I think I'm addicted . . .

. . . to painting with chalk paint!!!!  I was painting and waxing up a storm!

My first project was this simple IKEA step stool:

 

The stool had been through the mill.  There was no finish on the stool and between dirt and drips of paint from using the stool while I painted walls, it was a mess.  I had a small jar of CeCe Caldwell's chalk paint in "Destin Gulf Green".  Once I got the stool painted, I thought it needed a little "toning down".  So I grabbed my jar of "Nantucket Spray" and dry brushed it on.  After waxing with clear wax, I went over the entire stool with a dark wax.  I love how it looks in my bathroom! 

 

 

Earlier in the week, I found this great coffee table at Savers in Apple Valley (Savers is similar to Goodwill) for only $10.  The only problem seemed to be a flaking finish on the table top.  I asked hubby if he could lightly sand it to get the loose stuff off and give me a more even surface.  Well, he took care of it for me while I was out running errands; so when I got back, he had sanded the entire table -- pretty much down to bare wood!  He told me he couldn't remember if I just wanted the top sanded or the whole thing so he went for it!!  Personally, I think he just like playing with the sander.

 

Anyway .....

 

The table started out looking like this:

 

 

I love the shape of the legs!  I decided to go with Annie Sloan's "Arles" -- a beautiful yellow shade but when waxed and aged with dark wax, it takes on an entirely different tone!  Not only does this paint go on smoothly, but it seemed like I used very little paint ... and I did two coats!  (The stool took at least 3 oz. of the 4 oz. jar I had on hand.) 

 

I even "dressed up" my table with a fun autumn table runner I made for my Mom several years ago.  It fits so nicely, it looks like it was made for this table! 

Of the two paints, I like the Annie Sloan's best.  It just seems to work better for me.  Plus ... it helps that there's an ASCP stockist not far from me whereas, there is no one in the entire state of Minnesota selling CeCe Caldwell's paint.

Now, I just have to figure out what I want to paint next.  I picked up a quart of ASCP in "Duck Egg" as well as small jars of "Antoinette" and "Paris Gray".  So let's see . . . will it be the small round table that sits between my living room and dining room . . . or should I go with something small again?

Guess you'll have to check back and see what I decide on ....

Till then....have a great day and enjoy what's left of summer!

Patti

 

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Painted Bedside Table

After my success with the little red shelf, I decided I wanted to tackle something a little bigger.  I have two bedside tables (they used to be end tables in my living room) that I wanted to repaint along with my headboard.  Here's one of the tables:

Since I had only bought little 4oz pots of the CeCe Caldwell Chalk Paint and three pieces of furniture to paint, I decided to try Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint in Coco. 

I set up a drop cloth on the patio and took my table outside to paint it.  It was such a beautiful day, I couldn't resist!!!  About an hour or so later, I went over it with some ASCP clear wax and a little bit of dark wax.

I LOVE the results.  I even came across two extra drawer pulls from a previous project ... just perfect!

 

Now, I just need to get the other table and the headboard painted ... maybe by the end of the month.  I think I may need to tackle painting my bedroom walls as well! 

 

Have a great day!

 

Patti

 

Linked to:

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Dumpster Treasure

A few months ago, our neighbor needed to clean out their garage and basement so they had a dumpster delivered to their driveway.  Every now and then, I would peek out my window that overlooks their driveway to see if they were tossing out any "treasures".  I noticed quite a few things that I thought deserved a "second chance" so I ran next door to see if I could rescue them.  I found a chair, a bookcase, a treadle sewing machine cabinet (no machine) and this adorable little shelf.  It looks like something someone might have made back in the 50's in a high school shop class.  I didn't know quite what I was going to do with it but I knew I could give it a new life.

 

 

 

 

I recently found out my sister, Sue and her friend, Mary took a couple of classes learning how to use CeCe Caldwell's Chalk Paint at Bungalow 47 in Williamston, MI.  Both Sue and Mary posted some great pictures on Facebook showing some of the techniques they learned.  At the same time, I found out my "bestie", PattiP., had started painting furniture using Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint.  Patti's sister is opening a new shop this fall where Patti will be selling some of her furniture that she's painting.  You can see some of Patti's current projects on her blog, "Cranberries and Calico".  After seeing what could be done with these products I knew what I was going to do with my shelf.

 

We recently took a "road trip" to Kentucky for a family reunion and then on to Michigan to visit my sister and her family as well as touch base with some friends.  I was able to make a trip to Bungalow 47 with Sue and Mary and picked up some CeCe Caldwell chalk paint of my own.  Of the colors I purchased, I knew I had to use "Traverse City Cherry" on my little shelf.  The cool thing about these paints is that you don't have to strip, prime, or do any special prep work on your project before painting.  The cool thing about both of these paints is that you don't have to strip, prime, or do any special prep work on your project, other than a simple cleaning, before painting.  So, I pulled my shelf out of the garage and with a rag and a little water I cleaned off a few cobwebs and surface dirt.

