Sent, Received, Delivered - I'm Yours!

October was the month of Mouthy Stitches 2 and I can't believe that by early November I'm done!  It's not often that my flickr name is struck through in a swap SENT, RECEIVED DELIVERED so soon.

Yesterday, I felt like Dolly as I was working 9 - 5, okay more like 8.30 - 3.30 as a substitute teacher at the American school here. Clearly unused to a bit of hard labour I was pretty tired last night and enjoying the prospect of a quiet evening.  At around 6PM my husband arrived home carrying a box. "This came for you today", he said.  I looked at the label.  It was from my BFF, Di and could be only one thing, my tote and fob!

...and now I have my own blue soda pop tote and gorgeous fob! Di has pretty cool cards too.

Take a look at my inspiration mosaic for the swap.  Di knows me pretty well and I was thinking how she could not have read me better.  But actually Di says that she had decided what to make me before she even saw my mosaic.

Di comes across as sweet and as lovely as anything and she is the most talented quilter but trust her? Never again! When I saw the fabrics she had pulled for the tote as well as the the tote itself as Di posted progress pics on flickr, I was very excited and very positive in my comments and she threw me completely off the scent with comments like, "Oh I wish I could send it to you...my partner has been really quiet and I have no idea whether she likes it."  She's very very clever!

After days of rain, the sun has returned.  Doesn't the front look beautiful?

I love the fabrics, the soda pop design and the quilting!

Here's the beautiful back...and Di knows I love me some organic wavy quilting!

The tote feels really robust and it has a reinforced bottom (now, now).  The lining is gorgeous too and Di inserted a lovely inside zippered pocket.

...and see that lovely little label there?

A huge thank you to Di - I love love love my tote and shall carry it with pride! It's all the mores special because you made it.

My partner, the lovely Ali of Very Berry Handmade has received the tote and fob I made for her. I was delighted that swap mama Cindy assigned Ali as my partner.  Coincidentally (or not Cindy?), Ali made for me in Mouthy Stitches 1, when she made me this beautiful pouch which I use on a daily basis.  It was so lovely to return the favour although I was slightly daunted as Ali makes such amazing things.

So that's it. Sent, Received, Delivered.  Thank you to the lovely swap mamas Susan, Cindy and Hadley who were tested in their private lives but were relentlessly supportive and enthusiastic in the swap.  Put your feet up ladies but not for long...we are looking forward to Mouthy Stitches 3! Oh and a huge thank you to the Moroccan postal system - you did good!