painting furniture

Much of the furniture I own is 'hand me down'. I guess I was recycling before they called it green. This dresser would have been left on the curb before I painted it and now it is something that I enjoy looking at. I am not afraid to paint furniture because most likely it would be something ugly any way and paint is easy and cheap in the big picture. So why not have some fun with it?
I will add some fun knobs as soon as I get them. Now I really need to paint the walls. It has been too long since they got a fresh coat.
I found some 4.5 inch blocks in a bag-Bobs-and put them together with current 6 inch blocks and I like the way they look together. I don't know if it will be a permenant relationship but they are getting acquainted. In any event I now know I need to add more white because I like the way it 'floats' the blocks.

wunnerful day

We had a great day downtown yesterday. Bailey accepted her award and left, feeling pretty good, to go and visit a friend in Massachusetts. Then Mike and I went to PurlSoho, the Hat Shop, the cigar store, and dined on Chicken Vindaloo. The city was bursting with spring. What says 'spring' more than a hat! Well, many things do, but the hat shop was fun and they did not mind my picture taking.

label for Four seasons swap

four season swap is labeled bound and done done. I will pack it up and mail it off tomorrow. I am not sure if I am supposed to post a picture or wait til it is received so I will wait a bit until my partner gets it. I am hoping she really likes it!

Spring Quilt swap peek

I finished the center of my swap quilt. Spent all day in my sewing chair, getting up only to eat and by gum it is done except for a binding and label . That will happen in an evening, and I will be able to mail it of well before the deadline.
I really like the little heads and added some french knot flowers.
The fabric is Ott Shot from Pinwheels. The sheep are made of felted wool which I tufted by stippling. The quilting is done in varigated sulky 30 wt and 12 wt thread.

Quilt from Julia from Idaho

I received my Spring quilt from the Swap! Isn't it so pretty? It was made by Julia from Idaho. She really did a nice job. I love the stitchery which is her own design. She also made a knitted washcloth and a book mark.
This has been a really fun swap so far and I will do another one for sure.
I am still working on mine and I am liking the way it is taking shape.
I hope my recipient feels as happy as I do. Be sure to check out Julia's blog to see her work. It is nice to "meet" her.

Cracking is a success! Yes there are flaws, and yes, it is uneven and inconsistent, but it is definitely crackled. And that is what I wanted. So now it will dry a couple of days and I will consider what all I will do to it next. I have all of my clothes in boxes and that is very motivating.
But there will be no more posts today as I must get ready to go to what promises to be a very loooong work day-or rather work night since we will be there verry late setting up the store for the grand reopening.I will pack nuts and apricots for snacks...I will need the energy.

keeping on

I hope to finish these two lovlies in the next day or so. I meant to make Rose of Sharon but printed out the other one instead and so it was meant to be that I do both. I have a diamond printed out but since it is machine pieced, and I have not had a chance to it at the machine, it has not been sewn yet.
I have put the crackling medium on the drawers, from the previous post, and not it will dry for at least an hour before I paint on the top coat. I will keep my fingers crossed that the crackle happens. I have had crackle failure in the past. I will aim a heat gun at it and see if that does not help. I am using Behr medium, which is supposed to be reliable but as I said... I think it has to do with the environmental and planetary alignment as well.

drawer makeover

I am taking my old chest of drawers out into the yard~a cast off from a once and former twice removed cousin in law~and giving it a makeover. The plan is to crackle the finish and embellish with...well that will be a surprise. I have some ambitious plans. As you can see the primer and first coat are done, and at eleven, after the base coat has dried for four hours, I will apply the crackle glaze and let it dry over night. Then I have a week to apply the top coat thru which the base coat will be seen.
I have a heat gun and I am not afraid to use it.
Then I will do some more-to -be-announced- embellishing which may or may not include gold leaf. hmmm
Spring is here. Mike and I rode our bikes on the boardwalk, did some yard clean up and now we are being couch potatoes and mouse potatoes.

such and such

You are looking at possible backings for my Carolina Crossroads. The pink paisley is a table cloth I bought from pottery barn and I have two which I can cobble together for a backing. It is so seventies and I do love it. The hot air balloons is a wide backing fabric and also "goes" but I am not sure how much I care about that. The fabric quality is better than the table cloth, and it would not fight with the top design and I would not have to cobble it together. It is a tug of war between the wild me and the practical me. Which would you choose? please leave a comment. Quilter with the best answer gets a piece of either, your choice.
The middle picture is the fabrics I will be using for my spring doll quilt. It is a deep secret, but I have a design in mind.
The diamonds are the last two weeks Diamond of the Week, forever after to be called DOW, in a cigar box, which is where they lie until I have made enough to do something with them . I am thinking tumbling blocks? but it is far too early to tell. There are only a few in the box and there is lots of room in there. I have been doing one a week. It is the right amount for me right now.
The final picture is fabrics that may or may not be gathering to become assembled into a new Bonnie Hunter Mystery quilt~Orange Crush. I am scared to begin it before I know what it looks like?? I am a chicken:)
But I did so love the Carolina Crossroads. Is there another mystery to begin in my near future? The pile of fabrics on my cutting table indicates a strong possibility.
Today is a day to ponder and prewash stuff. What are you up to?