Back to Quilting

Just realized I never posted the finished Plus quilts.  They are sooo cute!  When I made these I was a little bored and just needed a quilting project.  It is always good to have some baby sized quilts on hand for gifts and donations. I love that I didn't purchase a thing to make these.  All from material I had in my stash.

And of course, I had to dress the 'twins' in them....

Recently, I purchased a rug for our bedroom.  It was kind of an impulse buy.  While the hubby was gone, I was really focused on doing some decorating. I mean, when he is gone, I don't have to ask!  I love the rug but it throws a kink in my quilt decorating, just because I love to change out the quilts in our bedroom, often.  The mostly white one looked ok with it.

 But I kept thinking I needed to make something with these colors.  I picked some random pieces of fabrics, that mostly didn't work, then I bought a civil war reproduction fat quarter and picked some out of it to use.

The resulting quilt is...well, not my favorite.  I like the pattern but it is too busy really to actually go with the rug.  The pattern is Cathedral by Lella Boutique.

 I guess it doesn't look awful folded up at the end of the bed, but then again, not great either. Actually the mostly white looks best to me.  Jim really liked it and asked if it could be his.  Ha, of course, you can have it.

So now, I get to try again.  Not a bad problem for someone who loves to make quilts.  I'm thinking of making a more classic blue and white quilt.  I've even designed a pattern with a lot of white and some little 9 patch blocks of blue. I might end up submitting it so I can't show it yet.  I've only made one test block.

Often I like to think of my grandchildren or great grandchildren one day reading my blog books.
 So, here ya go, kids, this is some of what we cooked and ate in the year 2020.

I've been making some sourdough pizza crusts and they are the best, but tonight I decided to top that yummy crust with a pineapple and ham pizza.  Jim likes to get these when we go to the local Gondolier. I make my own pizza sauce, which is super easy.  Topped with some leftover ham, some cut up canned pineapple chunks, cheddar and mozzarella it was delicious. Yum.

I'm trying to do better at documenting my reading.  I am reading all the time using the Overdrive app for library borrowed audio books, and using my Audible subscription.  I love to read this way.  I can read while I cook, clean, sew, run, and drive to and from work.

One of the more interesting books read lately was The Disappearing Spoon.  It popped up on the Overdrive app.  And at the time I was getting ready to run and didn't have anything so I borrowed it.  It is really an interesting read about the periodic table of elements -- who discovered them, when, and
  some stories about what they do, stories about their
discoverers, what they can be used for, etc.

I admit, a lot was over my head, the non-chemist, that I am, but I still found it very, very interesting.

Of course, I am definitely a life-long learner and truly
enjoy reading about all kinds of things.

Lately, I've also enjoyed a couple of books based in World War II era.  One was A Gentleman In Moscow, and the other was The Nightengale.  Both, really, really good.

I am going to try to do a recap of my reading at the end of this year.  Another thing my great grandchildren might be interested in 40 years from now.

And that pushes me to print my blog in book form every couple of years.

Rod Rack and Picture Ledges

A couple of other projects I've done while the hubs is gone......got his rod rack hung...

And made these little picture ledges.  Super easy using two 1x3 boards and one 1x2 board, nailed and glues together then screwed into the wall at the studs.

Faux Printmaker's Cabinet

When the hubby goes on his fishing trips, I do projects.  Sometimes, big projects.  I drive him nuts with the tools and sawdust so I plan projects around his trips.  That way, all my junk is out, and I can just close up shop when I get tired.  I ambitiously decided to make this cabinet in the two weeks he was gone.  It is finished.  First, a comparison with the inspiration piece - a $1600 Restoration Hardware piece. I used a free plan created by Ana White. You can find it on her site www.ana-whitediy.com and search for Faux Printmaker's Cabinet.

I am such a novice that I didn't know you should make sure all the 2x2's are squared up with the top/bottom/sides before continuing.  I had a small square and thought that was what I needed to check.  Sometimes it was every so slightly off, but I thought ok.  I learned 'ever so slightly off' at the join can mean an inch off at the top. Oh my.  I had the frame all built, but after building the doors and drawers, and them not fitting correctly, I realized I had to do something different.  I adjusted and adjusted the drawer slides to make them work.  I rebuilt two of the drawers and made sure they were square.  But before you think I'm 'so talented' check out the back - ha!

 When your center supports are crooked you get to shim up the sides of the drawer slides, or the drawers pull out crooked. And here you see another mistake. I had to cut this drawer down, hence the half pocket holes.

 This one is pretty messy, but it worked!  Obviously, I am not a perfectionist.  My motto has always been finished is better than perfect. The piece has no back, of which I am glad. Easier to get to, to adjust the drawers, and I'm still thinking of how I could take it down to those supports to make them straight, but then I'd have to remove all the rigging I did....goodness.  It was a job trying to experiment my way to making it work.

But, when it was all said and done. I do love it. This drawer turned out well.

 I had to get two different kinds of hinges before settling on one that would be completely concealed. Then I had to practice mounting them by screwing them in spare boards and playing with them.

 I used Varathane Special Walnut stain then went over it with Weathered Oak to tone down the red some.

 I originally bought the cup pulls like the inspiration piece, but realizing they would have to be screwed in from the inside with a countersink bit, I changed to these little vintage ones. I love them and think they really make the piece special.  Easy to install and cheap at only about $20 for all of them.

 I tea stained card stock which was printed with numbers in the typewriter font.

So there you have it, not perfect, but something I learned so much from, and am glad I attempted it. And it looks great in our room.