Smile in a jiffy bag

All packages are a fundamentally good thing. Even if they contain nothing more exciting than a replacement for the cracked shelf in the fridge or hubby's contact lens solution. But sometimes a parcel so awesomely wonderful arrives that it turns the whole atmosphere of a day around. Louise told me that her package would cheer me up. She even showed me a sneak peek, but I still wasn't prepared.

Oh, the anticipation...


The joy...

A truly beautifully crafted satchel in brown linen, with owl embroidery, lined in orange 'Katie Jump Rope' spots. My photo doesn't even come close to doing it justice.

The attention to detail...

Inside, the satchel's perfectly proportioned inner pockets were filled with colour co-ordinated notebooks, stationery, and yummies. And another mystery pouch.

The co-incidence...

This really made me marvel at the crazy co-incidences in this crafty world. Because I made a very similar pouch, with rather similar embroidery, featuring orange, for my partner and the organizer of this swap, Heidi. How spooky is that! Almost as spooky as being assigned Louise as a swap partner in the first place. I met her through the miniswap 2 that our offspring did and begged and pleaded with her to start blogging. I'm nothing if not persuasive!

The challenge...

The pouch held a lovely knitted cotton dish with a school house motif and yarn, needles and patterns to have a go at making one of my own. I love hand knit dishcloths and I'm so excited to give my one a try. Do you ever save a little project up for yourself as a treat? Well, this is going to be mine. Just wait until I've got the village craft fair out of the way.

I can tell you're getting envious now, so I won't show you the Sprout Design fabric or amazing woven sort of ric rack. I'm still grinning from ear to ear. Well, wouldn't you be? It's the crafty equivalent of Prozac.

Comments

[Megan]

I certainly would be grinning like a loon. The whole lot is beautiful. And also I think you might be a bit of a crafty prozac pusher, because now I have an urgent need to run out and get me some cotton yarn...

[Junie Moon]

What a wonderful package indeed and how fun that you made something similar--great minds and all that. I do sometimes save little projects to do just because they make me feel relaxed.

[shannon]

Lucky you! What a great package of beautiful goodies.

[Dallas]

Wow, what a great swap package. The bag is really cute, and the extra goodies look like fun.

[kirsten]

seriously amazing stuff - LOVE that bag!

[jen b]

such lovely goodies! i love it all.

[leslie]

nice score! everything is fabulous, you lucky girl : )

[julia]

Wow, you lucky, lucky girl! What an amazing swap deal, absolutely gorgeous stuff. No wonder your whole day cheered up, I'd be on cloud nine for weeks with that little lot!

Julia x

[TinkerBlue]

Awesome. The owl is so cute. What are in the smiggle box?

[sarah]

That's a great package- I really love the knitted dishcloth- I'd like to make one of those myself!

[janet clare]

you jammy toad!

[dottycookie]

Oh, all lovely lovely LOVELY! The owl is too adorable for words. This swap was a good 'un, wasn't it?

[julie]

That package would certainly make anyone's day - I love the way it is all coordinated and such care and attenbtion has been put into all the details.

[Joanna Butchart]

I keep saving embroidery as my treat as it is something i have never really done. Jealous is not a word that comes close to how i feel about that package. Lucky you.

[Louise]

I'm so glad you like it all Ali - it was great fun to put together. Have fun with the knitting - those dishcloths are lots of fun to knit! Glad it cheered you up :)

[Thimbleanna]

You lucky, lucky girl -- to get a package from LuLu!!! ;-)

[Carla]

Thanks for the sweet comment on my blog. I LOVE the owl bag. I love anything made with linen, and my daughter loves owls. She's going to flip when I show her the picture of your bag. I'd be excited too to receive such a wonderful surprise package!

[Bev and Ollie O]

Wow, if only to receie a package like that!

You are right though, all are fab, I await my monthly Prima mag from my mum with excitement, and this month there was two bars of chocolate and a hat for Ollie, so it was even more special.

How wonderfully lucky you are! x

[tiel]

what a treat. the orange stitched bag does look gorgeous.

[Elizabeth]

Ooh, lucky you, that bag is just beautiful. Dishcloths are great fun to knit, I've got a bit of a production line going with mine at the moment.

[cloth.paper.string]

so lovely! the linen, the owl, the orange. perfect!