I'm a bad blogger...

Both Itty Bitty and my mom have scolded me for not updating, so prepare for a big post.

I don't know what it is I've been doing that's made me so busy...I certainly haven't accomplished very much!  I did finish a baby quilt, and presented it at a baby shower I attended on Sunday, but I didn't get a photo.  Can you believe that???

I've been working on quilting the School of Rock quilt:

I'm down 21 pounds. I checked my measurements last week, and the weight seems to be coming off my lower abdomen (my hip measurement was down 5.5") - - couldn't be better!

Yesterday, Value Village had their 50% off everything sale, and I went a little crazy.  I definitely needed some office wear for my practicum placement (which I hope! hope! hope! will be in a law office - I interview tomorrow morning) but I don't want to spend a ton, because I expect to lose more weight.  For around $70, I got two dresses, three skirts, two suits (jacket & skirt) four blouses, slacks, a light sweater, a t-shirt and a nightgown.

The public library has a vendor's booth at the Horton Street Market on Saturday mornings, and I recently picked up 5 magazines for $1. Here's a few things I discovered in those magazines that have been inspiring me:

I have been looking for a watch like one of these for weeks.  I love the idea of a charm bracelet, and I look in every jewellery store I see, but nothing like these.  So far, I've only found silver with STUPID juevenile charms (purses, shoes, etc.).  The websites listed in the magazine included:

https://www.chickspicksbyhillary.com/ which is worth a look, it's very inspiring (however, watch is not available).  I guess I'll keep looking.

A couple of recipes that I'd like to try:

Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Tomatoes

Crunchy-Top Blueberry Muffins

The economy being what it is...I noticed lots of money related articles,

Finding Money for School

Since Itty Bitty will be going off to post-secondary school in one short year, the first sentence caught my eye:

"These days there's an element of sticker shock when you add up the costs of higher learning – a four-year degree for a student living away from home currently costs $77,000." 

The tip I liked in this article was about automated savings, whereby money is automatically put into a savings account each time you use your debit card.  I've been a TD Canada Trust customer for my entire adult life, and had no idea they offered this program.  It's called Simply Save. I think I'll sign up!

The important link here is Smart Cookies. There are lots of very interesting, and not the least bit scary tools and downloads for getting a handle on your money.

Frozen lemons instead of ice cubes!  Yum!  I'll just have to add lemons to the grocery list.  I've been drinking TONS of water (at least 2 litres daily!) to help with the weight loss.  Adding frozen lemons will be a special little treat.

Easy craft: Make a mini emergency kit

Truth is, I'll probably never make one of these kits - but they are cute!  And you can download the stickers.

Loved this tear out folder from Sico. A very simple to copy idea for collecting and storing ideas, fabric swatches, photos, paint chips, etc.  for decorating.

And lastly, I wanted to share this article from Orderly Lives

Simplify Your Life

A common theme in many books on organization is
the virtue of simplification. “Simplify your life-that's the key to organization”. But what does that mean? We all know that our lives are too hurried, too complex, and too full of clutter-both physical and emotional. But most of us cannot opt out, retreat to a desert isle and leave our cares behind. We want to honor our responsibilities yet feel overwhelmed by the process.


The benefits of simplification can be found by exploring different worlds. In 1995, for example,
North Americans enthusiastically rediscovered the
world of Jane Austen. Why are Austen's characters so
fascinating to us? Globe and Mail columnist Margaret
Wente offers this explanation: “They believe in restraint, decorum, civility, character and large, closeknit families. They marry for the love, but even more for respect. They are cheerful, pragmatic optimists.”


Austen's world portrays life with a sense of order.
We might think it is stifling by our standards but it is
none the less neat, orderly and predictable. Very similar, in fact to the world inhabited by the Amish in Sue Bender's excellent book Plain and Simple.
Bender describes her sojourns with two Amish families and one of the valuable lessons she learns: “To my surprise, keeping my attention steady and confined to a few activities built a whole new discipline. A single-minded focus - repetition, order, an inspired monotony -- wasn't wasteful and didn't limit me: the structure brought a different kind of freedom … I found no shortcuts. Satisfaction came from giving up wishing I was doing something else.”