 

The paint went on smoothly and it only required one coat.  The color dried to a pinky red but I knew once I applied my wax coat the color would deepen.  Oh look, it almost matches the pink geraniums in the pot on my deck.

 

 

 

Once the shelf was dry, I did a little "distressing" with some fine sandpaper and a wet cloth.  I applied the clear wax with a brush and rubbed it in with a soft cloth.  I went over the clear wax with a light brown aging wax and rubbed that in as well.  After an hour or so, I went back over the shelf with an old sock and buffed the wax a little.  I may go back and buff it a little more tomorrow.

 

So here's my finished shelf.  I just need to add a couple of hangers to the back so I can hang it on the wall.  I'm thinking this will be a great addition to my kitchen!

 

 

 

 

 

So, what can I paint next.........

 

Hope you have a great day,

 

Patti

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Sewcial Progress

It's been a couple of weeks since the Sewcial and I did make some progress on my projects.  I took five projects with me and completed four!  So what did I get done?

I started this quilt SEVERAL years ago (I'm thinking early '90s) and had everything except the borders done.  I managed to bring it up to 91 x 91 (before quilting) and am hoping it will fit my bed once it's quilted.  It has a nice "vintage" look to it.

This is a "Grab Bag Log Cabin".  The pattern is an old free handout from Thimbleberries.  All it takes is one jelly roll and you've got a great throw.  I've made this quilt before from other fabrics and added a border to make it a bit bigger but I don't plan on doing that with this one.  The fabrics are Kansas Troubles (I don't remember which specific line though).

This baby quilted was started about 10 years ago.  The pattern is from a book called "Even More Quilts for Baby".  I had all the blocks done but needed to sew them together and then add borders.  Not sure who will receive this one but it's a cute little quilt for a baby girl!

 

Lots of great patterns (and easy too!) in this book. 

I didn't have a specific pattern for this one but had seen the quilt on the internet and recreated it in Electric Quilt.  I started it several years ago and even worked on it at retreat but never got it completed.  The star in the center is rather "bright" so I'm thinking once it's quilted, I may try and "age" just the center star to tone it down.  I have some "Distress It" that I'm thinking of using to try and tone it down.

I also recently completed one of the projects from the quilt retreat in January.  I finished the quilt for my neice, Harper Grace. 

I freehand quilted a floral design all over the quilt. 

Machine embroidered quilt label.

So, that's one projected completed and delivered to it's recipient.  The tops I completed at the Sewcial will go into my "TO BE QUILTED" bin. 

In the meantime, have a great day and we'll see you back here soon!

Patti

I'm going to be "Sewciable" tomorrow . . .

Tomorrow (Saturday, 2/11) is Fabric Town's "Quilt Sewcial" event.  A 12-hour day of nothing but sewing, eating and visiting with friends!  We meet twice a year at the Old Chicago Conference Center in Apple Valley -- 30+ ladies doing what they love!  No cooking, no cleaning and no interruptions!  And, we even have a massage therapist who does chair massages --- one of the "Sewcialites" nicknamed him -- Stevie Wonderhands!!!

Sew.... (sorry, I couldn't resist) .... I decided it was time to dip into that bin of "Projects in Progress" and see what I could take with me and complete!  I picked 5 projects -- a baby quilt, a wall hanging, 2 throws and a quilt that falls somewhere between double and queen size. I would love to get at least four of the five projects completed .... one of the throws is at it's early stages so I'm not sure just how far I can get on that one.

Gary and Mom will be hanging here at home .... now play nice, ya'll!

Well, I better scoot and get myself to bed.  I have to be at the conference center at 7 a.m. to help set up.  I'll let you know what I get done!

Patti

Yay --- A Quilt Retreat!!!!

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to go on a quilt retreat with a bunch of great ladies. Three days of quilting, food and fun! Oh, yeah! I decided I was going start working on those "in progress" projects and packed up 15 projects to work on. I know, it sounds ambitious, but some of the projects only required adding a border or two.

By Sunday afternoon, I had finished 11 out of 15 of my projects. Here they are:

No. 1:  This one is for my grandson, Liam -- he LOVES HotWheels!!  I purchased the fabric not knowing what the quilt was going to look like -- I knew it needed to be a twin so I started with the center and worked my way out.  The center is a black and white check (like a finish flag) and I plan on adding his name using machine embroidery applique.  I'm also going to order a pantograph of race cars and finish flags.  I have enough fabric left to make him a coordinating pillowcase!  I can't wait to see his face when he sees it for the first time.

No. 2:  This will end up being a wall hanging.  I added extra green fabric to the sides so it would measure the same width as the sunflower topper.

No. 3:  This throw is made with 3 Sisters fabrics.  I only had to add the two red side borders and cornerstones.

No. 4:  I started this one at the last retreat I attended two years ago. Again, it just needed the outer borders and it was done.  Fabrics are by American Jane.

No. 5:  A jelly roll quilt using a Roll Play by Pieced Tree Patterns.  I had to add both the inner and outer borders to this one.  I realized I didn't have enough of the outer border so I took a table topper I had made using leftovers from the jelly roll strips and "unpieced" it to form the cornerstones.

