Chair and Ottoman Slips Completed

Two finished projects this week for our family room! I added the hem and ruffle to the white denim chair slipcover and today I made a slipcover for the ottoman out of muslin. The muslin is the same colour as the drop cloth pillows. Total cost: ZERO $

I love the casual pleat on the ottoman cover and the looser tuck on the hem of the chair slipcover.

The chair slipcover is not perfect but I love it (and it covers a rip!) I won a $40 gift card from a local fabric store and bought 4 metres of white denim for $10/metre. My friend gave me several yards of the muslin.


It is difficult to photograph our family room in the daytime because of all the sun from the skylights. There are lots of whites and off whites in our home, but I have lots of black and wood too. And shades of blue. I love blue! (Blue striped pillows are on the floor in this photo. Isn't that where pillows are supposed to go?!!)

Dark brown ottoman before:

Just a hint of the legs (same as the pair of chairs.) I need to get the wrinkles out and vacuum the fabric bits!

It's the long weekend here (hard to believe half my summer holiday is over!) We just got back from camping and are staying home this weekend, so hopefully I can accomplish a bit more.


I'm linking to SNS hosted by Donna at Funky Junk Interiors. Lots of fun and great ideas!

I'm also linking to Funky Junk Interiors SNS #44 Most Favourite Project Ever. Stop by for some awesome ideas all in one great spot. Thanks, Donna!

And to Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday.



Linking also to Momspiration Monday at Mom's By Heart.

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Chair and Ottoman Slips Completed

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A pretty blue scarf

Whenever we take day trips or travel I like to bring along small knitting or crochet projects.





I like to keep my hands busy and needlework is a great way for me to relax. We just returned from camping and I finished this pretty blue crocheted scarf. I like changing up my scarves on cool fall days and in the cold of winter, depending on the denim jacket, coat or vest colour I am wearing.





This scarf was crocheted with just two balls (100g / 3.5 oz) of Bernat Satin in Lagoon using a 5 mm hook and the two balls made it nice and long. I made up my own pattern as I went.




The weather was hot, the campfire hotter, but this cool blue beauty had me thinking of Fall.

I'm joining in Donna's Robin's Egg Blue SNS party at Funky Junk Interiors.












I'm sharing this with Creations by Kara, for the Look What I Made! party.
 

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A pretty blue scarf

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Linen Tablecloth to Curtains

I love the look of simple white cotton linen curtains and made some inexpensively this week.

For some time now I have wanted white curtains in the family room/kitchen end of our home. With patio doors, a large triple window and one smaller corner window we need 5 panels. That would be a lot of fabric and all the fabrics I found were expensive. {It is getting harder to find fabric stores here.} The solution: I bought 5 linen 100% cotton tablecloths, measuring 70" x 126", on clear out at HomeSense for $13 (Cdn) each. That makes each tablecloth 3.5 yards x 70 inches wide.

They have a fine simple weave and no shininess, exactly what I was looking for! The extra width gives the curtains lots of fullness. I simply cut off the excess length from one end (the other 3 sides are already hemmed), ironed a double fold bottom and sewed a new hem straight line.

I left extra length in case they shrink when I wash them but I like a bit of puddling.
My iron stopped working with 3 panels still wrinkled!  The patio panels are ironed, the family room panels are not. I'm going to borrow my sister's steamer and see if that works faster.

Most recently I had drop cloth drapes in the kitchen and blue paisley in the family room. I like them both but really wanted light, white and all 5 panels the same. 

I'm thinking of selling the little antique secretary desk between the door and window. It is a great little piece, especially for a laptop (which we don't have at this time) but I'm hoping to find something taller for that space because of the high ceiling.  

I still need to finish slipcovers for the chairs in the family room. I made a slipcover for the brown ottoman, above, using blue and tan outdoor fabric but I'm not liking it. So, hopefully later this week I will be able to finish a new white or cream ottoman slipcover. There is still lots to do, especially with the fireplace/tv wall and the computer desk area, but I'm really liking the way it is all coming together.


I'm linking my less than $4 a yard fabric for Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays @ Coastal Charm.


I'm also linking to Met Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch. Hope to see you there!
Linking up to Kim's party at Cheap Chic Home, Fabric Fun Thursday. Stop by for lots of great ideas.

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Berry Delicious!

All week I have been stopping by our local farm market looking for a flat of local strawberries and they have been sold out. 



Today the kids and I grabbed some Timmy's and stopped by just after the farm market opened. Score! Mid July is a bit late for local berries here, but the last two weeks of June are always so busy with school ending and I put it off. And off. In the blink of an eye we are well into July and facing a fall and winter without our strawberry freezer jam.



