Although our September Box exchange was a little late this year, the anticipation just added to the joy! Mom and I met at a new restaurant to both of us and it was a cozy and upscale place. It felt so normal to meet and eat together. The food was delicious and the coffee afterwards came with the sweet ironstone restaurantware that I do love and even a handless creamer. I collect these. An extra little happy that just added to our experience.

Whoever is served their dish first gets to open their box first. Really which is the better? Watching or opening. They both are so delightful but I do love to watch mom open her treasures. I was served first so I began. My tin was large and filled to the brim. Mom always wraps her gifts in fabrics and this year it was many liberty fabrics. So soft and delicate.

Each gift had a little story or comment from mom. The blue handled scissors I got her last year in her box she loved so much she bought herself another pair and one for me too. They cut right down to the tip! A very good quality for a quilter.

Mom made me the sweetest and tiniest of quilts. Made of hexagon squares to reflect a hydrangea. My thumb in the picture to show just how little it is. And the even and tiny stitches holding them together, framed with a lace doily and old Dresden quilt. Just exquisite.

Mom also made a quilted story scroll. How precious! Handmade gifts are simply the best and I think of her in her chair by the window threading a needle with a lap full of scraps and tidbits of fabrics.

Especially this year I know how difficult it was for mom to get out and about to a shop or two and so I treasure so more the gift knowing the effort. I had mentioned to mom how much I loved her hand soap and she went to buy me some to put in our exchange and they did not have any but she bought me the hand lotion instead.

Tester. So dear!!!

Each year we see that we give each other the same type things. This year we made each other a pin cushion! I was at moms just yesterday and saw that she was using the one I made her.

Happy thoughts.

My box had candles and pencils, wooden heart, paper house banner and all manner of neat things. She really outdoes herself each year.

And so it was mom’s turn. I had wrapped her items into a box she had bought me, we guessed 20 years ago. It’s a simple cardboard box and I recall she threw out what it held and used it for a gift box at Christmas. I had displayed it for many years and recently found it again while going thru stored items.

It was too small so I did have to add a little extra bag that I themed the sewing bag. It held little items to aid in sewing. I used old quilting squares to wrap a few of her gifts. I had bought a box of tidbits of fabrics from a UK seller on Etsy and used much of it to embellish and trim mom’s gifts.

I am quite sure mom’s pincushion making went quickly and without having to rethread the machine a million times. I took this picture just to show mom afterwards of the mess I had made trying to sew these tiny thin liberty squares together!! But it turned out in the end and was really a neat pattern with the pocket for scissors.

I made mom a soldered book from an online class I took of Terri Brush. It was such a fun course and I spent several days watching and making. It turned out so dear. Creating the pages was my favorite part.

Constanza, a friend from Instagram, recommended this sweet pendant to include in my exchange and so I ordered it directly. So tiny and precise. A wonderful addition to mom’s box. It was made by Meandmystitches. She has a wonderful selection of similar items. Thank you Constanza for sharing this find.

Joan Walsh Anglund created the simplest and most tender of books and drawings. I found a new to me one on Ebay. A Pocketful fo Proverbs. Such a small little book and was just a perfect size to fit into mom’s box.

I picked up this quilt square at a favorite vendor at the world’s longest yard sale. I am not familiar with the pattern but do love the colors. It reminds me of a family tree. Each of us different but together a beautiful family. It represents so many warm thoughts of my family.

I am so grateful each and every day for the gift of my parents. So blessed I am to share a love and friendship with them both. As each year passes I treasure each tradition shared more and more.

I hope that you have a tradition with your loved ones that you can treasure and look forward to sharing each year. This one of exchanging a September box is a more recent one than some so starting one can begin today!

Thank you for reading our story.

Katey