For the past three to four years I have wanted to get some chickens. I don’t know that I particularly like them. I might actually be a little bit afraid of them. The chicks are cute, but when they are grown, I don’t know, what if they peck me. I really want them for the eggs. I think it would be so fun to gather your own eggs. Maybe this is a silly “city girl” fantasy, but I have it just the same. I bake a lot, especially pies; I can just imagine my business card saying pies made from scratch with fresh eggs. Well this swap just sounded like fun – Chicken Lovin’ Hot Mama’s. Of course I would want to join it.

I have been watching Val’s swaps for a while now just waiting to be brave enough to make an apron to give away. I don’t know that I was quite brave enough this time, but I sure had fun. Before I talk about all the fun I had with my end of things lets just skip to the best part - Opening my package.

I love getting mail! I just about have the mailman timed to the minute of when he will be at my house. I don’t know why, usually it is just bills, but I am like Steve and Blue from Blue’s Clues. ♪♫“Here’s the mail, it never fails, it makes me want to wag my talk, when it comes I want to wail –MAIL!”♫♪ Recently my mailman has thrown me all out of sorts. He is now delivering my mail about 4 ½ hours earlier. Yesterday, my son had an appointment and then we were going to be heading to the big city to do some shopping at the fabric store (of course). But I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t go from the appointment straight out of town. I had to swing by the house first just in case my package was they. Now you guessed it – it was there! I was super excited. I don’t know how some people can have the control to take a picture of the box, then a picture of it first opened, then a picture of the first layer, then a picture of…, then a picture of …, etc. I just ripped into it and started touch and feeling and ohhing and ahhing. (It wasn’t until today that I took my pictures).

Thank you Amy!

She sent me a stack of recipes, it might take me weeks to try them all; a neat wooden pen and key chain; some cute spring band aids, which will come in handy with my two sons and my daughter who plays like a boy; a fun bundle of fabric, which I can not wait to use; some fun hand made cards with little chicks on the border; two pot holders, that beautifully match my apron; and my apron ...

It is a purple base with tags all over it that have the names of spices on them (thyme, lavender, caraway, chives and sage). It has yellow gingham pockets and neck straps. Amy said she was having a hard time finding chicken fabric that she liked so she embroidered some chickens in a nest with eggs and the words “farm fresh” on both of the pockets. Purple happens to be my favorite color and my kitchen is all pale yellow. The apron couldn’t have fit me better. Did I mention I am super jealous of her embroidery machine? That is on my wish list for the future.

The apron flares out on the bottom which may be perfect for collecting eggs in someday? (Now I hope you are not looking too closely – yes, that is me in my jammies this morning) What a fun package to open.

I really enjoyed getting her package together too. She posted about it here, but I wanted to add a few other photos.

Since it was a "Chicken Lovin'"Swap there needed to be chickens on her apron.  I decided to make her a half apron with lots of fun colors plus the chickens.  I made it frilly because sometimes as moms we don't feel as pretty or girly and I hoped this would help her out.

This was my fist time making bias tape and it made a lot more than I expected. The first time took me almost an hour and a half with a ½ yard of fabric. The second time may have been just as long, but I broke it up into two different times.

I put in some quilted pot holders. I have never quilted before and when the directions said to quilt it about an inch or so bigger than the final size I thought, that is a waste of extra fabric. Well now I understand why, it shifts, shrinks and moves while quilting. (I hope that Amy didn’t notice that they were a little bit off)

Then I added in some snack sacks, some where for her three kids and the other were for another present. My kids love them and Emeric was really upset that they were empty. I hope that she loved getting it as much as I loved putting it together.

Until next time!