Wrapping up Christmas---preparing for the New Year

I hope this post finds everyone happy and healthy.  We travelled to Manhattan Kansas for Christmas with my daughter Sarah.  We had a wonderful dinner on Christmas night---I got to play "grandma" to a friend of Sarah's daughter---here is a picture of me with Hannah.

I also managed to get a lot of hooking done on my "Houses in the Birches"...here is the picture i took when I quit hooking last night.

As you can see I am nearing the end---it has been a good project for this time of year as it did not take a lot of concentration.  I was able to watch some good movies and still hook.  My daughter Sarah really took a liking to it so I think it may find a home at her house---I think I am going to frame it---it is large---about 32 by 40 I think.

It is cold and dreary here in Kansas City---hope to go for a run after breakfast.

I am having a open studio day for my students on January 9th and am planning on going to The Barn rug hooking retreat January18-20th.  Also I am teaching a class for our guild on January 12th on making hooked journal covers with heart designs.

Have a party to go to tonight and am planning a quiet New Year's eve  dinner with friends---and maybe some card games.

Have a happy and safe New Year's.

Downton Abbey Holiday Party

Last Sunday evening I hosted a Holiday party and used dinner at Downton Abbey as my inspiration---I started out thinking about doing the downstairs version and ended up with a mix of upstairs and downstairs.  Here are some pictures of my table settings.

It was a very fun evening  but the washing of all the dishes afterwards was not fun!

Tonight I an having our neighborhood ladies Bunco Christmas dinner party but am using paper holiday plates---I will use real wine glasses as I do not like to drink wine in plastic glasses.

Here are some pictures of my progress on Houses in the Birches

I tried unsuccessfully to rotate this one---I am getting close to being halfway finished---not sure yet about a border---I may mount it???

I love getting pictures from Chelsea and Noah's progress on their house...here is a  recent one of a door they changed out putting in a vintage 5 panel glass door between the kitchen and laundry room which lets in more light from the back of the house.

Many years ago (late 1980's) I used to make these paper mache Santas---I sold them at juried craft shows---wish I had kept more for myself---my sister has a better collection than I do.  Someday I should make some rug patterns with some of my  Santa  designs.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and happy New Year---be safe in your travels and enjoy your family and friends.

15th Annual Holiday Gathering

Yesterday was our 15th annual holiday gathering for my students---what a great time we had.  The food was great---as was the rug show and show and tell.  We had 33 in attendance---a few had left when this picture was taken...

What a lucky teacher  I am to have such a great group of students...

Here are a few of the rugs that were brought to the party...

It was a beautiful day today---nice and warm and will be warm again tomorrow---ran today and plan to go on a bike ride tomorrow---I just found out that there is a new triathlon in May---thinking about trying it---I haven't done much swimming lately.  May have to go swimming one of these days.

Sunday night I am having a Downton Abbey themed dinner party for 12 people---should be fun!!  I will post pictures of my table settings.

Plan to hook tonight and watch Project Runway.

12/11/12

When I was at church on Sunday the priest brought up 12/12/12 saying that some people thought that the end of the world would be on that date...I had not even heard of that or even thought about the date and then I realized that my end of the year holiday party is tomorrow 12/12/12---I kinda like the ring of it so I say it's a great day to be with my rug hooking friends---we will have a pot luck luncheon, rug show and tell of works in progress as well as a rug show of completed projects---can't think of a better way to spend the day.  Thanks to our host "Mimi" who lets us come to her beautiful home to have this party---Mimi is one special and talented lady---thank you Mimi!!!!

Okay I am going to do some backtracking in no particular order---just as things come to my mind.

The upper respiratory thing was not fun---finally ended up on antibiotics which got rid of it.  I am so glad to be feeling better.

The one good thing that came out of it was that i did get a lot of hooking done---here is the completed grizzly bear, framed and hanging on the wall.

This is an update on the Karla Gerard pattern---"Houses in the Birches"---it has been kinda fun to work on but it is not the most exciting thing to work on---but it is good for the time of year and TV watching and easy to pick up when I have a short period of time to work on it---have it set up in the living room on my floor frame which makes it easier to wrok on.

Last week my good friend Roz came to visit---we dyed some very long wool strips for a pattern she was going to work on---they were 90 inches long.  We had a great time---loved sitting on the deck in the evening under the patio heater sipping a glass of wine---good girl time---hubby was diving in Cozumel with friends.

