Craft Room Update!!

Hello my Lovelies!

Life has been more than crazy! More on that in a later post...

But for now...

Remember this "unique" find from a few months ago?

I actually finished it a few months ago with DIY white chalk paint and a few coats of matte polycrylic. I finally found time to put finishing touches on the craft room so that it is now presentable as an extra guest room!

Yes, she is indeed a lovely little lady now! 

Take note that the ugly green sofa parts are gone, gone, GONE!!!

In its place, the futon that has gone through college with both sons, once black, now sprayed white. Now, with a sturdy new mattress, so hopefully guests will sleep comfortably and hubby can sit comfortably to watch tv when I am working in here. 

I made curtains to cover up my messes in the closets :)  

The one on the left was a unique challenge...

The one the right was a bit more inspired...

Are you ready for Thanksgiving???

Blessings, 

Ronda

Chair Make-Over

 This chair has been sitting in my garage for a while now.  When we bought it at a yard sale, there was caning in the seat.  Since it was broken in places, we actually looked into how to re-cane it.  Jeff got so far as to take out most of the caning...and then there it sat.  No reflection on him-- I have given him too many projects!

I had determined that the chair was going to go in the trash, until a pic I saw on a blog one day inspired me.  I had nothing to lose, so I gave it a shot. 

It is far from perfect and I learned a few things along the way.  Don't know if I will ever have the opportunity to another chair like this, but if I do, I might do it a bit differently. 

And now we have 8 chairs to go around our farmhouse table! Two of them still need to be painted, but that's ok, they are fine as is.  Besides, Jeff still has table leaves to make before we actually need 8 chairs!

Blessings, 

Ronda

Progress

So, it's been more than 2 weeks since I posted anything.  I must not be cut out for the blogging world, afterall :(

I guess my problem is in always wanting to have pictures to show you.  And I prefer to show a finished project.  I actually had some pics of the craft room a week ago, but never quite got around to putting them on the ol' blog.  

Now I'm actually glad that I didn't as hubby and I spent some time cleaning up the room yesterday and now it looks MUCH better!  :)

So, the walls are all painted, the shelves are back up and I have actually put a few books on the shelves on the right of this pic. (Please ignore the UGLY green couchy-thingy-- it will go bye-bye as soon as I can find something to replace it!)

 This wasn't really the order I wanted these pics, but it is what it is-- I haven't had much luck moving them once I load them.  This next pic shows that we have big stuff in store for this end of the room!  The 2 closet doors used to be the same, but hubby cut out that wall so there will be open shelving there, also.  I had thought we would cut out the entire wall, which is why I didn't paint it, but obviously, it didn't work quite like that.  So, the remainder of that wall will be painted pale yellow, too.  

This will be my sewing corner.  I LOVE THAT! Being able to say I have an actual sewing corner! My sewing machine will sit on the desk (I will make a dust cover for it at some point), all my sewing supplies in baskets and jars on the shelves around me. *sigh of contentment*

The little window seat area will most likely hold a tv so that hubby and I can watch while I craft. The other desk area would be great for all of my scrapbooking stuff, or wrapping paper and ribbon, or a hundred other ideas that I have.  

Sorry this next pic is so bad.  I just wanted you to see that I even made up the bed so that it would not only look better, but it's also ready for company.  These are not the colors that I have chosen, but it works for now! The quilt on the bed I originally made for our guest room.  The embroidered pillowcase is courtesy of my MIL. It actually belongs to my daughter.  The bear I made out of an antique quilt that was full of holes.  

With the lovely warm weather we had earlier in the week, I took the opportunity to paint the window panes that I hadn't done yet.  

Thanks for sticking with me, even when I seem to check out for long periods of time!  I've got a ton of potential projects lined up for summer!

Blessings,

Ronda

Curtains Take Two

I have been SO Stinkin' lazy lately!!  

The last project I did was completed over a week ago.  I know I say this often, but I was waiting for the right time to get a good pic! Do you have any idea how tough it is to get a good picture of curtains?  I'm sure that I just need to work on my camera skills, but I get overwhelmed when I start reading about all the technical stuff on my camera.  I know, just do it and quit whining...

Anyone else ready for Spring????

Anyhoo...a couple of shots for fun...

Some things that belonged to my uncle. 

