BUSY WEEK—

Have had a busy week what with my yoga class, Tuesday stitch/knit and my Sampler Group Christmas party. I take Iyengar yoga at a local studio with my teacher Sharon Carter. It is a terrific class and I take it twice a week. It has made me more strong in both mind and body. I can even do a headstand in the middle of the room and most of the time kick up into a hand stand against the wall—very empowering at 64! Plus my yoga class friends are a terrific bunch of gals.

Every Tuesday some of my friends and I gather here around my kitchen table and stitch, knit, whatever. We meet from about 10-12:30 and I love it. It also helps me to keep my house clean! We probably average about 6 of us. There is a lot of sharing of ideas. Look forward to it every week.

My friend Bev has been over several afternoons this week quilting a small heart wall hanging for Valentine's Day and a mid sized doggie quilt for her grandson. She is using my longarm machine. We went to our local quilt guild on Tuesday and heard a lecture from an art quilter from Michigan who showed a powerpoint show on her beautiful large flower quilts. Sometimes she uses 40 shades of a color to make the petals of the flowers. The quilts were amazing. And, of course, the members' show and tell is always one of the best parts of the meeting.

Yesterday was our Sampler Group's Xmas party at a lovely old bed and breakfast in Geneva, IL, the Oscar Swan Inn. It is filled with wonderful antiques which was nice except for the fact that the very darling stenciled chair I sat on for 3+ hours was hard! We had a very good brunch and stitched afterwards.

Today and the rest of the weekend I have projects to complete. I am on the third of my knitted shawls for my mom and 2 daugters, and I saw a cute knitted bunny on Knit and Crochet Today TV show that I hope to make for my new grandson Ryan. Need to go out and find some yarn for it.

Enough news--back to the ornaments

I made these stockings for my daughter Katie and her husband probably 10 years ago. They were stitched on klostern fabric with cross stitch—not as fast as you'd think--6 strands of floss.

Saw these cute little nutcracker ornaments in a magazine strung right side out as a garland. Thought they'd make cute ornaments so I stitched them on 10? count clear plastic canvas with loads of floss as per directions. Then I stitched a backing and whip stitched the fronts and backs together. They took quite a bit of time. Don't recommend using the plastic canvas for any piece now as I have found that it gets brittle over time. Those little legs could snap and break in a second. Avoid plastic canvas!

Remember macrame?

This was supposed to be a standup figure but I made him into an ornament. Can't imagine why I decided to make his coat green. He is a Libby Sturdy piece made especially for our EGA guild.

We also made these at Illinois Fox Valley EGA. I finished them all myself with help from my friend Edie, a professional needlework finisher. 

This is the quilting Santa designed by the same gal as Mr. & Mrs. I think her name is Roseann Moss of Illinois. She also designed the knitting Santa below. They are needlepoint.

I added a design of my cat Smokey onto this knitting Santa. 

The needles are toothpicks and I actually knitted the piece on the needles.

This little stocking was a painted needlepoint canvas. 

Another needlepoint project from EGA.

Yet another. All were fun to do.

Promised myself I'd get back to my sewing room in the basement and finish/start my Xmas projects. Christmas is coming up much too fast.  See you soon. --Nancy