We also went to the first friday market in downtown Kansas City---check out this cool warehouse cart that I bought.  Still trying to figure out what to do with it but love it.  I think I might put it in the front yard with some greenery on it for a party that I am having this weekend.   More on that in a minute.

Sunday night I am having the holiday party for our MT Nesters group---a dinner party with a Downton Abbey theme---I am doing more of the downstairs version with white ironstone dishes--made some burlap placemats, will also use white tablecloth and napkins,  pewter,  kerosene lamp etc---

 

Here are the placemats and chair backs tied with burlap ribbon.  the placemats are easy to make---just fray out the fabric and then run a zig zag stich to keep them from fraying any more---they do leave alot of little fibers everywhere---just bought the cheap burlap on sale for $2.99 a yard---I made 15 for $7.50 worth of burlap.

Here is an updated view of my daughter's home in Oakland---they painted the rooms a lovely blue green---this is the living room looking into the dining room and then into the kitchen with Noah in the doorway.

Last Saturday I went to our State Line Rug Hookers guild Holiday party---thanks to Linda for hosting us at her home---we had a great time.

Here is a picture of some of the Holiday themed rugs that were shown.

Well I guess that is it for today---have much to get done today.

On the mend

Wow---that upper respiratory infection kicked me in the  *****!!!!!!

I am finally feeling human again.  One good thing is that I did get a lot of hooking done...here is a picture of the Karla Gerard pattern that I started---this is not my normal color palette as I am somewhat following the colors of her painting...it was just the kind of hooking I needed as I was not feeling well but it helped pass the time---but now I am looking at it and thinking---yikes-this is big and I have a long way to go and asking myself---do I really want to put this much time and effort into it----hmmmm!

I started teaching my first classes in 1997 here in my home in Overland Park---one of the students in my first class was Barcia Miller.  Sadly Barcia passed away earlier in the week from Alzheimer's and bladder cancer...rest in peace Barcia.  She hooked many beautiful rugs and was also a talented painter and avid bridge player---we played many a game over the years and she was a competitor!

Well today I hope to go through my Christmas stuff and bring some of it out---this year I an editing what I bring out.

Have a nice weekend!

Grizzly and other stuff

Well I think I am going to call it quits on the hooking of the Grizzly Bear---ordered the frame and if I feel better tomorrow I am going to get the acid free foam board and start the framing process.  I will cut the  acid free foam board just short of the inside measurement of the frame to allow for the thickness of the rug warp which will wrap the foam board---I will stretch the piece over the board and pin down into the foam about every 1/4 inch----then I will lace top to bottom and side to side  to secure the excess backing and keep the piece tight.  Next I will place it in the frame---I plan to leave a little of the warp showing on the front of the piece (the part that will go under the frame so that the hooked part will extend into the opening---does that make sense---I hope so---I am such a visual learner that writing directions is not my forte---I will try to take some pictures of the process to show you what I do.

I probably should wait for the frame to arrive to double check my measurements---good idea, Anita!!!

Here is the panda turned grizzly!

Our State Line rug hookers guild has finished the rug for which we are selling raffle tickets---donation to benefit Cancer Action.  Contact me if you would like to purchase tickets.

I am going to start a Karla Gerard pattern that I purchased on Ebay---designs are available as a paper pattern that can be enlarged to whatever size you want---I made mine 32 by 40---here it is, a fun whimsical pattern---perfect for hooking while watching TV and killing some time before I start the portrait of my mom.

time to go have dinner---plan to watch the Voice and Dancing with the stars finale---and do a little hooking---still sick---but think I am on the road to recovery---maybe only a couple more days of feeling yucky!

Grizzly Bear

Well here is my progress on the bear---still tweaking things as I go---every time I take a picture I see things that I want to change---that is a good way to look at your work---too often we are looking at our work close up and a camera is a good tool.  In this photo I see a dark brown kine to the right of the right eye that seems too long and I think I want to add more brown to the water area at the bottom

I found a frame on Ebay that I am planning to order to frame this---it is a rustic wood that  I think will add.

I have not been feeling well since Wednesday so have been staying home---hence a lot of hooking time.  I think I am improving but still have problems---upper respiratory issues---no fun!!!

Have much to do  and don't feel up to doing it---so I guess I'll just finish the bear today---it will; make a great Christmas present for my hubby.  We used to live in Alaska from 1991 to 1994 so he will love it---he knows that I am hooking this so it is no surprise.

