Textile ATC swap

I think even slow blogging is too fast for me - maybe I should become a periodically-hibernating-through-the year blogger?

I have however been sewing a little and knitting (I've nearly finished a pair of socks - woohoo!). I even managed to knit on the Tube last week - no photographic evidence I'm afraid. I thought it might look a bit too weird, taking a photo of myself knitting a sock on the Tube.You know, there is an upside to a general lack of crafting in public - if I manage to lose a stitch marker or something at one of my children's swimming lessons, I always get it back. Apparently no other parent knits/crafts during the swimming lessons.

I've recently signed up for Ali of very Berry Handmade's Artist trading Card swap. It is my first ever swap and I'm very nervous. I also know that I can't guarantee crafting time, so a 2.5in x 3.5in textile card sounded a perfect way to dip my toe in the water. The theme is "New" and so I decided to try a new technique - foundation paper piecing. Actually make that miniature foundation paper piecing.

When I placed it under the machine to sew the first seam, I realised that maybe I should have thought about it a little harder. Gulp. This looks hard!

 Well I decided that I had nothing to lose except some time, a little thread and some small pieces of fabric. Nothing ventured, nothing gained as, mm, someone said.

Here it is in all it's untrimmed glory:

I'm not going to trim it until I marry it up with the other part of the front of the card - and I haven't made that yet. I'm also not sure about the fabrics - the green "tendrils" on the centre square look a bit like I've left loose threads on it, and the Art Gallery ovals don't seem to "go".

Stay tuned for part 2 - er to be broadcast on some unspecified date in the future.