Handmade gifts...

Back online! I didn't realize how much I use the computer until I didn't have it for a few days. But things are fixed up now. There was a sign on the computer store wall that said, "To err is human... to really foul things up requires a computer." That says it all in my book.

Wish I could say I made this handmade Mama Kitty and her kitten, but I actually found it in a craft shop while we were in Maine. Thought she was just adorable and loved her style. We decided to give her to our daughter Joanna. Joanna's old yellow cat died last spring, and her co-workers found a sweet stray which they encouraged her to adopt. She did so, naming her new pet Jasper. A few short weeks later, Jasper gave birth to five kittens! As my husband Jack sometimes points out, "No good deed goes unpunished." Happily she's found homes for four of the kittens, she'll keep one, Jasper is getting a new name, and both cats will be neutered soon.

Here's a beautiful handmade bag that just arrived from my quilting friend Joanne. It's perfect... size, color, roominess, fabric, everything. The strap is just the right width and length. It may be the most comfortable one I've had, and it will be a go-to bag.

And after donating a pile of fabric at the quilt guild recently, quilting friend Penny made this thank-you gift. This little sofa is a tissue box cover. Cute! I didn't even remember having this fabric. But it's back home now in a dandy new form!

Quilters are such generous people! I'm feeling very grateful.

And while I was taking these photos, I decided to allow this stuffed bunny to recline on the sofa. I've had it for years, and just never seem ready to part with it. I showed the bunny to my employer some years back. She commented, "No wonder you were drawn to this bunny. If you were a rabbit, this would be you." I wasn't sure how to take that thought, but since I like the bunny and her personality (her good looks aside), I took it that this would be me in the best possible way! What say you? It's good to be back.