Mystery Gifts Revealed (part 2)

It's been kind of a rough week. I've had several chemical exposures ~ a couple of them unexpected. (Since when do "perfume and dye free" dryer sheets have scent?!) My SIL sent me some gorgeous fabric from her recent trip to India. I should have known better than to open that package without my mask on but... you can guess what happened. It actually smelled good to me (most of the scents that make me ill are now offensive as well) but apparently wasn't good for me.

Now, for the rest of the mystery gifts I made at Christmastime.There are two more pillows and a wall hanging to show you:

The pillow above was given to my brother and his family who are into horses big-time. I thought the strap-and-buckle print on one of the ties was very appropriate for them.

You should be able to click on these photos to see them up close and personal.

The wall hanging started with the house block. It was a 12" block (kitties included) I made about a decade ago. The SIL who sent me the fabric from India saw the block shortly after I created it and loved it. She asked me to make a pillow out of it for her. Obviously I didn't jump right on her request. But when I was going through my orphan blocks I came across the block again and also found the little 9-Patch blocks made out of 1930's reproductions prints. They seemed to want to go together. (I want to make it clear that those blocks were perfectly straight when they went into the quilt. It's the rickrack that is wonky!)

I added the applique for the cloud, the bluebird sequin (for happiness), the lace curtain on the window, the doorknocker button, a ceramic mailbox button I'd purchased at the IQA quilt show in Houston one year (again, more than a decade ago), the little flower trim at the edge of the "yard," and the rickrack around the 9-Patch blocks. It was a challenge to find enough of the right pink to bind the quilt, small as it is.

I've had a request to show my Bead Round Robin block again. Rather than taking the time to load the photos once more, here's the link to the page where I first showed it when it came home. There were six ladies in our group; only one wasn't able to work on my block. I haven't done a thing to it since it came home. It's curently hanging on my design wall, patiently waiting for attention. It's going to be awhile before I do anything with it though. I have less than a week now to fulfill the tote bag challenge for my local artist group and then I have both the Take It Further and Bead Journal Project challenges for this month to work on!