Wouldn't you think...

I would have outgrown my childhood nickname of "Tumbleturd" by this point in my life.  Every year I hope that this is the year that I don't end up with at least one substantial bruise or scab in a years time. But no such luck.  I thought I had just about made it through 2011 but nooooo.  I was priming my basement stair case today.  I was probably about half done when I stepped back to admire my work, only then realizing I was 3 steps from the basement floor.  Thank goodness the paint tray broke my fall, ha! After laying there a minute saying Damn! Damn! Damn! I started assessing if I had any injuries.  Fortunately I landed on my posterior.  I'm sure I will have a wonderful aray of bruises tomorrow and I have a bit of a twinge in my left lower back.

But I picked myself up, cleaned the paint off my butt, and got back to work.

When I had to wait for the paint to dry so decided to sew a little.  I found a tutorial online on a twister quilt block and decided today was the time to try it.  So far so good.  I also finished another table runner.  I made one at Thanksgiving to donate to the VFW's December craft show.  So since I still had strips precut, I might as well use them up.  Below is the result of that work.



 Also I forgot to show one of my Christmas gifts.  John D. help Dennis with his estate sales.  John came across this at another sale and knew just the person to go to.  He figured, I'm sure, if Dennis didn't buy it I would.  So here it is, another selection for my toy sewing machine collection.  It even still had it's original box.

whimsical paint job

A couple of weeks ago when Rosanne hosted the Variable Star Christmas party, she invited us to take a peek at the painting she was having done in the half bath that is attached to her master suite. Beckie Beaudry (sp?)is doing the painting for her. In the past we have seen her work on garden stakes and last time she was painting evil eyes. Here is what she is up to now.

Good news of the furnace. Won't need a new one this heating season, wuh-hu.

Quilting was good this afternoon. My aunt had made what I think is a full size quilt. My mom, her 2 sisters, my aunt's friend and I just about had it all quilted by the time we left about 4:30.

So it was a good day.

Holidays

Well, one holiday over, one to go. Sunday I came home and started the purge for New Years. I gave the birds and squirrels all the cookies that had not been given away. They had a great time.

Christmas eve is our big family time. That way the grandkids can have Christmas morning and day with their kids. Here are a couple of shots from Christmas eve.

Well, that's a short update for now. I have a chance to go quilting today. My aunt has made a raffle quilt for my cousin who has been battling breast cancer for a year and has no health insurance. We are having a benefit spaghetti dinner on January 15 for Tammy. And we are trying to get items around for an additional silent auction. Mom called today to say they were going to start quilting today. So since I'm off yet today I may go over after the furnace guy comes.

Later today I'll try to do an entry on Rosanne's, our hostess for our Christmas party, freshly painted master powder room. Beckie who goes to Hankard with us has been doing some whimsical painting for Rosanne.

Here's to a happy and health new year.

Variable Star Christmas Party

Last night was the Variable Star's Christmas party. Rosanne hosted us and served a wonderful chicken lasagna. We also had salad, stewed onions, bread and christmas cookies.

After a wonderful dinner and good conversation we got down to the business of the evening, the gift exchange. This year we said to simply bring a "hand made" item in a brown paper bag. It did not have to be quilt related, just something handmade. Here were the results of this groups creativity.

Carol with a christmas tree made by Wendy and Rosanne with a garden whimsy made by me.

Jo with a necklace of antique buttons made by Pam. Melanie with a box of home made breads from Jo.

Me with a christmas wallhanging made by Rosanne.

Pam with a wall hanging with felted designs from Becky.

Roxie with lemon cookies and "puppy chow" from Melanie.

Wendy with a watercolor painting by Roxie. And Becky received a bag that holds your hot iron made by Carol.

It was a wonderful evening except for 2 missing members, Barb and Claudia.
Hope to see you at next month's meeting.

Holiday baking

Finally feeling better and doing the worst thing someone watching their weight should do, filling the house with baking. But since I need every cookie for gifts it makes it easier not to give into temptation. Last weekend I did a new chocolate cookies with Andres peppermint & white chocholate chips in them. Today I baked a new cookie with oats and flour, pecans, bitter sweet chocholate and shaved milk choclate. I think they look pretty good. See.

Also made some Russian tea cakes which I have never made before but have enjoyed..

I also mixed up a batch of my old standby "refrigerator cookies". This makes a large batch, so I split it and put toffee bits in half and almonds in the other. These will get baked up tomorrow at mom's house. All I have left is chocolate dip some pretzels and marshmallows. That should be enough holiday baking.

