Gifts from Brazil

My bestie sent me presents she moved to the states from Brazil (via her limited luggage) and then an extra one she bought on her last trip there.

These are tall & fragile but so, so pretty!  And in pink… of course.  I have them on my nightstand but here in the living room for the natural light for photos.

She has a large collection of these handmade flowers and got to know the artist at a local fair they’d visit often.  I already had a small pot with a purple single flower that lives by my kitchen sink.

Have you ever had real leather from South America?  It is nothing like real leather from the US… it is soft and beautiful and smells divine!!  (And my sandals from Brazil a few years ago fit so perfectly and cup/mold to my feet…. real leather!)

A new wallet!  In pink… of course.  🙂

My cards fit in the pockets so they are just the right size!!

And when I opened the wallet, every pocket, holder, pouch had a note.  A huge treasure and will be kept!  She is a lovely writer.

So thankful for the friendship and the beautiful reminders of her throughout my home & day!

Read Full Post »

Sewing Machine Mat

I made a sewing machine mat for my BFF.

The candle is holding it on the table but this is how it hangs but with her sewing machine sitting on it!  It is decorative, can cut down on noise and/or vibration, and holds needed tools nearby.   I used magnets to attach the trash bag (so it can be removed to dump it) but it could be that that part doesn’t fly.  One of those perks (ha!) of getting the first one ever and that I didn’t do a test run for myself first.  🙂

This is the top side with it laying flat.  Her initial in the top right area.  Hand-guided, freehand quilting.  The accent stitching is in a yellow King Tut thread and the fills are gray So Fine thread.

The pockets have single-fold bias binding and then traditional double-fold bias binding for the edges.

The back~

Looking inside the pocket from the front, it is just quilting.  However, I quilted it in mirrored handwriting that appears only on the back.

Many happy stitching hours, dear friend! ♥

Read Full Post »