Show and Tell

Hiya.  Just wanted to show a few pics so I'll try to keep it short.  Jill at Purple Peacock stitched my freebie with some changes and I love it.  I never saw a rocking pincushion before!  And check out the scissor pocket on the back.  Is this cool or what???  Looks like a peacock needle minder at the top too.  Great job Jill!

Here's Malabar finished into a pillow.  And my haul from this morning.  Sorry to say the Olde English Shoppe is closing and now offering 30% off so I was glad to visit them this morning and grab a few items.  The top wall unit and small right are theirs along with the darling strawberry.

 

The two wood boxes are from an antique shop in Volant that I visited for the first time.   I left James Creek (with a basket of course) and she said go across the street and up a little to the yellow house.  So I left the shop and started walking in this heat and barely made it up the steep hill!  I really need to get in shape.  What a wonderful shop - a little bit of everything and lots of vintage.  Cottage House Antiques. 

Then I stopped at the Quilting Bee in New Wilmington and got a few fat 1/4s.   James Creek is having a Colonial Festival Saturday with Kathy Graybill, Michael Treharn, Ginger Cazan, Black Horse Floorcloths, a blacksmith, colonial cooking, rug hooking and more.  This is the monster basket I came home with.  You can see how large it is compared to the one Lucy was in.  I was a happy girl.  Unhappy about a wonderful shop closing, but happy with my cheap self for actually making purchases.  I promised my sister I would get new counter tops for her kitchen and bath (bad timing with mine being done) so I was trying to pull the purse strings tight.  Well, some times pulling too tightly causes breakage.  Hey.  It's birthday month - let 'em rip!

But let me tell you.....that wasn't the end.  I came home to find this on my doorstep.

 I couldn't believe it.  Ann from 1803 Ohio Farm Baskets (Hole in the Basket Primitives) had sent me a birthday gift with the sweetest card, telling me how much she enjoys my blog!  ME!!!  I was stunned when I opened the wrapping.

STUNNED!  Look at my gifts!!  I adore this pillow with its satin stitched spools, and love this design.  The mason jar basket couldn't be a more precise weave.  She actually fits the basket to the jar so well, that it doesn't fall off, but can easily be removed.  Look at the inside, the bottom, and check out that roping detail on the edge..

The amazing thing - how perfect it is for my new display cubby!  I planned on running a wire across the front of this and Ann's gift is absolutely perfect for it.  Plus, look how nicely the pillow fills out the smaller box I just bought along with my new strawberry.

Man did I hit the jackpot today.  Ann, I can't thank you enough for your generosity and your work is fantastic.  Such attention to detail and perfectly done!  Here's the back of her piece and Malabar, we both used the envelope method.  She made it special with buttons, and I lazied out with a row of stitches.   I'll be back tomorrow night with the winner of the offering.  

If you want to see more of Ann's work, check out her Etsy shop here.  Believe me, you will not be disappointed - superb quality.

That's it for show and tell boys and girls!  Enjoy your day!