Twas the week before Christmas

Well here it is---the week before Christmas---lots of rug hooking parties last week and I was not very good at taking pictures---sometimes it is more about being present at the party than taking pictures.

My end of the year Holiday party is always lots of fun---good food, good friends and sharing rugs.  Each year I give my students a little project piece---usually to be hooked into wool.  Here is my sample of the one they got this year---the first hooked by me and the second hooked by Kate.

 While these are usually made into pillows I took an easy way out and turned this one into a wine bag!

              Kate made hers into a pillow---sorry I don't have a picture of the finished pillow.


Here are a couple of pictures of rugs from our rug show.

 Prairie Fox design by Kathy Morton Mulvain hooked by Marie

 Patriotic Postcard design by Tricia Travis hooked by JoAnn

 Sunflower??? design by Honey Bee Hive formerly House of Price hooked by Anne

 Paisley Design by Jane
Rowe---this is one of our Philanthropy rugs hooked by members of the State Line rug hookers guild members---tickets are being sold and proceeds will go to Alexandria's House, a hospice house for infants here in KC---contact me if you are interested in purchasing tickets.  Winner will be drawn at the Lenexa Hook-in which is on March 8th this year---one week later than in past years.

   this is the second raffle rug---still in progress---designed by Marie Rufe and also hooked by members of the guild.

 this is a Sunflower pattern that I drew for Mary Ann---she wanted to do the border with the hooked braiding---she is doing a great job!

this is a Victoria Ingall's pattern hooked by Becky---students were asked to bring their first rug---Becky did a great job with this rug.  I tried to talk her into doing a smaller piece and she wouldn't give---she succeeded and did a great job!

Here are my my friend Kelly and I running in the Santa Dash in Westport---it was about 8 degrees at race time---can you spell Brrrr!

Here are a couple of quilts that I found at the First Friday Market---they are for sale in my booth at the Greenwood Mercantile.

I have a confession to make---I have not decorated for Christmas yet this year.  I keep think I am going to do it and then I don't.  I think I will do a few things later this afternoon.  There is a good reason but I don't want to post it on here...I will tell you why after Christmas.

We also had a great hooking party at Cyndi's in Garden City MO for the Greenwood students.

Our guild Christmas party was last Saturday at Linda's---sorry I didn't take pictures but we had a great time.

My neighborhood bunco party is tomorrow night and the Greenwood Mercantile dealer's party is Saturday.

Tis the season!

Okay that is it---I am busy working on Sarah's wedding rug---wedding not till June but I want to get it finished---thin it will happen before Christmas.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

-

Cyber Monday and other thoughts

Well here it is---December 2nd---and we are supposed to get up to 58 degrees this afternoon and they are talking snow for the weekend---hoping not!

We had a nice Thanksgiving dinner---here are some photos of the table using the dishes and flatware that I have collected for the wedding reception.  It was fun to set the table.

It is kinda hard to see in the photograph but there are 7 different patterns of china and silverplate flatware on the table.  I used the silver trays as chargers but at the reception they will be in the center of the table with the flowers in aqua fruit jars like the one in the center.  I like the napkins folded this way---we might do this and tie with ribbon.

We watched our share of basketball and football this weekend---was hoping the Chiefs could pull off a win,  I got in several good runs and a bike ride but fighting a sore neck---not sure what I did---but it hurts on my left side---just trying to keep it iced and not think about it.

Last night I finally finished the Karla Gerard paisley rug---I really like the binding.  Here is the finished rug.

This is the finished rug!

This is Karla's painting on canvas.

I am having an Open Studio day on Wednesday---9 to 4.

 and next Wednesday the 11th is our Rug Hookers Christmas party---always the highlight of the year!

This year in I have asked students to also bring their first rug for the rug show in addition to other rugs for the show.  

have a great week!

Anita

Survival

Well I survived the cold weather yesterday at The Gobbler Grind half marathon---it was 13 degrees at race time.  They started the race 15 minutes late- which was enough time standing there waiting for it to start to get cold fingertips and toes---which meant a not too pleasant start to the run however it got better as the miles went by...finished the race in 2 hours and 22 minutes---about 3 minutes slower than my last race but I came in first place in my age group---only three of us were crazy enough to do it.  I actually felt pretty good afterwards---came home and took a warm shower, ate some pancakes, watched the Chiefs game and took a nap on the couch.

