Yesterday was wonderful, full of family, presents and good food. Our family is large and noisy and includes a wide range of ages...from my newest niece, 3 month old Madeline to my Dad who will be 82 next month. It was a good and happy Christmas.Today was spent doing a little cleaning and just relaxing. I bought a new computer before Christmas and need to get everything moved from this old computer to the new one. I hope to do that sometime this week then I'll need a little time to adjust and get familiar with it. In January I'll be back to sewing. I'm not sure yet what direction I'll be going in with it but as 2012 unfolds we'll see how things go. I also have plans to submit more dolls for publication and am really looking forward to that. There are other things on the horizon but it's too soon to know if they'll come to be. Time will tell.Since I'll be working on getting my new computer up and running this may be my last post for 2011. I'd like to wish you all a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. My wish for 2012 is to see the world settle down, the economy improve and our politicians learning to work together...is this asking for too much? My hope is that it isn't. We'll see.Enjoy these last days of the old year and let's all welcome the new year with renewed optimism and high hopes for a wonderful 2012.Diane
I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas
I'll be taking the next couple of weeks or so off from my doll-making. I'll be back sewing soon after the New Year begins.Have a joyful holiday.Diane
~will debut on Ebay Tuesday evening.~
I might have one other doll to list this week, don't know yet if I'll get it finished.Tomorrow I'm off to have lunch with several friends but hope to get more of my decorating done when I get home.Hope you all get alot accomplished this week, I know I need to.Diane
Pictured are two of four Santas I recently finished.
I'm working on getting my decorating finished and also hope to have a new doll for Ebay in the next few days. Sometimes I wonder how it is we can know Christmas is coming each year and still be caught so unprepared? Oh well, I'll get it all done somehow.Hope all of your Holiday preparations are going smoothly.Diane
Each December our Historical Society decorates the old home the group owns. We choose a theme, this year it was handmade items and Civil War pieces. A Christmas tree, the Arts Council building, the Housewright house (pictured below) and a small village operated by the Historical Society are all decked out for the Holiday Open House and tree lighting that will be held this weekend. I helped decorate the Housewright house. We use colonial style decorating, greens, berries, boxwood wreaths and candles. We had quilts, tatting, samplers and a few other pieces to use this year. Below are pictures of the house. The outside features swags, wreaths and Williamsburg-style fruit plaques.
A mantel with a crocheted mantel scarf, cedar with blue berries and red candles.
Framed samples of tatting made by a former school teacher in the county. She was able to tat well past the age of 100. Sadly she's gone now but we do have these beautiful pieces of her handwork. There were two other framed pieces, large doillies, that Mrs. Camp tatted. In the showcase are letters and other papers from the Civil War. On the showcase is a black Civil War-era top hat and some greens and berries.
This mantel was draped with more greens, red apples, antique books, tin lantern and a framed pair of silhouettes. Below is a beautiful crazy quilt.
I always enjoy the day we get together and decorate, it really sets the mood for the Holiday season. You can visit my Facebook page for more pictures of the tatting, quilts and samplers from the 1800's plus more of our decorating. Next year's theme is already chosen; it will feature yellowware and spatterware.I'll be finishing up the last of my special orders this coming week and I plan to have two more dolls ready for Ebay before a Christmas break.Wishing you all a good weekend, I'm sure it'll be like mine...a busy one!Diane
