Raggiemom, thanks so much for the links. I love all of them and plan on making the thread catcher and car bag sometime this weekend. Probably for the quilt along thats here on the board. I'm so excited about some of the ideas that I have recieved so far and my shopping list is getting longer.LOL

all right, now that you put the spot on me, time to turn it around :p
i love going to the dollar tree and getting silly little stuff, you know, like a bag of sparkly pom poms or a bag of wiggly eyes-pr even fun stuff like a beach ball, or a flamingo, it IS summertime, or something silly, or fat quarters, i absolutely adore the stilletto you made for me!! you know, i like little stuff too, a roll of batting tape, thats awesome stuff if you havent tried it. a teeny paper pieced pattern is fun as well,
hugz you
katz

I just happen to think of this. I have met so many people on the board and swapped with I think about 50 different people so far. What about an address book to with keep those addresses straight. My aim to keep track of all of them somehow and when xmas rolls around try to get a card out to everyone of them. Thats a goal although at the rate Im going my wallet just may have a different opinion when it comes time to buy all those stamps. May a ecard instead, same concept but still need to book to keep all those email addresses in.LOL

It has been a wonderfully thrilling experience to receive little extras. Some of the things I have received include note paper, pens, pretty pencils, awesome coupons for free items like coffee, burgers and ice cream, extra blocks, and little squares of fabric. Some just include a small encouraging note of things that are happening in their lives, or their experiences with the fabric or black. I treasure them all.
I have enjoyed every single thing, and some I use, some i haven't. I keep them all in a little drawer. When I need a smile or a bit of encouragement, I simply open the drawer, and take a glance at all the items that were given with the amazing spirit of friendship and a love of quilting......and it realize I can go on another day, no matter what.

Cowquiltergirl, your post gave me a wonderful idea. For the larger swaps like secret pal and such, A quilters hope chest. For all those things that one wants to cherish but may not have the room to stash them all in a drawer or shelf. Thanks, its also a wonderful way to enclose all the item when mailing them sorta like a treasure chest when they open the mail. LOVE IT.

Could someone PLEASE tell me what a stiletto is?? I always thought it was a very high narrow heel!!

http://www.quiltingboard.com/attachm...1-dsc02295.jpg This is a stiletto. I use them to hold down my seams so they dont get flipped when going under my presser foot. I also use them for anything that requires me to put my fingers where i dont want them like when ironing tiny seam allowances.

I've been making key fobs. I'm using fabric to match the person's interest/color etc. Really came out cute and I'm keeping some for me!

I like Fabulous folded bags by Desiree Designs and I can put all sorts of things in them, or even nothing in them. The Jiffy Casserole Carriers are also nice to make and super easy and quick.

i have found pincushions and thread catchers are great gifts that you can make. if you happen to send a swapper a pincushion who doesn't collect them, pincushions make great recycle gifts.:) i made many a small thread catcher for other swappers but never one for myself. so my threads ended up on the floor or piled up on my ironing board. i have finally made one for me but need a small one at my ironing board too. also those big pincushion thread catchers are great handmade gifts.

fabric boxes or trays would make good gifts. i don't know about other quilters but i have plenty of stuff in my sewing area such as tailor's chalk, extra bobbins, pkgs of machine needles, glue sticks, seam gauges, rotary cutters, etc. and it helps to have something decorative to put these things in. right now i have them in large yogurt containers. it would be nice to be able to see the things in these containers.:)

needle cases are another handmade gift i have found useful. i didn't know i needed one until someone gifted one to me. i keep all of my hand sewing needles in it threaded with the floss i use to close up my pincushions or other hand sewing i do. now my hand needled don't have an opportunity to get lost in my pincushion. :thumbup:

potholders and hot pads are another great handmade gift. most of us use them in our kitchens. and i am not talking about making them to fit into someone kitchen decor but making something fun like the cupcakes, chickens/hen, microwave finger mitts and many other fun patterned or shaped ones. i made a pair of the microwave mitt ones for a swap partner and she said they were a prized possession in her kitchen. i need a pair for myself but just have gotten around to making my own so my fingers still get burned taking dishes out of my microwave. go figure. the microwave fabric bowls another good handmade.

if you're buying things then note cards(many of us in swaps send plenty of note cards with our swaps), note pads, glue sticks (a quilter's good friend), machine needles (i had a week where i broke several so needed replacements), rotary blades, permanent fabric pens, hand sanitizer (i use plenty of this especially when working with unwashed fabrics), packages of light weight interfacing, fusible web (for applique), seam rippers as i have heard swappers say they always misplace them (i use embroidery scissors not rippers). these are just somethings i can think of quickly.

btw i really like your stilettos so if you get my name in a swap, i would be a happy recipient.:D also i think scissor fobs are great handmades. i went to a quilt class at my lqs and had to watch my small scissors like a hawk. i forgot to distinctively mark them & a coupla participants misplaced theirs. ooh also the small hair twists work great as bobbin or thread keepers. you can get a bag of 300 for $1.00 at family dollar stores. plenty to parcel out to swap pals.

mary