On the 9th Day of Christmas . . .

. . . I finished a little hooked rug that I started 20 years ago. Can you believe it?? 

All I had left to do were the two outer borders and I was done in no time. Painless! Thank you, Kyle, for your blog post "A Gift Beyond Words." It was all I needed to resurrect this project :) 

I purchased this Morning Star kit from the Lancaster Rug Hooking Co. at the Hobby Industry Show in Las Vegas when I was working for a sewing notions company. The strips are wool and the foundation is burlap. I love the soft "buttery" feel of the finished rug.  

This is the back. A little wavy on the bottom edge but it was a true learning experience. I like to think some of my mother's talent rubbed off on me as she once hooked a 6' x 9' rug. I can't imagine doing one that size. 

And because I am so pleased with the end result I just ordered another kit on Ebay :) We'll see how long this one takes, lol!

Looking back at 2015

Yes! I'm a very scheduled person and Yes! I like to keep track of things. Just giving you a heads-up :)

I read a total of 29 books and 10,353 pages. Stats are posted by Goodreads where I keep track of all my books. My favorite in this group was The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin. It inspired me to start reading Anne Morrow Lindbergh's diaries. 

I've been swapping books on PaperBackSwap.com for years. It's a great way to acquire and recycle books at minimal cost. At the media mail price of $2.72 I sent 55 books to other members and requested/received 18 (they paid postage). I earn a credit for every book mailed/received which allows me to order one from someone else. I keep an ongoing Wish List and am notified when a book becomes available. In December I had more than 120 credits in my account so donated 100 of them to a school-in-need in Georgia:)  

I took 608 gravestone photos at various cemeteries in NJ and NY last year and posted them on FindAGrave. I've been a regular contributor to that site for the last 8 years with a total of 10,669 memorials and 12,493 photos. This is the Cleveland family plot in Albany Rural Cemetery, Menands, NY.

Much of my in-the-field cemetery time was spent indoors doing data entry work for The Woodlawn Cemetery project in the Bronx. Some of my ancestors are buried there so I feel a connection :) I was one of a dedicated team of volunteers who completed Phase I for a total of 250,000 records. I'm currently working on Phase II with an additional 45,000.  

Genealogy-wise I kind of slowed down a bit until I was contacted by a (very) distant relative who said we were descendants of Susannah North Martin--one of the Salem witches who was hanged in 1692. Well, that certainly peaked my interest! I've gotten back to 1680 but there are still two more generations to prove before I can claim Susannah as one of my own.

Looking ahead to the New Year I'd like to: 

Participate in at least one quiltalong and/or block swap. 

Take a workshop to learn a new technique.  

Try my hand at wool applique.

Make a cute needle case or two.

Learn Big Stitch quilting.

Become a better "hooker."

Add more pics to my 31 boards on Pinterest (click on the icon).

Stay involved. 

Most important--keep on quilting!

I really enjoy sharing my projects and activities with you. I hope you'll stop by often and leave me a comment or two :)