Awhile back, this cute little button appeared on my blog.  And, though I wanted to, I didn't have a moment to spare to tell you about the Pretty {little} Pouch Swap.  My friend, Michelle, twisted my arm that I had better play along.  Just kiddin.  Really, I was enticed by dreams of a metal clasp pouch of my very own....

Most swaps are managed on Flickr.  Those that participate must have an active Flickr account, which just means that you occasionally upload photos of your sewing into your Flickr photostream.  The organizers of the swap create a Flickr group and those that want to join the swap join the Flickr group, fill out an entry form and create a inspiration mosaic.

Here's mine:



Most swaps are blind swaps - so you have no idea who will make something for you.  The organizers assign you a partner that you stitch for, your partner is assigned to someone else, etc.  The inspiration mosaic gives the person who is creating your gift a good idea of what you'd like to receive.  Also, the entry form includes crucial info like your favorite colors, any strong dislikes, etc. As you can see, my inspiration mosaic is full of color and contains just a few metal clasp pouches.  Hint, hint....

So, I haven't received my swap gift yet, but today I sent out what I made for my partner.  Here's what I started with, prompted by her notes on favorite colors and fabrics:



See that? A regular zipper! I had never done one before, which is another great thing about swaps - you stretch yourself.  Before I had chosen fabrics, I stopped by Hancocks to pick up zippers.  They weren't on sale.  Those buggers cost $2 each!  And, since I didn't know what color I'd want, I bought 6 for $12, figuring I'd like a few at home for future projects.



And then I got to thinking - $2 each, really?  On I went to Etsy to see if I could find a better deal.  Oh, yes, so much!  At Zipit, I could buy 25 zippers in an enticing rainbow of colors for $12 including shipping.  That's 50 cents each!  So, you know exactly what I did.  And I'm glad to have a nice selection of zippers on hand, because driving to the store to spend $2 on a zipper is not my idea of a great way to start any project.  Zipit has lots of zippers in sizes from short to long. But, they don't have invisible zippers. That would be a good addition!

On to the pouch making.  Here's what I came up with for my partner.



And the other side.



It's a simple 9-patch pouch design from Rashida's book I Love Patchwork. Thanks, Rashida, for walking me through my first regular zipper. It worked out just fine!



Lined with a cotton duck "premier print" d andelion fabric from Fabric.com. Great as a sturdy lining! By the way, Fabric.com says to wash in "mild detergent" and let air dry these premier print fabrics. Despite their warning, I decided to prewash like normal, including a machine dry. Can't tell that a thing happened, folks.



And finished with a cutie zipper pull made by Zipit.   I hope my partner likes it!



Snuck in a little extra something  (coasters, hand-quilted) that I thought she might like too.

So, that's my outgoing swap. Can't wait to get my package! I'm glad I got this mailed first though, so that I can completely enjoy my surprise when it arrives. If you'd like to join in, check out the Pretty {little} Pouch Swap page. I believe they're planning on another round open to new members!