Nickie's Visit

I finally got around to processing some long overdue photos tonight.

It feels like only last week that I looked out on this driveway, a driveway just beckoning me to come bite it on a steeply sloped sheet of ice.  Today?

Today is lush, green warmth and blooming flowers.  David found me fuschia!

I really like fuschia.  It's one of those flowers that looks nice from a distance, but up close has the power to blow you away.  If I hadn't believed in flower fairies before I met fuschia, I certainly did after.

*************

My sister Nickie came for a visit awhile back (2 months ago, yeesh).  It was so awesome to get to spend some real time together!

It was still cold then, but at least the snow was gone.  She and Dave and I walked the property and found some treasures.

 We visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

 And shopped the Westside Market.

 Don't get me wrong, the bakers and butchers and produce sellers are where it's at, but I just love the tile artistry in this old building!

 And we got in a hike at the Hinckley Reservation just down the road from the house.

Nickie and I also hit up the Goodwill and found a $10 cherry tray-top table.

Nickie did all of the stripping while I cut a new lower shelf for the little beauty; then together we worked on painting the legs with white milk paint.  It's not finished yet...with the workshop being my priority for the moment, it stands patiently waiting.

Judging by the speed I'm getting things done around here, it may be done around Christmas.  Fingers crossed that that's an exaggeration!

The Floors, or How To Do Hardwood the Hardest Way Possible

Before we bought our new/old Farmhouse, I spent a good bit of time looking for advice on how to do this whole buy-a-house-and-move thing.  One piece of advice was to put up curtains before you do anything else (for privacy, I'm assuming).  Another tip was to implement a landscape plan before the ground freezes (do it first thing and enjoy mature trees and bushes the rest of your time in that house ==> makes sense).  Other people said you ought to start with a house-wide smudging and spiritual cleansing (...).  For us, though, we determined that the first thing we'd have to make happen was refinishing the upstairs hardwood floors, which includes all four bedrooms and a sizable landing/hallway.

For one thing, the finish had worn away to bare wood in many places in just about every room, not to mention sections of deep gouges and rough sock-catchers scattered liberally throughout.

For another thing,

A Cookbook Stand, part II

I said before that I was making a cookbook stand.  When I walked away from the project at the start of my work hitch, this is where I left things:

 Ok, a couple things here: one, this thing needs a topcoat of some sort; two, isn't there supposed to be a center support across the back of the stand?; three, oh dear, if I continue as planned, this thing won't lie flat when folded; and four, why didn't I pre-finish the pieces before assembly??

Up High! Down Low! It's Another Cabinet, Yo!

Yes, folks, after months of waiting...and waiting...and putting on hold...and waiting some more...the first set of upper cabinets is in place!

Cabinet: a Love Letter

Awhile back, my mother-in-law Kathy asked if I could do something for her with this little corner of the kitchen:

A Cabinet Tale

I keep thinking to myself that "sometime soon" I'll catch up on the blog and post pics and updates on all we've been doing up here in the cold north.

It doesn't seem to have happened yet.

So while we're waiting for me to get it together, I thought I'd share my current project. "Someday", I'll share all the details, but for now I'll just say I'm so excited about this kitchen cabinet! (It's for my mother-in-law Kathy and grandmother-in-law Gram)

The Cupboard, and Done!

Ta-Daa!

Remember my dream for the mudroom slash boredom project?

The Cupboard, for now

I did say, didn't I, that I'd tell you about the missing piece of the mud room?  Well, today I will tell you Part I of that story.

Despite the implication in the above (blurry) photo, there are actually next to zero progress shots of this piece.  I was in the I've-only-got-so-much-time-plus-this-is-a-weird-piece-of-furniture mindset, and I didn't think anyone would really be that interested in the process anyway, so why take progress shots?

Reclaimed Oak Coat Rack

Have I told you about my favorite store?  It's called The Rusty Bucket, and it's one of the closest places to spend money besides my computer.  With better stuff.

Storage Bench Finished!

Y'all, we finished the bench!

Yes.  It is done.  I did end up ditching the milk paint for this project...

Milk Paint Makes Me Mad

They said it would be clumpy. They did not say there would be a miiillllllllion clumps that would get everywhere.

They said it would take more than one coat. They did not say it would take ten coats and most of the $28 quart of paint for a small project.

