Secret Santa Swap

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I just wrapped up my first gift swap and I can now say, it wasn't nearly as scary or stressful as I thought it would be. I've always been pretty intimidated by all the online swaps, scared that my partner wouldn't like what I sent. But Amy talked me into her Twitter Secret Santa Swap, basically because it was a $15 limit and everyone wasn't required to include a handmade item.

I received Cajame Creations for my partner. It was fun because we don't have the exact same style, so I was pushed to do a bit of research (ahem - blog stalking) to see what she would like.

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Since our price limit was low and I wanted to get a lot of bang for my buck, I headed to Etsy to find a fabric scrap pack. I knew she liked shabby chic and bright colors, and I found a great set of Jennifer Paganelli and Paula Prass fabric. I also included a few colors of baker's twine, because, well come on, you can't have enough baker's twine!

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She also had recently posted about her "bucket list" and one of the items was buying a camper and traveling across Europe. So, I decided to make her a little mini quilt to (one day) decorate the dream camper.

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This embroidery pattern is from Sublime Stitching. I used some of the fabric scraps I bought her for the mini as well.

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The secret partner who had me was Amber! You can probably imagine my joy at seeing a package at my door from Hawaii and knowing it must be from Amber.

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She really did a perfect job on my gift. She sent me fabric and the new Doll Quilts book - both of which I didn't have! She sent a Hawaiian Christmas book for my kids (they LOVE it), a calendar so I don't forget the million things I have planned, some Hawaiian themed mints...but most beautifully she made me a wonderful necklace which my daughter promptly stole from me! I love it all Amber, thank you so much. :)

I really enjoyed the swap, I definitely think I will be doing one again. I think the best part was knowing that the recipient would be someone who would appreciate a handmade gift.