Picnic Love

I wanted a traditional red gingham picnic quilt. I was planning this one in my head while I was working on the Tokyo Subway Map quilt. I really wanted to give this to Bethie-Sauce and Dave as a housewarming gift. I did start to get worried, though when she was pinning picnic baskets on pinterest. They would never match "Picnic Love"

I decided to just keep swimming because she would still love "Picnic Love" regardless of the colors.

It turns out, she did.

"Picnic Love" is cute and sturdy for a picnic. I made a drawstring backpack so it would be easy to carry with all picnic supplies.

"Picnic Love" is soft and snuggly for Beth and Dave to cuddle under during the winter.

Test from Phone

I haven't blogged in awhile since my laptop broke. My computer guru husband fixed it over and over...he either got annoyed with fixing it and doesn't want to fix it anymore, or it's just not fixable. Either way...it's done.

I have a desktop computer but I just don't like sitting at it.

Wenny told me that I have to update my blog anyway. My whole 7 followers are going through Dee's obsessive crafting withdrawals!!! Bwahahah I have been crafting obsessively. I just haven't shared so well.

So I downloaded an app for my phone and will give it a try for now.

So here is my first post from the phone. We'll call it a test.

It's DONE!

Tokyo Subway Map Quilt is done!

Isn't it beautiful?

The back is just as gorgeous!

The contrast between the back and the front

Goofballs LOVE IT

More goofballs.

It's sooooo cuddly!

I am so happy to have it finished. It's my first "real" quilt...I've never done machine quilting before. I've always been too lazy to do hand quilting (I hate hand sewing anything!). All other quilts I've done have just been tied. I had sooooooo much fun doing the boxy meandering free-motion quilting (again...first time doing it! Not bad for a newbie!).

I've already started the next quilt and I've already decided on the plan for the quilt after that.

Now, it's time to get some knitting done!

Hand Knit sweater anyone?

My laptop is broken. No - not "crashed'. It's broken. I broke it. My husband fixed it....like 4 times since I kept breaking it. I really shouldn't have anything nice. :(  He is either tired of fixing it or it's really not gonna work anymore. Oops?

Anyway, I figured I'd post a really quick picture of a hand knit that turned out GREAT!



Cody never asks for anything. Ever. He especially doesn't ask me to make him anything. He's a boy. Pfftttt


Soooo when he asked me to knit him a wool sweater, I was already buying yarn before he finished the sentence!


I decided to use Elizabeth Zimmerman's bottom-up raglan pattern. I designed the stitch pattern for the sweater myself. I was so worried that it would be too much for my "no frills/plain kid". I just couldn't stand the thought of stockinette stitch on the entire sweater. So, I did a checkerboard pattern in stockinette and seed stitch. It turned out fantastic and I'm pleased to say that Cody LOVED it. (phew).

I gave it to him for Christmas.

This is an in-progress picture.

It's difficult to be sure the size is right when the project is a surprise. So, I had Mickey try it on about every other day to be sure I wasn't screwing it up too bad.

Doesn't she look happy to help? :)

Here he is wearing it for the first time for the winter.

 Isn't it perfect? Isn't he the most handsome boy ..... EVER?

I was pleased when he went out of his way to find out the proper way to wash it....and then giving those instructions to my husband (since hubby kinda does the laundry in our house). He wants to take care of it!!!

For good measure (I know it's a blurry photo...but it's such a cute picture):

Quilt Top Done! Tokyo Subway Map

Dear Elizabeth Hartman,
My first draft of this letter was an apology for butchering your absolutely beautiful Tokyo Subway Map Quilt design. As I was going along, I messed up so much. Seams were uneven. Seams weren't straight. Fabric wasn't cut straight. I was going to invite you to Powell's the next time I'm in Portland for coffee to sing to you to make it up to you. Then, I started doubting my vocal talent because my sewing talent was clearly not as good as I thought it was all these years.

Luckily, some of my own experience and skills helped me repair a lot of it.  It's so far from perfect like yours. It is still absolutely beautiful and I'm proud to show it off.

Love always and forever,
Dee
P.S. We can still do coffee if you want...I'll bring a copy of your book and a sharpee for you to sign it.

Now, I just need to come up with the cash to buy the supplies to finish the quilt. I've figured out how I want the back and the binding. So excited to finish this!

I love Power Tools!

Give me a jigsaw, a dremel, and a sander and I'm in Heaven!

I've had a lot of fun building, refurbishing, and redoing many furniture items. One of my favorites is the upholstered stool.

I like to keep this at the foot of my bed. I had it for awhile when I was in Knoxville, but we lost our sweet dog on this very stool. My husband wanted to get rid of it but I put a lot of hard work into it and it was my pride and joy! PLUS, that just made it that much more endearing to me. So, instead of trashing this awesome piece of furniture, I decided to reupholster it. :)

How cute is this little model?

I also really enjoy buying old furniture from thrift stores and redoing them in fun fabrics. Here are a couple of reupholstered chairs that I've done.

Before

After

I forgot to take a picture of this chair before I covered it in this fun funky fabric.  It must be said that my husband seriously opposed this fabric from the very first time he saw it. It must also be said that while he was talking, all I heard was, "blah blah blah."

I've skyped and webcammed with people who always notice my awesome chair in the background! HA!

The cute animal-print chair was for my daughter's bedroom. When we moved from Knoxville to our current house, she went from the master bedroom with a LOT of space to a regular kid-size bedroom with no space. We ended up buying her a loft bed and put her computer desk underneath.

I made the desk, of course.

In process of painting Giraffe Print

Scrunchies in my hair!!!

Paint is drying

Here is is in her bedroom with all of her accessories:

 

Oh yes, I also painted her chest of drawers. I'm such an awesome Mommy!

I also have a refurbished item that took on a completely new life.  A good friend of mine had an old yucky chair hanging around her house. She hated it and only kept it around because it had a small amount of sentimental meaning to her: She made it in middle school shop class. She knew I liked playing with furniture and told me I could keep it and do anything I wanted to do with it.

That same friend found some old fabric that her grandmother had stashed away. She said she had no use for it. She only kept it because it was her grandmother's. There were even cute little matching buttons in the stash. Instead of making something for myself...I made something for that friend and gave it back to her!

It went from an ugly middle-school-shop project into a beautiful ottoman. Yes, I was pleased.



And finally, I leave you with this awesome lamp I made using a flower vase. It was actually the 3rd vase that I had tried because, even though I had a glass drill bit for my drill, it broke a couple times.

I have an announcement!

Look at what I got for my birthday!

That is all.


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