Wednesday, March 23, 2011

National Quilting Day & Mug Mats!

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In honor of February, having been National Smocking Month,
& March 19th being National Quilting Day,
I want to share with you some of each.

Remember, while on vacation in FL,
I got to meet Donna who is the creator of the beautiful blog
Brynwood Needleworks.

She is such a sweet & generous soul...
we hit it off immediately & found we
had many things in common.

Here she is, above, holding some smocking
that I explained how to do.
I left some pleated fabrics with her,
along with some smocking books, too.
I know she'll be showing off her talents
in this form of needlework soon.

Did you know she used to own a needlework shop
called "Stitches"?

The first time we met was at Panera's &
she gave me this darling quilted mug mat
that she had made, since it had a coffee shop theme going.

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How thoughtful & so very appropriate!
Its
the perfect size for a cup of something hot
& a little cookie or two.



I have it sitting right next to my keyboard &
I remember Donna & my fun vacation each time I set a cup on it.


(I wish you could see her fabric stash...WOW!)

I also got to meet Carol from the pretty blog

Serendipity.
Doesn't she look like just the softest, gentle, grandmotherly type person?

HA!
Don't let that exterior fool you!

She is a spit-fire with gorgeous nails, oodles of lovely jewelry
& stylish clothes.
She is full of fun & mischief & lots of laughs.
She has an acerbic wit & a delightful sense of humor!


I was in awe of her gorgeous quilts (and DISHES!)
that I got to see when we visited her home in Sarasota.

She gifted me with this delightful mug mat, below,
which now sits beside my sewing chair...
another spot where I frequently
sit with a cup of tea.


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Notice how she utilized the fancy
stitches on her machine to do
some of the quilting.

Donna held a Mug Mat swap on her blog.
If you click HERE ,
you can see ALL the participant's mats.

My talented partner
was Sandy M.
from the beautiful blog,
Vintage Sandy
who sent me this intricately wrapped package:


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It smelled WONDERFUL, even before I got the tissue pattern papers opened.

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Lots of scented goodies inside, like pretty napkins &
Victoria Rose tea
from Miss Molly's Tea Room

PLUS...

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TWO beautiful mug mats...one for me & one for Ms. Caroline,
so we can enjoy our tea parties together with them!


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The backs are just as pretty as the fronts!

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Here is the pastel, vintage looking one I made for Sandy M.

I can't think of a nicer gift than
something handmade,
specifically for you.
Thank you so very much, Ladies!!!

fondly,



I'm linking this post to Kim's


at her beautiful & inspiring blog,
Savvy Southern Style

10 comments:

  1. I have never seen those mug mats! They are so cute and just the right size! What a wonderful opportunity to get to meet those lovely ladies!

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  2. Rett,

    Awwhhh... We did have a good time and I am really looking forward to your visit next year. I am still going to write something about your visit but changing over to Mac has been quite the process.

    Thanks for your kind words.

    Carol

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  3. Wow, great friends and a great time Rett. Love the little mats, I need to spend some time working on the stitches available on my machine too. You give me inspiration, now just give me some energy. Thanks for sharing.

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  4. Sounds like you had fun! I have friends in Sarasota, if I ever get there I will have to meet Carol!
    Nice mug mats. Make me one with dishes on it, LOL!
    Or pink and green cause I am a DZ from Ohio!
    Hope all is well there!

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  5. Rett, I have never seen nor heard of a mug mat. They are wonderful. I would love to have one right here nest to me in my study while I blog!
    Beautiful! I bet you had so much fun.
    Yvonne

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  6. Nice to meet you, I am following you back! good luck on my giveaway. I was reading your post thinking how lovely bloggers wrap their gifts to each other. If I did not have blogger friends I would never receive those beautiful gifts! And people always ask "Why do you blog"?

    Carol

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  7. I have never heard of a mug mat Rett, and I have a sewing mother and an aunt that did a lot of quilting. It must be something "new". They do look perfect for sitting next to the computer. A lot better than the ratty old napkin I use!
    What fun you must have had connecting with these women that enjoy the same things you do. Looks like so much fun.
    Sue

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  8. Hi Rett:
    We really did have fun, didn't we? It's a mixed blessing that you live so far away. If you lived closer, you, Carol and I would be in trouble multiple times a week!

    So glad you love your mats. They really are fun to make and share.

    Can't wait to put together our paper doll party, and the day when I see you again.

    Hugs from FL,
    Donna, Kes and Fezzik I. ^..^

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  9. I wish I had a quilter in the family. I have only made tied quilts and one pieced blue jean pocket quilt. These are all so gorgeous. Wow.

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  10. Rett~ you are adorable and too kind! Oh, thank you my dear friend!!!!!!!!
    xo Yvonne

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Thank you so much for leaving a comment. I read them all & each one is so very special to me & I try really hard to return the visit!

fondly,
~Rett~