Monday, August 30, 2010

Where have the last ten days gone????

Wow!  It is hard to believe that ten days have gone by since I last posted.  I have been busy in the dye pots and drawing patterns.  I have also been running thanks to some cooler morning weather.   My longest run was an hour and twenty minutes and I am hoping to top that one this Thursday morning with 90 minutes and hopefully close to 8 miles.  This weekend we are heading to the lake on Friday and have some friends joining us---hopefully the fish will be biting!  Yikes---I'll be coming home on Labor day and then it is packing up time for Shake Rag Alley and Green Lake since I will hit the road on Wednesday with a stop in the Quad cities to visit my good friend Janet.  I love Fall---it is my favorite season and Wisconsin in September usually has fall in the air...yeah!

Congratulations to Kate and Richard for the Golden Wedding Anniversary last Saturday!!!





Here is something else I have been working on...a lovely basket bouquet of my paisley pincushions---they are on clamps but you can't see the clamps in this picture.




And something else---more long and lovelies!  What fun they are!

Well that's it---I have home classes Today and Wednesday so I'd better go put the coffee on and get myself ready.  

Have a great week!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Cupboard designs



    I get many inquiries about what design I have in my cupboard series so I am going to try to get them posted so I have a place I can send people.  These designs are 6" by 18 " and are hand drawn on primitive linen---they are $22 each.  The original designs were based on painted cupboard designs from the 1800's.  Then I went into some seasonal design by popular request, then I just design new ones when I get requests or inspiration.


So here goes,,,in no particular order.



Blooming Bunny                             Blooming Flag                   Melon Vine


 

                                 Baa  Baa  Baa            top right   Flock in flowers     bottom right    Eight is enough

 

                                  Pineapple
                                  Sunny                            Sunflower           Two Hearts




                                               Pumpkin Vine
                                               Old Crow
                                               Bzzz

Sorry they are not upright.



Holly Jolly Snowman    Nick at Night     Christmas Squares

'



these are some of the original ones

Hannah, Willow, Poppy, Paisley, Tulip

Remember if you click on the picture you can view them larger...

Here is a picture of a finished one in the frame.




I had forgotten that Project Runway was on again and just happened to catch it tonight---I'm going to go finish watching it.

Goodnight!

Thursday---approaching the end of the week

What a week
1  This was my week for home classes so I thought I would share of few picture from my group.


Monday Morning class

 Dorothy and Nora kept the cutters busy cutting lots of wool for new projects.


Maryanne is working on a Sampler Pattern designed by Nola's sister.  She was just finishing up the inside background around the letters.

Mary Lynn finished this piece as a gift for a good friend.



Wednesday morning classmates, Mimi, Amy and Jane modeling some of the new wool that I dyed on Tuesday.  Great job girls!



Mimi and Carole
 having a good time.

Doodles was hooking the border on a Pris Butler Scarecrow pattern.


Naomi, a  new student was having her first lesson---she was doing a great job.  She had purchased a kit and had hooked one piece on her own.  We were able to correct a few problems and had her on her way.  She is "hooked".


 Two more models who wanted to be headless.

And to wrap things up here's how my day went yesterday.  I got up early and ran 3.5 miles at 6:30 AM---had two wonderful classes at 9:00 and 12:30, changed clothes and went to the gym for a session with a trainer who is helping me periodically...I did a mile on the eliptical and mile around the track, stretched and did my dreaded foam roller before I met with her...so far so good.  I got in the car to drive home and was rear ended trying to pull out of the center onto 135th street.  Fortunately my car and Doug and I were not hurt....can't say the same about the man's car.  I got home changed clothes again and went to our neighborhood Bunco party---I walked with a neighbor.  When I got home I was so tired, but had a hard time going to sleep...oh and I got a phone call from my daughter in Santa Cruz---it was so good to catch up with her---I love you Chelsea!


Monday, August 16, 2010

Monday Morning and we finally have cooler weather

 Yeah---I stepped outside and it's a cool morning---it feels great.  The high today is supposed to be 87 degrees.  Yesterday wasn't bad either early.  I took off on my "long run" for the week and told my husband that I would call him for a ride home that I was going to go pick up the trail down through  Corporate Woods and Indian Creek.  I ran for an hour and got turned around as to exactly where I was but gave him the intersection.  I tried to call him back to correct what I had told him but he who never goes without his GPS didn't bring his phone and couldn't find me so I added another 45 minutes of running and walking.

I was afraid that I might be sore today but I actually feel pretty good.  I think I'll give the legs a rest today and run again tomorrow although they are talking rain tomorrow.

I am having home classes today---it will be good to see everyone.

I'm going to look in my old photo files for a picture....hmmmmmmm....



this is a rug that I did many years ago in a class with Ingrid Hieronimous in Texas.  It was adapted from a painting from 1865 by Joseph Whiting Stock.  It was definitely a challenge.  I have it hanging in my dining room.



Such beautiful color---this picture was taken at my daughter Chelsea's wedding in October 2009.

Okay that's it.  It's time another cup of coffee and I need to get things ready for class.  Have a fruitful day.

