I Cheated

And I am not usually a cheater. Almost never. (I am not perfect so I can't honestly say never)
These are my two blocks for the blocks five and six installment of Beaquilter's Sampler BOM.

How did I cheat? Well...for one, the monkey wrench/snail trail was supposed to be done by pieces and it was supposed to be four instead of one.

 I was pressed for time, running behind and after failing at putting them together twice, I opted for the larger paper pieced version and went with that.

The pinwheel was supposed to be done with strips and a paper square for the stripes. I just dug out a piece of striped fabric and gott'r done. I hope I don't receive a reprimand from the teacher. :/

At least I did them!!

How I Labored On Labor Day 2013

We never do anything special for Labor Day, so it was just another day here at my house. A little housework, some work on a memory quilt and a dress for my little Klaire were my labors today. I think the dress turned out very sweet.

It's called the Lucy Dress and I got the pattern here. So another job on my list gets a check mark. Yay Me!!

Tomorrow is LMW day, but Wednesday I should have the sashing done for one side of one of the memory quilts. The front side is tee shirts and the back side jeans bordered with plaid shirts. I think it will be one of a kind and I hope it will be comforting to the recipient.

Did you labor today???

Catching Up a Bit

So, I had a long list of things to do and there haven't been many things marked off. Let's see...

1. Sash/Square up and quilt donated blocks for the Moore Oklahoma tornado victims. (As soon as they arrive) Ready to quilt, just have to get the backing and batting.

2. An English Paper Piecing project for a friend. (By September) (Unfortunately I had to bow out of this one, just didn't have the time.)

3. Two memory quilts for a friend who lost her husband last year. 

4. At least four more NICU quilts. (I'd like to get more done if possible)

5. Finish up all BOMs that are currently ongoing.
     A. Paper pieced
     B. Traditional
     C. Deck-Ade the Halls
     D. Bea's Sampler
(I'm not finished, but I'm getting close. This is the latest for Bea's Sampler)

6. A Cover/Stand for my tablet pc.

7. Baste and quilt a vintage quilt top for my cousin.

8. A few dresses along for my Little Klaire. (One so far)

Gotta be ready for the first Razorback game!!

9. Maybe some pants and appliqued shirts for LMW (made a new bag for his little Mother's Day Out days and Story Time at the library...does that count?

(The following need not be done by Christmas, but they are long over due)

10. Paint my tv cabinet

11. Paint an old end table my father made for me

12. Sand and refinish the top of my dining table

13. Make new bedding for myself

14. Repaint my front door. (Ugh!! This is WAYYYY overdue)

15. Reorganize my craft/sewing closet. You take your life in your hands when you open the door....

(Added recently.)
16. Repaint a desk I'm using in my sewing room.

17. Paint a corner shelf that is in my sewing room.

I added some things to my list that I didn't post. I hung a new quilt rack and shelf, my husband made a lovely rustic ladder to hang some quilts on, and I rearranged my sewing room.
I feel good about my progress, even though it's not as far along as I'd hoped by now. It will happen though, I just have to trudge on and keep the faith!

Hanging Around

I spent the day hanging things.

This is the quilt rack SR found for me in one of the flea markets we shopped. Remember?

I painted it and hung it up, then draped his great grandmother's quilt over it. I didn't realize how much aqua/teal it had in it so I was delighted when I actually took a good look at it hung. In my sewing room, there is mostly blue, aqua, teal, and some orange thrown in for a pop.

You see this machine sitting in front of the quilt? Her name is Pat. I named her Pat after SR's aunt who gave her to me today. She was made in the 1950's and sews like a dream. I can't wait to get the adapter I ordered so I can put a walking foot on her.

It's been raining sewing machines for me lately. I'm loving it!!!

I also hung some quilt squares that I framed. The frames were like this. Four of them hung on my Mom's sewing room wall and I've had them in mine since her passing. But, I needed a change.

This is what I did. (Sorry about the glare of the ceiling light.)

  I also hung one under the watercolor of my great grandparents old home place.

Have you tried those new Command frame hangers? They are the bomb! No extra holes in the walls.

Quick But Happy Post

I have been really sidetracked lately on all my projects but I'm making some progress. I wanted to show everyone what my awesomely awesome husband made for me today.

He put it together with weathered cypress boards. Why do I have a ladder in my house you may ask? Well, I'll tell you.....

On second thought, I'll show you....

LOVE IT!! The top quilt is one my Mother had made for me the Christmas before I married. I chose the colors and pattern. The second is the one I made for my Mom when she was sick with that "C" word we won't mention. The third is one I won years ago. As my quilt collection grows, I'm sure I will rotate quilts from time to time.

My sewing room is coming right along. I can't wait to get it all finished so I can show you!!

Repurpose Recycle Reuse

I have a fun before and after post for you.

I am remodeling my sewing room, and I had two of these on the wall that just didn't go with my plans.

I wracked my brain trying to figure out how I could use them. I even asked my friend Y in GA what her thoughts were on it and VOILA! She and her daughter brain stormed and came up with the obvious solution.  (Well, obvious if I had half a brain these days)

First, I took off the candle part of the sconce. No easy task mind you. I used an old hack saw blade. No saw, just the blade. Ummmm, not very easy but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

I sprayed them white and then found an old metal curtain rod I had laying around and painted it too. I distressed them all and put them all on the wall marrying the two three.  I then  hung one of my quilts on the rod.
I'm tickled with the result.

Yay me! Now I have other ideas I need to implement. It's getting there!!

Progress

Well, yes I have made progress, but I also added more to my list. Not gonna go into that though, because it can get a bit old and uninteresting. *grin*

This is a picture of what inspired me.

Now, keep in mind I didn't have a bead board backing, nor a light aqua wall. And my depression era glass is cobalt instead of aqua. Subsequently, mine looks quite different.

Here is the before:

And here is the after:

Not as much distressing on mine either, but that's ok. I am not as "in love" with it, but it does look better in person than in this photo.

This is the desk I'm going to try to paint the robin's egg blue with the distressing.

I love it, but it just doesn't go with my idea of what's going to happen in this room. Here's a reminder of what it looked like when I bought it.

I'm forever changing up and re-doing things. But that's what makes it fun.

Ok, back to work!!