They said it would be weird to work with. They did not say it would be tear-your-hair-out, throw-the-whole-project-out-the-window, curse-the-day-you-ever-saw-milk-paint FRUSTRATING to work with.

I still believe in milk paint. The way I believe in astrophysics and French pastry...magnificent in the hands of a master. Nothing but disappointment to someone like me.

Where's my glossy white latex paint bucket?

Building a Storage Bench II

We bought a sheet of 3/4" plywood ages and ages ago in anticipation of building a set of hutches for our beautiful desk.  Alas, I still don't have a stunning design for those hutches, so we've (obviously) never begun the building process on them.  Which means we've had 4 quarters of a 3/4" sheet of plywood sitting leaning against the wall in the office.   for.   months.

So when I began working on our storage bench, I designed the cut plan around those 1/4 sheets of ply (each being 24"x48").  Which means we used a minimum of new-purchase dimensional wood (yea!).  Which means it took three to four times as long to get the pieces cut (boo!).  But it also means that when I looked at how short 3.5" actually is for a storage area, I was able to simply add 1.5" to my boards and make the storage deeper (the pink pieces, see how they're 5" instead of 3.5"?  That's what I'm talking about).

URN-ing It

We found a new-to-us thrift store the other day.  There are no prices on anything; you just offer what you can pay, and the proceeds go toward upkeep of the shop and community services.  There's a table of canned food and dry goods at the front for people who need it...all children's clothes are always free, all other clothes are $1 each.  So I got a couple of cake tins (heart shaped!) and this...beautiful...pair of urn vase things.

Trust me, the pic doesn't do it justice.  It's kinda yellow-y, with brilliant gold detail, and delicate pink and green roses.  Very...faux something.  Regency?  British/Asian?  Grandma got a gold-leafing set?

Building a Storage Bench I

So our Mudroom.

I've never had a mudroom before.  Now that we have one, I'm not sure why anyone would ever build a house without one.

So in the interest of maximizing this space (and using my off time productively), we've decided to build a bunch of stuff.  Like this storage bench:

Via ana-white.com, made by Amy Courts who is a fantastic singer/songwriter

Boredom and the Mudroom

These days at work drag on so long sometimes.

 I spend my long days surfing the internet, talking to the other pilots, designing and redesigning things on SketchUp...

Plans, plans, plans

I've been dreaming again.

Candy Cane Wreath

So now that Christmas is well over, who wants to make a nice wreath in the spirit of the season???

I know, I know.  No one.  BUT.  I have all these nice photos, and I love my awesome wreath (being the first I've ever made), and maybe if it's on your radar now, maybe you'll want to make one next year, too.  This isn't really a tutorial, just an idea.  And the lighting and colors in the nice photos, just to warn you, are not stellar.

Black Wool Sweater Hat

This is not my first hat attempt.  My first attempt I will not even attempt to explain.  Compared to my first attempt, this hat is highly technical and planned out.

Ok, here's the sweater before.  You may not be able to tell, but this thing is absolutely tiny.  Back when I was still trying to wear it, the sleeves were juuuust too short, and my belly kept juuust peeking out whenever I raised my hands above waist level.  Or whenever I bent over in the slightest.  So...not fit to wear.

So I threw it in the wash on hot, then threw it in the hot dryer, and now it might fit a very chubby 5 year old...except what mother wants her 5 year old wearing something so low-cut?  Ahem, anyways, this process is called "felting for everyman."

I measured the circumference of my head and got 22". I divided this up into five sections and got four pieces of 4" and one of 6":

And then I made a mistake. You might even call it a 'fatal' mistake.

I decided that the sides of each of these pieces only needed to be as long as half the diameter of my head (nape of neck to forehead).

Let me tell you right now, don't do it this way.  But nobody told me that, and I wasn't thinking like a draper, so this is the way I did it.

I made a pattern based on these measurements (according to my screwy logic):

Notice that my pattern bulges out a bit on the sides.  This was good thinking...but...well, I'll explain in a minute.

 Then I cut four pieces just alike and one piece that was 6" at the bottom but still 8" either side.

