Woohoo! I'm finally posting on the gallery, thankyou angel doe_eyes! 

She made me a super package
First is the bike bag, I like the jazzy fabric and the ruffle very much

They loop at the back with velcro

then there are 2 hats, one for me and one for my boyfriend that matches his bike (he'll love it doe_eyes, he's out of town but I'm sending him a pic. His first swap item!!)

And she embroidered the back too, champion effort. Ifyou can't quite read it it says "save the earth, ride a bike!)


Plus I got a cute cherry stamped bike journal, where I can write in where I go, how I felt when I started (great!) and when I finished (I'm going to die!).
A really really cute-o key ring and a copy of the little engine that could, to encourage me to get up the massive hill I live on hee hee


And cos I like it so much here's a close up of the key ring. I might hang it off the zipper on my bike bag


Thank you doe_eyes, you truly are an angel   

Nice bike charles, I love the swoopy rack on the rear



this is Lulu, my Electra Hawaii Custom Special Edition. I don't normally keep her in the house by the way

My brother came into a yarn store with me a couple of weeks ago, and decided after bothering me for years to make him a scarf (which I've never quite got around to doing) he'd just knit one his damn self.
 He taught himself how to knit out of a book a few years ago but never actually made anything. So I taught him to cast on and pearl, and went home. Yesterday I helped him cast off over the phone and he is now the proud knitter of a very larey scarf!!  



I'm pretty proud of him too- now he's got to pick his next project- suggestions?

Sorry to hear about your ankle qazicat, that's terrible.
On the upside that's a gorgeous handbag 
I also looooove the chicky stitchmarkers tpot- way cute

And here's the ring pop! Looks so good I actually did lick it (tasted like nothing really)

My poor partner is still waiting to receive her main package.  International post, darn it.

Wait no longer, it finally arrived!!
Gourmet gone wrong has definitely been my favourite theme ever, check out my great booty from the resin-master!!

First on top of the enormous box is a copy of Bitch magazine with the much debated knitting article


Then under about 1000 plastic bags all my stuff!
All the weirdest candy you can think of, plus some anarchist evil banana magnets (I love this lady)


a resin jello salad mmmmm


Lunch trays with the images trapped in resin. My fave is a salad ringed with weiners and parsley up the top left


A large bamboo tray with a gourmet selection of gelatine salads and recipes


And my favourite thing of all- This fantastic tshirt. Someone was channeling crazy asian advertising graphics. I love it! As you can see fits perfectly, I'm going to wear it all weekend!


Plus a DC shirt for my international collection


All this stuff plus my wacky coasters from my first package- I'm feeling some rather delayed swap anxiety

thanks bigmouth, you were just the kind of swap partner I thought you'd be- priceless 

I only just realised I haven't actually posted on the gallery yet!
Thanks for all the compliments ladies, it was one of those things where I thought it wouldn't take that long- yes, I am delusional. I wanted to embelish it with a fish and some olives (did you all notice the black olives to go with the tuna and the curry powder and the oregano???  ) By the time I got that far I was about to start on the next bit when my boyfriend confiscated all my needles and told me it was time to move on. 4 weeks was enough

I also sent Bigmouth these cards, yes that is a banana you're looking at

and the bouquet is made out of antipasto tiddbits like salami and olives

I also received a teaser package from the lovely Bigmouth to tide me over while my goodies sail across the sea
Check out my awesome coasters- I'm going to tile them on my kitchen wall

Turkey Lime Mould may be the closest competition you will ever find for Curried Spaghetti as the grossest recipe of all time
I think Gourmet gone wrong has been my favourite swap theme ever.

Plus some yummies and some cute blue cherry fabric. Good thing I've got lunch and breakfast 'to go' in case of emergencies. AND I can keep them in my tampon purse!


Thanks Bigmouth, can't wait till the big package comes!!  And congrats on eating the vegemite. With lots of butter or cheese it's the best stuff ever- especially when you're hung over. It is also the world's richest know source of vitamin B, so especially good for vegetarians 

I crocheted this corset out of video tape on an 8mm hook, using double and triple crochet. I didn't have a pattern, I just crocheted until it matched a corset I already had.

