BIG Project - Day 6

We're still working in the bathroom. I wanted to be sure you noted the peachy color that was EVERYWHERE in this area! Someone really liked this color, but that person no longer lives in this house, so it is happily going away.

Here is the before of this area in all it's peach glory! We do have one coat of white on the upper wall already, but have not painted the bead board.

Here is the finished color! Clean and fresh. You can sort of see the closet here in this shot.

Here's a better picture of the closet. Miss Janice used it as storage...but will be "re-purposed" in this new room for a new use! (Secret for now!)


Finished closet!

More to come! Running off right now to pull up the last of the carpet and under padding to see what the rest of the floor looks like...hopefully nice enough to sand! (More pictures tomorrow.)

Till later...

BIG Project - Day 5

Busy day on Saturday...the guys were able to get in and get a lot done while I was at a seminar all day. Ashley and Emily also worked all day moving stuff out and caulking and painting. A WHOLE lot was accomplished.

As promised here is what was under the carpet in the bathroom. Not a pretty sight!

Once all the carpet and padding was pulled out, the guys laid 1/2" hardiebacker board and prepped it in anticipation of laying the tile.

The girls cleaned the bathroom closet out so that the bathroom would have new tile flooring throughout. We didn't want any of the old carpet left (even in the closets.) Fresh start for ALL.

Not only did they work in the bathroom, there was also activity in the bedroom. The guys got the strips cut for the walls. They ended up having to pull the quarter round off the top of the baseboards, nailing the strips down, then cutting the quarter round to fit between the strips and nailing it back down. A lot more work, but I think the finished product will look a lot better once it's all painted!



The area we were most anxious to see was under the carpet in the bedroom. We did not know if there would be old hardwoods or plywood. The guys were prepared to lay new pine floors, but luckily...there was hardwood.

The floor is not pretty...but a good sanding and it will be as good as new! Miss Janice wants a painted (decorated) floor for this room...so now to pick the color! (It's already "almost" white!)


While the guys finished up inside Ashley and Emily painted the top rail, yet to be nailed to the wall. Peter still has to do some work on them, but they thought it'd be good to get one coat of paint on before they are nailed up on the wall.

Still lots to do. The tile in the bathroom has to be laid (which means the toilet has to be re-set) and the plumbing re-done for the new DOUBLE sink. I'll save the picture of the vanity until we bring it in...it's beautiful!

Until tomorrow!
debi

Sunday Thoughts

Psalm 40:5 Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.

The BIG Project - Day 2

Day two begins with finishing the wood work. We completed the ceiling and the first coat of the woodwork on Day one...so today we started with all the woodwork and the doors. The doors were my greatest pleasure to paint. They were cream with a peach inset...they are now ALL off white. Clean and neat. We began the upper wall with blue, then came back with the first coat of the white on the bottom.

Tomorrow we'll do a second coat of the blue and a third coat of white on the doors. We won't finish painting the baseboard until the carpet been pulled out so we can paint the whole piece. (Can hardly wait for the carpet to be gone. ) A new pine floor will be laid and finished to complete the room.

I really like how fresh and new the paint makes the room look. There is more "work" to be done on the lower portion before we can move forward with more paint. I think the guys are going to work on Saturday pulling the carpet, installing the board and batten and putting in the sink in the bathroom. Hopefully by Monday we can move into the bathroom area.

My daughter has finished the painting of the outdoor furniture. It looks really good...so I guess we can test out the new cushions!

I have more pillows I'm working on, but with all the painting, that will have to wait. I also have the cushions for the chairs to complete...

More sewing to come...after painting!

Well, that's it for today...see ya' tomorrow!

debi

The BIG Project Begins

Well, no time like the present to begin the "big" bedroom/bathroom project at Miss Janice's house.

I tried to take some before pictures so you'll get a feel for the two rooms. The current plan is to paint, remove the carpets, lay flooring and finish. Sounds simple enough!

Here is the bedroom looking into the bathroom area. Miss Janice has settled on the darker of the two blues...so decision one down. The current color is a pale peach color...so this will be a drastic change. This same peach color carries into the bathroom and we'll be coordinating the two rooms together with the blue and white theme.

