Monday Greetings & an Old Friends Gift

Happy New week everyone! I hope yours is filled with fun and nothing but WONDERFUL THINGS!

One of my dearest cross stitch customers used to call me every Sunday and we chatted about this and that . . . Life in general, family things, and of course cross stitch :-)
She was telling me about a "special quilt" she was working on. She was the kind that always had 10 different projects going at one time! But unlike me . . . she always FINISHED hers!
Her passion was little bitty details and fine handwork! I sent her a bunch of charms, doodads and bits of this and that, that I thought she would enjoy using.
One day a package arrived and inside was this mini quilt!

I could not believe the beauty before my eyes! This photo does it quite an injustice!
The border is a rich brown velvet and 4 cross stitch hearts are framed in a strip pieced "crazy quilt" patchwork of vintage and new mini prints. It is just covered in the most exquisite handwork! Of course there were many of the charms that I had sent her.


A pink mother of pearl bird, golden hearts and a itty bitty ring of keys


Ribbonwork, more charms - see the little cupid!

She knows that I am totally freaked out by spi_ders (dont even like typing the word!) so said she couldn't resist adding a "CUTE" one. She used the word cute not ME!! They are actually a very popular motif in Victorian Crazy Quilts.


Sweet cross stitch hearts with rows of tiny seed beads

Embellished pearl buttons! Each of the 1-2" wide fabric strips were hand-pieced.

Key and lock charms and the locket is only 1/4" and opens too!

Each seam has sweet embroidered details - and not one is the same!

A teeny bee flying over to the ribbon flower . . .
No matter how many times I look at it I'm always seeing something I hadn't noticed before!
Her name was Marilyn - we lost touch about a year after she sent the quilt - her husband had just passed from diabetes complications and she was moving in with one of her children.
Her phone was disconnected and she was not a fan of the internet. No time for that she said :-)
I pray she is out there just enjoying her new Lifes journey and doing well with many projects in the works! I miss our chats and hope that our paths will cross again someday soon.
Blessings to you all today!