Happy new year to all!
Hopefully some of you can tuck in for a long winter’s rest for the next couple of months, I certainly intend to.
December was busy with the usual Christmas preparations and I enjoyed my last demo session at the Folk-Art Center, despite parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway being closed already. This blocks the flow of visitors from Virginia and other parts north of here.
Mt. Mitchell had sleet and ice in early December and the road through the numerous tunnels was icy and treacherous. The temperatures around Asheville were mild and we had lots of sunshine during the day, which brought out many local shoppers. The Folk-Art Center will remain open, weather permitting, during the winter months and demonstrating artists will be back in the spring.
My little neighborhood always celebrates in style; lots of lights, decorations and goodies being exchanged. Not too many get-togethers this season due to Covid, but I often found sweets and goodies by my front door in the morning! My delivery technique was more invasive; I left goodies by the recipients’ front door, rang the doorbell, then ran to the middle of the road to wave! Of course, I was wearing my Santa hat, it was fun!
My most special gift this season was the completion and publication of my new “The Finishing Touches” video on Udemy.com. Dave had filmed all the segments but didn’t get a chance to edit it before he passed away. Mountain Bizworks connected me with a very talented young man, Isaac Dunn of Asheville. He completed the editing and was able to get it approved and posted by the middle of December, just in time for the holidays! Here is the course description:
The Finishing Touches - Embellish your crochet and knitted designs with interesting Finishes.
This course is designed for students who knit or crochet, although we use a lot of crochet techniques.
In this course we learn several options of Edges and Borders for afghans and wearables; such as shells, picots, crab stitch variations and a fancy Broomstick lace border as well as how to stabilize knitted edges. We learn interesting and Fun Endings for scarves; both Broomstick lace and Tunisian lace scarf endings, different kinds of Fringes and Pom-poms, Roman circles, giant clam shells, tassels and corkscrews as well as a beaded loops option. We learn how to make I cords and practical uses for different kinds of cords, frogs and toggles for interesting closures. There are projects for gift giving and beading. Then we learn how to create Crochet Flowers: pansies, four leaf clover and roses, a large three-dimensional flower, as well as the matching leaves in various sizes, made with materials of your choice. We learn how to fashion Buttons to match your wearables and how to create a professional look for handmade fiber pieces by proper Blocking and Labeling of your work.
As a special holiday gift for yourself or a friend, you may use this code for a $10 coupon, good until January 15, 2022.
CODE: FINISHING_TOUCHES
LINK: https://www.udemy.com/course/the-finishing-touches/?couponCode=FINISHING_TOUCHES
So give yourself or another fiber artist a nice New Year’s gift!
Christmas kept me at home since several people I knew tested positive for Covid and we quarantined for the required 10 days, which is now shortened to 5 days. Since I received my booster before flying to Ohio in November, I feel pretty safe in my own little bubble of special people now.
Looking forward: The first weekend in January will be dedicated to some serious rest time before taking down the tree and decorations. My personal goal for the next 3 months is to master Pinterest and Instagram to be able to post images of my work and restorations for more people to see and enhance my marketing efforts.
I only completed one restoration job in December; this was a special order for a spring wedding in CA. The mother of the bride lives very close to me and hand delivered her mother’s bridal tablecloth for some minor restoration and a special handkerchief she had woven for her daughter to carry at the wedding. She picked out a beautiful border which I worked around the hankie from the same thread as her woven square. What a lovely idea!
I used to crochet borders for bridesmaids’ handkerchiefs in a variety of colors to match their dresses, but this combination of her mother’s weaving and my lace border makes this hankie very special.
Many customers were reluctant to ship their heirlooms for restoration during December for fear of irreplaceable treasures getting lost in the flood of Christmas packages. To start off this new year, I am running a 20% off labor cost special all through January. If you have put off any needed restorations or special orders, now is the time to take advantage of my winter hibernation!
Please check the Restoration tab on this website for details on the process. I need very good images of the damaged areas to give you an accurate cost estimate.
Let’s enjoy a somewhat slower pace while nature rests and the bears hibernate. I am ready for snow!
Have a most wonderful new year with lots of creativity!
“I do what I love and I love what I do.”