Hopeful Homemaker

Kitchen Windows

September 8, 2011 jennifer Decorating

I realized when I posted about my new kitchen sign that I’d never taken pictures of the valances I made for my kitchen windows this summer. I previously had vintage white linen in the windows but wanted some pattern in the room. I found a Robert Allen print that I liked and went with that.

I like the way it brings a few more shades of blue into the room as well as a touch of green and yellow.

I also picked up a mirror on clearance, painted it white, and hung it between the two windows in the eating area. A simple project that adds beauty to my kitchen.

HH

3 comments Decorating

Baby Boy Blues Quilt

September 7, 2011 jennifer Quilting and Sewing

I started this quilt months ago. It’s done in kona cotton solids from the poisedon fat quarter pack I purchased to make this quilt and then this q uilt . I had a few pieces left over so I added some white and put it together. Three quilts from one fat quarter pack is pretty good! Then I got my heart set on a metro living circles border in charcoal, but didn’t have enough fabric and it was on backorder everywhere. So it hung in my closet for a while.

I quilted it over the weekend, opting to do a very simple pattern on either side of the seams in the center of the quilt. I’m very happy with it.

The backing I pieced using more of the circles and a scrap from the back of the 2nd water and sky quilt.

I also like how the quilting looks from the back of the quilt:

For the binding I used a solid green from my stash. I honestly have no idea what color it is or where it came from, I’ve had it for so long. I think the solid green around the edges is the perfect finish for this quilt.

I continue to get better at the machine binding technique. I do prefer finishing the binding by hand but time constraints and elbow pain have made this option a very practical one for me at this stage in time. I think it looks nice.

I’m delivering it today to my friend who is a wonderful young mother. I really hope she likes it.

It’s one of my favorite baby boy quilts I’ve made. Solids are a lot of fun to work with. I love these blues.

Hopeful Homemaker

2 comments quilting

Vintage Dresser Painted

September 6, 2011 jennifer Decorating

I scored this old dresser for $15 at a yard sale in Denver early in the summer and it took me a while to rehabilitate it enough that it could be used. Now it’s done, and I’m so pleased with it.

I realized after it was home that it had a strong musty smell so I stored it in the garage for a couple of months where it could get some afternoon sun every day. I also sprayed some bleach water on the inside of it to try to kill the smell. I scrubbed the paint but couldn’t get it to look clean enough so painting was necessary. I chose a dark, cool gray color and went to work.

I love the detail on this dresser! It looks as beautiful in gray as it did in aqua. I got all the work done and then was stuck on the last part: fixing the bottom drawer. I wanted to ask my husband for help several times but my pride prevented me from asking him to lift a finger on this project. He was opposed to my buying it in the first place so I had to do it myself. The bottom of the drawer was missing and had been repaired once in such a way that I couldn’t take it apart again to add a new bottom so I had to get creative. My handy extended family would probably be disgusted with me, but I did it and it’s now functional.

The piece was missing one of the drawer knobs so I found a similar pair of knobs to use on the top drawer. I think they look very natural with the other hardware and don’t take away at all from be beauty of the old brass hardware which I put back on the other four drawers. I know that brass is coming back and in general I’m still completely opposed to that, but I do think this hardware is gorgeous.

I put the dresser in my studio and my quilting fabric is now stored in it. The piece I was using previously was white, so having the dark color in that spot does change the feel of the room just a bit. There is a lot of natural light in there though, so it works. The white piece went to my son’s room and I’m the lucky one that gets to look at this beautiful dresser full of vintage charm and character!

Hooray for a finished project!

Jennifer P.S. Want to read about me and the color purple? Head over here for my confessions!