The notion of simplifying one's life must come from the discipline to do only what really matters and to embrace mindfulness. It is only when we try to live in the moment, as the Amish do, that we may find the inner peace that can transcend itself to all aspects of our lives including our homes and workplaces.
We may never replicate Austen's orderly universe but we can incorporate its virtues into our hurried lives.

A Report: Friday Night Sew-In & Saturday Morning Yard Sale Finds

Well, considering I had the whole evening to me, myself, and I....I didn't get a whole lot accomplished.

For the record, I have THIRTY Kimono blocks done.  I've packed them away for the time being until I find something for the sashing. 

I went to Cherished Pieces yesterday with my SIL--a new quilter, but definitely bitten by the quilt bug, HARD! -- where owner Cynthia is having a sale (ends today).  I couldn't resist a clearance priced jelly roll: Candy Kisses by Sandy Gervais.  So that's what I tinkered with last night.

I have an idea of what I'm doing, but just plastered the finished blocks up on my design wall in order to sort them.  I'll put them in some semblance of a quilt top as I complete more blocks.

The yard sales were pretty good this morning, though I limited myself to only a few purchases: some school supplies, a shirt to repurpose, and these two tins of sewing treasures.

The seller let me have both tins for $3.  The round one seems to be mostly buttons.  Okay...so I didn't really NEED any of this stuff, but I was inspired by a podcast I listened to last night: GreenStitch, which Vesuviusmama referred to in her blog (thank you, Erin!).  Episode 3 featured an interview with Ginger Hendrix, of Weinerdog Tricks who recommended maintaining a 'stash' in order to promote creativity, but also stressed the necessity of "culling" the stash in order to prevent the stash from taking over!

In the realm of what has been inspiring me laterly, I made a trip to the public library last night, and found this book by Cassie Barden.

Not only did I find inspiration in some of the really sweet projects, including the "Birdwatcher Messenger Bag"...

and the "Novella Composition Book Cover"...

...but I also liked what the author had to say in her introduction, answering the question: what is the "new homemade"?

"...we're experiencing a resurgence of all things handmade.  You see it in food, in art, and especially in crafts like sewing, knitting, quilting, and embroidery. As the world gets larger and more complex, more plugged in and surrounded by automation and technology and gadgets, as we become more separated from the processes that create our food, our clothing, and our homes, we're starting to miss the connection to the things around us.  We want to feel like we took part in the process, whether it's making a meal from scratch or wearing a piece of clothing we constructed ourselves."

Doesn't that explain it exactly???  I had a conversation with my SIL on the drive to Tilsonburg yesterday, discussing this very idea: the immensely satisfying sense of accomplishment that one feels when able to give form to, and shape a part of her world independantly.

Some quilty stuff...plus other junk

Seems I haven't given a Simple Abundance Project update for awhile.  First - I don't think there is much more I can get rid of, for at least a little while.  The house has been gone through, and anything that doesn't contribute to my ideal life has been eliminated.

There's still projects underway, and plans for future projects--most importantly--removing all the carpeting in the house and replacing it with bamboo hardwood flooring.

At last reckoning, I've lost 14 lbs.  Two people commented this past week that they can see that I've lost weight in my face.  Okay...wasn't going for head shrinking, but hey...it's a start! 

I went yard sale-ing yesterday morning and picked up this:

I'm pretty pleased with this tower of drawers - - I will tuck it into a corner, and load it up with precut kits and UFO's that are scattered in different places in my sewing studio.  That will certainly pare down the cluttered look!  I only paid $6 for all 3 three-drawer units, and they do stack one on top of the other.

