My second Instagram Swap was the Christmas in July Swap 2015. As I just loooove Christmas (present wrapping, finding just the right present for people, spending time with family and friends and singing Christmas Carols oh and just about everything about the season!) I signed up quickly!
Then found out that I had @isabellagolightly26 – she of the Bilby fame – for my secret swap partner! Gulp! Intimidated much!?!
I had seen on IG that Susan (yes, her real name isn’t Isabella!) had been to my local fabric shop (Cotton Factory in Ballarat) the weekend before, so I headed in there to see if I could dig up some background for my swap. Lo and behold, whilst I was asking Alison (proprietress with style of Cotton Factory) whether she knew “The Bilby Lady” she smiled, pointed to the lady standing next to me and said ‘yes I do and this is her!’.
So much for me asking lots of questions ABOUT her! 🙂 [Susan is lovely by the way!]
Anyhoo….. I couldn’t decide what to make. A mini…… no. A bag…. no. Then DUH, my advent calendar! Perfect!
I had first made this advent calendar in 2002 (pic below) for my sister and her boys and then wrote up the pattern to sell through my mum’s craft business Elde Craft and sold it at the craft fairs that year. I also have made a couple more for family and friends over the years.
So I dug out the pattern and had a read. O.M.G. my pattern writing skills back then (and it has to be said, my quilting/sewing skills) were abysmal. To anybody who bought that pattern back in 2002 I APOLOGISE!
I completely re-thought the pattern and made it charm square and jelly roll compatible, dug out all my xmas fabric and started auditioning (my favourite part!)
I decided on mainly Jingle by Kate Spain and Be Jolly by Deb Strain. By this time however, time had been ticking by and I realised I wasn’t going to make the deadline just sewing after work hours and fitting it in between things on weekends… so I took a week and a half off work and got stuck in!
And finally my finished Advent Calendar.
I sent it off to Susan along with lots of fun extra goodies and then held my breath waiting for her to receive it. NERVOUS MUCH!?!?!
Well.. I think by all the posts and exclamation marks in @isabellagolightly26 posts, I think she liked it 🙂
Which gave me the confidence to re-release the pattern (with lots more photos and explanations and cutting sizes!!) so stay tuned folks…. it is coming soon!