Now my sweater looks like this:

 Ok, so here's my second mistake: there is absolutely no reason for me to have cut the pieces completely apart.  What I should have done is cut them like a chain, leaving the bottom band intact...because as it was, I had to sew them one to the other all the way through the bottom band (which is bulky and awkward and ugly):

 Anyways, I'm doing this at work, so that's why I'm doing this by hand.  If I had my serger with me, I would be doing much prettier work, I assure you.  Yeah.  That's why this thing turned out like this...

 ...because I don't have my serger.

Okay, but we're not done yet.  Because here how this fits at this point:

 Yes, that's right, you don't get a photo, you get a sketch.  See how it looks pointy?  That's because I did straight sides.  Straight sides on a lumpy head.  How much sense does that make????  Don't do that!  Those pieces should have been bulged at the base, then come to a wide point at the top...straight sides = dunce cap.

Also, that 8"?  That should have been the distance between the center of each piece to the point at the top, not the sides of the pieces themselves.

This is basic trigonometry...the upshot is, I made the legs of each triangle way too short.  So as well as being pointy, the hat at this stage is much too small.  How to fix this?  Re-cut the pieces.  But with no sweater left to use, I can't re-cut.  This is why I hate cutting fabric.

Alright, then, let's focus on something that can be fixed.  See how much of my forehead is uncovered?  About 3" worth.  We're going to cover this with a brim.  So I measure from behind one ear to behind the other:

 ...and then from the top of my eyes to the edge of the hat (again, 3"):

Now we're cutting this piece on the double (which means two pieces cut at once), so I took it from a sleeve (no pattern, just wing it, I find it works, sometimes).  I also left the straight edge intact to provide a clean edge:

 Then I stitched one layer just above the bottom band on the hat:

...then flipped that seam under and stitched (very loosely, because I was tired of it) the other layer inside the hat, covering the first seam.  End result?

 Presto!

The Warm Dunce Cap

What can I say?  I didn't have my serger.  And I had my hair in a bun, under the hat.  Under the point of the hat, actually.

But it looks only marginally better worn over hair that is down.  I was thinking maybe I'd put a flower on it, make it look a little less scary/wonky.  Now that it's a scary/wonky hat, I don't feel like I can donate it to charity...but it's a shame to waste such beautiful wool.  The real problem with this hat is the pointy top, and there's not really much I can do about that.  Without my serger.

Sigh.

I tried (twice).  At least I tried (twice).

Crib Mattress Sheets

So now, as promised, I'm gonna tell you all about the crib mattress sheets I did for the coming Baby Elliot.

 One of the simplest sewing projects I've done, I think, but somehow this tutorial ended up being really verbose with a sad shortage of photos.  Sorry about that, y'all.

I started by figuring out the dimensions:

• The mattress is a custom size: 53x20x3 (standard is 52x28x?)
• I planned for each side to go all the way from the bottom of the mattress (3"), up and over the width 20" (or length 53"), and back down (3") - total of 59"x26" plus an extra 3" per side (3x3) to extend underneath the mattress edge..........so the final dimensions are 65"x32"
• This means I need 2 yards of 45"-wide baby-safe fabric for each sheet.  In a cute pattern, obviously.

Now give your math a break for a second...take your fabric, serge the raw edges (or zig-zag them), and throw it in the wash.

Had a refreshing break?  Good.  Get your pencil back out.

Now, in addition, I gotta get some elastic to make these fitted sheets "fitted."  There are two ways to do this: 1-I can do one continuous piece of elastic threaded all the way around the bottom of the mattress, or 2-use one piece of elastic at each end of the sheet spanning the corners and ending before the straight along the length.  I've done both, and I like the first method best because it requires less figuring and also because I think it makes the sheet less work to get to look nice on the mattress.  The length of elastic I need should be 2/3 the perimeter of the sheet, soooo....

• Go back to the original dimensions of the mattress (53x20) and subtract 3" per side (6"x6" total) for the amount that the fabric will wrap under and draw together.  With these new dimensions (47x14), add back 1" per side for hem allowance.  So now we have 49"x16".
• Remember how to get the perimeter of a rectangle?  Yep, that's it, multiply length by 2, width by 2, then add them together: (49x2) + (16x2) = 130"
• But if you used a piece of elastic exactly the same length as the perimeter of your fabric, your elastic won't do much elasticating, right?  So the rule I use is that 2/3 rule...and 2/3 of 130" is 86.6666, which, as you know, equals 2.4 yards.  I'm gonna round that down to 2 and 1/3 yards.  I used 1/4" elastic for these sheets.

