I received word today that Outi’s belated birthday exchange finally arrived in Finland.
Did I mention that Outi’s birthday is in July? It might be (slightly) amusing if she just received this exchange from me after waiting for it since July, but that is actually not the case.
Outi was in the birthday exchange group that I moderated at The Robin’s Nest and her partner never contacted us to indicate whether or not she ever received the gift that Outi made for her or if she ever made anything for Outi. I found this to be quite a shame since Outi and her partner shared the same birthday, but oh well.
Anyway, as I followed this dilemma I told Outi that since her partner flaked and we never knew for sure if what she stitched for her partner arrived that she did not have to stitch a replacement piece. However, as the moderator I felt obligated to stitch something for Outi’s birthday.
Outi was happy to have me stitch a replacement and was extremely tolerant that I didn’t get something stitched for her right away because I was going on job interviews and moving and all that stuff.
It really didn’t take me long to decide what I wanted to stitch for Outi. I knew it had to be a needleroll. I don’t know why, but something just told me Outi needed one to add to her collection. 
Choosing the right pattern took a little longer though. I really wanted to emphasize her birthday, so I looked at a lot of July-themed things before I chose The Victoria Sampler’s “July Needleroll.” I must admit I was a little worried about whether or not Outi would like it at first because she isn’t really “in” to flowers, but I suspected that even with the flowers she would appreciate it because The Victoria Sampler has such beautiful designs.
And in an attempt to make her belated birthday exchange just a little more worth the wait, I also included a chart from her wish list.
Happy (EXTREMELY) Belated Birthday Outi! I hope your year has been and continues to be a wonderful one.