I picked up the October 2010 issue of "American Patchwork & Quilting" last night, because I am in love with the cover quilt, which mimics the look of an old-time-y crocheted granny square afghan:

Granny Squares by Lissa Alexander

Not one to purchase a whole magazine for just one pattern, I'm itching to begin constructing these two as well:

Apple Crisp by Jan Ragaller

Plaid Tidings by Kathie Holland

The paper foundation piecing PDF for the square-in-a-square sub-blocks are downloadable from

www.AllPeopleQuilt.com/379 - very cool!  And this quilt looks soooo repurposed shirt friendly!

Project Update

I thought I'd let you know how I'm doing on my Simple Abundance Project.

First: at my last weigh in, I was down 10.8 lb, but I reckon it's closer to 12 now.  I've done a few laps 'round Pinafore Park with my SIL this week, as she's joined a "Biggest Looser" competition among her colleagues.  I do wish she'd get up earlier though  - - it's damn HOT by the time she's ready to go!

Yesterday, Itty Bitty and I cleaned out three kitchen cupboards and took 2 boxes of dishes to the thrift store.  Naturally, all the plasticware went out the door, however, it was really difficult choosing which of my glass mixing bowls I would give up! But my cupboards look very nice and tidy now....no more tossing in a dish, and slamming the door hoping it won't fall back out!

I went thrifting yesterday, and couldn't resist a completely unnecessary purchase.

I think these birds are a Canadian thing, so I expect that all my non-Canadian followers just went, "What the...?" and all my Canadian followers just went, "Ohhhhhhh yes!".  These tiny little fellows were given away in boxes of Tenderleaf Tea back in the 60's, and there are 30 of them in the series I think.  I already owned two -- #12 Cedar Waxwing and #17 Cardinal.  Last night I was suprised to see SIX at the local Goodwill store - and purchased four of them (there were three crows, so I picked the best one): #1 Robin, #22 Crow, #23 Yellowbellied Flycatcher, #28 Red Tailed Hawk.

Then I took a look at the books, and picked out three choices that certainly speak to some of the ideas I've been mulling about this summer:

"Yoga for Women" by Shaktua Kaur Khalsa:

(From Publishers Weekly) Khalsa, an accomplished yoga practitioner and teacher, instructs the novice in dozens of basic yoga positions (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayamas) and meditations from her own "harmonious blend of Hatha and Kundalini Yoga." Although there are over 200 postures in Hatha practice, Khalsa focuses on those benefiting women's concerns, among them menstruation, breast care, pregnancy, birth and menopause. Step-by-step instructions accompanied by color photographs allow even confirmed klutzes to manage sun salutations, Downward Dog, Crow and the Wheel. Readers are also tempted with recipes for drinks such as Golden Milk, made with the Indian spice turmeric, and beauty treatments such as the Papaya Face Mask or a yogurt bath. For those who need more encouragement to stretch their limbs, Khalsa includes testimonials by women who cite the life-changing powers of yoga. After browsing through the pages of Khalsa's accessible book, even the most yoga-phobic may be inspired to take a "position."

"In Praise of Slow" by Carl Honoré:

(From Mark Frutkin ) Honoré points out that the cult of speed has been with us since the Industrial Revolution, and it's getting worse, with businesses routinely expecting 60 to 80 hours a week from workers, young children with the schedules of high-powered executives, rampant road rage, and doctors who don't have time to listen to their patients. "Boredom ... is a modern invention," the author states. "Remove all stimulation, and we fidget, panic and look for something, anything, to do to make use of the time." But Honoré is no true-believer--he questions every aspect of the Slow movement and keeps coming up with the conclusion that it just makes sense: life in the slow lane is more enjoyable, more pleasurable, more humane. This is a remarkable book that should be read by every resident of today's frenzied urban world.