No. 6:  This quilt is from a Terry Atkinson book -- I think it's called "Big Jake" ... it's not quite big enough to use as a quilt on a double/full size bed but could be folded and laid across the bottom of the bed.  I'd like to finish this one and give it to my Mom for her bed.   I'm envisioning some pretty feathers in those big white spaces.

No. 7:  I taught a "Saturday Scrappers" class at my "favorite LQS" (Fabric Town in Apple Valley --- I just happen to work there as well) -- and the block used in this quilt was one I shared with the class.  I made up several blocks and designed my own quilt.  I love this quilt and can't wait to get it finshed and displayed in my living room.

No. 8:  This sweet little quilt is for my great-neice, Harper Grace!  (Don't you love that name -- it sounds so "southern")  I used "Yellow Brick Road" by Atkinson Designs and a funky & bright floral collection.  I don't remember the name of the fabric line.  I did get this one quilted and will be doing the binding over the next few days.  Watch for pictures!!!

No. 9:  A cozy flannel quilt for Mom.  She saw this one last January after I finished quilting one for the shop as a sample ... now she'll have one of her own.

No. 10:  A cute wall hanging from the book "Sew One and You're Done" ... I used some 3 Sisters fabrics.  I keep looking at it wondering if I need to add a border or just bind it in a red fabric.  What do you think?

No. 11:  Ooops ... no picture of this one.  No. 11 was a table runner I had quilted using a Civil War cheater fabric.  The binding was already sewn to th front of the runner, I just had to do the hand sewing to the back.

So, not bad for a three day retreat.  The next one is in April --- wonder what I can get done then!

Patti

It's been HOW long?????

I can't believe I only had a handful of posts in the last year. But then, since August it has been a bit crazy. We moved my Mom up from MI to live with us, my daughter, SIL and grandson can to visit in September, Mom and I celebrated our joint birthday in October and then the holidays hit in November and December. Oh, I think about posting something new, but then it seems time just gets away from me. My goal this year is to be a bit more active with my blog ... both this one and my professional blog (www.quiltsfromthetrail.com/blog).

I took off the weeks before and after Christmas from my quilting business -- the week "before" so I could enjoy the holiday with my family; the week "after" to get my quilting studio cleaned up and organized. Part of the organization included going through bins that I have stacked in a room that I call "The Fabric Room". Not only do I have a closet full of fabric, neatly folded and organized by color, but STACKS of plastic bins lining the room that contain even more fabric.

Here's a look at my fabric stash in the closet.  I've been collecting fabric since the early '90s so I have quite a bit as you can see.  The top shelf has primarily novelty fabrics -- seasonal, kids, etc.   I don't know if I'll ever sew it all up in my lifetime.  I told my daughter that it is her inheritance.  She said, "Just leave me instructions!"  My response, "Oh, that's not a problem -- it's called books and patterns, honey!"

 Here are the multitude of bins -- they contain fat quarters, yardage -- all categorized by either designer (Robyn Pandolph, 3 Sisters, Amy Butler, etc.) or size (three of the bins are just assorted fat quarters.

Then there are the "project" bins .... I've had the bins sorted by "Kits" (2), "To Be Quilted"(3), "To Be Bound", "Handquilting", etc.  for a while but never really went through them to see what I had in each ... until recently.  I decided to go through the "Kits" and "To Be Quilted" bins and see exactly what each bin contained.

Here's what I found:

Kits:  1 baby quilt, 1 pillowcase, 2 pincushions, 1 Queen quilt, 2 table runners, 7 throws/lap quilts, 4 table toppers, 4 tote bags, 1 Twin quilt, 1 wall hanging, and a Merry Beary stuffed bear kit (this one is from around 1992).

To Be Quilted:  These are projects for which I have a backing  -- 1 baby quilt, 1 queen quilt, 9 throw/lap quilts, 3 twin quilts, and 2 wall hangings.  There are also another 25 or so projects that I don't have backs for yet.

Projects To Be Bound:  Here's the sad thing on these -- most of them have bindings already made and ready to sew on...one just needs to be sewn to the back.  In this bin we have -- 3 baby quilts, 2 table runners, 3 throws, 2 table toppers, and 8 wall hangings.

Projects in Progress:  These are projects I started but either got bored with them or was too anxious to start a new project and set them aside.  In this category we have -- 6 baby quilts, 2 twin quilts, 2 double/full quilts, 3 queen quilts, 6 table runners, 6 table toppers, 6 pillows (Folded Pillows by Patchworks of Sayville, NY -- www.patchworks.com), 1 tote bag, 5 wall hangings and -- drumroll, please -- 27 throws!!!

So, this year's goal is not only to blog more but to get all of these projects done .... pieced, quilted and bound!!!  I should be able to do pretty well on both of these goals as I'll be posting the projects as I complete them.

Oh ... and then there are my knitting projects .... we won't go there right now!

Enjoy what's left of your weekend!

Patti