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!