Since I just wrote a gushy post about Fatty last week, I'll spare you all.  But my fantastic and handsome husband turns 43 today.  I'm looking forward to more cake.  Happy Birthday, Fatty!

I am also looking forward to finishing the small painting project that turned big when I tore the towel bar out of the wall and had to repair the drywall.  I spent most of the weekend with a paintbrush in hand and paint in my hair.  This is the before shot.  I laughed when I looked at the photo.  I don't often walk around carrying empty toilet paper rolls, but I am collecting them for a school project.  Nice one, Erin.  Anyhow, I have repaired the drywall, painted two ceilings (this one and the one in the butler's pantry) and put a coat of tinted primer on the bathroom walls.  Yellow is a hard color to cover.  I'm hoping to get away with one coat of the green (you knew that, right?), but it might take two.  I forgot how much cutting in there is in bathrooms.  And painting behind toilets?  That pretty much sucks.  So yeah, keep your fingers crossed - I really don't want to paint more than one more coat.

The de-stash did not happen this weekend.  I will give you all ample notice before I post anything here.  I do have a couple crafty things to post.  I'll check in while the paint is drying.  Till then, ta ta.

While I was without internet, but with electricity, I tackled some bigger sewing projects.  By big, I mean size-wise, not necessarily level of difficulty.  Both were made out of squares and rectangles - really simple once I got the measurements right.

We have lived in our house for a little over two and a half years.  When we moved in, Fatty and I upgraded to a king size bed from a queen.  Making that jump required all new linens.  Sheets were an obvious necessity that I took care of right away.  And we were lucky enough to have a wonderful king size down comforter that my parents gave us when we got engaged.  At the time I really didn't understand why they got us a king when we had a queen, but now I understand my mother's good reasoning.  It just took us longer to get that king than she thought it would.  Anyhow, I am happy to say the comforter now has its very own duvet cover and the bed finally has a skirt.

Can I just say bed skirts are hard to photograph?  They are.  I made this skirt in five pieces:  one for each of the three sides of the bed and two for the corners.  I did this just in case the math didn't work out - I figured that it would be easier to fix my mistake(s).  Thankfully, though, my math was good and it all lines up well.  There is a box pleat in the middle of each side to hide the seam where I sewed two widths of fabric together.  I also sewed each piece to a four inch band that I attached to the box spring with twist pins.  I have done it both ways and I find this much, much easier than making a big sheet to cover the box spring.  I used the blind hem on my machine for the bottoms and sides of each piece and serged the raw edges to cut down on the bulk.  Make sense?

The duvet was easy, peasy.  My mother-in-law helped me cut it out backin August so I really just needed to sew it up.  It closes withbuttons, but you can't see them.  Along with their corresponding buttonholes, they are sewn on a flap of fabric that folds to the inside ofthe opening.  I know this might not make sense.  But trust me, it'scool.

I know someone is going to ask me where I got the fabric.  The chocolate brown solid came from Calico Corners, I think.  The floral for the duvet is from Les Tissus Colbert, which is outside of Chicago.  I bought it over two years ago and it's 110" wide.  It is perfect for a king sized bed - there were no patterns to match - just one cut for the top and one for the bottom.

I promise a full shot of the bed once the pillow shams are finished.  Right now, though, I am just happy that my list is getting shorter.

Day

and night.

We might get an earful from the kids about how they didn't get to go along and help choose this year's tree.  Or about how they didn't have a chance of getting the free candy cane and coloring book.  I am hoping the excitement of seeing it already at the house will make up for purposefully excluding them.  If not, oh well.  It'll be worth it.  It's not often I get a the ride in the old truck, a pretty tree, a tasty lunch and an hour alone in the middle of a Thursday with my man.

I have a secret stash of candy canes, just in case.

I'm a bit under the weather today so just some quick photos as promised on Friday.

I found the perfect basket - it once held fruit and more recently, a bunch of squash.  I got my copy of Bend the Rules Sewing out and started working.

I traced the bottom and added a couple inches all the way around as a pattern.  I made a pillow insert out of flannel and poly fill.  Then I took the found fabric and made a cover.  The back side opens - I used hook and loop tape for my closure.  It fit the basket well and looked comfy, but it still wasn't quite right.

A couple of coats of black spray paint later, I had a cat bed.

Much better.  It looks great in the kitchen - the green matches the walls perfectly.  Now if Scout would just use it...

Our family room bookshelves/catch all area

taken with my new lens...(amazing!)

full of books,

McCoy pottery,

and masterpieces painted, drawn and sculpted by our girls

Here it is:  the sewing room, or studio, if you prefer that.  I call it both.  I painted it this beautiful turquoise-y blue last August and have been dreaming of getting it organized since way before then.  I did it and know that if the machine hadn't been gone for three weeks it never would have happened.

Here is the machine in its newly spruced up home.  I hung the peg board and keep patting myself on the back because it was a great idea.  No more lost scissors, rulers, embroidery hoops - they all have a home.

Here's the view I have while sitting at the table.  I covered a piece of plywood with cork and then fabric.  It looks a bit empty, but I am excited to fill it up with all the little things I have hoarded over the years.   Fatty hung the thread racks awhile back and I added the old E and photos of my little family.  And that little painting in an oval frame is an antique that my former boss and friend Susan gave me.

Next to the peg board on a blank spot of wall, Fatty and I installed a flannel board.  It small, but handy.  I like to lay out patchwork to visualize it and I think this will help.  It can also hold all the little bits of the appliques I like to do.  No more lost pieces!

Behind the table are shelves filled with fabric and trims.  The cottons along with the trims and buttons are organized by color.  The rest of the fabric is organized, too.  You probably couldn't tell how, though.  There is a stack of wool felt and some larger flat folds of cotton.  Throw in upholstery weight fabric organized by room/project and you get the drift.

Set back a bit from the other shelves, these hold the nuts and bolts:  books, patterns, supplies and super large flat folds.

On the next wall is a little alcove covered by a makeshift curtain (it still needs to be hemmed) which hides more stuff.  The ironing board can hang out of the way when not in use.

And on the door is this collage, made my friend Suzanne.  It always makes me smile.

You can see before pictures here and more photos of the finished space over on flickr.  We have family in town and a big weekend ahead.  If it's quiet on the blog, you can probably find me sitting in my chair, soaking it all in, loving my little space.

Meet my bird pillow:

I made this in my sewing class yesterday.  On Friday morning, I was unsure where I was going to put a new rose pillow.  I thought about making it for the window seat on our staircase landing, but couldn't find any fabric I was crazy about.  I thought about making it for one of the girls, but I was pretty sure the ribbon roses wouldn't hold up to being thrown on the floor and jumped on.  So the guest room it was.  It's all a bit humorous seeing that the guest room isn't even painted and has nothing in it that looks good with this pillow.  But when I get finished, I am sure it will fit right in.

I decided to embroider the bird to add a bit of interest to the insert.  I had planned on framing the image with some gingham ribbon, but my instructor suggested the Freshcut bias tape. Perfect, I thought.  I then added the ric rac.  The little ribbon roses and leaves set it all off.  I am thrilled with the end result.  I love my new pillow!

Here's a peek at the back.  Since the day I learned to put a zipper in a pillow, I haven't done it any other way.  It is surprisingly easy, looks professional and allows me to change it or clean it without any hassle at all.

So now that the pillow is finished, time to paint the room.  I'm off to spackle some holes before the Oscars!