Crazy Quilted Needlebook

This is a CQ needlebook that I did last weekend as a commission for a friend, Beverly. She is a wonderful older woman who maintains the art gallery at Wheeler Farm (a Salt Lake County Park and historical working farm) where I work. Her grandfather was Henry Wheeler, who built the historic Victorian home (now a house museum) and developed the farm before it was sold to Salt Lake County in the 1970's. ANYWAY, as an artist herself (oil paintings), she comes by her love of needlework and crazy quilting naturally. I was very flattered when she stopped by my booth at the December 6 boutique and asked me to make her a needlebook. She had no specific colors requests, just to do something I enjoyed. This is what I came up with. (FRONT):

It's actually done in the feel and colors of some of the girls' bedrooms of the Wheeler home (built in 1898). The laces are vintage, but the fabrics, trims, etc. are all new. And the "embossed" look of the green fabric in the top right echoes the Lincrusta wallpaper in the home's living room. (Lincrusta was a heavy embossed wallpaper - almost like linoleum - popular in the late Victorian era; I believe it was originally of English manufacture, but may have later moved to the US).

Here is the (simple) back:
First of all, I don't know what the "H" I was thinking when I did the spider sideways. But she stayed, better judgment notwithstanding. The little doily under the silk ribbon arrangement was done by my great grandmother. I guess I should call it the START of a doily - she left a lot of these started pieces for us, and I've loved using them in my work here and there.

Beverly loved the needlebook.