NEW BLOG WITH A "THE" ...

After having so many issues with my template and posting and then things dissappearing I have opened a new blog..same name...just with the word "The" in front of it..So if you could all be so kind to change my new blog to your blog list, I would appreciate it! Thank you!!

The Evening Stitcher

http://theeveningstitcher.blogspot.com/

I REALLY GOOFED UP

Well...I really did it this time. I tried to use the templates that BLogger has to offer and I totally wiped out my blog. I can't get my "design" button back, I can't get my other pictures back. It's such a mess. I have been working on it all evening. I'm thinking of closing this blog and starting another one so I can use the kind of backgrounds I want...I don't know why things have to be so difficult! Oh well...tomorrow is another day!!

I finally finished my anniversary rug..yippee!! I edged it with 100% wool yarn in a black brown, pressed it and it's ready to hang. I'm always anxious to move on to the next project, even though I hook rather slowly. I hooked the entire rug in a 9 cut. And I must say...I really really love the reversible charcoal wool. The different shades of the brown/black make your rug look so antique. This was such a fun rug to hook..easy!

TRYING TO POST...AGAIN

The other evening, I tried and tried to post on my blog..but the text kept disappearing..then it would show up in the strangest places...oh well..going to try again! This is a rug that I started a little over a month ago. I designed it myself, with the year 1972..the year I was married. It is a tombstone shape, hooked with colors that are not in my usual color palette..but I have become more and more attracted to different shades of blue and ....gulp.....turquoise! I am using a number 9 cut. As you can see..I have two completely different colors for 1972. I couldn't decide it I liked the black or the grey. I'm kind of leaning toward the grey..I think it compliments the turquoise urn..but I'll probably wait until I have completed the background.

MANTLE IDEAS

Well..nothing new to report here. After having bronchitis and not working for a week, I had to catch up on all kinds of things around the house this past week..but I still feel like I have been hit by a semi! This weekend I have had nothing but wedding and baby showers..so still, I am unable to really get anything done. I am in such a mood to paint, rearrange, and redecorate. I need to lighten things up. I went to Hobby Lobby yesterday morning and bought a few things to change the look of my mantle. Not a big fan of HL, plus they are a little pricey, unless they have a 50% sale..and I really hate the fact that everything they sell....and I MEAN EVERYTHING is made in China. But...I needed a quick fix. Now..after buying some black wrought iron wall sconces..my back wall needs a paint job. Right now it is a dark blue (my husband's choice three years ago) and I have fought with that color ever since...nothing really stands out on it..all you see is the dark blue..My other walls are a taupey-beige..so I think I am going for two shades of a darker taupe and then I will paint my mantle either the same or the color of my other walls..whatever I decide..it's only paint! Here are a couple of mantle and wall ideas that I think may work. These are NOT pictures of my living room..these were taken from a search engine of "Mantle decorating" from Yahoo. Lots and lots of ideas!



These may be a little too white and bright...but they are beautiful!

MY OLD RUGS

I have been home sick with bronchitis for the past three days...can you tell...two posts within 24 hours! Feeling like I have a 90 year old set of lungs...I am still able to get on the computer..amazing..LOL! These are some of my older rugs that I had taken pictures of but were to lazy to post and now at 4 AM..unable to sleep..here goes:





The eagle rug was one of the first rugs I had ever made...I think it was my second one to be exact. I had it in hiding, because the kitties used to love to use it as a clawing rug. I had to make several repairs..now it hangs on the wall.



This small grouping, hangs in my sewing room. The two little cat rugs I adapted from antique rugs I had seen in a book, THe long narrow flower baskets rug is a design from Kindred Spirits. The small pumpkin rug was hooked and purchased from Sherry Kristoff last fall.

I'm in the process of hooking a rug, my own design, using some really different colors than I am used to. I am hoping to have it hooked soon...having some background difficulties. My creative juices just don't seem to flow like they used too!

MY DAUGHTER ON YOU TUBE...

It was just brought to my attention, that an interview my daughter, Renee, did at the Cleveland Clinic was on YouTube. She was filmed last winter during one of her post transplant visits. Renee had a pancreas transplant on July 10, 2008...here is her story..




The are so many other stories to be shared on their website:

my.clevelandclinic.org/transplant

What a wonderful gift and blessing "The Gift of Life" program has to offer.

TEDDY BEARS AND A RUG

Good Sunday morning! I have had such a nice weekend. Yesterday, I went to Kris Miller's "Thrums and Chums" monthly hook-in. I hadn't been since last summer and it was so nice to see all the area hookers again. It's such an inspiration to see what others are doing. Kris had invited a wonderful lady, who happens to have a graduate degree in story telling. She told us two sweet tales of her growing up..one especially pulled at my heart strings, since it was about her grandma and how she was such an important part of her life growing up. Such a charming lady! Next month I am going to bring my camera and take pictures of rugs-in-progress.

Since nothing really new or exciting around here, I thought I would post some pictures of my teddy bears. This first group of three, are my only surviving antique bears. I had quite a few years ago, but ended up selling them. These three I have hung onto. They sit quietly in my sewing room.



