C is for Chair

C is for chair, cupcake and cherries.

Emily says, "Sissy, look I found this cute hat over there in our toys. I also found these adorable bracelets. I'm ready for a party!"

Sarah says, " Good grief, she will do anything for some attention. I'm just as cute and I'm not wearing a bucket on my head!"

Lampapalooza!

The Nester at http://nestingplacenc.blogspot.com/2009/05/lampapalooza-party.html is hostessing a lamp party! I want to join in and show you some of mine...

A little black wire teapot lamp on the Hoosier in the breakfast room. I added the toile shade and fringe. It matches my curtains.

This lamp is in the family room. It's made from an old industrial bobbin topped with a Waverly red check shade from Lowe's. I don't know what kind of thread this spool held or what they used it on but it must have been something really big!

Builder chandelier...bare, boring and brass. I bought little lampshades and covered them with the blue and white check. Love the fringe on the edge. I know brass is out but I still love it in my formal dining room.

Detail of the shades.

Hobby Lobby lamp at 50% off. When I brought this one home my husband said it was the gaudiest thing he had ever seen. I like it so it stays! Check out the Tootie Babie's shrine. One of many in my home!

This lamp base is very old, maybe from the turn of the century. A friend of mine painted it for me. It desperately needs a new shade, one with lots of trim!

This was my grandmother's lamp. I love the shade of green and the roses. It is a great example of old styling coming around again.

Detail...don't those roses look like Mary Englebriet?

This is just a favorite lamp. It is probably thirty years old. It was the first lamp I bought as a newlywed.

An old blue canning jar full of antique mother of pearl buttons. The lampshade is cut so that the light shines through in certain spaces. The design is sewing related.

In the guest bedroom is an old lamp base probably from the 1950s. I covered the shade (new) with a trim that looks like roses. I tea dyed the trim to make it look a little bit older. Of course, I had to add some bead fringe! It looks like an Easter bonnet! Yes, that's a tassel I made too.

This lamp belonged to my grandmother. It's an old TV light. Seems back then the popular thing to do was to darken the room and have just this lamp turned on while watching TV. It is in my guest room too.

It used to be a very unattractive shade of brown. I gave it a little paint treatment using the holes for the center of the flowers! Cute! Or as Emily would say, "Toot!"

I found this lamp at Goodwill. It goes perfectly with my blue and white kitchen!

I am having such a good time checking out everyone's lamps and getting some good ideas about how to make my boring lamps have some pizazz. Head on over to The Nesting Place to join in the fun.

Memorial Day

We are a military family through and through~ my Dad (retired), Father-in-law (retired), and nephew and wife (active reserve) have served in the Army. My husband (retired), daughter and son-in-law (served four years each) were in the Air Force. At the present time my son, a Marine, is serving in Iraq.

So, you can see we are very proud and supportive of our veterans! Have a great Memorial Day and please, spend some time today to honor our veterans.

All Around The Town BOM

The second block in this block of the month is The Boat. It is a corner square and the large green piece is the start of another hill. It will have a car on it when I get the last months package. I'm using fusible applique on this BOM because I have too many hand applique projects! I'll buttonhole stitch this on the machine and pretty soon I'll have a quilt!

I ordered this pattern from Crabapple Hill. The web site is http://www.crabapplehillstudio.com/. It's called Old Glory. I've finished the stitching and even added the bugle beads to the sparkler. That's the fuzzy gold lines. I have to go back and get the beads straight. It's the first time I've tried beading and I think I did something wrong! LOL! I need to search for some instructions on adding bugle beads...

Well, when I am done I'll make a pillow out of it. I have some great red pom-pom trim I'd like to add to the edge of the pillow. The stitching went quick and I'd like to try some more of Meg's patterns. You know, Australia has some great stitchery designer's but Crabapple Hill is in the US. I like supporting a home based business.

Spring market is right around the corner and all the new patterns and fabrics will be released. I can't wait to see what Meg has that's new!

Redwork Alphabet

Paula Shareski over at Bobby Socks Quilt Co. has offered a free redwork alphabet over the last two years. It is so cute! I have been meaning to start this project for two years but just got around to it the other day. All 26 letters are available now with a few alternate images too.

Very easy stitching. Check it out!

http://www.bobbysocksqc.com/

B is for bathtub, bubbles, boy and bath towel!

Decorating with Tassels

I had this big finial left over from a window treatment and decided to make a tassel out of it. On the home dec blogs tassels are a big thing. I know why...they are fun to make!

Grab some leftover trim and a glue gun and let your imagination go wild. It's big and heavy but I love it hanging on this old floor lamp. I made the shade for the lamp too. Just some trim and a little glue. Quick projects like this are fun and a little diversion from playing in the quilt room!

2 Gallon Crock

I ordered this pattern in a kit from Primitive Gatherings. Designed by Lisa Bongean. I think she is also the designer of the Primitive Garden BOM I'm working on. This is wool applique on brushed cotton. The pattern is for a wall hanging but I think I'll make a pillow instead.

I used buttons for the stars that I was supposed to stitch, it was easier and I love embellishing with buttons. I'm almost through, just need to put the veins in the leaves. It turned out so cute!

From the moment I saw this pattern I loved it! Then one day I was in the kitchen and looked over the refridgerator. LOL! Now I know why I love the pattern so much! I've had this arrangement on top of the fridge in every house we have lived in since the 80's. Oh, don't mind the dust, when we repaint the kitchen I'll get to it!

Primitive Garden BOM

Happy Mother's Day!

I finished the second block of Primitive Garden BOM. I am really enjoying working with the wool. Tomorrow I'll show you another wool project I have in the works!

Arlington Annual Festival of Quilts

This morning I went to Arlington to the quilt show. It is their 25th year. They had about 175 quilts and 20 vendors. As you can see I didn't find much. Two fat quarters and a bag of wooden spools. Just a few weeks ago I went to the Dallas quilt show and found plenty! It was nice just strolling around looking at the quilts today.

Keeping up with the Tootie Babies is a full time job! They are everywhere and into everything! I can't even catch them for a picture!

Emily is talking up a storm. She thinks she is "toot" (cute). We think so too!

Sarah can't be still for one minute. Remember in the movie Forrest Gump when he said, everywhere he went from that moment on he was RUNNING? Well, that's Sarah! That girl has places to be right now!

My babies are getting so big! Nineteen months, oh my gosh, that means the terrible twos are soon to arrive...