With the swap package finally out the door, I was finally able to breathe normally again.

I think I freaked out a little too much, only because this was my first swap.  It's extremely fun sewing for someone who is anxiously expecting your finished product!  It's also a fun challenge to try fitting into the parameters of what your partner likes/dislikes.

Not as much fun second-guessing the decisions you make along the way, but this was a great exercise in picking the fabric and finishing the project.  Even when I wanted to scrap (ha!) the whole thing and start over (not because I didn't like it, but because I found another really fun fabric and had some other great ideas...)  Too many choices in the fabric world.

I originally dreamt of some patchwork-type napkins, but in the end it didn't happen.  I did almost miss the deadline when I decided it would be fun to do a little machine applique, but cooler heads prevailed and I went with the solid-color napkin.  I actually love the simplicity of the pale yellow napkins, especially because the accent fabric (Alexander Henry, Kleo) on the placemat is a little bold. 

My partner also received some bonus cocktail-sized napkins in matching fabrics, because I thought they were cute.  By the way, I found the napkin making more challenging than the placemat making. Anyone else? All those tiny hems and folded corners...

One of the reasons I chose this swap was because the first project I made from Bend the Rules Sewing was the placemat.  I made a set of four for my grandma's birthday last year, along with matching coasters.  It was fun making these placemats almost exactly one year later and measuring my progress.  Things I remember struggling with the first time around were almost second-nature. 

Where my package was headed, there is no Trader Joe's.  I think that's a shame, because I love Trader Joe's.  So, I wanted to include a few of my favorite things from my favorite store.  Unfortunately, it turns out that 99% of my favorite things are perishable--mostly chocolate.  I went back and forth on whether their vanilla marshmallows would melt along the way, but finally decided they probably would.

Check out some of the other fantastic placemats over on the Flickr group.  I'm off to see if the next swap project is up for a vote yet. After the day off, I'm ready to start again!