Gifts of good taste!

Don't you love giving ... and receiving ... gifts from your friends? It's like they know exactly what will stir your heart! I've been blessed to have great friends who have given me wonderful gifts ... so many of them made by their own hands.  And the ones they didn't make have had so much thought put into them ... like they can see right into my heart and can see what will make me happy. Sometimes they arrive in pretty packages for a special event ... others come secured with packing tape and an address from a place not close by. I love them all! And when I look at them I see the face of my friend.

My friend Jeri has given me so many thoughtful handmade gifts over the years. With this trio it all started with the painted box ... back in the day when we were all about big brushes and less about quilting stitches. It was from a book by a favorite decorative painter we all loved ... and then a year later she made me the pillow to match ... and then later the needle punch piece ... by that time we had gotten a lot of skills under our belt! I love them and they make me smile to have them surround me. This is just a tiny portion of the things I've received from her ... we've been friends for over 15 years! I'm a lucky girl.

Don't you love this Civil War era sewing bag? It was made to hang close under all those petticoats and hoop so you wouldn't lose your precious scissors and needles. The fabric selection and stitching are a perfect gift.

I have friends who know I collect Rs so they're always on the lookout for me. Love them! I have a huge collection thanks to my pals.

Some of them know I collect Annies too!

They know I collect fabric. And supplies, too. Always fun to open a box with a prize like this inside!

My friend Jane made this for me one year when we were collecting old postcards and vintage quilts that needed recycling.

Chris has made me buckets of things over the years ... like this messenger bag ... and the tool bag for Christmas this year. Love how it matches my OLFA products!

Deb has this knack for finding verses with meaning. I love the door hanger that says "embrace your inner witch". Talk about knowing someone! Yike.

And they just keep coming. A quilted wall hanging all the way from Cordova, Alaska by my friend Terri aka Mrs. Dilly Dally.

Once upon a time I owned another copy of this book ... it was my Mom's and had little scraps of paper with her notes inside. We used a quote from it for her funeral program. I loved the book because it was hers. And then some evil person broke into my car and stole my bag with it in it. I've searched for a hardbound copy for years and last Fall my friend Mary Ellen found a copy! It was sweet of her to remember how much I wanted it.

I'm constantly amazed at how generous people are to me. I often think of things I'd like to make for my friends but truthfully, the time it takes to run my business takes away the opportunity. But it doesn't mean I don't think any less of them so I find other ways to show them I care.

Gifts keep coming to me when I least suspect them. And this latest one just makes me smile! My friend Peggy saw my Snowbird project for Aurifil and sent me this darling handmade card to celebrate it and the new direction I'm taking the Cottage. It's perfect!!! Just like all the other gifts I've received.