I'm not afraid of beige...

Just before Nathan was born, we moved into a new house and purchased some new furniture. A living room set and a dining room set. The green and cream living room set looked like it would hold up well to the rigors of family life. So did the dining room set. The glass table top would be easy to clean and the light colored chair cushions.......well, not so easy to clean.

After nearly seven years, those cushions show the evidence of a child who likes to paint, do playdoh and drink chocolate milk.

Not to worry......

I have thrifted IKEA couch slipcovers and all the neccessary tools.


A few hours later....we have nice, new (beige) chair cushions!

Now, I just need to find that can of Scotchguard.

(And the living room set...that's a story for another post.)

Quilt Along

Obviously I don't have enough projects on my plate.

And this.....

looked like so much fun, that I just had to join in. We're in the middle of week 3 and I'm already behind. Hoping to catch up this weekend.

Here is what I have so far...

My fabric choices. Mostly Moda in turquoise, lime and strawberry. The striped fabric in the back will be my binding (cut on the bias). I have an idea for the backing, but I want to see the quilt top all put together before I decide.


All 12 fabrics are cut into 2.5" strips. And now comes the exciting job of arranging them into sets to be sewn into blocks.

In all the years I've sewn, I've never made a quilt for myself. I love the fabrics and cannot wait to see how it all turns out. I'm not sure what I'll do with the finished quilt. I might just have to keep it for myself.

This and That

A Crayon Roll for a friend who is moving away.

Inside the Crayon Roll - pencil and paper included

Baking Day - Orange Sweet Rolls

(Yes, they're Pillsbury from a can. I did make Chocolate Chip Scones from scratch too.)

Nathan and his black olive mustache

Another finished project!

From this....

To this....

This was a great family project. Hubby helped by making the top/back piece and shelves. Nathan helped with the painting. I did a little of everything, including sanding, painting and decoupage. All the wood was scrap from previous projects and the paint was leftover from doing Nathan's room. Total cost was less than $12!

We'll be delivering the bookcase at school tomorrow. It's a gift for Nathan's teacher. She needs more organization in her room and mentioned that she'd like a bookcase. I hope she likes it.

Weekend Sewing

I've actually finished a few things on my To Do List! There's still plenty to do, but at least I'm making some progress.

Two pairs of summer sleep shorts for Nathan. The fabrics were on clearance at Joann's, so only $7 for both pair.

And an end-of-the-year gift for the student teacher in Nathan's class. It's similar to Lotta Jandotter's All Day Tote, but I made different pockets. I'm very happy with it except that I wish I'd used heavier interfacing so it would hold it's shape better.

It's lined and has an inside pocket.

Now back to that To Do List....

Another birthday. Another bag.

I made this one for Nathan's teacher, Mrs. M.

On each student's birthday, Mrs. M gives them a goody bag. Nathan thought it'd be a good idea to give her a goody bag too! He included a Teacher's Journal, colored paper clips, hand lotion, lip balm and chocolate.

I also took cupcakes in for the class. It was the first time Mrs. M had celebrated her birthday with her class.

WIP

I've been searching for a bookcase that I could refinish.

I found this at the Goodwill Clearance Center for $4. In it's previous life, it was a kitchen cupboard. Not a bookcase, but the price was right and it has potential.


With a little effort (and some power tools)....

It has a nice, new top and back board.


A little priming help from my assistant and it's coming along fabulously!

I'll be back soon with photos of the finished project.