At Last! A Lovely Gift

Not a very clear picture but there's a reason why I wanted you to see my bulletin board a little more closely...

Back in the summer, I wrote about my desire to refresh my embroidery skills.  Well I had a lovely surprise from a reader who told me she'd been decluttering her craft room and she had a 'few' embroidery items she'd love to share with me.  

She understated 'a few'!

Just look at the lovelies...and there's more underneath it all!  It was a large box and I truly felt blessed to receive so many necessary items as well as some lovely surprises!

There were several exquisite pieces that were finished.  Just look at the lovely colors on this table runner.

This piece below is gossamer like in texture.  I don't know how on earth you embroider on this type of fabric without making a huge mess of it.  I hope to frame this piece as soon as I remember to go buy a frame.  I think it will be lovely in the kitchen sitting.

Look at this sunny cheerful piece.  It makes me think of the passage I was just reading in Emilie Loring's book, For the Comfort of the Family: a Vacation Experiment,  written under the pseudonym Josephine Story.  She felt that sunny yellow was the very best possible color for breakfast linens and dishes.

Here's what Mrs. Loring wrote:  "In the center of the breakfast table is a bowl of yellow blossoms...There are white doilies on the table and the breakfast china is white with a spray of delicate yellow flowers.  There are two cream jugs and two sugar bowls in a soft clear yellow ware..."

Now don't you think this piece would just be beautiful on such a table as described?

Look at this lovely handkerchief...

It's funny but people send me these sorts of handkerchiefs often enough...I love them and I'm awfully glad they think of me!  

A further view of the volume of items.  Look at all the patterns and the books, the hoops, the threads...  Oh you can't  see half the stuff Sally sent...She was so very generous!

 And look at this adorable card she included...The bee is now attached to the bulletin board above my desk.  I have it there to remind me that sometimes people are just very nice and do lovely things for no reason but they want to.

I haven't taken up embroidery yet...I've been saving it for cooler weather when I tend to do quieter work but it's very nearly that season!  I am so looking forward to starting up.  I've been rummaging amongst all the things yet again trying to decide which project I shall attempt first.

I meant to have this post up way back in the summer but at the time I thought I was having woes with blogger.  It seems, now that we've switched carriers, it was actually my internet carrier.  It was mere whim made me try one more time today to load up these photos, as I was sorting and deleting files from my pictures.   I was so astonished when ALL the photos loaded up within a minute or so instead of the agonizing wait I'd experienced for months where one loaded and then no more that day!

So Sally, I thank you once again and I'm so happy to finally get to share the wonderful thoughtful gift you sent!  I think of you often because of that little bee...