Just The Girls...

I'm pretty sure I have some of the best friends in the world!

We planned this day for months...a "girl day" at Kimber's house - a day of hand sewing, lunch, girl talk, and quilt shopping....and it was totally worth the wait! My friend Merry and I made the trip out to Kimber's home (a pretty perfect 1885 yellow brick Victorian farmhouse) in Adel first thing this morning...and after a cup of tea, a tour, and some treats, we got started on the hand sewing project Kimber prepared for us. We each made a wool fabric bird pincushion that uses a wooden spool for the base - this is one of Kimber's very own designs that was featured in the magazine "More Fast and Fabulous Quilting Ideas" last fall...isn't it the cutest little bird ever?!....for more information, visit her August 28th blog post, where you can see an entire flock of these adorable birds!

We had so much fun making these birds...in fact, in our creative state, we completely lost track of time....all of a sudden we checked the clock and it was past lunch time. So we headed out to a little Chinese restaurant for a delicious lunch and got refueled for the afternoon....then it was off to the quilt shop. Adel has a very charming quilt shop called Adel Quilting and Dry Goods (and they have a great blog)...I find the best little projects there (I have to do my part to help stimulate the Adel economy)...there is always something new that I haven't seen before. Today I picked-up some chalkboard cloth, some vinyl coated cotton, a couple fat quarters, and new Mac-A-Doodles embroidery project and frame. Afterwards, we stopped next door at Atherton House, a unique gift shop (where I purchased some wonderful kitchen seasonings)....then we headed back to Kimber's very special 1885 farmhouse for more hot tea and desserts!

We spent the afternoon talking, giggling, and sharing...and Merry actually did a little hand sewing....it was the perfect day!

Now, if that wasn't enough, there were gift bags...if you are a regular reader of my blog, then you know each time all of us girls get together, we bring each other gift bags. Merry's gift bags are always stellar (remember all the jellies and jams she gave me earlier this year?!)...well today's gift bag was another WINNER! Check out this adorable miniature dress form and the super cute aprons she made for it (yes, one is sampler fabric!)...it is the perfect pin cushion (and we all know how much I LOVE pincushions!) - along with it...a jar of her phenomenal apple butter, a gorgeous appliqued kitchen towel (I know, she is just too darn talented!), some pumpkin spice tea bags, and various Halloween treats...how is that for a "just because" gift bag??! Next, a total surprise...since Kimber was kind enough to teach us a project and supply all the needed materials, I never guessed in a million years she would have gift bags for us...but, yep, she did...and I was giddy like a little girl as I went though the bag...a quilt pattern, fabrics, a wonderful book, and a totally awesome wooden ruler - I was blown away, to say the least. Between the shopping and our gift bags, I had a car load of goodies to bring home!

Like I said - I have the best friends! Today was a little slice of heaven....