It's hhheeerrreee.

That first dreaded snow storm of the winter season. Freezing rain, then accumulation. Oh well, if you live in Michigan you can't expect anything different. But it was awfully pretty first thing this morning.

This was the view from my office window about 3 pm today.

Thanksgiving

I hope that all of you had a great holiday. I ended spending 3 days in Portland instead of just 2. But we got a lot accomplished. Thanksgiving was just Mom, Dennis and I. And of course mom had been secretly cooking all week so instead of going over to the VFW we ate at mom's house. Then a little card playing and a walk on the new walking trail near my mom's house.

Friday was the day to get down to work on Jennifer's quilt. I don't think mom was really sure about all the fabrics I had picked but she warmed up to them. So we cut and sewed all day and got all the blocks made and arranged.
Only got one picture because the battery finally ran out in my camera after 2 years.

I started sewing some of the rows together Friday night. We had some debate over the borders. Mom decided that she like the brown polka dot print. So we started out the day by sewing blocks together and then the rows. We took time time out to visit the local quilt shop and found more of the print mom wanted for the border. But while we were out we drove to Lake Odessa to visit the quilt shop there. It ended up being the town holiday craft show day with about 12 sites with vendors. We visited a shop and the antique mall and then headed home. It took until six but we got both borders on and the quilt top is finished. Now it's up to Mom to decide if she want to hand quilt it and have it machine quilted. To be honest we made a queen size and I think it's too big to put up on her quilting frame so it will probably have to be machine quilted.

I also worked on and finished a holiday table runner for the VFW craft show next weekend. I dropped that off on Saturday.

Hope you had a great holiday weekend.

Holidays

Well, we knew it would happen sooner or later. The grandkids get older and marry and move away so the holiday gathering gets a little smaller. I guess for Thanksgiving it will be Mom, Dennis and I and she suggested that we do lunch at the VFW that way we don't have to cook at all. We did this last year and it was actually ok. From the sounds of it the weather is supposed to be wonderful so we may finally get a walk in on the latest spur line of the Portland walking trail.

We're not ones much for the whole black Friday shopping thing. And usually Mom and I bake cookies the day after. You know the one, Grandma's recipe that uses lard. I suggested to mom that neither one of us really needs the cookies around at the holidays. So I suggested that we have a mini quilt retreat. We can set up tables in the family room and sew all day. We would like to make a couple of tables runners for the VFW craft show on Dec. 3, and we could also make one or two on the glass whimsies for in the garden. Below is the first and only one I have made so far..

Amazing what you can to with an old vase, bud vase, wine glass and candle holder.

These are the fabrics I have been collecting to make a quilt with, not sure if all will go in but it should still be fun.

Still working on finishing up the kitchen, had planned to get a lot done on Saturday, but when I woke up my knee was locked again. Took almost 3 hours to get it so I could get around. I did manage to get to an estate sale just before the end on Saturday. Got a couple of good buys, 24 glasses, 8 each of rocks, water and tumbler for $4. for the new kitchen and two chairs to go with the new table. Styles don't exactly match, but I liked the chairs and I got both for $12! They are bentwood with a few differences. The back splats are curved on the front and flat on the back, and I now notice a stripe down the left and around the edge of the seat. I think they may have been used someplace like a fraternal lodge or maybe grange hall. Not sure but I like them.

Hope this isn't a repeat.

This fall the Variable Stars went down to the Hankard Inn at Pleasant Lake for a quilt retreat. Hankard Inn has become out go to place for retreats. I noticed to new additions to Jan's flower beds. I thought they are a great way to use up old vases and items left over at my brother's estate sales. Here were a few...

I have made one and my mom and I are thinking of making at least one up for the VFW craft show out in Portland the first of December. Now everything I find becomes a possibility. Thought about glueing odd shaped wine bottles?!

Kitchen Remodel

Ok, so here are a few more photos.  I wanted to go with wood cabinets but didn't want anything too dark or too ornate, you know KISS.  So I went with a shaker cabinet.

This was before the crown molding was added, pretty straight forward cabinets.

The flooring as you can see above was white before.  Big mistake.  So below is the new flooring.  Something that doesn't show anything, yea.

