Playing Favorites!

Oh, my -- what a wonderful week I've had with great surprises coming from a number of directions.  Don't you love those? I was fortunate enough to win a $35 gift certificate from Fat Quarter Shop when this quilt won Quilting Gallery's contest for quilts made with "Squares and Rectangles" two weeks ago.  I'm hoarding it because I can't decide!  Such a good problem to have.

Late in the week, my-niece-the-quilter brought me these yummy fat quarters for my birthday.  I had asked for a FQ of orange or pink fabrics (the weakest link in my stash) and she took it way over the top!  What to do....keep them together and find a quilt that uses all of them or break them up and put them in with all the solids?  For now, they are on a shelf as art and I'm loving them!  Yummy, don't you think?  Maybe I'll use my gift certificate to get a different bundle of Robert Kaufman solids and use them together.  What to do - what to do - what to do....

And to keep the surprises coming, my-niece-the-athlete gave me this beautiful counted cross stitch replica of a Frank Lloyd Wright window.  This is surprising in many ways.  First of all, the image could not be more special as we used to live in the village outside Chicago where FLW's studio was and the impact of his brilliance was everywhere.  I love the lines and colors and design.  What is more surprising is that she has never done counted cross stitch (and was apparently wrapping it as I walked in the door -- literally finishing it minutes before we showed up).  I do not have the patience for this and have sworn off counted cross stitch forever.  I hate to backstitch and this pattern requires perfect backstitching in order for the impact of the design to be effective. She nailed it.  The beauty of never doing something is that you don't know how hard it is!  Additionally the designer who was licensed by FLW organization lived three blocks from my house and I had met her at a quilt trunk show a few years ago.  So -- like the FQs, this is a surprise and special in many many ways!

When it comes to 'playing favorites', I have always let these two young women know (from the day they were born) that I am their 'favorite aunt' and insisted on being introduced that way to friends.  It was a joke but it was real, too.  I love them with all my heart and consider them my 'psuedo-daughters' and I know they love me back and have been there for the good times and those that were not so good.  I love hearing from them -- emails, texts, calls and especially face-to-face time.  We can talk about anything and they know it's private -- thank you, girlies.  Love you both a "bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck".

I did a bit of work on my dollies and managed to get 76 done and assembled.  I am currently auditioning border fabric and hope to have this done by the end of May so I can donate it locally as a fundraiser or whatever they want to do with it.

You may have seen my first post on these little jewels. If not, you can read about them here.  These absolutely touched my heart and I knew I needed to make them.  They go together perfectly.
I feel really blessed this week - a week full of goodness and surprises and some quilting.

I hope you have family members that you love and who love you back and that you're having some good surprises too!  Jan