As I have been debating what to put on the walls in the music room, I decided that I couldn't part with my little Amish boys.  But not liking the oak frames, I painted them with black milk paint and distressed them.  

If you google painted curtains, you will see that my idea to stencil my music room curtains was not all that original.  Ah well, who cares.  I LOVE the way they turned out.  I think it looks like expensive designer fabric, but in reality they were pretty cheap.  Basic panels made with utility osnaburg fabric. 

I used a mini foam roller to stencil.  I did end up totally cleaning off the stencil about half way done.  The thing I hadn't anticipated was the little fibers from the fabric stuck in the paint and gradually built up enough that the small holes were almost covered.  

Blessings,

Ronda

Slipcover Project: Done!

Yes, I am still alive and kicking! Those of you who are close to me know that we did survive our son's wedding, just over 2 weeks ago.  The newlyweds have settled in and are making the adjustments to married life.  

We are still not back to putting floors down.  We are in the planning stages of the second half of the downstairs redo.  I am excited about the things were are talking about doing in the kitchen, but we have to first decide whether we have the money to do the things we are talking about, or whether we just do the floor and leave it at that. 

In the meantime, I have been working on a sewing project.  A little backstory for those of you who just recently started following my diy adventures. We have 2 chairs that were given to us by my mother when we moved to southern Indiana 16 years ago.  These were chairs that my mom had reupholstered in the 70's.  Funny thing is that I have seen some current projects done in very similar fabrics.  If you hold on to something long enough, the style often comes back!  Here is the original chair:

 Maybe you can't really tell, but the arms were filthy and worn through:

 And the spots where the cat ripped it:

A year or so ago my DH took on the challenge of reupholstering one of the 2 chairs, with a little help from me and my sewing machine.  But he did the lion's share of this project and he did an excellent job!

But when I asked him if he would mind if I tried my hand at a slipcover, there was a huge sigh of relief!  Yes, there is more black fabric that may never get used, money down the drain (not too much as we got it on clearance), but he was definitely not sorry to give up that project. 

So, using Miss Mustard Seed's slipcover tutorials as a guideline, I proceeded with my first slipcover.  I bought 2 canvas dropcloths from Lowes, and went to work! 

 It did take me quite a few hours of work, but I am very pleased with the outcome.  It is most definitely not perfect.  I would be happy to show anyone all the flaws, but for my first try, it turned out pretty well.  I love that I can remove and launder it when it gets dirty.  Since it is in the music room, it won't get daily use, but I did find Lucy hairs on it even as I was working on it.  

Here is the back:

Pretty adorable, right??

Blessings, 

Ronda

NO JUDGING!

 What to do on a chilly Saturday in Indiana?  Well, I don't know about you, but I decided to get out the ole sewing machine and do a bit of crafting.  Please bear with me, as I've said before, my photography skills need a bit of work.  And it doesn't help that I am usually in too big of a hurry to wait for the right lighting.

I had been dreaming of making this pillow cover since before Christmas.  It is basic Osnaburg material with the printed burlap over the top.

I've started giving all of my pillows covers, instead of sewing them closed.  It takes a bit more work, but since I am so fickle quick to change my decorating style, I like leaving my options open, so to speak.

And of course, with "new" walls and new floors, and "new" woodwork, new curtains were certainly in order!

 DON'T JUDGE!  I know it looks weird with half of the window painted white and the other half still orangey wood, but when I paint on days when it is 15 degrees outside, I am certainly NOT leaving the windows open long enough for them to dry.

 Yes, Lucy thinks she is a cat and sleeps on the back of the loveseat.

Another do not judge moment-- I know, the curtains against my wallpaper border is a bit busy, but I liked the look enough that I am willing to put up with it until I decide to do away with the border.  (Don't tell DH, but that might be sooner rather than later!)

Blessings,

Ronda

Decorating!

Well, we braved the crowds today and went to see The Hobbit.  Ok, really there were no crowds.  One of the advantages of home-schooling- you can go to an early movie while all the other kids are still in school! Great movie, although I would have to say it seemed even more violent than Lord of the Rings.  Just sayin'.

I have come to the conclusion that the pics I have on my camera are probably as good as it gets.  Until I take a photography class or at the very least, truly learn to use my camera, I will just have to settle for mediocre pics.  Anyone out there want to come over and work with me?  (hint, hint)

I am just going to share pics of few spots around the house.  I will start with the latest project that I tried for Christmas.