Good.  Now we're ready to sew.  Almost.

Your first step is to square up the fabric (no photos, just visualize!).  This is necessary because, no matter how carefully your nice Jo-Ann's lady cut, I can all but guarantee that your piece of fabric is most certainly not square and will lead to much furrowing of brows and gnashing of teeth if not trued now.  **The following method is possible only because we're working with woven fabric (if you're using a knit, sorry, but this method won't work).

Take one raw end of fabric.  Snip into the selvedge (the finished edge) about 1" from the raw edge and about 1" into the fabric, making your cut roughly parallel with the raw edge.  Now rip that sucker along the raw edge.  Rip it all the way off.  You may notice that the piece you just ripped may have started out about 1" wide, but by the end of the strip, it's quite a bit narrower or wider than you expected.  Aren't you glad you trued this edge?  From here, you now have 2 square corners from which to measure.  Me, I would measure the length first...So measure down from your squared corner to the generous side of 65", snip a 1" cut, and rip.  Now you have 4 square corners, but two very curly edges.  These need to be reblocked with a hot iron and steam.  All that means is that you have to press the curly back to flat with a careful hand that teaches the fabric to lay the way it's supposed to, instead of leaning in the direction of the rip.  Once you have flat edges again, you can measure and rip the width (32"), and then block that edge as well.  Now we're ready to sew.  Almost.

I did these sheets with a french seam at the corners (an idea I took from here - which is probably a better tutorial all around, though much less entertaining).   You start by marking out and cutting a square in the corners of your fabric.

Can you see the pencil line?  No?  Nuts.

I folded my piece into quarters so that all four corners lay on top of each other.  Then I marked a 5.5" square into that corner and cut all layers with a rotary cutter.  Now take each cutted-out corner, fold them wrong-side-to-wrong-side, and get ready to stitch a scant 1/4" seam from the outer edge to the inside corner of the fabric.

 I'm using just the width of the presser foot to get my seam here.

Now take that seam you just sewed, press it open (or finger press it), and fold it the other way, right-side-to-right-side, and stitch another seam alongside the first.  In order to fully encase the original seam, this one should be a fat 1/4" wide, closer to the first guide line on your machine.  Your inside seam now looks like this:

That's a french seam!  Ultra simple, ultra durable, very polished both inside and out.

Now you've gotta set up the elastic casing around the bottom of the mattress.  You might be tempted, since you bought 1/4" elastic, to sew a 1/4" casing...do not cave to this temptation!  Ahem, that's what I did on this yellow sheet.

The casing is formed by first pressing the whole hem up 1", then going back around and pressing that 1" down into itself by half, leaving you with a little over 1/2"-wide casing (conversely, you could press up a skinny 1/2", then turn it up again a fat 1/2" - either way, it's a fold-fold-press).  Since you're working here with a cotton weave, the fabric is naturally kinda stiff.  And since you're about to sew a really long line of uncomplicatedness, I personally prefer to simply do a good pressing job and forget the pins.  Or at least, pin only every foot or so.  But I'm not going to tell you how to do your sewing...that's up to you.

I will tell you to be careful with that iron!  And if you burn yourself...

 ...get the aloe on it!  Yes, it is that bad, go get the aloe!

Ahem.  Now stitch that casing.  Leave yourself a 1" opening near one of the corners.

 As you stitch the casing, lay each of your french seamed corners in the same direction...it will make threading the elastic through much easier.

And now you're ready to thread in the elastic.  Fasten one end to a safety pin, and secure the other end somewhere near your casing opening so it doesn't accidentally get sucked into the casing and lost.  Not that I've ever done that.

Do I need to explain threading the elastic through the casing?  I hope not.  I didn't take enough photos, obviously.  As you inch your way through the casing with the safety pin, just make sure the elastic is going in flat with no twists midway.  I found it easiest to start the elastic right next to one corner of the piece and work away from that corner, preferably down one of the long sides.  This is the tedious bit, this elastic thing, but the results are so rewarding.

Once you've finished the threading, lay one raw end of elastic flat over the other raw end inline with the circuit you've just made, and zig-zag them together going back and forth a few times to secure it.

That's it!  Jump up and down and clap!  Now depending on how crazy you went at the fabric store, repeat all steps 13 times for your stack of cute baby print fabrics.