Anita

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Well it's Saturday night


It has been a busy couple of days since I got home from the lake on Thursday..  I got things unpacked and put away and have been busy drawing patterns, paying bills, washing wool, etc.

It was finally a little cooler this morning so I was able to get my run in---not very fast but I managed an hour.  We are supposed to be getting some 63-68 degree mornings with highs in the 80's so I do hope to get in some longer runs---plan to get out early!

Last night I was doing some packaging of lavender dryer bags while watching TV---we rented "The Greatest".  It was good for a cry...Pierce Brosnan  and Susan Sarandon were in it.

Kathy send me a picture of one of my Cupboard Series rugs hooked by Jennie.  I thought she did a great job.



We had the landscape guy come by tonite as several of our new plants are "toast".  He is going to replace them in September when the weather gets cooler.



This is a sketch I have made of a geometric rug that I want to hook---I think it could be a great rug.  So many possibilities os what your eye sees.

Okay that's it for tonite...time for a glass of wine and a steak!

 
This is a picture that I took at Green Lake two years ago---is there any reason I wouldn't want to go back???  I can't wait to go back!  I'm counting the days.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

more from Eureka Springs

I am still at the lake---heading home tomorrow.  When I get home I have much to do to get things back in shape for home classes next week.  I also need to do a lot of dyeing to get ready for the Wisconsin workshops as well as planning and organizing for the projects. Where has the time gone????

Here are more pictures from Eureka Springs.

This is Sherry's "Autumn finale" and her friend Janet was doing the same piece drawn without the acorns .  Here is Janet's version.



This is Marcia's pattern---hard to see it in the picture but there is a red and green beaded line repeating the red and green checkerboard at the top.


Linda was hooking "Comstock" a Lib Callaway design.  This is one of my favorite designs.  It is an adaptation of a bed rug done by Mary Comstock in 1810.


Annie was working on this pattern by Vicki---she made yo yo flowers and stitched them on.

This cute little red shopping basket was found by Annie at a garage sale on her way to workshop one day---she sold it to me---thanks Annie---I love it!

I love it so much I posed inside the basket.

And on that note,,,I need more coffee so that's a wrap!

Monday, August 9, 2010

Good time at the lake

I just came in from a ride on the jet ski and a swim in the lake.  It is really hot here---even the lake water feels like bath water.  We took a trip into the flea market and bought a couple of DVD's=---$3.00 for two.  Tonight I plan to watch movies and hook on my Cape Ann rug...it is progressing---about half done now.

Here are some more pictures of rugs from the Eureka Springs workshop.



This piece was done by Aileen Anderson---it is a pattern designed by Janice---Wooly Woolens.  Aileen sent me paint samples to help get the colors that she was wanting to use---a helpful tool for a teacher.


Diane was hooking this lighthouse pictorial for her son.  She made a lot of progress in three days.


Lise was hooking Sally Kallin's leaf runner.  I also introduced Lise to my dreaded foam roller as she is a runner also.  We decided we should plan a run together sometime...she is running a half marathon in St. Louis a week before I run mine in Kansas City.  Way to go Lise!!!


This was inspiration for Vicki's fruit jar---and here is the work in progress.





That's it for now---I am sitting outside burning up----going in to cool off.

I'll post more tomorrow.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

wrapping up a wonderful workshop

I am back in my hotel room after a wonderful 3 day workshop in Eureka Springs AR.  Tomorrow morning I am leaving for the lake...my last night in Eureka Springs.  Vicki runs a nice workshop and is an incredible cook.  Check out this dessert.




the workshop presented some interesting pattern---one pattern was designed by Vicki and took on several looks...here  are the three versions.


Vicki hooked this pattern as a aqua fruit jar




Jody went for a brown crock.



Mindy opted for a blue-green crock---I love the variety and individualism they showed.

Okay that's  it for tonite----brain dead---going to bed.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Bags are packed for Eureka Springs

Well the bags are packed but the car is not loaded---it is just too HOT!  I am waiting until morning to load the car---hopefully it will be a bit cooler.  I  just have some last minute things to get together, like my clothes and personal things.  I plan to stop at the lake on my way home so I'm having to think what I will need for after the workshop.  My good friend Janice is going to come spend a few days with me for some much needed girl time.




Tonite I plan to have a nice dinner with my husband and watch some TV and do a little hooking on
Cape Ann.  Here it is a work in progress.  I am planning it for my new bathroom...I normally go for dark backgrounds but wanted to keep it light and soft for the bathroom.


OOOPs---I see my toes---I just had a pedicure yesterday, so I guess it is okay.

I have a love-hate relationship with my foam roller---it hurts like ****** but I am hoping the results will be worth the pain.  I am also doing some new stretches and plan to do some more strength training to help with my running.  It has been too hot for me to run outdoors so I have been depending on the gym.  I need to be doing some long runs in preparation for the half marathon on October 16th which I haven't been doing so I hope some cooler weather is on the way.  Here is  a picture of my foam roller.

  It is 6 inches in diameter and 24 inches long.   It is like getting a deep tissue massage by rolling your body over the roller---you can google it if you are really interested.  All I can say is "ouch"!!!!

Okay time for dinner---have a great day!