The Nest

1. Fill up my lovely address file
2. Refinish the coffee table
3. Find the perfect old or new china cabinet/pantry for the kitchen (looking..)
4. Find the perfect old or new chairs for the living room
5. Find the perfect old or new side table for the living room
6. Get floor lamps for the living room (got one!)
7. Fill the couch with awesome pillows (made two!)
8. Tame the fabric scrap basket (done!)
9. Plant a succulent
10. Update the bathroom accessories (in progress!)


Part of the 2011 in Lists Project

Hidden in plain sight

Behold, my new fabric storage system. Yes, I finally abandoned my mismatched collection of make-do plastic drawers and tubs in favor of a more elegant solution, the Granemo cabinet. Say what you will about IKEA, I have had nothing but the best of luck with the pieces I've purchased. Tory brought this particular lovely to my attention a year or so ago, but I convinced myself that it was too big and I would never need that much space. It turns out that not only can you never be too rich or too thin, you can also never have too much shelf space for fabric.

I was so inspired by the fresh look of my former sewing room, soon to be our sewing/music room (once we hang someone's Springsteen portrait), that I spent a couple of hours arranging my fabric by color. It was a revealing process; I had no idea how much I favor red and blue. And I've always thought I loved purple but I have fewer than six pieces of fabric from the violet end of the color spectrum. I feel like I should have learned something about myself from this process, but it hasn't come to me yet.

As an unexpected bonus, to get the cabinet through the door to the room we had to move the futon that was previously on the wall now occupied by the cabinet and it completely opened up the room. It feels twice as big and is so much prettier, I could stay down there all day. In fact, I just finished a couple of patchwork pillows that I'll show as soon as I manage to photograph them and have an Easy Lap Quilt waiting to be quilted with my new walking foot (there has been much shopping, but that's a whole other story).

The observant among you will notice that I hung one of the cabinet doors upside down. Although it is perfectly functional, it is driving me crazy and I see a return trip to IKEA in my future for some additional hardware so that I can fix it. So close, and yet, so far...

Found: Small Spaces

Remember my, almost embarrassing, rant about an unnamed magazine’s definition of small spaces? My voice was heard! In three consecutive issues their small space section has contained homes no larger than 1,100 square feet.

The first month I thought was a fluke but a really lovely fluke. I really connected with this space. It prominently featured my favorite color (green) and style (small spaces that combine new, mid-century modern, and repurposed items to create a comfortable, lived in feel).

I just love the desk area featured above. Shutters were repurposed into a great bulletin board. (Reminds me of my shutter repurposing project.) An old tool box serves as a mobile mail center. The open legs on the desk keep this small area feeling open. It shows that you don't need a dedicated room to create a great office space.

The next two months' homes were just as lovely. While the overall homes didn't strike me as much as the home above there were some great ideas I will file away. Both homes used unexpected pieces for kitchen islands. The lighting fixtures throughout both were just fanstastic. And one of the homes had the best conversion of a cabinet into a sink for use in the master bath. The sink bowl used on the cabinet reminds me of a small farmhouse style sink.

I realize that magazine features are often shot a year in advance. Therefore, the likelihood that my post had anything to do with this fantastic turnabout is small. Nonetheless I like to think I've made a contribution to the preservation of the small space.

Under the sea

(image from Starlit Nest)

My last Heather Ross purchase hadn't even arrived when I discovered she has another line due out in May. Mermaids, seahorses and octopi, oh my! The timing couldn't be better as Miss H., the six year-old daughter of one of my dear friends, has requested an under-the-sea room make over. Who can resist such a request?

With some wall decals like these

or these whimsical ones that I found on Etsy. I can't wait for our first consultation with Miss H. to see what she thinks. Oh, I hope she wants to make a shell mirror frame too.

Lamp Revamp

Remember the lamp shade mock-ups from (gasp) two months ago? At long last the finished product is revealed.

