Surprises

Although guild meeting was last week, I just got around to clearing out my guild bag this week. And guess what I found?!?! A present! Now really...how many times in life does that happen?!?!
After my recent quilting retreat, I made up a blog with some narrative and about 70 photos that I had taken over the 3 days. And one of the quilters from the retreat gave me a gift, which she made especially for me, to thank me for making the blog! I had admired Jackie's scissor chain at the retreat...she calls them Point Protectors - "beaded baubles to protect your scissors". She had her scissors on a chain around her neck and had one of these attached to the scissors. Besides ensuring you don't get stabbed by your scissors, it is also a way to make sure someone doesn't accidently take your scissors because it makes them easily identifiable. The loop goes around the scissor handle and the pink cone goes over the point. Now I need to go shopping for a really pretty pair of gold scissors to match my new protector!!!! Thanks so much for the surprise and the lovely card Jackie!
And...another exciting thing to tell you is that Linda from Paper Panache, one of my favorite websites, has listed my blog on her site! Check it out...she has lots of easy, free patterns, many complex patterns that you can order, and my favorite thing...a free paper pieced mystery.
If you are a confident paper piecer, you will really enjoy her mysteries. I posted two of her previous mysteries in my Feb. 8th and Feb. 10th posts. I will post the next one when she takes the pattern down, because I don't want to ruin the surprise for you. Aren't surprises the best?!?
That is one of the reasons I love mystery quilts so much. I am still working away on my two quilts from last weekend's mystery...unsewing my mistakes on the small quilt that I pieced late at night, when I clearly should have been sleeping instead of sewing, and putting together the medium size top. If I don't get called in to work today, I'll have a photo to show you soon!