The kiddos and nieces would not be happy with that {me either!} Hubby took the boys up north to the farm for the day, and I made batches and batches of freezer jam. Fourteen small jars (250ml) and four larger jars (500ml). Then I washed up and headed to the store for more sugar. 


On the way back I picked up my 12 year old niece Heebee {nickname}. Heebee had asked to help make their supply of jam, and I wasn't turning down help! My boys and my sister's kids have baked and made jam with me since they were old enough to stand on a stool or chair at the counter. Sometimes five kids at once fighting over who's turn it is to add flour taking turns. We mashed and mixed and mixed some more. Fourteen 1 cup (250 ml) jars for my sister's family.


Happy that there is lots of strawberry freezer jam! I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I found a solid oak Mennonite made armoire on kijiji that we are going to see tomorrow. Hopefully it will be a solution to our office area in the family room. If I get it, I'll be sure to post pictures. Edited to add: That particular armoire needed too
 much attention for the price. I'll keep looking. 



I'm linking to Show and Share Day at Just a Girl. Be sure to grab a cold (or hot) drink and stop by. There are some really great links.

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Berry Delicious!

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Baking and Plans for the kitchen

I find baking to be more enjoyable than cooking and enjoy keeping my family supplied with cookies, tea biscuits and squares.


A few years ago I bought these great glass canisters to hold my baking supplies. I find it convenient to have them on the counter top but I'm hoping for an even better solution. I would like to find a narrow, tall cabinet or wire shelving unit to put between the breakfast counter/open shelves and the pie cupboard near the patio doors. The shelf could also hold baking pans, the mixer, and measuring cups. I could use a basket for special tea towels and free up limited drawer space.

You may have noticed that I stopped the new paint at the cabinets (Benjamin Moore Stone House and Cloud White.) I have plans to beadboard the backsplash (covering up the yellow) and add trim to the bulkhead above the cabinets. First I need to borrow my nephew's compressor and nail gun. It is a slow process, but I'm happy with the changes to the kitchen so far.


On the cake plate are my whole wheat tea biscuits. They taste fabulous hot out of the oven (I always try to deliver them to my sister's home still warm), and are even tasty warmed up for breakfast.



The boys and I went for a drive this afternoon to Erin, Ontario.They agreed to stop at Holtom's Bakery if I let them prowl around the Case, New Holland and Kubota tractor dealers first!
The biscuits in the photo below are from Holtom's. They are so light and airy! I would love to find a recipe for this type of tea biscuit.

Hopefully I can get motivated to start on the trim and bead board in the kitchen soon!

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Baking and Plans for the kitchen

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I'm a Design Consultation Finalist

Miss Mustard Seed, of Mustard Seed Creations has chosen my family room as one of eleven finalists in her Design Consultation. 

She needs your help to pick the one room that will get a free full design consultation.  All of the spaces would benefit from the talented eye of Marian, aka Miss Mustard Seed, which is why I responded to her offer. I chose our family room because I'm struggling with the fireplace/tv wall and the desk area. It really needs a little DIY magic around the fireplace wall especially. I didn't style for the photos, just shot them as is. These are the three photos I entered and that Miss Mustard Seed posted:




This is the other side of the room:




This is the fireplace wall that needs some architectual element and attention (and the tv nook that needs to be painted the same colour as the rest of the walls, Benjamin Moore Stone House.) The fireplace was put in by the builder, off centre with no mantel and the lovely brass surrond. Half this wall goes to 8' ceiling height, the rest to the top of the cathedral ceiling. I've got the beginnings of a plan in mind, but I would love some ideas.

I don't expect my room to be chosen, there are some really worthy entries (and people) entered, but I thought it was fun to be a finalist and whatever room Miss Mustard Seed picks will certainly benefit from her suggestions.
So join the fun and leave a comment on the post over at Miss Mustard Seed's if you get a chance.

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Repurposed for Thrifty Thursday

Layers of pots and blooms can have more impact than just a single potted plant on the patio.



Andrea, from one of my favourite blogs, Rural Revival, is hosting a Thrifty Thursday linky party. Andrea says it best:  "Do you treasure vintage items, do you like to up-cycle, are you trying to leave a softer foot print on the planet by reusing items or are you doing your best to live a more thriftful life?" Stop by her blog and join in some thrifty fun!                     
EARLY SPRING



I chose to share this wood stand I picked up from a neighbours garage sale. She said it was originally used for forming and slicing cheese. I originally bought it for inside but I had trouble finding a spot for it. While working on adding some touches to the patio area, I decided to bring it outdoors. Now it is the perfect perch for some pots of ivy and wave petunias. I love the rustic touch it adds to this area of the patio.    

NOW

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