I decided to go with the grograin ribbons. Although I liked the band of Joel fabric I'm reserving that for another use that's nibbling at the back of my mind. I attached the ribbons to the shade using craft bond, a truly indispensable craft supply. No shades to embellish? Well, you'll love it if you're making covered buttons. Craft bond provides that extra hand you always wish you had when trying to get fabric neatly around that little metal dome.

Am I happy with the result? For now. I'm feeling the itch to do a bit of re-decorating in the living room. The big project brewing involves a wall, paint, and lots and lots of tape. I'm still trying to figure out the logistics of that one. I do know one thing....it would make a fantastic before and after if I can pull it off.

You're kidding, right?

I am a junkie, an interior design magazine junkie. I can't get enough of them. Within an hour of their removal from my mailbox I've devoured them. Some months are so bad I have to go out and buy additional magazines. I really hate those double month issues with a single month's content. There are plenty of gorgeous interiors just waiting to be photographed. I'm sure publishers could fill all twelve months of the year without breaking a sweat. But, I digress.

I really love articles featuring home owners who have made a personal stamp on their interiors by mixing the lowest end flea market finds with the highest end "to the trade" items. A glimpse into these interiors and you get a feeling you know who these people are. Now if that interior happens to be a small space, as mine is, the article will be poured over again and again for inspiration.

So I was quite excited to see this section in the March issue of a magazine:

And then my excitement was replaced with disbelief as I read the brief description of the article.

When exactly did 2,500 square feet become a small space? Nearly 4 of my condo could fit in a space that, dare I say, large. I must say the space was beautifully decorated and filled with the homeowners' character which I loved. I can also appreciate the need to downsize. However, I find the shifting definition of what is small a bit alarming.

Editors, please bring back the small spaces in your features. I'm even willing to compromise and call it anything less than 1,500 square feet. I have a love for all interior design work as evidenced by my insatiable magazine appetite. However, what I miss are the occasional articles featuring these small space design masters. They are truly inspirational.

Project Runner

My partner, normally very supportive of my crafting adventures, became a bit irritated that the big piece of patchwork I'd put together for the big dot pillows was destined to be cut up. It seems he thought it was to become a runner for our kitchen table. I can see how he became a bit confused. While still a work in progress the newly pieced fabric did indeed live on the table for an extended period of time while craft fair projects were in the works. Honestly, the table did need something more than our pot of rosemary to perk it up. With plenty more fabric scraps used in the big dot pillows I knew I could whip up a runner.

I wanted the patchwork to be the border so I just needed to figure out the measurements for the top piece and backing. With that done I set about making an enourmous strip of patchwork double the width of the intended borders. Once finished I cut the patchwork into strips for the sides and ends and attached to my center panel. I lined the runner with flannel for a bit of weight and backed with a cotton.

I'm quite pleased with the results and so is the dudely. He does find it odd that I'd place the runner between us at the table. However, that is purely practical. It means we have to fling the food farther to stain the runner. And believe me that is important with him at the table. He once flung lobster onto the back of my cream couch.

Ready for the weekend

Not much crafting has been going on chez moi this week. Lots of planning, some organizing of materials and on-line fabric shopping but no actual completed project. Well, that's not entirely true; I did finish up a Stitchette that I started embroidering over a year ago. I had grand plans to make a Stitchette quilt a la Don't Call Me Becky for my niece but at the rate I'm going she's likely to receive it for her high school graduation. I'm sure it will look great in her dorm room.

I recently bought a new table for my sewing machine from IKEA. Technically it's a dining room table, but it doesn't take up much space and, when expanded, it has quite a large working area. Versatile and much more stylish than many of the "sewing tables" I've seen around. The bench is from my vintage Singer cabinet. It used to have a hideous brown vinyl seat that would stick to my legs in the summer but I recently recovered it with fabric. It's very comfortable, I hope I have it forever.

Our weekend plans involve lots of sandpaper, paint and a little sewing. Hopefully we're getting closer to an "after" photo of the condo kitchen. Enjoy your weekends!

Pillow Talk

It was woman versus machine. At times it seemed that machine would triumph but with enough cursing woman finally prevailed to finish the big dot pillows!