This was a sculpture piece from uni- I was looking at body alteration and mutilation. Being bound by the media and constricted by existing images of femininity etc... I'm quite proud of it, but it deeply disturbs my boyfriend. I think this means it's getting the point across 

Front and Back




Front and back details



Working with tape wasn't fun- it squeaks, black stuff comes off and gets under your nails and into your carpet and lungs, you can't frog AT ALL. But it looks great and squeaks like a real corset when you move it around at the waist.
Maybe if I win this contest I'll be allowed to bring it out of the corner of the living room behind a chair where it hides to preserve my SO's peace of mind 

Wow, I went away for a few days and it's taken me an hour to catch up! Beautiful work everyone!

While I was away my second package from alwaysinmyroom arrived, prepare yourself folks!

First- a gorgeous knitting wallet- which my always overfilled knittng bag really appreciated 



Open, with some spunky 60s and button stich markers and the fattest needle I've ever seen. Plus handy pocket for my snips and measuring tape



And the flip side, w loops to hold stichmakers


Plus a kickin diner ho apron- I lurve it.


And now, the funniest thing I have possibly ever been given! If you remember way back in the IYP3 thread someone posted a pic of a 50's pinup of a ho in a sheer apron cleaning. I made a joke about it, and alwaysinmyroom said she might have some sheer fabric around... I knew she was going to make it, but she blew me away with anatomically correct embellishments!!

That's fake fur and pink felt with beads!!

PLUS some hot tights to complete the look!



alwaysinmyroom, you are possibly the greatest ho of all time!!! Thank you so much!

OK, I received my teaser package from alwaysinmyroom today. Apparently the main one's still to come- unbelievable!! Check it out!

This package was my 'date' package, so it has lots of bits that you get on a date:
A bunch of button flowers just like the ones she received in the last round (I'd wisted them)


 A GORGEOUS brooch made out of vintage buttons, and some kanzashi flowers


Postcards from Pennsylvania (Hee hee, there's a place called Intercourse) and a book to tell me all about this package


You know how she was sending me chocolate? She sent me 600grams. That's over a pound in Amerispeak! I weighed it to check!! 


As well as tons of chocolate she also found me a chili mango pop, yum! Nothing melted in the trip alwaysinmyroom, although some of the peanut butter cups got a bit squashed. I'm doing some mercy killings now 
My SO's out of town so I had to ring him to gloat, mwha ha ha

PLUS a corking HTC in a cute magnetic button frame! How much does this rock?? I've stuck it on the fridge- like I said, my SO's out of town. Not sure how I'll explain it when he gets home!


PLUS I got a CD of her hubby's music, it's really funky. No pic sorry cos it's already been playing in the car.

Wow, what a haul just to get the date started: flowers, jewellery, candy, music and dirty pictures! Thanks Linda,everything is just beautiful I love it  all

 I've got massive swap anxiety now, but I'm busting to see what's in the next package!!!

I got my package from SewingLori today, it rocks!
Not only did she use 27 items (that I've counted) but they're all items really suited to me 

We'll work our way through (pic heavy, I got lots of stuff)
A cute cute retro bag (Something retro)


A Bea Arthur Box, hilarious! (Failed art project, Bea Arthur, Photo, Fabric Flower, Ink, Star and Speckled)


Crazy Brooch (Irridescent sequin, Organic item from nature, Pompom, Something from the Ocean), Heart shaped, Lime green, Blue and Oval, Plastic, Purple and Shiny, Round and shiny, shiny)


Stuffy Eggs and Bacon, yay! Going next to my felt sandwich- all I need now is felt dinner and the set is complete  (A breakfast treat, Fuzzy)


Green Trinket box (A clock [inside], pompom, lime green)


A journal (Something to do with writing)


A phot holding fork. I freaking LOVE this thing! I'm going to use it to hold my favourite polaroid. Sorry about the silver on grey thing (A kitchen utensil, failed art project)


A christmas card (held by the photofork) (Something you see in Winter, Silhouette, Pompoms, scarf to keep you warm [it's summer over here folks, the last thing I need is a real one I have to stare at for 6 months  ])


And that, I believe, is that. Thanks so much SewingLori, I didn't feel the loss of your hot glue gun at all!!