Holiday Greetings

We had a wonderful Christmas. It was great having both our sons home for the holiday and between all the cooking and preparations I was able to sneak in some time to finish up one last batch of Christmas goodies for next year. Thank you, Tonya of Back Porch Pickins for this fun design!

Santa Stocking

We aren't the only ones who have been busy this holiday season, however. Every now and then I come downstairs in the morning to find my dish towels have been rearranged during the night.

What Happened to My Dish Towels?

The first time this happened, I thought I must have been in a real hurry to wash dishes and made a mess without knowing it. However, the second time I realized there was another reason for this disarray.

A Quick Escape

The culprit was stealthy and hard to catch. I've never actually caught them in the act, but have seen glimpses of them leaving the scene.

An Innocent Face?

I have my suspicions, but she is a crafty one and isn't talking, either to admit she's the one who does the work or why she isn't satisfied with my kitchen organization.

Almost Christmas!

Trying to get some things finished up before Christmas. Too late for this year's sales, but it's good to get a jump on the coming year.

Christmas Penny Rug

This large runner, about 40" by 18", is from a Maggie Bonanomi design. It features softer, faded looking poinsettias appliqued onto a variety of wool backgrounds. The backing is made from an old army blanket and attached by blanket stitch around the entire perimeter.

Detail of Flowers

I love the various shades of browns in the background. I think these add to the old fashioned charm of the design and blend well with the soft rose of the flowers. I also used a variety of textures, both for the background blocks and the flower bracts. I think that's the correct term for the poinsettia flowers, which are actually leaves and not blossoms.

Detail of Design and Background

Across the meadow collapsed walls marked the position of another cabin. I believe some of these cabins were inhabited up until the 1940's. A radio probably was good company on long mountain nights.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Our younger son arrived home from college yesterday. He goes to school about 12 hours away by car, so we don't get to see him much during the school year. For the next few weeks though we'll get to hear him practice throughout the day and into the night as he gets ready for next semester. It's hard to imagine when kids begin playing an instrument that it won't always be painful hearing them play, and then when they get to the point when they're really good, they leave!

Winter is Here!

I included a photo of our front porch urn in my last post, so here it is again decorated for Christmas.

Christmas Welcome

I used a lot of reds and green in this runner, but it's not really a Christmas design and could be used year round.

Primitive Gatherings Runner

This all wool runner is about 24 inches long and is backed with a red/black plaid homespun.

Detail of Runner

The backing almost looks like homespun, but it is actually a taupe colored wool. It is an intricate and time consuming design, with several layers for each flower, bud and leaf.