Bonjour my new mug rugs!

  What a lovely surprise yesterday when I opened my post box….there was a parcel inside from France which peaked my interest…..Once I tore open the packaging, it revealed two simply gorgeous mug rugs…both so different but both quite beautiful. Front: Back: Front: Back: These came from Sylvie and she told me her inspiration for the first mug rug was from our colourful country…so you see the coloured side was her initial ‘top’ until the floods devastated our ‘Sunshine State’ and left it dark and sad….hence the black and white theme which then became the top. Thank you Sylvie….I love them and will think of you when I have my morning boost of caffeine to get me started each day!!!! I haven’t heard from my swap partner yet, but travel to Sweden might take a bit longer??!!!…. No giveaways on names, but my partner is blogless so I guess I can show you what I sent her now!!!!. My inspiration came from the beautiful flowers that have begun to emerge after the cyclone, bringing beauty and an almost symbolic ‘new beginning’!  I’m a bit of a fan of pink and green so I hope my swap partner is too!  (Wouldn’t it be terrible if she was really into brights  instead of pastels and pretties!!???) LOL I even tried my own version of machine quilting….I don’t think I’ll be winning any prizes but it wasn’t too bad! I hope they get to Sweden soon, otherwise my swap partner will think I’ve ditched her!!!! LOL  Thanks Michelle for organising another fun swap! I’ve also been making a birthday gift for a workmate’s 40th birthday… Does this give any clues?????…………. I should have a prize for the first correct guess shouldn’t I????….but not this time!!!….If you guessed the Baseco bag by my mate Dawn……B-I-N-G-O!!!….You’re a winner!!!!! I made a couple of modifications though.   I made my own design for the stitchery…(mainly because I’d made the same bag for my boss late last year for all the work she put into staff training with me.) I based it on one of Leanne Beasley’s designs in her 'Design your own quilt’ workshop we did in Townsville last year. The other thing I did differently was I used a pack of charm squares instead of the 2.5” strips.  You’ll notice the long strips of colour are tonal and not one piece of fabric, as are the handles.  I did that basically because, well…..I wanted to see if I could do it (LOL), and this range of fabric (Moda’s Urban Couture)  was just telling me it belonged with my workmate!!!! I’m getting much braver as I was one of these people that, if the pattern said I needed a certain item, I would go out and hunt it down no matter what, because ‘that’s what the pattern said’!!!!!  I think I’m liking my modifications, and so did my workmate, Theresa!!!! I am extremely happy today too, because my fridge has just been repaired after the cyclone…..it had an ‘issue’ after Yasi, and decided that anything under 13 degrees was far too cold for it…..thank goodness for extended warranty….but I guess everyone had the same problems!!!   I’m going to let it tick over tonight and start filling it back up tomorrow…it will be so nice not to have to go out to the shed to get milk for coffee in the morning!!!!!!   Aaaaaah, life’s simple pleasures!!!!…..and maybe, I’ll just use one of my new mug mats……..I just need to decide which one! Have a great weekend, keep safe and many sugary hugs XXX Wendy   :0)