After 7 years of business I finally have proper storage for all of our
laminated cottons, chalk cloth and oilcloth!! I am just a happy as I can
be. The other day I went in to the studio early and was overwhelmed by
the days tasks. Then I turned my head and saw my pretty new wall of
fabric and I actually waved at it, like a teenage girl flirting with a
boy across the lunchroom. Hhheeeey! Yikes, I hope I didn't blush!
I finally clicked the button and bought all of these pretty fabrics for the room divider in the new studio. I ordered it all from one of my Quilt Market buddies. Jenny and I had a blast drinking mojitos and talking shop a few years back. I always love the fabric that she stocks at her online shop Sew Fabulous Quilt Shop
You've got to love a contractor that brings your family treats!! They look like plain old cereal treats but don't let them fool you, they are pure crack on a plate. My contractor, Sander, doubles the marshmallows to make them pure gooey heaven.
They guys finished up the kitchen on Friday. It is the most lovely shade of red. Behr Poinsettia!! It's a real shame that the insurance company didn't pay us to have the trim painted too. A. Real. Shame. I swear that tree made all of our white trim all dirty and I think they should take care of that for us too!!
Next on the agenda, the dining room. Yellow sucks, I can't find the right shade. One is too pale, one is too grey, and the other is to "highlighter" yellow. Oui!
I started playing around and came up with something... I really hope we all like it.
The guys have the ceilings looking sharp with Behr's Ultra White in semi-gloss, our new ceilings are now bright and perky! We're just happy not to see the wall paper seams that came with the house. Crazy, right? Who wall papers their ceilings? Yuck.
I finished up the cutting table that the guys made for me a few weeks ago. I used the weird orange tool to trim up the edges. This is meant to create a slight beveled edge, but I must say it didn't really work out very well. I ended up painting the chipped and rough edges with white paint and then gave it a light sanding.
I used the an iron to adhere the melamine tape to the edge of the cutting tabletop. This worked out well, now my sweaters are safe from the rough edge of the raw board.
I finally got a few more boxes unpacked, no more digging though my shed looking for my supplies. Doesn't the peg board look much nicer with the trim? Thank you stupid tree for all the perks!
All the cutting stuff is back at the cutting table. I love these Ikea bars that I put up 2 years ago. Everything in it's place and as much stuff off of the table the better.
The back half of the house is looking good! The roofs are all done and totally water tight. I can't say the same for the brown door that you see on the balcony. We had a rainstorm that blew rain into the house. Let's just say we had a bit of a waterfall wall in the dining room below. Mother Nature also gave us a light show to with the water works. Oh, she's so clever. Enough. Already.
All they guys worked very hard to paint and trim out the back of the house. Of course, I catch Tacho sitting down for the first time in 3 months. love him, he sings all day long and always has a smile for me. I know that he thinks that I am a loco chica, and you know what, I am okay with that.
The window's looking fine! Just a little touch up left to do.
RIP Bliss Kitty! In the middle of all this chaos we've been trying to make the final days of our aging cat peaceful. I miss my furry friend of 16 years more than I ever thought possible. So, in a yard filled with mud is a pretty little plant for our pretty and extra big cat.
A mad dash of paint touch up before a they guys left for a well deserved weekend!
Framed and painted up all pretty like!
Home Sweet Home! I enjoyed doing some paperwork and cutting in the room on Saturday.
I've been coveting these little Pyrex refrigerator containers for a few months now. I already had a few but after finding a great little shelf (for 99 cents) I knew I needed more. I got the lidless ones from a Richmond Etsy seller that wanted some oilcloth. Sweet trade, don't you think? That same day I went on Etsy and searched for the best deals -- there's a boatload to sort through, so it was not simple task. So here they are 7 more pretty little containers to help me stay organized in the studio!
I've been hording these salvages for months. Every time we make a new laminated cotton tablecloth I stuff the trimmings off into this little box. This weekend the box was overflowing so I took a personal sewing break. I am going to transform these into a fun and unique roman shade for my weird back window.
I had to do the first two rows over again, they looked more like ruffles than strips of salvage edges.
It's still a bit puckery, I am hoping a high temp ironing from the back side helps smooth it all out. You never want to iron the shiny side of laminate cotton!!!
I've just set my machine to a rather large zig-zag stitch and I used the pattern in each print as a guide to line it up each new strip. My panel is less than straight but I don't care, it's going to make a fun window treatment. Sometimes perfection is overrated on personal projects, right? When I sew for myself quick and dirty is the name of the game. I save my super-duper sewing for you all.
I told you that this window was weird. Originally this room was our homes (English) basement, but now that the boiler and water heater has been professionally walled off and the new and level floor has been laid it's my studio. When we did the work, some 6 years ago, we had planned to add French doors but money ran out and it never happened. While I am glad there aren't doors along this wall, I do look forward to the day when we have two windows to replace this ugly old thing.
I can't wait till Tuesday when I cut the next round of laminated cotton tablecloths so I have a much of new prints to add to my panel.
Help, I need your input, which of these upholstery fabrics do you like best for the roman shades I am going to make for my studio? I was going to use the vintage bark cloth but they weren't wide enough so I thought something new and a bit trendy would be fun to mix in with all the other vintage fabrics I am going to use for wall art.
The prints are big and bold, each flowers about 8-10 across. Fun right?
