The Party Goes On! More Stitch 'n Swap Coming Your Way…

By Vicki Tymczyszyn

So, when I first learned that we (the GenQ staff and friends) were going to do a book on swaps, I was so excited! Not just because I had some ideas, but I couldn’t wait to see what else our friends had up their sleeves. You see, I’ve been involved with quilt guilds for 23+ years, and it seems there is always someone wanting to start a swap, and I need some simple, go-to projects.

To brainstorm about my swap projects for the book, I thought about what I would like to receive. (Because, yes, it truly is all about me…lol!) I also kept teachers in mind, because long ago, I made quilts for each of my children’s teachers from kindergarten through 5th grade. That is a tough habit to keep up, though,  when they enter middle school and high school–14 teachers for two kids…Yikes!  So I began thinking about what a teacher would want. (I mean, how many coffee mugs can one person use, anyway?) Coffee mugs! Wait! There must be something I could do with all those mugs my husband and I have received from teaching religious education for the past 20+ years.)

Hot Drink Pouches by Vicki Tymczyszyn. Photo courtesy of C & T Publishing

So, I came up with the idea of coffee or tea holders. You can give the holder with a mug or alone. They are great for taking your favorite beverage with you when traveling. See the Hot Drink Pouches on page 36 of the book. Restaurants never have my favorite teas when I go out, anyway. And now that Starbucks has those great little Via packs, we need a way to take them along as well (plus there are pockets for sweeteners or creamers).

But, back to the mugs. Why not dress up my favorite mug with its own organizer? Put that coffee mug to work, as it were. Hence, the Coffee Cup Tool Caddy  on page 27.

French press cozy by Vicki Tymczyszyn. Photo courtesy of C & T Publishing

And finally, keeping with the hot drink theme, my sisters-in-law have been asking for cozies for their French coffee presses for years! See page 38, French Pressed for Pleasure.

These projects are all great accompaniments to coffee/tea-themed gift baskets or as gifts for the coffee/tea-drinking friends in your mini-group, quilting bee or as saleable product for your guild boutique. They’re all easy, fast and inexpensive because you can use up scraps from a project or specially chosen fat quarters to make it special.

About Vicki: Vicki began sewing when dinosaurs roamed the earth, or so her children think. She sewed garments for 25 or so years before discovering quilting and has since made way too many to count. (Not that she can’t count. It’s just that it didn’t occur to her when she began that so many people would ask that question.) She likes all needlecraft and has spent countless hours embroidering, cross-stitching, needlepoint and knitting. She’s recently decided to take up crochet, but that’s another story. When she’s not working the needles, she’s doing technical edits for Generation Q Magazine.

About the book: Stitch ‘n Swap releases May 19, 2014. It has 112 pages filled with 25 projects from amazing designers and get this–it’s only $17.95. Pre-order now through C & T Publishing, or UPDATE: PREORDERS BEGIN TODAY!!! Woohooo! $17.95 + $6 shipping on our website.  Autographed copies will be available! How cool is that?!

About the party list: Join the festivities! Over the next 3 weeks, our fellow contributors will be sharing their favorite bits of the book, tips on hosting a Stitch ‘n Swap or other glimmers about their design process.

Blog Party week 1: Jeni Baker, Anne Deister, Emily Herrick, Sam Hunter, Lynn Kraus

Thanks for coming to the party, and don’t forget to visit our fellow party-hounds!

Our Amazing Contributors!
Jeni Baker
Carrie Bloomston
Karen Cunagin
Anne Deister
Jake Finch
Victoria Findlay Wolf
Michelle Freedman
Linda Hansen
Scott Hansen
Emily Herrick
Rose Hughes
Sam Hunter
Heather Jones
Kevin Kosbab
Lynn Kraus
Tracy Mooney
Melissa Peda
Vicki Tymczyszyn
Elaine Wong Haselhuhn

Quilt, sew, live, breathe!