Saturday, September 29, 2007

September 29, 2007

I thought I would try to make a mini crazy quilt block which I have never done before so was not sure on the size to make it. I made these four blocks and as you can tell from the second picture next to my hand it is a little big. I plan to try again when I have time and use a 1 1/2" backing to get a 1" block. I might use these for pillows or something.
Here is something else I did. I saw the most magnificent stairs in a magazine so copied some of it on the back of my stairs. It's not perfect but I like it. The next pic is of the front of the stairs. I plan to put a small study under the stairs for the man of the house with more of the fancy wood work and a leather chair.

Now this is what I have worked on mostly for over a week now. This is part of my real stairs and landing that I have painted dazzling red! The trim is white and the baseboards, floors, and doors, are to be the natural wood. I started this project last fall by stripping the stairs, baseboards and railing. Before I started all the stairs were painted black with a gold design on them as well as the top landing. the first landing had gray tile on it. I took pics but who knows where they are. So these pics are after I stripped all the black paint off the stairs and while I am in the process of stripping the awful, horrible black tar like stuff they put down the tile with. This is the main set of stairs that have already been stripped.This is the first landing at the top of the main set of stairs. Have all my supplies out there ready to get started. I tried to remove most of the gunk with paint remover, orange paint remover and scraping, and wiping up with rags and over and over and over again. Whoever thought it was a good idea to use this black gunk was nuts!After you turn the corner there is a walkway before you get to the next set of stairs. More tar gunk to be removed. I didn't do a perfect job but it turned out pretty good. I did alllll the work by myself and it took the whole winter to recover.This view is from the top landing looking down on the bottom landing. Here you get an idea of some of the rails I had to strip black paint off of. Here is a better picture of all the railing and part of the upper landing after it was stripped.This is the top landing looking over the railing towards the bottom landing. To the left is a shelf where i have all my supplies piled up. Inside this shelf is old cast iron plumbing. Makes a great place to set up my Christmas sleigh collection and my ceramic cats the rest of the year. and finally a part of it after some of my painting. Will post more pics when I am through, this is just to give you an idea of the color I am using. Isn't it enough to wake you up when you come out of the bedroom in the mornings? I think it will make a great backdrop for all my bright color quilts too! I have very few walls in the house where I can hang my quilts so plan on hanging some of them in the stairwell. When I wasn't working on my real house I was working on the miniautures. Some of these kits go so fast that I get lots made but here are just a few I got made this week. Here is the hanging shelf. I love the design on the sides.

I finished this corner cabinet yesterday. Plan to paint it to match the room I put it in.
The biggest piece so far, the flat top highboy. Still have to make the broken bonnet highboy but it is made the same with only a different top to it. See my tapewire in the back ground, I finished it this week and it actually works, so all but one room is electrified, forgot about the last room when I was doing it so will have to do it later.
Ah, and the slat back chair. They remind me of the chairs my Grandmother had in her kitchen. Only thing is, is that hers were strung with wire and had a throw pillow in them. I got some wood this week and plan to make a replica of her house. Can remember the whole thing from memory. One of my Uncle's and Aunt tore the old house down and built a new one in it's place. They built a great house but sure miss the old one and wish it was still there.

This was the most fun I had building something, even though it was a real challenge. A dollhouse for my dollhouse. I painted the inside after I had most of it together. Talk about challenging. Each room is a different color and 3 of the floors are stained and one painted. Just too cute, huh?!Well bye for now. Will post again when I get those stairs finally finished, the real ones that is!



Monday, September 24, 2007

September 24, 2007

What a challenging and fun block to make this one was. It is a Geronimo Choose your own theme block for a lady in our group named Jane. I looked up pics for Geronimo and Apache Indians and came up with quite a few images. My favorite is the dream catcher. I had the fabric pic of the canoe from a quilt I made for my daughter and thought it was perfect for the theme so framed it in the center. As I forgot to use the focus fabric in the block itself I made yo yo flowers to accent the center. I have had the saquaro cactus and thunderbird concho's for years so used them adding a little tassel for each. For the button bead cluster I used some coconut shell beads have also had for years, as well as some old buttons, and feather shaped charms from an old broken necklace. The fall leaves seemed to match, and I found the pic of the needlepoint thunderbird online and used waste canvas to turn it into a needlepoint pic. Oh, and that glorious fringe! I just loved it when I bought it, then never had anything to use it on. the color was just perfect so it was the first thing I added. The couched ribbon was some Jane included in her baggie and I added beads of various kinds to it. Here is another kitty kitty block I worked on for a lady named Kate. Can you find the kitty hiding among the flowers? These are acrylic flowers with a button kitty. I used beads for the dragonflies trail that the kitty is fixing to pounce on. I think I did the seam treatment below it but can't even remember. Oh well, Quiltimers has hit again. I do remember block was pretty full and still a few people to work on it so wanted to leave some room.
Another Kitty kitty block. This prissy little kitty is just sitting among the flowers after walking across the block, see paw prints on yellow patch. I also added the beaded feather stitch in red and the red and white with beads chain stitch.
Back to sane quilting. I wanted to add some interest and character so only did rows on 2 sides of this center using the friendship block. I love the RR's that come back with row encroaching upon previous rows and hope this gives this RR some of that character of thinking outside the box. The colors were hard to match on this one with fabric from my stash. Never realized how much color variation there are between different batiks, even if they look similar.
That's about all I have done so far. Have another Choose your own theme block am working on and still working on that dollhouse. Mostly boring structual stuff for the moment. Will write about that next time.

