (And a little heart brooch as well. 🙂
Thank you so much, Bea! I love it all, and am already concocting plans for the pattern (plans which involve the lace, even, haha!)
I hope all of you who have been participating in the swap have been enjoying it as much as I have! 🙂
Modern Vintage Cupcakes 
The bodice on that dress would look awesome on you! What a fun parcel in the post 🙂
Oh my what a fab gift! Love the pattern. It is gorgeous. Can’t wai to see it made up.
Ooh , lucky lady! Must be a lot of fun! And I totally think the model is going “I’m telling you, it was thiiiis big!”
I’m still impressed at how quickly a parcel can fly from one side of the world to the other! I’m glad you like the pattern, it was my first foray into acquiring vintage sewing patterns, and I thought it was really pretty.
I’m really enjoying the swap- I loved putting your package together, I Ioved receiving my swap parcel, I loved reading about what you thought of the goodies I got you, and I’m loving reading about what everyone else has sent out/received. I can’t wait to do this all over again!
What a lovely parcel and the hand written note is just awesome. Those buttons are so cute.
Thank you so much for organizing such a fun swap! I received my package – I can’t believe you have to keep all of this secret! How do you not just explode with excitement!
That dress pattern is divine! can’t wait to see you make it