So far so good today except for waking up at 3 o'clock and not being able to get back to sleep.  Today is my last day of home classes for the year.  I will still have an Open Studio day on Dec. 4th and the end of the year party on the 11th.  We always do a potluck lunch, show and tell and rug show.  This year I am also asking everyone to bring their first rug...that should be fun.

I am looking forward to preparing Thanksgiving dinner---and setting the table---I plan to use some of what I have collected for Sarah's wedding reception for the table---will post a picture.

This picture shows the finish that I am putting on the K. Gerard rug that I hooked---this is a wool plaid that I cut on the bias---it is not pressed yet so it will lay a little flatter.  I am pleased with it!  I will post the complete photo when I finish---getting close.

Gotta go finish getting ready for class.

New postings on Etsy---Cupboard door Patterns

Well I finally had my hubby put my Cupboard  Door patterns in the Etsy store---you can find it by following this link---

http://www.etsy.com/shop/anitahooks?ref=search_shop_redirect

                                       these are just a few of the designs---check them out!


If you place an Etsy order between now and December first send me an e-mail after placing your order and I will send you a little present with your order---don't you love surprises?


Tomorrow is the Gobbler Grind half marathon---picked up my race packet today---it is going to be frigid in the morning---I have heard as low as 8 and as high as 13---brrrrrr!  I don't think I have ever run in weather that cold---it is going to be interesting.

Home from St. Louis and other stuff

I had a great weekend workshop last Friday-Sunday at Nola's studio on the Hill.  This was my last workshop of 2013 and was a great way to finish off the year.  Nola's studio is located in The Hill area which always means a trip to Skif---it did not disappoint as I found a wonderful new sweater;

These are a couple of shots of Skif  that I took on my morning run on Saturday---a great area to run in and got to stop at Shaw's for a wonderful latte!

The photos taken at the workshop are from my phone which was found as we started packing up to leave---thanks Pam!

Barb worked on this fun primitive mermaid---this is one of Nolas's patterns---fun and colorful just like Barb!

Amy was working on this pattern called Perfect garden ---a great pattern to use a great variety of wools---and that is one cute cat!

Sisters Terry and Bette worked on these Challenge pieces---what fun!  Terry's on the top was hooked with a variety of colorful wools and Bette's was hooked with Tapestry yarn---to get the texture for the roof she braided three yarns together  then hooked it in.

Although it would appear that Susie didn't get much hooked---you would be wrong---she worked on two other pieces which were in progress and then decided to have me  design a Paisley for her---so here is Paisley for Susie---a new pattern!  Thanks Susie!  Susie does catering in Indiana so it was fun getting ideas from her for my daughter's wedding reception---good ideas!!!

Dana is a beautiful hooker and worked on this Susan Quicksall design "Vines and Flowers"---starting with a teal textured background---this is what we came up with---it is going to be a beautiful rug!

Jeanette was going to work on a turkey but the backing the pattern was on would not accommodate a wide cut so we switched gears staying with a fall theme and she chose this pattern of Nola's---lovely fall leaves and acorns---starting with a bold chartreuse wool for the background this is where we went---check out that great paisley vein!

Pam chose this Janice Johnson Fraktur pattern---reminds me a bit of Comstock---one of my favorite designs.  It is coming together beautifully with lots of great textures and some paisley.  She is thinking about adding a border down the two sides of some tongues which I thin we really frame the piece.  Pam and I go way back to my early teaching days at Lazy Hill's in Texas so it was fun to catch up again after all these years.

 Kathleen chose this Karla Gerard pattern called Blue Bird---it was fun to try to make it look like her painting but I have some work to do to recreate the background color---think I know what I am going to do so will keep you posted on how it comes out.

Paula chose this Navaho runner from Red barn rugs---I love how it is turning out---she worked hard to get the whole color plan done---not afraid to keep moving to new areas.

Sandy was working on this fun witch in flight pattern---it will have a mix of dark tealy blue wools in the sky---hard to see the outline around the witch in the photo but is was a fun spot dye---we went through several different background ideas before deciding on this one.