"The High Price of Materialism" by Tim Kasser:
 

(From Publishers Weekly:) Drawing on an impressive range of statistical studies, including ones that use his own "Aspiration Index," Kasser argues that a materialistic orientation toward the world contributes to low self-esteem, depression, antisocial behavior and even a greater tendency to get "headaches, backaches, sore muscles, and sore throats." While at first the book seems to retrace the steps of Juliet B. Schor's The Overspent American and other recent titles that analyze why many Americans feel driven and unhappy despite success, Kasser goes beyond this, showing how materialistic values shape an individual's orientation toward friends, family, work, death and "internal satisfactions." Of great interest are the studies demonstrating that children of divorce and people with "less nurturing" mothers are more likely to hold strong materialistic values (though some readers may protest that children of divorce simply feel more economically vulnerable than their peers). Drawing on sources as diverse as dream analysis and game theory, Kasser powerfully argues that when we as individuals or as a nation feel more vulnerable, we exhibit more sharply defined materialistic tendencies a theme particularly resonant in this era of terrorist threats, personal debts and corporate scandals.

 

But this is what I'm reading now:

 

 

I bet you're wondering what it was about this book that made me pick it up. I've always been fascinated by history (and British Restoration era in particular, ever since I read  "Forever Amber" when I was a (very precocious) girl, and morbidly curious about illness, medicine, and death (the ghoul/nurse part of me).

 

(From Publishers Weekly): British historian and editor Waller contrasts the 18th century with the 21st in this radiant book. She sketches London at the turn of the 18th century--when the city, poised between two worlds, hosted remnants of the medieval world alongside harbingers of the empire that was to come. London in 1700, she notes, was both growing more modern--industry was thriving, trade was expanding and the country had its first constitutional monarchs--and, simultaneously, suffering from old troubles, including high mortality rates, poor drinking water and rampant, unchecked disease. Similarly, at the beginning of the 21st century, she suggests, we are wandering among the survivals of the age that's just ended and the precursors of a world whose outlines we cannot yet see. The resemblance between the two eras gives a piquancy to the text, but even if there were no such correspondence, there would still be a great deal to praise in this very fine book. Waller has mined the archival record for fascinating details of 18th-century British marriage and childbirth, disease and death, home and fashion, work and play, religion and vice, crime and punishment, and she includes an exhaustive bibliography. Although the book's chapters (grouped into such topics as childbirth, marriage and disease)--despite a plethora of vivid anecdotes--never really cohere into a unified narrative, this rigorous, informative and entertaining text deserves a wide readership.

What's Inspiring Me This Week

Here are a few pages that I've recently torn out of magazines to inspire me (and maybe you too?)

First up, a vintage tin bread box turned into storage for needlework supplies.  I really enjoy looking at this picture, because I'm a sucker for vintage sewing notions, but the inspiration I have drawn from this is to use a different perspective when analyzing vintage items.  Instead of thinking about how I can conserve something, I want to be able to think of practical ways I can make my vintage treasures a part of my everyday life.

I'm inspired to create a similar quilt and perhaps cushions as well from repurposed shirts and white cotton sheets.  I've already begun making simple four patches as a 'leader-ender' project.

Oh...to have a pink or purple Featherweight!  I don't think this kind of a renovation will be within my means...like, ever!...but another reminder that I could try to challenge my reluctance to make alterations to what I see as valuable vintage collectibles.  I should remember that their 'value' is determined by what the item means to me, and not determined by any other measure, by anyone else, and that by making permanent changes to an item, I am increasing it's value to me.

Besides, it's worth a visit to http://www.deskdave.com/ to see the red with white polka dots Featherweight!

I've been looking everywhere for grates like this one.  I have three exterior doorways that could use a doormat like this. No big hurry...just something to keep my eye open for.

Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.  It's got me thinking about my Sailor Boy who is posted in Halifax.  He's coming home for a short vacation this weekend (though he hasn't confirmed the details with us yet) and we are seriously thinking about taking a few days and driving him back to Halifax. I've never seen houses painted like these around these parts, and I'm excited by the prospect of all the other things that I'll be seeing for the first time!  One is never too old for new experiences, is one?

With the Help of My Able Assistant...

...Gibson...I finished piecing together the rows for this quilt I'm making as a fund-raiser for Itty Bitty's school's music program.  There are a six fabrics, just shy of a total of 4 yards of fabric.

