Yet Again

More snow this morning.  I was out early (6 am) to pick up a friend who needed a ride.  I was driving near Mill Creek at dawn and there -- smack in the middle of the road standing tall on the yellow line -- was a Great Blue Heron.  He was so majestic.  I am praying that he flew away and did not get hit . . . Apparently they don't always migrate south, especially here where it is pretty temperate.  He made the wrong decision to stay here this year, lol.

I am prepping for a repeat of my Key to My Heart needle punch class at Farmhouse Quilt Company tomorrow.  How I love teaching there!  Such a great space, and such great people to spend time with.

Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow and more Snow

I woke at 5 and listened to the wind blow and the muffled sounds of the snow plow driving by. We have a LOT of snow, maybe 20 inches by now.  I went out in my pajamas and boots to shovel a spot for poor little Cairo whose legs are only 6 inches long.  I couldn't get the back door open, and the side steps had a four foot drift in front of them.  I came back inside, had my coffee and breakfast and went back out to shovel for 40 minutes.  Then Pete took over.  He's been out for a couple of hours, with a hot coffee break in between.  We want to get it as cleaned up as possible because the temperature is supposed to drop drastically and it is much harder to shovel icy snow than the fluffy stuff we have right now.

I'm not whining -- I actually love a good storm and I like to shovel -- and I know that Buffalo and International Falls and a whole bunch of other places deal with this amount of snow all the time.  But it is a pretty remarkable snowfall for the rather temperate eastern end of Long Island.

It is supposed snow for the rest of the day.  We may hit 30 inches!  I will be shoveling again today!  Then I'll sit at my frame and hook!

The Storm of the Century

I must have been on another planet for the last week -- I had no idea we were in for a gigantic storm until yesterday.  It looks like it will be huge, and the total number of inches expected seems to grow by the hour.  I went out this morning to the bank, the gas station, and the grocery store, even though we have enough food in the house to feed the entire village for a month.

The flurries started at 8 this morning, and just as the weathermen predicted, the heavier stuff started falling at 1 pm.  I put snow shovels by the back and side doors so we can clear a path for Cairo, whose little legs are only about 6 inches long.  We parked our cars as close to the street as possible so we won't have to shovel the entire driveway.  So we are all set, now that the snow is really starting to accumulate.

So what's next?  I'm about to make a cup of Lemon Zinger tea and sit at my rug frame!  Hooray!  I cannot remember the last time I spent an afternoon hooking.  I've been too busy getting ready for classes and the new round of shows that start in April.  So this will be a real treat for me today.

Speaking of classes, we had another successful day at Farmhouse Quilt Company.  I had three brand spanking new students, and five returnees who have all started hooking within the past year.  What fun we had!  And how well they all took to it!  I think the ease with which they have picked up hooking comes from the fact that they are quilters.  They are already handy, and tuned into color planning and all that jazz.  Turns out, a quilt shop is a really great place to color plan a rug -- all the fabric companies bundle up cottons that go with each other and those color combinations lend themselves to hooking.

I'm excited to see what the girls have completed by our next class.

Saturday Sampler

A new class starts this Saturday at the Farmhouse Quilt Company -- Saturday Sampler -- a welcome mat that combines designs that quilters love and techniques that new rug hookers want to learn.  Its another delightful result from this wonderful collaboration I have with Janet and Lindsay.

Saturday Sampler ©2015 S. McNamara

The class runs from 10 AM to 3 PM.  I'll provide the pattern and the wool for the center section.  We'll talk about color planning to start, so students will end up with a rug that fits into their home.  Everyone is encouraged to bring in their stash, to keep costs low.  If you are interested in joining us, call Farmhouse Quilts at 631-236-6030.

It feels like spring here today, even though it is only about 30 degrees.  The sun is shining and warm and there is virtually no wind.  But a storm is headed this way -- the weathermen are calling for snow and a nor'easter.  We'll see what happens.  Sounds like good rug hooking weather.

Needle Punch Class at Farmhouse Quilts

Tomorrow is our first needle punch class at Farmhouse Quilt Company in Southold.  I designed this pattern just for them.  It's called Key to My Heart and measures approximately 4 by 6 inches when completed.  If you are interested, call Janet or Lindsay at Farmhouse Quilt Company: (631)235-6030.

Waiting for Snow and What's Ahead in the New Year

December was a gray and rainy month -- I guess we are paying for our relatively dry and sunny summer.  Christmas was quiet for us. Clara didn't arrive until the 26th and my sister Barb stayed home this year, so it was just me and Pete.  We postponed Christmas dinner until Saturday -- and what a feast it was!  I am now officially tired of eating too much.  New year, new eating habits. 

I spent a lot of time over the last few weeks cleaning up my studio, sending out show applications, and designing new projects.  I also read a few books, look at Pinterest and Instagram daily, and hooked on my large hit-or-miss basket weave rug.  It felt good to pick up my hook again.

While the days are getting longer now (hurray!), they are also getting colder.  Snow and arctic air are predicted today.  But it won't be long until the spring shows begin, so it is time to really put my nose to the grindstone.  

I sent some time today working out a class schedule with Lindsay at Farmhouse Quilt Company in Southold.  Janet and Lindsay are in the midst of redoing the shop.  They've been painting walls and furniture, cleaning carpets,  and ordering new merchandise, so the shop will be ready for the grand-reopening on Tuesday, January 13.  

Here's the newsletter with class times:

Farmhouse Quilt Co.

46030 Main Road, Southold

*631-236-6030*

I hope you all had a very Happy New Year!! We were striving for a Grand Re-opening on the 10th but you all know how a re-decorating goes.. If you paint the walls, you have to paint the trim!.. If you move the furniture, you  have to clean the carpet.. And when you clean the carpet you have to wait for it to dry to the re-arrange your shop!! So.. Now my Grand Re-opening will begin on Tuesday Jan.13th in Celebration of my 5th Year in Business in the Shop.. (I wouldn't have gotten this far without all of You!! Many Thanks!!)

Up-coming Workshops:

Rug-Hooking Classes: Workshops taught by Sarah McNamara of Paisley Rug Studios.. All levels off Rug-Hookers Welcome..call to reserve a seat!!
Tues. Jan 13th- "Open Rug Hooking" from (10am-3pm)..cost is $25.- bring your lunch..
Tues. Jan 20th- Punch Needle Valentine's Workshop.. (10am-3pm) price & picture to follow
Sat. Jan 24th- "Welcome" Rug Hooking Sampler..(10am-3pm) price & picture to follow
Sat. Jan 31st- Punch Needle Valentine's Workshop.. (10am-3pm).. price & picture to follow..

Sit-n-Sews:   **New Hours**   Call to reserve your seat!!
Wed. Jan 14th- "Sit-n-Sew"..(10am-2pm)..cost is $20.- bring your lunch.. Help is Always Available!!
Sat. Jan 17th- "Sit-n-Sew"..(10am-2pm)..cost is $20.- bring your lunch.. Help is Always Available!!
Wed. Jan 21st- "Sit-n-Sew"..(10am-2pm)..cost is $20.- bring your lunch.. Help is Always Available!!
Wed. Jan 28th- "Sit-n-Sew"..(10am-2pm)..cost is $20.- bring your lunch..Help is Always Available!!

**Quilt Workshop Dates and Info to Follow..