This is what my dining room looked like when I emptied out the studio two weeks ago. It really isn't this bad anymore but still it's pretty hard to deal with. Wait a minute, let me look around. Ya it's bad... it's really bad! I haven't done a thing towards the studio makeover in over a week which means I haven't done a thing about the state of my dining room.
Why? Tablecloth Week! Tablecloth week trumps all decorating and organizing. Throw in the fact that I haven't had a day off in weeks, then mix that with the temptation of a 3-day weekend and I haven't done a thing! Not. One. Thing.
Which leads me to a bit of day dreaming... My mother has 4 sisters, two of which live very close to her and they are there for her. When things get out of hand at my mothers house they rally and come to her rescue. They'll spend the weekend sorting and cleaning up what every room has gotten out of hand. I need a sister that close to home! My sister, Debbie, lives about 1200 miles away and is the mother of 2 young kids. I am sure she needs me as much as I need her! : )
Since I don't have a sister to spend the weekend with me I've decided I need a housekeeper for a week! A week should do. A paid friend to bail me out! : ) Someone to sort the laundry and do 50 loads of wash. Wouldn't it be great to have someone that would actually fold and put them away? Just saying. Someone to sort through my piles that have their own piles. Someone to get on the floor and really clean it. Someone who does windows. Someone to take a load of items to the Good Will. Someone to water the plants, heck someone to plant the plant that remain unplanted! (I guess this means that I need a gardener too!)
Then I need a handyman for a couple of days. Someone to finish my cutting table, because honestly I am little bored of that project. Once he's done with that then he can finish painting the trim in the studio. While he's here he could paint the trim in my kitchen, it really needs refreshing. We'll save the bathroom projects for his next visit.
Basically, I need a household staff. I am not asking for much, am I? Right...
Well, I guess the family that I have here with me will have to do. Watch out kids, you've got a long and hard week ahead of you!!! It's Home Ec week at the McCants Homeschool. We'll save the woodworking class for the cute hubby!
I emptied out half the studio and said good bye to yellow walls this week. I must say that I love-love-love the color, it's so bright and happy!
I built the a Galant table for the sewing machines...
... and another one for the computer! It even has a key board drawer, so very ergonomic!
Aidan and I built these cool shelves that attach to the table top. We left the back off the second one so the printers could stack up. LOVE THAT! But what really rocks is having a desk with a work surface for the first time every! I'm not sure what to do with that, but I'll work it out. ; )
I'm also digging the old peg board that I painted turquoise. I reconfigured the board, it's amazing how much stuff you can get a 2'x4' sheet of pegboard.
Maddie helped me hang this pegboard today. I am so happy to replace all those 3M hooks, now I can move everything as needed. Easy-peasy!
Friday afternoon, the kids and I sat on the studio floor and watched The Voice while I put these together. They are for the new cutting table that I'll be making next weekend. For now the old folding cutting table top will have to do. We've got tablecloths to make this week so no more playing decorator until they are completed.
I replaced the old white bookcase with these two wire shelves that I stacked. I like them for several reasons: it's wider and deeper so I get more bang for my buck and it's open on the sides so that area feels more open now.
As you can clearly see, I have a lot of work left to do but I am pleased as punch to be back in the room. Next weekend I'll tackle the cutting table, hang wall shelves and finish painting the doors and trim. Then it's back to IKEA to get the right bases for the new chairs (I messed up) and a few more of these great drawers! (Aidan and I had a blast building this, they're a wild puzzle.) Then it'll be time to make and hang some new roman shades. Wait till you see the great fabric I'm getting for those!!!
I figure it'll be 100% complete in about 2-3 more weeks!! I can't wait!! Yay!!!
I'll be back with a full room shot tomorrow, the sun fills the room with pretty light and the turquoise blue looks so wonderful.
I am so in love with every bit of this before and after project that was featured on Design Sponge earlier this month. I have found a kindred spirit in Linwood Avenue, she loves vintage fabric, collects milk glass and she makes aprons! Sounds a little familiar, doesn't it?
Anyway, I was totally inspired to pick up these three wall shelves and to recreate her lovely piece. I'll combine the vintage fabrics that I bought on-line a few days ago with some oilcloth. I am thinking I'll need some Pyrex to add into the mix!
Turquoise for my studio walls was a clear favorite with you all. I wasn't so sure until I throw up a piece of fabric up on the wall to see it with the beech book shelves. It's great, I am sure I'll love it! But before I go out shopping for paint I knew I needed to get my fabrics purchased. I need fabric for roman shades and to line the book shelves that will be under the cutting table and on the wall.
Here's what I purchased for the Roman Shades, it's a sweet Bark Cloth! I bought it from Teaworks Cottage on Etsy (of course). The listing refers to it as Aqua, I may need to flexible on the wall color, we'll have to wait and see!
I also picked up some Chenille bedspread cuts, these are all odd pieces that I'll use for some wall art pieces. LOVE!!! I got the first two pieces from Alora's Adorables and the last one is from Chenille Bliss! (heaven)
Who knows what these two lovelies will become, sometimes you just have to buy them and wait for inspiration to hit ya. I got the quilt piece from Chenille Bliss (at 4 bucks, it need me) and the vintage feed sack from Kimmy Made.
So what about those shelves I want to line? Oilcloth to the rescue! After all, I am the Oilcloth Addict! I like the juxtaposition of mixing oilcloth with bark cloth, chenille, and feed sack material. It's all from the same era but not used in the same part of the house! Fun, right?