I based the idea on the Bits 'n Pieces pattern "Square Dance", which I had seen recreated on quilty friend Jacqui's blog (check out her taupe, black, orange and turquoise version - it's terrific!).  Here's the original quilt, as shown on the pattern itself.

What's Inspiring Me - on Wednesday!

I only got two GFG flowers done this week.  The truth is....(dum! dum! dum! dum!) I'm out of the plain green centre fabric.  I think this brings me up to 49 flowers in total.  I have some more hexi's prepped to be stitched into blossoms, but nooooo centres.  I stopped into Lens Mills on Monday, but they had NOTHING similar.  Met quilty friend Jacqui there, and she suggested Fabricland, but I have a sneaking suspicion I'm going to have to go up to The Marsh Store.

But this means I've been able to make quite a bit of headway on my Log Cabin blocks.  Three more logs on each block, and they are done!  Boy, did I ever use up a lot of scrap material!

The Simple Abundance Project continues.  I dropped off another bag of stuff from my kitchen at the thrift store this morning.  Also, I threw out all of the jams and pickles that I put up ...was it three years ago?...yesterday, which was garbage day. That opened up a shelf in the basement.  Hubby and Itty Bitty are getting in on the project too.  They contributed a bag of stuff from the man cave/music studio this morning, and last night, we dropped off an extra electronic Keyboard at a friend's house.  Feels good!

Bathroom Demo/Reno Hell 2010 continues.  Good thing I didn't hold my breath about Monday being completion day.  The only things left to do: install cove molding, install a light fixture, install mirror/medicine cabinet, some caulking, a little touch-up painting here and there.  It's all but done!  If I thought I could do the trim myself, I'd do it.  Maybe Itty Bitty and I are up to the challenge.  Feel like playing with some electricity today baby??? 

Incidently, the wall colour in the advertisement above --it's called "Rain Washed" is the colour of my bathroom paint.

The next thing I want to locate is one of these chrome rack sort of things that are shown in the two pictures below.  I don't know what to call them.  But at least I have photos, so I can walk into a place and say, "Hey, have you got anything like this?"

Next on my mind is painting our bedroom.  I've hated the wall colour since we moved in, in 2004.  It's a dull dark'ish' grey-blue.  Think storm clouds, cramps, and broken dreams.  It's THAT depressing.

It is a HUGE room - it was once 2 small bedrooms, but prior to our arrival, it was converted into one big bedroom with an enormous walk-in closet.  Our furniture is very dark wood. So I've been flipping through decorating magazines, trying to decide on some colours that are a little more uplifting, while still restful.  Here's a couple of ads - -

What colour is your bedroom?  What is your best advice on bedroom wall colour?

Quiltstory & other quilt stories + The Process

Have you visited "Quiltstory" yet by sisters Heather & Megan of Fresh Poppy Design? It's new among my favourites.

"We created Quiltstory because as we searched blogland, we saw so many gorgeous quilts with amazing stories behind them.  We thought it would be fun to compile them all in one place, so that day after day we can present new quilts with their stories."

I read an interesting article in this morning's London Free Press about Barn Quilts in Wardsville, ON to celebrate their bicentennial. Click here for an earlier article about it.

"The mission of the barn quilt program is to celebrate quilting as a traditional art form, appreciate the architecture of farm buildings and rural landscapes, promote art appreciation, and stimulate county economic growth while celebrating our agricultural heritage."

Looks like a nice day trip!  Wardsville is a pleasant drive west of here, right on #2 Highway (Longwoods Rd.)  I saw the quilt that the individual blocks are based on at the IPM quilt show in Shedden a couple of weeks ago.  Here's a story about that.

And I just became aware that good ole Eleanor Burns has a book dedicated to Barn Quilts:

Since embarking on Fabric Diet 2010, I've been thinking a lot about simplifying in a lot more areas of my life.  Towards that end, I'm in a mood to shed myself of STUFF.  Just today, (as I was cleaning out some of that STUFF) I found an article about this very thing in an old issue of "body+soul" (Feb 08) that says:

"The secret to abundance lies in striking a balance between not enough and way too much."