Here is the frame that I am thinking about:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Wide-Brown-Beige-Tree-Bark-Canvas-Picture-Frame-Custom-Made-Standard-Sizes-/370627240117?pt=Photo_Frames_Display&var=640031027702&hash=item564b1ae0b5

I added these rug hooks to my collection recently---check out the one in the middle with the letter "A" on it...love it!!!

Well that is it for now---Anita

Pattern of my Mother

I received this pattern in the mail today---I ordered it from Leonard Feenan,  He adapted the pattern from a photograph of my mother when she was about 17 years old.  I think he did a great job and I am looking forward to trying to do her justice.   Right now it seems scary but am looking forward to working on it.  Her name was Pauline and she died when I was only nine years old.  When I found the photograph just recently and saw the paisley background I was blown away and knew I wanted to hook it.  Wish me luck!

I have come down with some kind of upper respiratory crud---not feeling well...didn't make for the best 

Thanksgiving day.

I am still working on the Grizzly Bear---making progress and will post a new picture in a few days.

Home from Teacher's workshop

Got home last night from South Central Teacher's Workshop---I began going to workshop in 2000 and have never missed a year---I look forward to this week of being around other teachers---sharing my knowledge, learning from others and being inspired to come back home and be more creative.  This is the time of year when I am not travelling for several months and hope to use my time to actually do some hooking.  I have several projects in my mind that I hope to work on.  I came home with two projects that I started at workshop.  One was a Panda Bear pattern that became a grizzly bear with a fish in his mouth---reminding me of my time spent in Alaska.

This is Cheryl's teaching piece...and here is the beginning of my grizzly bear

a long way to go...but like how it is starting out...



I also got a start on an artichoke---not sure about this one---may need to do some re-hooking

I was working with a swatch but was adding miscellaneous wools for a more painterly approach.


I taught two of the days---one class was filling in for Kate who couldn't be there---here are some mandalas from the class.

Kate's piece...

and the second class was Grenfell style polar bears...

The center mat is an original and the one on the right is my first one hooked all in wool fabric and the one on the left my second one hooked in yarn and wool combination.

Well it is time to get ready to go to guild this morning---Anne Hoffman is doing the program---I sponsored Anne for Teacher's workshop and am happy to report that she got her Teacher's certification this week.  Way to go Anne!

It has been a crazy week

Between The Christmas Open House in Greenwood and my working at the shop for a few hours on Friday and again today and going to the Vintage market on Friday on the Bottoms---What fun that was---I am running behind in my getting ready to leave early tomorrow morning for Teacher's workshop.

I didn't get to post all the pictures yet from the Nebraska workshop but still plan to get the rest of the posted.

I forgot to take my camera to the shop so had to take this picture with my cell phone---best I could  do.

Sold the snowshoes today---they were from my private collection.  Kinda sad!

Here are a couple of my treasures from The Vintage market.

This wonderful little cupboard had ugly patterned glass in it with an ugly ornate knob---couldn't get them off fast enough.  Going to try to replace it with old wavy glass.

And this old wire store basket had my name written all over it---wish I had a dollar for all the people who commented on it while I was standing in line to pay!

These are staying home with me bus some other small treasures made their way to the shop.

The Christmas house is on still tomorrow and also next weekend---check it out if you are in the area.

Okay I should be downstairs packing but here are a couple of Nebraska pictures---some florals!

These two sunflower patterns were designed by Carrie Martin and are called "Nebraska"---the one on the left was hooked byTerri and the one on the right by Mary Jo--They both did a great job with his pattern---I think it should be called "Kansas"

Jodi almost finished the Red Rocket design pattern---a wonderful soft primitive pallette.

 "Poppies" a Sharon Smith design was hooked by Jane---this is always a fun pattern to work on because the flowers can be so creative.

 Karen was in both classes---after doing the eagle in the first session she switched to a primitive floral which was kind of out of her box and she did a great job!

Another fun floral basket by another Karen---Potted Coxcomb by Kathy Stephans---love the ruffled look of the cosxcomb

Vicki was also in both  classes and hooked this Poinsettia a Maggie Bonanomi pattern from Holly Threads Need'l Love book---a great rug and fun pattern to hook!

Theresa is not afraid of big rugs and big cuts---this was a floral pattern designed by Rhonda Manley---wonderful soft primitive flowers.

These last two rugs are the Shippee Floral---the first one hooked by Diane and the second by Patty---they were both using a soft floral pallette with a dark inside background and a light border---they were in the same class and sat together and shared many of the same wools---great job gals!!!

I really have to quit now---should have quit long ago.

Hitting the road at 6:30 AM---good thing we get an extra hour in the morning.