When I got home and started unpacking and cleaning up the studio for todays home classes I got the but to rearrange---will see what happens this morning---only have classes today and next Monday and then the party for the end of the year at Mimi's.

I got my love of rearranging furniture from my Mom---and speaking of that it is my intent to get back to working on "mom" and maybe finishing it my the end of the year.  Although I am going to need to get started on the wedding rug for my daughter's June wedding,  Sarah loves honeysuckle so this is what I came up with.

This is it awaiting her approval on the colors---seeing it here in the photo I may need to re-space the names and or date,

Here is an update on the finish I decided on for the edge of the Karla Gerard paisley rug---wool fabric binding cut on the bias---I like it!

One final note---I am running a half marathon on Sunday and it is going to be cold---maybe as cold as 10 to 15 degrees at race time---I hope they are wrong.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Anita

Nebraska Wrap-up

Well I am up early and hoping to wrap up the pictures from Nebraska.  Later this morning I will be going to the Greenwood Mercantile to set up for the Christmas Open House this weekend------be sure to check it out---always lots of goodies.  Here is the link to the website in case you have missed it before.

http://www.thegreenwoodmercantile.com/index.html

Still planning to go to the First Friday Vintage Market  tomorrow but have to go to the doctor first  (mixup on my appointment on Wednesday) and I have to fast again---not happy about that!

I signed up to run another 1/2 marathon the Sunday before Thanksgiving---am I crazy or what---well at least I can eat more Turkey!

It has been raining like crazy for a couple of days---ready for the sun to come back out!

Well here goes the pictures.

Tammy started a series of birds done by a collage artist ---Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson---with permission---this  was an interesting concept to get the feel of paper collage in rug hooking.  I think she did a great job---cam't wait to see how the others turn out too!  Here is the link to buy a calendar 2013.

http://www.lang.com/paper-paintings-1001621.html

Sisters. Pam and Lynne were working on this floral basket rug and doing a great job---both incorporated paisley into their flowers---always fun to see the same pattern develop in different color ways!

Susan was also working on the smaller version of the Star runner done by Larry---posted in the first Nebraska post. Again fun to see how the pattern can be developed in so many ways---this one will have a dark blue background that I have to dye when I get back from Texas.

The next group of pictures are special because they prove that students do go on to finish rugs started at workshops and they make me so proud of what they have accomplished.  Way to go guys---you did great!  I feel bad because there were a few others that came that I did not get pictures of that I thought I did---sorry!  There a few that were almost finished and hope they will come back next year with the projects from this year.  Hint Hint!

  

This rug of Judy's is one of my favorites---Judy is so busy running the show that I really don't get to work with her much but she always lets me pull together a palate for her to work from and she always succeeds.

Linda worked on the Caswell Fruit and Flowers last year---she had not done much wide cut shading before and she did a great job!!!

Larry's Early Frost Adaptation has a great look.  Love the colors and the woven feel of the rug---way to go Larry!

I was really looking forward to seeing this one in person---a lot of great things in this rug---be sure and check out the silver accessories sewn on to the boots and that rope---WOW!  There are initials of her family worked in subliminally in the background---a real family heirloom in this one!

This rug and the rug below were hooked by Karen last year---she was in both workshops so I was doubly blessed to get to work with her on both.  This basket floral was done in the second workshop---a great primitive floral.

 

This proud Eagle resides in her husband's office---great texture and movement and the lettering is so well done!!!

This is Jane's Poppy rug designed by Sharon Smith---What a fun rug---so cheerful and primitive---a wonderful way to use up bits and pieces and creat a beautiful rug!

This is Jane's rug from the previous year---I love the proddy edge on this mat and the fall leaves are great---I love fall!

This is Carolyn working on her rug---her design but  do not remember if she gave it a name---she was the one that didn't get in the class picture---she is one fast hooker---almost completed this piece and started another one!

Found another completed one---this is Joyce's bunnies---Cadbury and ???  sorry can't remember the other bunny's name.  What a fun rug---great job Joyce!

Okay that is it---I really have to go get busy---this took much longer than I planned but so worth it to share their work!

Looking forward to next year!