The Craft Room Begins!

To all of my prayer warrior friends out there, please be praying for Cammi and the 7 other youth and 2 adults that are in Show Low, AZ doing some mission work.  They made it safely, but please continue to pray a hedge of protection around them.

So the other day, I was trying to decide on what project I wanted to start.  The transfer project I was all set to begin was a bust because my goofy computer doesn't seem to like my printer so that every time I try to take the print level above draft, it shuts down word.  GRRR!  Since the finished product will already have a slightly faded look to it, I needed the setting to be on best.  

SO...

Other things I wanted to do mostly included cleaning out cabinets as I prepare for the big shift that will happen when we actually get back to the kitchen project.  Well, many of the things that I wanted to clean out included mostly crafty type things.  

I want to move those things to my new craft room!

But why put a bunch of stuff in there only to move it all again when I get ready to paint it.  

SO....

BEFORE shot...the bat cave!  Also known as "the boys' room."

I am already quite pleased with how much just a single coat of primer has lightened up the room!!

Yes, that is my wonderful husband touching some things up so that I could go and start dinner.  

 It did take nearly 7 hours to get everything primed.  Probably won't get back to this room for a while, but I can tell you I will absolutely being finishing it in smaller sections!

Stay safe out there!  Really hoping this is our last snow!

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