We also had to decide on the height of the board and batten area and settled on 54.5 inches from the baseboards. Easy enough...

This is the bathroom area which is adjacent to the bedroom. This picture shows the mirror and pictures already removed. The carpet in this area will be torn out and the small black and white tile (you can see them in the picture) will be laid. There is a beadboard on the bottom and a board and batten treatment on the top. In this room we'll have white on top and the blue on bottom.

Miss Janice has purchased a new vanity that will go in where the current one is located. It's wider and a lot prettier (she picked it up at a warehouse sale for almost 70% off what they are selling for in local stores!) I can't wait for you to see it...it's beautiful! It will really set the tone for a whole new look in this room.

SO....out came the vanity (and not without a LOT of elbow grease). We were hoping to see nice hardwoods underneath the carpet, but not to be. This area of the house was once a kitchen. (After WWII the house was used as a boarding house, so it was split up into several apartments.) I'll try to take a close up of the old linoleum that's under the carpet. It's "real" pretty. HA!

(The door you see here leads to the laundry room at the back of the house.)

This morning began our work in earnest. We cleaned all the woodwork real good before we began painting. We patched the holes and cracks yesterday so we'd be ready to begin painting today.

We decided to start from the top down...so ceiling first. Miss Janice picked an off white for all the wood work, and we went with the same color for the ceiling. It's just a shade darker than what the ceiling was before.

Our helpers enjoyed lunch while we worked....

They were happy for a break from all the hard work (HA!)

Ashley and I decided on wonderful head wear so as not to have a new "color job" for our hair.

However, when we began clean up...our crew decided to try them on for size!

So...stay tuned...we'll finish the rest of the woodwork tomorrow and begin the upper color (which is the blue.) I'll see if I can't find my other pictures of the room filled with furniture.

Till tomorrow.... debi

Aprons and Backyard sewing

Thank you Mr. Jon! I just picked up another "load" of fabric from my friend who is a fabric rep. (He cleaned out his storage unit.) I've spent some time today organizing it into stacks of samples, yardage, linens, upholstery weight, etc. Now I have to incorporate it into my shelves in the sewing room (which means I may have to get rid of some "extra's.")

I've also been busy sewing. I have a new apron pattern and wanted to try it out on some of my "free" fabric before I cut up a vintage tablecloth. I like the little ruffle at the bottom.

I liked the final result, so I used one of the tablecloths that I actually purchased in two pieces. (It actually looked like someone had torn the tablecloth in two.) I was able to fit the two main pieces on the two halves, and the waistband, but had to piece the tie for it to be long enough. I liked the final result from the tablecloth also. I plan to post both of them on my etsy site in the next day or two. I have another apron cut out, but haven't had time to complete it, as yet.

I've also been working on some backyard furniture recovery for Miss Janice. My daughter and I are ready to start the makeover of her bedroom and bathroom - starting next week.

A few months ago Miss Janice purchased an expensive "custom made" shower curtain from a garage sale. (The seller was a local decorator.) She got the curtain for a "song" and knew she wanted to use the fabric in her backyard cabana area. My husband and son in law recently covered her patio area with a tin roof, so the area is now protected from the weather.

She has a vintage baby bed she wants to use as extra seating...so she purchased some marine foam (it doesn't hold water if it gets wet) to use for the mattress.

I laid out the shower curtain so I could utilize the blue and the red area. She liked the idea of it being half red and half blue on each side. She also purchased 2 queen size bed pillows on sale with the idea that I would cover them.

I used as many different pieces of "scrapes" left over from other projects that matched. The bed pillows also had a small gusset, so each pillow has different fabric for the gusset and various similar fabrics for the piece work.

Miss Janice loves birds, so I cut the small birds from another piece of "stash" to use as the center piece of the pillows.

There was enough of the bird fabric to create two other pillows for the couch...

and you might remember the small Texas luncheon napkins I purchased awhile back? I used one as a centerpiece for one last pillow for the couch.

My daughter currently has the couch (baby bed) apart and is painting the pieces. Once she returns it to the cabana area I'll post a picture of the completed couch with all the pillows.