Last photo for now is of the back splash and counters.  In my dream file I had photos of white 2" x 4" subway tile backsplashes.  I also knew my biggest splurge was going to be quartz countertops.  Once I had the counter tops picked I decided that the white back splash might be too big a difference in color.  So I started looking at alternatives.  Tumbled marble, etc.  Finally I came up with these 1"x2" porcelan tile that I thought went well with the counters.

more to come

Kitchen Update

For a while now I have wanted to redo all or parts of my kitchen.  My house was build in 1954 and this was the original Jamestown metal kitchen.  The cabinets had been painted a couple of time by the original owners, I'm only the third owner.  But my house was so small I knew it wouldn't really be a matter of making it larger or adding more cabinets.  Just updating.  All the appliances stayed in the same spots, I just decided to give up a cabinet and add a dishwasher.

I also always had a problem with painting the kitchen because one wall in the kitchen continues down the hallway.  So there is no good break off point for stopping one paint color and starting another.  I got an idea from another gals blog that showed an easy way to do a faux paneling.  I could paint one color on the bottom part of the wall and then the upper color could continue down the hall.

Now after this tease I will put some photos up now the the big reveal is still coming.

This was the old kitchen, please excuse the new fridge which was too tall to fit under the old over the fridge cabinet.  All in all it was a serviceable kitchen.

This was the small eat in area between the back door and the living room doorway or hallway.

And my lovely yellow faux leather formica counter top.  In '54 I'm sure this was a styling kitchen.

This shot is the north wall to the left is the back door or the stairway to the basement.

Little did I know when I started in May that I probably should have started in March.  Never realized so many decisions were needed.  Do I get the farmhouse sink I had wanted? or at $1,200 do I settle for an undermounted sign for half the price and get the countertops I really wanted.  Flooring, faucets, appliances, cabinets,cabinet hardware, stain colors, paint colors, lighting fixtures, wheew, what did I get myself into?

Once the new cabinets came,10 weeks because of my guy at MPC going on vacation and not placing the order and then a week of shut down at the cabinet factory, it only took about 4 hours to rip out the old cabinets.  Can you kind of tell they were smokers?  Despite problems with the cabinet vendor I was very pleased with my general contractor, Greg McKay and with the subs, electrician and plumber that he brought in.   I guess I can show the panel detail on one wall to give you an idea of what we came up with.

 Still haven't gotten my glamour shots, will have to do that this week.

She lives......

No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth.  Just has been a really, really busy couple of months.  Fabric dying, a quilting retreat, a whole kitchen remodel and now possibly rheumatoid arthritis. Boy, since 40 it has seemed to be patch, patch, patch.  Oh well I guess any time you wake up on the top side of the grass is a good one.

Thought I would begin by finishing pictures of the dying session the Variable Star group did this summer.  Previous post shows the colors samples we had to choose from.  I tried a few new colors and this time got smart and marked on the selvage of the fabric the number and color.  Here are the colors I did this time.

My china reds turned out pink but otherwise the colors were ok.  I like the mottled look and am always happy with what ever color comes out because I don't pay as close attention to timing as I should.

This year I decided to try to "tray" dye some fabric.  Problem #1, finding trays without spending money.  Solution: I took a couple of old window screens and wrapped them with saran wrap so they would hold the dye.  This is what it looked like wet.

Two things I wish I had done was but the fabric the exact size of the screen and stretched it out instead of leaving the air folds in it.  Where the fabric and dye were in direct contact it took very good, but of the 2 I did both turned out pretty interesting.  On one I threw some kosher salt on it while it was still wet which gave it an interesting effect.  Here are the pieces when dry.

Detail of salted area.

Melanie, Claudia and Wendy.

Roxie on right and her sister

Carole, Beckie and Pam waiting to get started.

This year we dyed on a Saturday so we had all day to work which was nicer than when we have done it on an evening when we didn't get started until 6 or 6:30 pm.  We always agree it was great fun and we'll do it again as long as our dying guru, Wendy will agree.

Tomorrow, photos of kitchen remodel.  I got rid of my cable tv which has been out of order for 3 weeks, and now I'm amazed how long the evenings are.

Promise not to be AWOBL (absent with out blog leave) again.

Fabric Dying

About 4 Saturdays ago, the Variable Stars had another dying day.  This time we were able to do it on a Saturday instead of a weekday night which meant that we had a lot more time to try different techniques and colors.  We started out with Wendy's samples and decided the colors we wanted.  Then we looked up the recipes for the colors we wanted.

These were Wendy's most current color samples.





Jo and Wendy mixing up the base dye colors.

Well the computer has decided it's not going to cooperate with downloading photos, so I guess I'll try more tomorrow.