Project updates and other such piddling...

I found this quilt top in my grandmother's attic over the summer. My great grandmother, who we referred to as "Gramma," had hand-stitched it, using pieces from various shirts, dresses, and other fabric scraps.  I fell in love with it and asked Mama if I could have it.

 

I had big plans....none of which actually involved me trying to quilt the thing myself.

 

Nevertheless, if you remember from a Pillow Book post over the summer, the ladies at the library convinced me that I should do just that. What an awesome idea in theory; I mean, how much more meaningful would it be if I could do it myself? 

 

And so...I was all over it initially.  Vickie made a trip to Wal-Mart with me to help me pick out the batting, thread, and sheet I wanted to use.  We brought the supplies back to the library, laid it out and pinned it the very next day. ....

 

Four months later, I actually picked it back up, and started working on it (thanks to guilt trips by those same wonderful library ladies).  And within one week, I shockingly had it finished. 

 Laid out my backing, batting, and the quilt top

 To be honest, this (pinning it) was probably the most frustrating part.  Once I actually got started with the tacks, I enjoyed the project.

 This is a tack.

 Each tack is roughly four inches apart.

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I've always loved making these ornaments.

A dozen clear, glass ornaments from Hobby Lobby - $4.00 

 Collection of squeeze paint I've kept from various projects

 Study break

 Decided I would drain the ornaments in this expensive tool

 Very complicated and strategic process: squeeze paint in, cover lid with paper towel, shake and swirl, drain.

 Let them drain overnight and then turn right side up and put the "lids" back on

 I used some of my Dad's flannel shirts for a blanket last year. I used the leftover fabric to create "hangers."

Finished product

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A Christmas project for Isabella

 I painted the bench, which I'm considering to be her "reading nook," and used more of my Dad's shirt fabric to make pillows (along with the pink fleece material from one of Lucy's old Halloween costumes:))

 Pillows are about the extent of my sewing skills.

On the back side of the bench, I wrote a secret message (a line from a poem I wrote for her 2nd birthday).

"I wish for you a world of possibility, of never-ending stories, a world filled with your very favorite books.

I wish for you days of pretend, days of dress-up, days of hidden reading nooks."