Miss Janice has 4 chairs that we re-covered several years ago...the fabric really didn't hold up well. The chairs weren't under cover and I think all the mess from the pecan trees falling on the fabric just ruined them. She has promised to put the cushions away...so I'll be recovering them next.

We've decided on this fabric for the chairs cushions, but we are still looking for some embossed denim fabric for the chair backs. The hunt is on....

And, last but not least (Miss Janice may be lurking and looking) I used the rest of the shower curtain to make her a gardening apron to match her red, white and blue back yard!

Still more sewing to come....but for now...we will begin the bedroom/bathroom redo. I'll have before and after pictures next week.

Completed Quilt Project

My parents celebrated their 50th anniversary! They were actually married in June of 1959...but we couldn't find a good day to celebrate in June...so we held the party on Sunday at Bella Restaurant in Dallas, Tx.

My youngest brother is a wine rep, so he arranged for the location, food and wine. I think he did a great job. The place was very nice...and we didn't have to set up or clean up, (which if we'd done it at my parent's church we would have all felt obligated to work.) We for sure didn't want them to work, so we all voted for the restaurant venue.

There were a lot of memories to relive with many old friends and family...I'm sure there were also nay-sayers present that had originally thought, "This will never last!"

But...it has. Not too many couples make that transition from marriage, to honeymoon, to reality...3 children within 3 months of marriage. My dad got custody of my brother, sister and I only three months into their new marriage. I know it was hard on my dad and his new wife...but I remember how hard it was for the three of us...before we moved in with them. This transition was difficult for all involved, and it was not an "instant" family, but with time came trust and love.

The Lord is faithful and not only have my parents lasted 50 years together, they have been an example to many others because of their faithfulness and commitment to us and their own family. We are all one family together. We've added spouses, children, grandchildren...we're not perfect, but we love each other and we know we can count on each other...we are Family!

Now to the quilt project. I completed it on Friday. I put new binding and we presented it to Mom and Dad...big surprise.

This is what I started with...an old (circa 1930's) cutter quilt bought at an Antique store for next to nothing.

It was not in great condition, but there was enough good that I knew I could incorporate it into some kind of project. I began by cutting away the rows of blocks along the side edges. There were several rows that were in very bad shape along the edge. Any block that was salvageable was saved and the applique was removed from badly worn blocks. I used two of the better blocks to replace two within the quilt. I removed the appliqued circles from the white blocks within the quilt so I could use this area for my project. (Most of the white fabric had not held up well over the years.)

I replaced this worn block and the one next to it (with the hole) got a new applique over the top.

I printed pictures onto the photo fabric (I used the Blumenthal PhotoFabric - following all directions.) I printed two pictures per page, which helped save paper and the size was more in line with the size of the white blocks.

I began with a picture from my parents wedding, and this became the center of the quilt. In the top left corner and bottom right corner I placed pictures of our grandparents. Working in family groups, I printed a wedding picture from each of the siblings, then pictures of our children/grandchildren. I made sure each picture was large enough to cover any imperfections on the white squares they were stitched onto.

From there I added more pictures of my parents when they were younger, and pictures of them with their parents. I printed enough pictures to cover most of the white blocks were covered.

I left the bottom and top rows blank (not knowing how Mom will want to display this quilt...and knowing that other pictures can be added.) I added new binding along the edge to finish it off.

Each picture was autographed and dated.

We presented the quilt to Mom and Dad...big surprise!

It was a project completed in love.

The old quilt represents what every marriage begins with...a patchwork of two lives that represent the individual beauty of each person. But there are weak spots we try to hide. There are torn and battered parts that make up who we are...imperfect people who come together to build a new life with each other.

On top of that is added the layers of our lives. Children, people, and memories are added as families grow. This begins to build on top of the original layers...adding strength and character to our individual selves and our lives as families.

The quilt now becomes a beautiful covering of prayer, offered up as our Thanksgiving to the Lord for our family. For the individual beauty each person brings to the family, and to the strength we are as one family. The Lord has blessed us and we praise Him!

Isaiah 61:10 I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels.