tiny happy

A friend gave me an armful of white lisianthus stems. They're kind of like casual roses. I love them.

And late last year, Helen gifted me the vintage pincushion you can see in the last photo above. It's made from wool felt with hand-embroidery, and filled with sand (good for keeping needles sharp). I think the little extra piece of felt at the top is for tucking into your belt or tying around your wrist to keep the pins close by. (Is that right, Helen?)

This beautiful little sewing treasure, together with the other flowers from the garden at the moment (geraniums, alyssum, iceberg roses) suddenly inspired me to do some embroidery: a free-form sampler of sorts, white thread on black linen.