This has got me wondering what achieving that balance will feel like, what need I am filling by accumulating THINGS, and what internal spaces will be opened up, or possibly painfully emptied as my physical world opens up. It's going to be a very interesting PROCESS, and I think I'm going to enjoy the exercise/experiment.

My plan is to fill a grocery bag every day full of things that I simply don't need, want, or use, and either throw it away, give it away, or donate it to the thrift store. 

Today, I started with things in my dining room and bedroom. I filled my bag with candles and dishes, a few clothing items, a couple of phones.  It didn't take long to fill a bag, and then zip over to my nephew Greg's house to drop a pretty little dish off that I thought he would enjoy, and then skip over to the Bibles For Missions thrift store and drop a full bag into their donation box, plus a stack of plates.

This exercise is probably going to kill Hubby.  He hates to part with ANYTHING.  He'll argue that, because I do collect a lot of different things, but the truth is, he just hangs on, and on, and on, to things because he perceives they have value.  Just as an example, we were considering what to do with the art from our pre-demo/reno bathroom.  One of the pieces was rather expensive - it's a very large black & white photograph of tulips in a really nice frame -- plus two smaller b&w tulip photos that weren't expensive, but matched quite nicely...and he'll never let me forget it if I give them away. 

It's Wednesday!

As you can see, Gibby is being his ever helpful self.  Truth is, I've nearly got everything back in order!  The table Itty Bitty set up for me to work on thinning out my stash is now clear.  I have a box of fabric to go to a church group.  I'm presently cutting my third quilt kit.  It's looking good!

I've gotten 13 more GFG blocks done this week.

That brings me up to a total of 47 I believe!

I also picked up a quilt from the Quilter Man last night.  I can't sew the binding on until "Lucy" gets back from the shop - - she's in for a needle-ectomy, and a tune-up, and should be home next Tuesday or Wednesday.

This video says it all....still PROCESSing

CraftyPod Video Blog #4: 7 craft supplies I am no longer allowed to buy from Diane Gilleland on Vimeo.

These are a few things that I simply am NOT allowed to buy anymore:

1. Holiday fabric.  I don't celebrate Christmas, but for some reason can't resist Santas and Snowmen, and I keep gathering more, I guess because I think "This is the year I might DO Christmas" ...um, not likely.
2. Wooden spools of thread.  Yes, they are dangerously adorable, but are a bitch to store, and serve no purpose.  The same goes for souvenier thimbles, and cute china and glass pieces to store pens and stuff in.  I have ENOUGH!
3. Patterns for totebags.  I have a billion of them.  And I rarely even carry a purse! Usually I just stick my driver's license and my debit card in a pocket, and I'm good to go.

I went yard sale-ing this morning.  I was REALLY well behaved, and only "felt up" stuff that I would have bought last week. The ONLY thing I bought that came into my studio was some cheap newsprint scrapbooks - - good paper piecing paper there! - - and I DO use that.  It won't stick around longer that six months.

PROCESS-ing....

"Hurry up and take the durn photo - - I'm gettin' the heck out of here."

So far - I've taken one box of fabric over to my mom's (who's having a yard sale tomorrow...if you're local, it's on 10 Weldon Ave) so she can get rid of it, and took a tote bag full of fabric over to my sister-in-law.  (Sandra - if you don't want it, throw it out! It's not coming back here!!!)  I just had Itty Bitty put another box full in the car. 

But I'm taking a bit of a break right now now.  I still have 2 washtubs, 2 rubbermaid totes, 2 grocery bags, and 2 stacks of fabric to go through.  The decision making process is getting more difficult now, because some stuff is harder to part with now that I've thinned it out a bit.  Furthermore, I don't know how I'm going to store what I keep to increase my chances of actually USING it. 

