Sewing Blogger Secret Gift Swap

Recently, I participated in a secret gift swap with a group of sewing blogger friends. We've done this once or twice before, but this year, we decided to wait a few weeks after the holidays to exchange our gifts.

Here's how the secret gift swap works. Those who want to participate sign up and provide information on their favorite colors, fabric shops, or other useful information (like favorite chocolate). Then a designated organizer (that was me this time) uses a random method to assign each person someone from the list to make a gift for (the recipient).  Everyone gets a couple of months to decide what to make or buy and then ship it off to their recipient, but not before sharing a few little sneak peeks of the gift first! The recipient doesn't discover who sent the gift until it arrives.

We all love getting gifts in the mail, so it's a fun, fairly inexpensive way to brighten the day of a friend or even a stranger. My friends and I have gotten to know each other pretty well over the last few years, and the gifts we all exchanged with each other really showed that this time!

Secret Santa Gift Swap

I got together with a few friends for a Secret Santa Gift Swap recently, and this is what arrived in the mail for me!

Stacey from Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy! sent me this amazing gift filled with all the things I like!  She sent pretty fabric by Anna Maria Horner with a matching purple zipper...

and this fabulous leather--yes, I said leather--clutch that she made using See Kate Sew's Tutorial.

She even threw a little treat inside the bag for my children--lots of lollipops!  I would have shared a picture of those, but the kids quickly confiscated them!

Thank you so much, Stacey!  I look forward to using the clutch and to making something wonderful with the beautiful fabrics and zipper.

Oh, and just a little side note.  Stacey just released her first ever pdf pattern for sale TODAY--the Bond Top Pattern! Congratulations!  Be sure to show her some support and check it out!

Check back tomorrow to see what I sent my Secret Santa recipient.  I liked it so much that I made one for myself, too!

Are you participating in any fun holiday gift swaps?  If so, I'd love to hear about it!  Happy holidays!