I love giving gifts. Finding the perfect thing for someone, or especially making the perfect thing is so much fun. But I'm not going to lie; opening packages on my birthday I love too! The first thing I got on my birthday I got myself at that antique/junk store I was talking about earlier:
I love it. Not sure where it's going to go, maybe in my craft room when I revamp it. Because I am going to get back on the weight lose track (I just brushed my teeth so I wouldn't eat another ice cream sandwich... mmmm). After the junk shop Sciarrino had me open my presents from her:
This awesome tray is actually made from pressed board. So cool! I wish some company would bring this idea back, what a cool way to use recycled paper pulp!
Some really old patterns. I guess Tuesday wants me to make them right now! The patterns are kind of intense, pre printed patterns so they have holes as guides. Has anyone used a pattern like this? At first I thought all the printing had faded off. But they've never been used so they do have all the pieces.
Sciarrino and I like to find each other the coolest vintage things and I think she just won! This is a refrigerator for your desk full of useful things like egg erasers, a butter pencil sharpener, the baking soda box has paper clips in it, the pie is a tape measure, the meat a magnet, veggies are tacks, and the leeks are pens! Oh the awesomeness. My Sanrio collecting days are coming back to me.
I came home for our weekend away to a wonderful card from Sarah:
You may know that she makes the most awesome cards and I totally collect them. She also got me two fat quarters of wonderful fabric, so yummy! I also got a big box from Carmen with some seriously yummy fiber:
(my helper strikes again!). She went to a shop I wanted to go in when we were visiting, but it was closed because they were off dying. Well she went there right after they got back and said the whole shop was FULL of fiber, she had a ton of fun picking out this and three other bundles of yumminess for me. Carmen maybe you need to start spinning? :)
My mom came by the next day with her gift to me, as if the wonderful soup was not enough. Her and I had been talking about plans, dreams, you know LIFE stuff. That day she found this for me:
You can see the whole thing on the daily shot from yesterday. I love this! I found the perfect place for it so I can see it when I work and create. Telling myself to keep pushing myself creatively. My mom said she didn't know it until she ordered it, but they are made right here in Oregon, so cool!
Then she had to go and give me the most wonderful thing and make me tear up:
This quilt top was hand pieced by my great grandma (my mom's grandma). My grandma has told me stories about how great grandma Stewart would ask her and her sister to go to garage sales and pick up any kind of cotton fabric, never mind the color. She would make it work. I love looking at her fabric choices:
Such a clever way to cut pieces to give them a totally different effect.
I like this block because it has that funny nubbly 70s fabric (the blue stuff).
I just can't imagine. She hand cut, and hand stitched every block! And wonderfully well too. This was a finished top when my mom got it. She then had it quilted and chose a wonderful floral for the binding that she hand sewed on.
She chose a simple creamy white for the back, same as the negative space on the front of the quilt. It's just perfection! I knew my mom was working on this, but I never thought she'd give it to me. She said I would appreciate it the most, and I do! I have it in Tuesday's room so I can snuggle with it while I nurse the seamstresses great great grandchild.
I always hope when I see people with wonderful things or wonderful friends that they know how lucky they are. Well I know how lucky I am. One super lucky girl that's for sure. Not only for the wonderful gifts, but to have people in my life who know me so wonderfully well. And not just these things, but all the birthday cards and well wishes... a big thank you and kisses to you all!