These next two little fella's, are the only two bears I've ever made. They are a lot of work..I can honestly see why bear artists demand such a high price for their creations! Plus, the cost of mohair is so expensive. They are not made the best...I don't think they could withstand the activities of my grand kids!
*****


The next photo is a Pat Murphy Bear..I purchased it from her in Ann Arbor in 1999. He is just a small bear on wheels..but he is so beautiful. She had only made two of them..because, she too, at that time, stated they were too much work. Her other bears are phenomenal!



Last but not least..is my rug "Hearts & Flowers". The hooking is finished, I just have to get my rear in gear to do the edging. It turned out pretty good, but I ran out of the chestnut colored brown wool..so I had to use other wool similar in color, but I guess that just adds to the "character" of the rug...at least that's what I told myself while silently complaining to myself! Have a great Sunday!!

MAGGIE B. RUG

Well...I keep saying I'm a slow hooker..but this one was ridiculous. I started this Maggie B. rug last winter, finished it in May..but of course never finished the binding until right before Christmas. Then...stupid me...put the rug on the floor..I figured if the old, antique rugs can hold up to everyday wear and tear..then this rug made out of good wool will be able to hold up too..right??? Wrong! I put the rug in my entryway...not thinking that people would be trudging in & out, with wet, snowy shoes and the worse...that stupid calcium/salt stuff my husband puts on the porch. I'm sure you're getting the picture...white, crumbly, water & salt deposits all over my beautiful chestnut wool!! The death of a wonderful rug.....

Well...I took a hot wet wash cloth and literally but gently scrubbed the heck out of it, then took my lint roller and rolled it every which way possible, and then re-pressed it with a hot iron on a fluffy towel. After working on it for about an hour and letting it dry overnight, I made the very intelligent not to put it back on the floor. So I hung it on my bedroom wall...much to my husband's chagrin...he's not really thrilled with the primitive look...whatever...and here it is. It doesn't look too bad for all the tortuous treatment it had been through..no more rugs on the floor!

A REAL WHITE WEDNESDAY.

With so many blogs going to a "white" theme, and today being "White Wednesday"...I thought I would show you our "White Wednesday". IT was truly a blizzard last night with snow falling about 2 inches an hour, and winds up to 40 miles per hour. Plus we had quite a bit of thunder...weird! We ended up with 10 - 12 inches and snow drifts measuring 24 inches. It may be the norm for some people...but it was probably the most we have had in years. I am a bit sick of it...but at least I was off today. My husband snowblowing our neighbor's driveway early this morning. I am cleaning out a couple of closets and then I am going to sit down and hook. Still hooking on the hearts and flowers rug..but I am almost done! Take care and keep warm!

TOO MUCH DANCING...

Oh my goodness....went to a wedding last night..and of course, I wasn't going to dance..told my husband...I won't dance...don't ask me...and of course...I danced and danced. Now today I am so sore even the hair follicles on my head hurt! It was so much fun..didn't get home until 1:30 am...which is sooo late for us..we're getting old, you know!

I am now hooking the background on my "Hearts and Flowers" rug. I'll take a picture of it later. I am hoping to have it done by the end of the week.

PROGRESS ON RUG

Well..here is the progress on my "Hearts and Flowers" rug. Sorry again for the poor quality of my picture taking....still working on learning the workings of my new camera. I am using a #9 cut with only 3 colors so far. I really like the simplicity and peacefulness of the design I think I will be hanging it in my bedroom when completed. My room is kind of bland..just beige, brown and white..so a little splash of blue will serve it well.

PRETTY LITTLE RED BIRD...

A pretty little cardinal perched on our birdfeeder outside the kitchen window..not moving a bit..even with me standing on the other side trying to focus. He was too busy eating. We get so many pretty little birds on the feeder, but my favorite are the little chickadees. Below is another picture, but I have to apologize for my poor photo quality. This is a new camera and I am still learning how to use it.



I have been hooking away on my "Hearts and Flowers" rug and can't believe how much I have done! Now for most of you hookers, you would have probably had the rug half way finished by now...but for me...it's quite an accomplishment..I am a slow hooker!!

GETTING MY GROOVE BACK...

OK...I admit it...I have been in a funk...just can't seem to get interested in anything since the holidays. I guess it must be post-holiday blues??? I don't know...maybe it's the fact that I go to work in the dark, come home in the dark, eat, sleep, and lay??? Whatever it is...I am deeming myself OUT OF IT...TODAY!! I have the day off......I am hoping the sun will be out and maybe I will be inspired to do something.

Last night, while digging through my stuff to either hook or stitch...something to get me going...I came upon a rug pattern sent to me by my friend, Lori Rippey, Homespun Prims by Lori, last winter. I love this pattern and I love the colors she had chosen for her rug. So I hope you don't mind, Lori...but I am going to use similar colors..(hey I have to have something to get me going). I traced it out on unbleached primitive linen from Dorr Wool and picked out some of the wool. So today...I am restarting my engine, getting my groove back...

