Buttons and Beads and Neighbors, Too

I spent some time this afternoon with a neighbor.  It was sort of like an old-fashioned quilting bee, a knitting party or sewing circle etc.

She did some complicated embroidery or needlepoint, too small and exact for my old eyes and tendency to ignore tiny details.  I brought over a hat, a very simple one, which I had just finished crocheting.  I had bought some beads to add, and she gave me some old buttons.

I made an "approximate" arrangement, to give me a general idea of where to add them all.  She also donated the needle and thread.  We chatted and did our crafts together.

Here and there, she made some good suggestions and encouraged me to just sew:

"Each one is sewn in separately, so if it doesn't look right, it's no big deal to take it out and move it."

How nice to have neighbors...