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Update on Dollhouse work

All of these pictures are the dollhouse and furniute I have been making, from kits of course! I have been collecting the House of Miniature furniture kits and started putting them together. These kits are really fun and of very high quality. Wish the company would start making them again. I have paid top dollar for some of the rarer pieces. the two chairs were the hardest pieces I have made as far as trying to line up the parts and get them to stay that way until the glue set. Most of the furniture I have used a aged oak stain on. Some, as in this picture, I used a bottle of the mahogany stain that originally came with the kits. I have run out of that though, so bought some mahogony stain. It is different but pretty too. I know originally all these pieces were done in the really dark stains but I like the lighter stains much better.
The clock was an adventure. I glued mine together backwards, bought one from another lady that had hers partly done, so I put the two together and I still managed to put the border around the clock face on upside down. Oh well, it's unique now.
I made this little stool and decided I would do a cross stitch design for the seat. Thought this heart pattern was cute.
Don't know if you can see but have some of the tiny spatterware utensils on the dry sink. I found a set of cannisters, cup holder and cups, cooking utensils, pots and pans, coffee pot and cups, and dishes. Just too cute.


Here is some of the dining room furniture. Notice more of the spatterware dishes. The little white things are cookies my 7 year old Grandson made for me. I am upholstering the chairs in a green velvet that I used to have my real antique dining room chairs covered in.
I just love the variety of pieces in these kits. The one on the left is a desk on frame. Just too cute.
Here is some of the bedroom furniture. Still need to make a bedspread for this bed.
Living room furniture. I am trying to use all fabrics that mean something or are vintage. Both the pink and the black velvet came out of a old doll museum that we cleaned out quite a few years ago. These fabrics were used as display drapes. The pink is a soft satin with a paisley design and the black has a pink and white bird design on it.
Have mostly done touch ups to the outside of the dollhouse. Second coat of paint on the trim, etc. I did put the deck together. For the floor of the deck I used tongue depressors and stained it with redwood stain. The railing is various pieces stained with the same redwood stain. It's not perfect but I like it. I need to put shingles on each end and top and will be through with the outside except any landscaping I deside to add. Need to finish the electrical next so can start working on the inside.

Catching up

Here is a block I added to belonging to a lady in one of the Round Robins I am in. I just love her cross stitch peacock. Here is the part I added. Did a paisley trying to make it look like the eye of a peacock feather, with a little mirror in the eye. I missed using that perfect shade of blue in a peacock feather as just could not find any beads just that color. Below the paisley is a little seam treatment using a feather stitch with a lazy daisy with a bead as the "eye". Below that I did a maidenhair stitch with beads and lazy daisy stitches again.
This block is from a beading Round Robin and love how Victorian this one looks.
I added this button and flower bead cluster. I love these acrylic flowers I got on eBay. To the left are some little flowers I added in beads and below is another maidenhair stitch with beads. I love that stitch.

A Little About Me

Hi and Welcome! I am 50 years old, married with 2 girls Andrea and Crystal, and 3 grandchildren. A girl, Jesi who is 13 that we are raising and a boy, Christian, who is 6 and, lives with Mom. Andrew James or Peanut is 6months old and brother to Jesi. We live in a house built in 1897 that is not in the best of shape but we are working on it and we love it. It is a 2 story colonial style with big columns and a big wrap around front porch. We also have 6 cats, of which only part of are allowed in the house, and 5 dogs. A Momma dog and 4 puppies. She had 9, we gave one away, then they all came down with parvo. I lost 4 but was able to save 4. A heartrending experience but was just glad to be able to save any. No help from the vet as they want so much money but found some homeopathic remedies that actually worked. I also have a 7 month old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that is my baby. She goes everywhere with me, sleeps under the covers with me, and is just the cutest thing ever.