Below is Lori's beautiful rug that she hooked last year. It was inspired from an antique rug that is also pictured in "SEASONS AT SEVEN GATES FARM".



The antique "Hearts and Flowers" rug pictured on page 218. Even though the book was first published over 15 years ago..it is still such an inspiration!

LAST LOOK....

Yesterday, I spend the entire day "undecorating"..I don't know which is more work...putting up or taking down. One thing I know for sure...it sure is sad having to haul out the tree. We get so excited finding the perfect tree at the tree farm, I squeal like a little kid the whole time my husband puts it in the tree stand..trying to get it straight from all angles. Then, before you know it...it time to take it down. Every year I try to reorganize all my Christmas stuff..labeling the bins, putting them in the order that I think will take them out next year (HA HA!) and it seems no matter what I get rid of..I always seem to have more at the end of the season.

My poor laptop crashed a few weeks ago and I lost all of my pictures...plus, I can't seem to get rid of this template from Blogger. Everytime I try to load up a new background..the whole blog gets messed up. If anyone has any suggestions, I would appreciate it! I would really like a different background....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

It's hard to believe, but another year has come and gone. We are having a small gathering at our house tomorrow evening. Just a few couples to help ring in the New Year. I don't know how I am going to get everything done..cleaning, preparing food, laundry..and trying my best to fit in a facial at a local spa! Yep..gotta end the year with some pampering!!

I'm really getting anxious to get all the Christmas decorations down and trying to get back into our normal routine. I haven't picked up a needle, rug hook, or any other form of needlework since Thanksgiving...and I had so many plans! Oh well...thankfully, with all the football games this weekend, I am hoping to be able to do some serious hooking!

Here's hoping everyone has a bright and blessed New Year!

CHRISTMAS AROUND THE HOUSE

Well..I think I am done decorating...at least for today! Here are some pictures from around my house. Keep in mind, I am not a very good photographer and of course, the lighting isn't always the best but I hope you enjoy!

A close up of my mantle. My friend Patty, Dogpatch Primitives, came over today and we had the best time making these little sheep. I still have to paint the eyes on them, but I couldn't wait to show them.
My living room...


A cherished Santa I purchased a long time ago. Made by Christine Crocker of Deerfield Farmhouse.
....
My little collection of cutting boards.


My old white rocking horse and my most favorite Santa made by Patty.
Hope you enjoyed a little tour of my home. It's not very big...or very old....but it has been a wonderful home to me and my family for the past 22 years. Have a nice evening!!

FINALLY FINISHED!!

I finally feel like I accomplished something!! YIPPEE!! My first rug of the season! It seems like it took me sooo long to finish..I am not a fast hooker anyway, but I just don't seem to have the time in the evening to do anything anymore, plus..I get started on something else. I think I have a problem...it's called "Overwhelmed-ness"! I love this little snowman pattern by Maria Barton of Star Rug company..he was so easy to hook. I love Maria's designs..they are just so darn sweet! I know a lot of hookers have hooked this rug this season....he is adorable...Mr. Hempenstall. I am giving this as a gift to a dear friend. Now..it's onward to my Antique Santa and Reindeer by Maria. Hopefully, I'll get it done before Christmas..

BABY...IT'S COLD OUTSIDE!

My gosh..it's so cold here in Michigan. We had a few snow flurries this morning and it was so pretty...but it didn't stick around for long. I have been hooking, stitching and decorating this past week. I finished my Mr. Hempenstal rug by Maria Barton from the Star Rug company...well...almost. I have to finish the edging. I really love the design and it was so easy to hook. Next, I am hooking her Antique Reproduction Santa and Reindeer. I bought it last year at Sauder, but haven't got around to hooking it yet.

I have done some decorating around the house, and hope to post some pictures by the weekend. I am not a good picture taker, but I will do my best. I bought some new pieces for my living room (a small side table and a blanket chest..got rid of my glass tables...what was I thinking???)....I still have to the the kitchen, but I don't think I am going to put a lot of Christmas in there..it's too much work taking it all down. I guess I'm getting lazy in my old age! I bought the stockings this morning at a nearby antique mall. I thought they were so cute..."Dad and Mom".

MY BOYS AND THE TURKEY TROT

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving day! I know I am over stuffed and pooped! It's fun to have everyone over, but it sure is a lot of work getting everything done so we can all sit down together and eat! Every year I say "Next year, I'm going to a restaurant"...I know I won't after all, it wouldn't be Thanksgiving if I couldn't be with my family.

Anyway.. three of my four sons ran in the Ann Arbor Turkey Trot this morning. It is a 5K run and they did really well. Pictured is Nathan, Shane, and Jeff. Shane is a marathon runner, Nate is a 1/2 marathoner, and this was Jeff's first race. I would love to be able to run in just one race..but I'm too old and way too out of shape. I would probably be one of the people laying on the side of the road gasping for air after the 1st 20 feet! Oh well...in my next life! Have a great night everyone!