a small project

After wrestling the bedskirt, log cabin blanket, the roman shades, and Mary's quilt, I needed a small project. Something both physically small and quick to make.

I started last night at 10pm. I ironed/measured/cut/sewed until 11:30pm. I finished it up this morning after I took Mary to school. Ellie worked at the dining room table with me, making some sort of craft using scissors, tape, and construction paper. She cut up a bunch of my fabric scraps too. We had such a good morning.

I've wanted to make this bag for a while. It is supposed to be for a child (based on the size), but it was almost the size of my current purse. So I just made the strap longer, and I was good to go. The exterior is a piece of brown denim from Mamaw Judy's stash. I had the lining fabric in my own stash.


It isn't perfect, but I think it's cute! Of course now I want to try to make another one, this time with a zippered pocket on the inside. I'm out of interfacing though, so it will have to wait.

It was so nice to do an easy project. I already even have the ironing board and sewing machine put away. Too bad my entire fabric stash is dumped out of the craft closet and all over the entry way floor. I guess I know what I will be doing tonight.

now the bed looks right!

When John made our headboard, he said it didn't look right in the room. I told him it would. I just needed time.

Last fall.

This summer.

But even with the windows painted, new blinds, and the walls painted, I was unhappy with the room. One thing stuck out like a sore thumb. Something I saved until last since I didn't really know what I was doing. Then I got busy with the log cabin blanket. Even once it was done, the room didn't look complete. Finally I got busy on the one last thing.

Gah! I love it. Looks like grown ups live here.

The bedskirt turned out exactly how I imagined. Ten dollars!! Ten! It's half of a twenty dollar painters drop cloth from the HD. And it was so easy to make. I made the gathers using dental floss and a special zig zag stitch on my machine. Then I pinned to to the fitted sheet that was over the box springs and sewed it right to the sheet.

That's it for the projects in this room. I really want to center the rug under the bed though. Which means taking everything out from under the bed, moving the bed (where? it won't come out of there with the headboard attached), and then scooting the rug over a few feet. Even John looked at me like I had two heads when I asked him to help me with it.

At least the bed finally looks right in the room!

back to school

Today was the first day of kindergarten. They start off with two half days, so Mary's already home. The upper classes get to stay all day. Mary wanted to stay even though the rest of her class was going home too. Sounds like a good first day to me!

Poor Ellie, she wanted to stay this morning when I dropped Mary off. She's so tall, she nearly blends in with the pre-k kids. I was busy getting Mary all set in the classroom, and I looked over at Ellie who was chatting away and playing play-doh with some other girls. She and I came home and had a great morning together.

Now I'm going to try to actually get some housework done while they play. Oh, and babysit Bitty Baby.

Slow going bedroom progress.

The other day, I walked out of our bathroom and into the bedroom. I wondered what on earth was taking me so long to finish decorating it. Then I remembered I'm sort of a one woman show. John did help a lot with the construction type things. Between painting the walls, trim, and ceilings, and finishing the log cabin blanket, it's just time consuming.

Still to do: decorate the bathroom (need art for 2 places), make and hang the roman shade (almost ready), and then make a bedskirt for our bed. And then maybe a couple more pillows. I take them all off every night and put them all on every morning, so hopefully John won't mind looking at a few more.

new pillow covers....again!

I had the second ruffled case cut, seamed, and the ruffles made. I was set to sew the back to the front. Then I sat and carefully pulled out all the stitching, and cut what was the front in half. I sewed up the two cases and the used craft paint with a fabric medium for the stripes. I'm much happier with them now. Next up, bedskirt. I hope I can do it. It will be out of drop cloths like the shams.

I'm blogging from the floor of Mary's room. Mary's cleaning. Ellie is our dog, Pickles. Pickles has a dog bed, blankets, stuffed animals, food, water, and a dog bone. She seems like a happy little dog. I've been told that I need to sit here until Mary is done cleaning. I might be here a while.

Pinterest

If you don't know what Pinterest is, you don't want to know. It sucks time away. It inspires a thousand new projects. It makes you want to get chickens just so you have a reason to build a fancy chicken coop. Or maybe that's just me.

I found this there:

From Shades of Light $439

I think it looks like our entry way light.

Yard sale light with spray paint $5

Hmmm. I should have left that center rod brassy. Maybe I could paint it back? I probably won't though.

Then I saw people making something similar to this:

World Market print $129

I was inspired to make something like it:

For the master bathroom.

I gave up on copying it dot for dot. I just sort of made it up as I went along. I painted it onto the back of a piece of paneling from the dining room. There are a million and one uses for that stuff. I'll be sad when we run out. Of course I know where to get more - the kitchen walls.

In other news, I still only have one ruffled pillow case. I hate it. I can't bring myself to make a second one. It has turned into a cat bed. (I took the actual pillow out between cat naps.) I've already started on replacements. They should be done soon. I hope I like them.

I've been told I need to go play in the sandbox. Apparently rest time is over.

Log cabin.

September 3, 2010

September 11, 2010

second batch of yarn - December 28, 2010

Almost there - July 7, 2011


Done! August 12, 2011

When I started this blanket, I had no idea when I would get it done. After I painted the bedroom, I realized I could finish it in under a year. So I knit. I knit late at night until my hands were so cramped they wouldn't move. I knit until my eyes couldn't focus. I knit every spare minute of the day. On Monday night, I ran out of yarn on the last dark green section. Tuesday morning, I was at the yarn shop buying the last three skeins I needed. In total I bought 27 skeins of yarn for this blanket (with a little of each color still left).

I think I'll start another blanket this winter, but it won't be nearly as large.

I guess now I have to finish that second pillow cover. Or nap. Too bad the kids won't let me do that.

One.

Ever spend way too much time making ONE pillow cover and then not want to make the second one?

It's like one mitten or glove or sock. I JUST made the cover. Why do I have to make another? John hates fancy pillows anyway. It wasn't fun. I didn't do a great job, though I doubt anyone would notice. It was a boring job. And took longer than I expected. Now I've got to find enough energy to make a match.

Still need to make a fourth Roman shade too (for the master bath). But I just made three. I really don't want to do that again either.

What I really want to do is knit. I'm working on my log cabin blanket until I can't see straight at night. I'm so close. I have dark green and then off white. Just two sections. Maybe six hours of knitting. I cannot believe I am going to finish this thing!

I got Mary's windows and Ellie's window painted. I'm down to just the ones in the kitchen. Hopefully this week.

The dog, errrr, poor Miss Ellie, sounds like she is sick of being the dog. Better go save her.