Dining room chairs

Here is a photo of my dining room "area." It's not it's own room, it's a part of our living room. Right behind me is the family room which I think was once the dining room. The woman who owned the house before we did used the family room as a TV room and we do the same. I prefer that to having a room devoted solely to the dining table which we hardly ever use, we eat in the kitchen. I'm finally getting the dining room to look the way I want it to. I posted once before about the dining room chair covers. I got the chairs from a neighbor after a yard sale. I painted them all white-again, prime dark wood when painting white!

But what I really did was finish all the skirts! Yah! I pretended I did in that last post but I had run out of white canvas fabric. I finally got some more and worked on them until they were done.

I used what I had for the top of the table.

I took the orange candles from the mantle-now I have to find something for the mantle...

I filled the glass hurricane lamps with sea glass-purchased because you can't find that much beautiful blue sea glass-and the orange candles. I added a star fish to the metal shell bowl-also purchased because we don't have big beautiful star fish here.

Here's a clean, lovely, decorated dining room!  Have a great weekend full of fun projects!  K

Springy project

As promised I told you I would tell you how I made my happy birds that I hung on some forsythia branches. I hope the branches bloom, but it may be a little soon to have cut them from outside. I try to bring some forsythia branches in each year and force the flowers. It is such a welcome to spring and it reminds me of my mother.

Here is the book I got the project from. I had seen it on some blogs and when I was setting up my list of books from our book of the month club I saw it and immediately put in in my queue. When it came it was like getting a gift. I was so excited and loved the all the projects.

(You can find this book here)

I have recently been an admirer of the Scandinavian style. I think it is how clean everything looks. All the white and the minimal look of things really resonates with me these days. Having four kids in different activities makes for alot of "stuff". I am constantly decluttering, organizing, weeding, to keep a handle on all the "stuff." Anyhoo...

I started by copying the pattern on freezer paper. I teach a sewing class at my kids elementary school and decided to make the pattern out of plastic. The pattern is easier for the kids to use if it is made out of plastic. I took a plastic container from the recycle and made the 2nd pattern.

Here it is placed on the fabric. I would actually recommend turning the fabric right sides together even before tracing. Just makes it a little easier when it comes time to sew. Trace and cut out.

Next I cut a length of ribbon - or rick-rack in my case to use as a hanger once the bird is done. I have tons of pieces of ribbon, trim, rick-rack and such and a project like this is perfect for the pieces. I adds to the charm using all the different colors.

Remeber to place the ribbon before sewing - yes I had to undo a couple of them to put the ribbon in and restich.

Next stich around using a small seam allowance and leave the tail area open.

Turn the bird right sides out - I used a chop stick for this. The tail opening is small so a bit of patience is needed for this step and for the stuffing step which is done once the bird is turned right sides out (no picture for that part but it is pretty self explainatory)

Finally, add some tail feathers and topstich the tail together pulling the sides out. This gives the bird a little dimension. Anything can be used for the tail feathers. Here we cut pieces of fabric with rick-rack. On another bird we used bits of ribbon. It would be fun with some feathers as well.

So, make a bunch of birdies, hang them up and enjoy! We are supposed to get weather in the 60's this weekend - woo-hoo! The bulbs are starting to push us and it feels a little like spring.

Have a great day! K

Snow, snow, snow...

We've had it with the snow here in Massachusetts. We got some beautiful snow again over night. It wasn't much, but... it's March!

I got some lovely photos of the snow before it warmed to the upper 30's,

rained and melted away. My lovely dried hydrangeas. I moved them from inside to get rid of them. I still like them but my family was not happy with the mess they would occasionally, okay, often make when touched - even by accident.

The bird bath undisturbed.

I love this photo of my gnome all covered in snow next to my cute little pine tree. I tried to clean the snow off his face to make him a little more "camera ready" but at that point in the day the snow was really frozen on.

So, to lighten my mood I spent the day inside sewing and decorating. I did a small craft project that I will reveal in full detail soon. ( sorry for the shadowy photo - I didn't get to it until this evening and was low on light)

Have a lovely day! K