A New Year, A New Ladder

I am not big on New Years. I stay home and we eat whatever and watch tv, no big deal. I had enough of partying in my younger days;) My New Years resolution to myself is to relax and stay away from stress, not always easy. I plan on working more on my house, making new and creative pieces and I will be working on more patterns this year.

I am working on the large rug, some punched pieces, some quilting and where ever the spirit moves me. That is my new philosophy this year. I make what I want, when I want and spend more time on being creative. I will still sell pieces on occasion, but I will be concentrating on the creative process more than the sales.

I decided that our first ladder was too big for the space, so my husband made me a new one. This one is narrower and has more rungs, much more practical and it gives me more space for other items. Now I have to work on the wall around it. I have a wall hanging to finish and maybe some new wood pieces will be added to the wall. We did get some books from the library, I have lots of things I want my husband to make, so maybe some box candle holders and a new shelf, quilt hanger combo.

Here is the first ladder. I will use it in my sewing room, perfect for hanging my unfinished quilts on.



This is the new improved version. It fits the space nicer and I like the skinnier version.

Rug Progress

I worked on my rug some more and got the bird and my hand done the other day and tonight I worked on the other horse. I got an idea for a new project to make as a gift, so I cannot show you that now;) It is hard to believe it takes hours to get what seems, so little, but it adds up and it will be finished in no time, lol. I was planning on going with a black background, but thinking along the lines of a light prim green instead, so we shall see.



I took a close up of the bird and the wool that I used in it. I thought you might like to see how this wool works up. It is fun to use multi-colored plaids in a project like this, it gives you variation with one wool. I think the hand will look better when it gets some background around it, but the lettering seems too large. I always wait until I put in the background before I change things, sometimes they look better when it is all put together and if not, then I can change them.

I also started a new project today, a crazy type quilt with cat and dog appliques, so I will show you that when I get working on them. I like to cut out and make my own little kits for projects, so I always have something to work on. I work by mood, so sometimes I take a hooking break and sew or punch. It is nice to have a project ready, so I don't have to think or get something ready when I just want to work on it.

Dora wants you to help!

Dora is my newest Kitty. She fills my life with laughter and love. I adopted her from our local pound when she was seven months old. She was scrawny and scrappy and didn't seem to interested in being taken, but something about her made me want to take her home. Well, it didn't take long for her to fit right in, she loved having a home and loves the freedom of playing without having to worry about outdoor predators.

Dora does not seem to understand water in a bowl, they only way she drinks is from a faucet. I was finally able to get a shot of her strange habit. Today we played with the infrared light on the wall. Izzy, my son's cat was jumping up a few feet to get it, but of course Dora has to show her skills and flew over Izzy in an attempt to grab the light. If only I could take a photo while playing with them, they are too funny for words.

Today Dora is asking you to help others who have pets. Amanda Atkins, daugher of Donna Atkin, a wonderful folk artist is auctioning off a beautiful print on ebay. The proceeds will go to "The Bunky Walton Fund". The fund is set up to help pet owners with the expenses of veterinarian care. In this economy, so many pet owners cannot afford to take their pets to the vet and a lot have had to give them up to shelters, so I think it is a great cause. If you love folk art, Amanda's print is a great way to get a beautiful piece of art and help a great cause.

You can see Amanda's auction here: Amanda Atkins Auction
It would also make a great present for an animal lover. I just wish I could have bid higher myself.

You asked for it!

Well, some of you said you wanted to see my ugly slippers and jammies, so here they are. Did I mention my husband is color blind? They may be ugly, but they are comfy and the PJ's are really warm and soft.



I worked a bit on my rug today and got the horse finished and I did do the cherry. Not a great shot, but my husband fell asleep on the couch, so I couldn't drap it, to get a better front shot. Then Dora decided it was snuggle time, so I had to sit and let her cuddle in my lap for awhie. She still needs to learn how to cuddle and relax with me, but she is getting there.

The specks are bits of the wool showing through, not the backing. I am actually a packer and I am going slower and making sure I skip and not pack this time, so the rug lays nice and flat. I threw in the gold eye, but will redo that later. I tend to fill in small spots and decide later what I want there.

"All is Calm"

The Holidays are over and today I stayed home and rested, well some what. For me resting means doing a hundred things instead of a million, lol. I had a wonderful Christmas with my kids, DIL and future SIL. Because of my allergies, I do most of the cooking, but my son made a few special dishes to add to the feast.

My husband did his usual last minute shopping and I got a pair of polka dot pj's and slippers that are just butt ugly, lol. They are comfy though. We got a tv this year for our present, so we just got some silly gifts to open.

Today I got to do something for me finally. I have been wanting to do some new projects and had put them aside while I made presents for friends and family. I decided to start a runner for behind the couch area and later I will make one of the other end of the hallway.

I have no idea how long it will take me, but it is big. It is 85" x 26". I took designs from old rugs and put them all over. This way I can use scrap wools and not worry about having enough of one color. I plan on doing the background in black. I still haven't decided on the border, I may just go with a simple hit or miss type coloring, we shall see. Here is the pattern. There are a few spots that I will add items to later, but I wanted to start hooking and then I can decide if and what it needs.

I will share my progress as I go along. Tonight I worked on one of the horses, but it is slow going.

Izzy gets into the act, a fun find and presents

I finally finished my daughter's quilt and Dora gave me a break, but Izzy, my son's cat decided to help instead.
She gave it the comfort test and then nagged me about my sloppy sewing and gave me pointers;)





I hit a couple of stores today and since it was in the area, I had to hit the salvation. They had a sale on all of the christmas items and I found this quilted angel, digging through the stuffed animal bins. Just love her, and only 50 cents, great bargain.



To top my day off, I got some wonderful gifts from Kimmie (Cabin Creek Farm). She sent me a cookie cutter ornament and one of her handmade wax ornies, love them. Plus some beautiful wool that I can use in my next project. The neat kitty ornament was made by my friend Kelley (Kanknchester).

Quilting with Dora

I got the brilliant idea to make a quilt for my daughter and started it last week, not the smartest move;)
I did fine on the applique, but then I needed to quilt the top and of course put it off till yesterday. Then people stopped by and people call and machine acts up, but I finally finished it today. I made a mess of it, never again will I make a quilt in a rush. The quilt is wonky, so all the bad stitching blends in;)

Of course Dora decided to help by testing out it's comfort level. She loved winding bobbins and playing with the empty ones.
Now I need to bind it and see if a wash and dry makes it look better, hehe.

Just finished a punch I am making for my DIL, just need to finish the edge and put it on a basket tomorrow. Then Maybe I can slip out for some last minute shopping and on wednesday, it is cooking and more cleaning. Then maybe I can rest, but doubt it;)