I have made up some kits in the past - a big ziplock bag containing the pattern and all of the pre-cut pieces.  I wonder if I should cut up some fabric into useable form and make more kits (I sure have a lot of patterns that I want to try!) -- but I'm worried about the time it would take, and if that would inspire me to actually SEW, because I haven't yet.  But then, maybe I could offer the kits to other guild members to make quilts that we donate to the local chemo unit?  What to do......

I feel terrible that I've horded all of this STUFF, overburdened and a little nauseated.  Someone else could be enjoying it, and I'm sure there are many, many better ways I could have spent my money.  I feel like I've gone to a very dark guilty-quilty place!!! 

The IMPOSSIBLE has happened...

I officially have TOO MUCH STUFF and no where to put it. I have too many books - - too much fabric - - too much everything!  When I found yet another bankers box (which I was hoping was empty) and discovered it was full of fabric, I nearly had a cow.

I've got to thin this out, and go on a fabric diet.  I'm going to need to share this process -- THE PROCESS -- so expect lots of updates begging for support, reassurance, and advice. 

All of a sudden....I am craving cake.

What's been inspiring me?

Heavy pic load, watch out dial-up folks!

In the spirit of taking 'the pledge', I thought I'd share some of the things that have been inspiring me.

In an effort to declutter, I pulled some pages from magazines of photos that really 'spoke' to me before tossing the leftovers into the recycling box

First - I'm loving the quilt on the shelf in this photo.  It looks like a great "Leaders & Enders" project to me, so I've collected together some 3.5" bright plaid patches, harvested from recycled shirts. I also pulled out a vintage white muslin sheet but have to cut it yet.

I found this little piece of ephemera folded inside the sheet.  It was brand new, still in it's original packaging, but I barely have a conscious memory of the Walker's store uptown.  So I'm guessing this sheet has been in someone's linen closet for at least 40 years or so. It was a thrift store find from some time back.

I am inspired by this re-do of a cabinet. In fact, I like it so much, I picked up a cabinet at a thrift store early this week, and it's on my back porch waiting for some new legs and a paint job.  When it's done, I'm going to stack up fabric behind the glass doors.  I went looking for some "vintage" feely wallpaper to cover the back of the cabinet, but not any luck yet.  I'll keep looking!  I also like the pillow in the chair, and have been searching online for printable melon templates to copy onto freezer paper.  Again, no luck, but I'll keep searching. 

This soooooo inspires me.  I love it when someone takes the most ordinary thing (which could be picked up on the side of the road!) and reborn into something unique, stylish, and useful!  I don't have room in my laundry room to use something like this - but I wish I did.

I really like this Log Cabin quilt's pieced border.  I'm almost tempted to draft this quilt and recreate it with recycled shirts.  The borders remind me of Bonnie Hunter's "Scrappy Mountain Majesties".

Yesterday, I did un-sew and re-sew Courthouse Stars.  (I will have to wait for the rain to stop before I can take a photo of it.) And afterwards, took all the leftover scraps and pieced them into long strips to work into the backing of the quilt.  I simply melt for pieced backings! 

I picked up a big box of vintage quilt patches at a yard sale in Petrolia a few weeks ago.  Last night I tossed them in the wash.  As I press them into some semblance of order over a process of a couple of days, I bet I'll become inspired.  (Oh...if only I could find a printable template for melons!)

I went to an estate sale of a quilter/knitter/crafter this morning.  I paid $1 for the Hobbs batting, $5 for all the thread (that one big spool of Gutermaan on the top of the pile would have cost me more than that!)  and $20 for the stack of fabric.  Each print is between 4 to 6 yards, and will be good for backings for future quilts.  When the rain slows down, I am going to go back to have another look.  It was just too difficult to look with everything under tarps.  I need two hands to shop!

I also got several cans of Krylon spray paint (a whole bag full at $1.50!) at the church sale next door so I can freshen up a few treasures.  I recently got two gorgeous baskets that will be lovely once I've given them a coat of paint.