Brrrrrrr.........simply brrrrrrr!

 Actually, today was a heat wave, it went all the way up to 28 degrees, but for the past 3 days it hasn't gotten above -9 and with the wind chill it was -33.  That's just unpleasant!!  It makes you want to curl up in a quilt and never come out.  But somehow you always have to find beauty in a situation and I found it right out my back door.......look at the sky over the neighbors house.....

I have been working in unacceptable conditions.......ok, not really, but my office has been well, a mess!!  Here's a few before pictures I snapped because, as I sit here typing it is really starting to take shape.  I have stained the built in table hubby made for me and painted the walls a nice pale gold.  We had redone the floor and I got a nice rug and next up is curtains, so keep checking back and I'll show the finished product.

 Here's the first of the four new designs I gave Mom for Christmas.  "The Winter Star" is GORGEOUS!!  Such pretty colors Mom used.  I had done it years ago, back in 2005 as a wool applique pattern.  Watch for the wool applique pattern to come to the website (www.theoldtatteredflag.com) soon as well as punch needle, but for now, the rug hooking pattern/kit is available, it is 20 x 20.  

Click here: The Winter Star

So, the other night I decided to punch and put this on my frame.  I've had it available for punch for some time, but have decided to enlarge quite a few of my patterns and this is one.  Look how it fills up my whole rug hooking frame!  Sadly I got sidetracked and have not started it yet and probably won't because I want to do the Winter Star design above first.....

 I can count on one hand how many returns I've gotten in all the time I've been in business.  This valance below is one of them.  Our customer was not happy because she said it wasn't symmetrical.  Well, I don't draw florals symmetrically.  I try to make them flow, because really, how many symmetrical flowers have you seen?  We all know that nature isn't perfect.  But it's all good though, to each their own, and I benefited because Mom hooked it for our guest room and it looks lovely........warts and all!  (although I have to say, I don't see any warts, do you?)

 She wanted to hook it with the colors in the rug on the floor that she had hooked about 15 years ago.  Just lovely!

 .......and here she sits working on another new design....keep watching for it....

 I saw this cute little Hyacinth bulb at Wegmans (the greatest grocery store ever) and picked it up for Mom last week.  It hadn't started to bloom, but now look at it.  A reminder that this crazy weather is not forever and spring really is right around the corner................really!

 ...and it starts.  We are trying to build our inventory for our Shop and for our next venture, a hook in with Betsy Reed in Kinderhook, February 1.   Here's some wool applique kits ready to be bagged up.

and next........the thinker!!  Good ol' Max.  He's not a morning dog and this is usually how I find him in the morning.  You just have to wonder what's going on in that head.  Perhaps it's "are they really going to make go outside to pee in this cold!!!"  or "I need coffee!"

Until next time......