Simple little burlap stockings, decorated with osnaburg rosettes.  My original idea was to put a osnaburg ruffle along the bottom of the cuff, but I was feeling a bit lazy that day and didn't particularly want to strain my brain trying to figure out exactly how that would work!  Can you say LAAAZ-Y?? I already had 2 of the little rosettes that I had experimented with, so not too much work to make 2 more.  I probably made it harder on myself than I needed to, but that lazy thing kicked in again, and I chose not to get out my glue gun, so instead used a needle and thread to keep them together and sew them to the stockings.  Yeah, thinking back on it, it would have been MUCH simpler to use hot glue!  Ah, well.  Live and learn.

A few of my little Santas sit among some greenery.

The top of my kitchen cabinets.  The seed beads and chicken are there year round, and actually the lights, too.  I just add the greenery at Christmas time.

There will be more pics on other days.  Didn't have the patience to wait on more to upload.  So now you have something to look forward to!

Blessings,

Ronda

Better late than Never!

I know, I know!!  Been too long since I have posted anything.  I really have been busy!  Not to make excuses or anything! I actually finished decorating my house about a week ago.  So why haven't I posted pics you may ask?  In my defense, I have tried to get some pics of various things, but they are not turning out very well, between the fact that I am really not a very good photographer and the fact that my timing seems to be off for natural light.

So I have been spending my time completing a couple of little projects.  The first was a new tree skirt.

This is made out of burlap with a lovely gold glitter in it. My original I idea was to put a ruffle around it in the traditional way, gathering the edge of the fabric.  But by the time I had folded the fabric, it was just too stiff to be able to gather it.  OK, on to plan B.  I pinned little gathers all the way around.  A bit tedious, but can you really tell the difference? 

The tree all lit up.  And by chance a pic of little Lucy. :) Too bad she didn't pose better!

 Here a few shots of some of my favorite ornaments. 

And the outside of my house where you can see a sled, which actually belonged to me and my brother when we were growing up.  I painted "JOY" on it in red.  

And finally, the pillow that I painted.  It is made from Osnaburg leftover from the curtains that I made.  I made the case with button closure so that I can remove it after Christmas and put something different on it.  And yes, I already have ideas on what I want to do! 

Maybe this weekend I can get my lovely future DIL to get some good pics of some other decorations around the house!

Blessings!

Ronda

Curtains!

Ok, so maybe I am not as "original" as I thought I was! :)  After posting yesterday, I decided to do a Google search on The Primitive Pumpkin.  And, yep, you guess it!  Thousands of results with the Primitive Pumpkin in them!  Shops, blogs, you name it!  Oh, well! It's done and I kind of like it.

Anyway...onward and upward...I thought today I would show you my latest sewing project.  We have lived in this house almost 15 years and I have had the same lace curtains in the dining room the entire time.  I was rather tired of them!  I did some pricing of curtains that might possibly be what I wanted and found that I couldn't bring myself to put out the money just because I was tired of what I had.  At first I thought maybe burlap, in fact, I found some really cool looking burlap printed with old-fashioned skeleton keys, and I thought I had found the answer.  But after looking at it in the actual store instead of just looking online, I decided it was too stiff and would not drape the way I wanted it to.

However, on the shelf right below it was a bolt of osnaburg, a fabric that looks somewhat like linen, but is all cotton.  So I went home and started dreaming of what I wanted these curtains to look like.  I didn't want them to be just the beige color, I wanted a little black in there, too.  I'm loving all the grain sack stuff that I am seeing, so I thought, why not?  I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult to paint the fabric. I used a 40% off coupon at Hobby Lobby to get 10 yards of osnaburg for $2.40 a yard!  Love a deal!  So, some painters tape, a ruler, black craft paint and a sponge brush and Ta-Da! It's a look I am really loving!

If you look closely in the top 2 pics, you can see that I also kept the skeleton key idea by using curtain rods that have a skeleton key-like finial! I have yet to make curtains for the living room.  They will be similar.  I think I am going to make them floor length, so I don't think I will stripe them, but I want to do something.  Maybe a stencil across the bottom and up in the inside? I plan to start those later today. Sorry I couldn't take a pic of the entire window, but the light coming in made it too dark to see anything.

What do you think?

Blessings,
Ronda