The Joy of Gifts

Good evening, everyone! I suppose I say this every January but I never remember being this cold. One night I slept with a down vest over my pjs, along with wool socks. But thoughts of recent quilty gifts warm my heart and cheer my spirits despite the raging pandemic here.

I do adore presents, giving  and receiving. I read somewhere that there are 5 ways people express love/ friendship/ affection: gifts was one of them [Food---so me!/ actions/ words/ and I think, physical touching, which is sadly lacking right now. I saw a friendly neighbor today; she is moving away and as we said goodbye, she reached out to hug me. It was outdoors, but we were unmasked. I kept it one armed and very brief, instead of the big bon voyage bear hug she deserved.]

Anyway, back to my gifts. First from my friend here in the US but hardly could live further unless she moved to Japan. This year, 2021, we planned a quilt swap. Mine was a TQC mini; she sent me---and Mo!---this delightful small snuggle quilt or lap quilt, all in beautiful flannel prints.

From the dates I imagine she made it during the first Covid lockdown. Her sweet familiar handwriting touches my heart.

I love the fabrics, the so-soft green back, and her beautiful workmanship. 

sorry for the blurry pics, camera couldn't focus for some reason. I will try tomorrow in daytime light.

                                                    

                       

Green flannel tweedy backing and sweet detail of my favorite polka dots binding.

                                  

She also included a wonderful cross-stitched Santa, linen on wool backing. I think it will be a small pillow, maybe filled with pine and cedar? 

I'll border and  back it in the delightful holly print fabric in which her gifts were wrapped.

..............................

Then in early January a package came from blog friend Penny. Carried by hand all the way from South Africa to NYC, then mailed on to me.

What a joy ! What treasures!

This darling very tiny Thimbles quilt.(a large scale version of this pattern is called Tumblers--drinking glasses. not acrobats, btw.]

I believe it is a charm quilt, not a single fabric repeated. I pore over it, enjoying each unique piece. For now it is in the pretty basket but soon it will be on my desk.

Tiniest. softest  gingham backing. And hand quilted in Fans.

Also SIX of these darling miniature pin keeps.

I had seen them on Penny's IG page and ooohed and aahed over them. I love anything tiny and these are so precious. Again with each hexagon cut from a special print. All hand pieced in tiny perfect stitches.

And the tiniest of embroidery hoops,---3"? as I had so admired her own when we worked on Julie Porter's Tint Baskets during covid 2020 summer. Note the sweetest sunflower print behind the hoop, upper right, a now-vintage Debbie Mumm print.

And then! A stack of special fabrics that I know she has been cherishing for many years.

All or most of these fabrics are from Polly Minick and  Laurie Simpson's very first fabric collection: Nantucket.

                                     

 (My quilt \Bitty" is a Minick and Simpson design. Polly M has since retired].

What an assortment!

I think the sand pails are my fave?

And this sweet print, which Laurie Simpson has reissued just this year. Penny's sharp eye noticed right away. I still love it.

And like me, Penny loves to go thrifting, looking for shirts and blouses to recycle. The peach is the t softest lawn, the plaid a fine brushed cotton. Penny's fabrics are so soft! There must be better fabric softener, or softer water in her area of SA.

I love making new friends through my blog and FB. I will always remember P's first comment here, on a South African white wine I had featured for summer sipping as the full moon moon rose. Since then she has opened my eyes to the variety and complexity of her country: her area being rolling mountains, wide beaches, vineyards, French cafes,  and wooded parklike gardens, part Pennsylvania, part Sonoma California. And during the first Covid Lockdown Penny, via her daughter, challenged us both to learn about and use Instagram. I enjoy the site so much now, making friends there also. It brightens the desolate third pandemic winter. I used as my model blog friend Kit who said she uses IG as a photo journal of her life. We are not all aspiring  ''influencers'' or people living lives in public, it's not like Twitter or godawful TikTok.

And last but never least my brother gave me a gift card  for Christmas. I spent it right away! On fabric, of course. [I adore Toadstools and fairy mushrooms. Loved Dumbo as a child, ambivalent now, re: exploitation of animals in circuses, but loved this print.]

                                       

Thanks and much much love to you all, my friends who visit. I value you all.

love

lizzy 

gone to the beach...

Mo is always mad at me, no idea why...sadly .

PS Eye surgery is next Monday, tentatively, unless frantically scheduled preop tests and covid intervene. Since I just completed an IV clinic treatment, this is all very overwhelming for me. My etsy shop is on vacation mode for awhile, but I do want to offer this darling Valentine quilt top, if anyone is interested. $75.oo plus shipping, much less than I originally paid for it.

Also a few sets of prim or farmhouse hearts.

\