The pattern was easy as can be: make a big piece of patchwork, cut it into circles, attach to pillow tops with Therm O Web, zig-zag around circles....And this is where things came to a screeching halt. My Singer refused to do a zig-zag stitch. It was as if she knew I was thinking of retiring her. I begged and pleaded with her to just finish stitching these eight circles and we'd go back to a straight stitch to finish the pillows. For several hours I struggled with getting the stitching done. In that time the pleading became cursing with a detour straight into threats of launching her out of our top floor window. My stubborness finally wore her down and with fantastic results.


I did make a few changes to the pattern. My pillows are 24" square with four 7.5" circles rather than 28" square with nine 8" circles. I also put my circles on at a bit of an angle. Hardly groundbreaking, I know, but I like the result. For extra cozy softness I also added a layer of flannel facing.

As fairy tales always teach us...good does triumph over evil. In this case good also adds a nice punch of graphic color to the couch, just what it needed.

Paint, paint and more paint

Holy moly, what a weekend. H and I spent the entire three days working on getting his bachelor condo into selling shape. Given the sad state of the market we didn't want to invest a lot of cash but something had to be done. The kitchen is the real problem. H has been in deep denial about it; to him it's a rustic kitchen from a mountain lodge and he just doesn't get why anyone might think it was somewhat lacking. The transformation is not yet complete so no after photos, but here is a peek at it in an undeniable state of before:



See what I mean? Ugly beyond belief. And that brick is cemented to the wall. I toyed with removing it, but we don't have time to deal with the consequences if it destroys the wall. Instead, both the brick and the cupboards have received two coats of heavy-duty primer and two coats of semi-gloss in Country Stove White. One more coat on the cupboards and they will be done. We picked out new white appliances at the Sears outlet store that will be delivered next week. Some brushed nickel hardware for the cupboards and stainless steel outlet covers and I think we will have brought it forward in time at least 30 years.

The rest of the condo is fine, it just needs new carpet and a little paint. After seeing the amazing paint effects happening at Ubercrafty, I am tempted to do something fun but will probably cave to our realtor's wishes instead. Oh, and my new lounge pants? Perfect for painting.

You Be The Judge

This is my very boring lampshade on my very cool lamp base. It needs help.

With two widths of green grosgrain ribbon and a handful of paperclips I’ve done two mockups of how the lampshade might look. The one on the left is a simple arrangement of thin zigzags with the top and bottom of the shade finished with the wider ribbon. The one on the right is a random arrangement of horizontal stripes using both ribbon widths.

Finally, there is the fabric option. Using a favorite Joel Dewberry print, Sunburst, in what has oddly become a favorite color, pink, I’ve simply banded the middle.

Now for the hard part, making a decision. To put it all in context the lamp sits on a table behind my cream colored couch that will soon wear my big dot pillows. Which option would you choose?

Simple Centerpiece

My coffee table needed a little dressing up for the Christmas season so dress it up I did. It started off with what should have been a quick runner. How hard is it to cut a giant, skinny rectangle and sew some seams? Well, that day it was hard. For whatever reason I had decided to buy yards and yards of a cranberry colored faux velvet at Joann's several Christmases ago during a 75% off blitz. (Oh, wait...75% off...there's the reason.) I started by hacking off a section long enough for my coffee table. From there I just had to move on to more precise cutting. Folding multiple layers of a long piece of fabric to fit my cutting mat never works. It ended up being more narrow at places in the middle even though I'd very carefully lined everything up. It really looked as if I'd had too much Christmas cheer prior to attempting the cutting. On this rare occasion I tossed perfection aside. I trimmed a bit and hemmed a lot and threw it on the coffee table. It worked. Step one down.

Now for the centerpiece, a very simple layering of items from around the house. I started with a silver tray. Since it's the holidays I decided to dust and polish mine but that step is really optional. I then added a trifle bowl lined with left over pieces from cedar boughs and dropped in a potted poinsettia. To top it all off I added ornaments that were leftover from the tree decorating. Easy and elegant!

A Pink Christmas

Christmas decorating always began the day after Thanksgiving in my family. (If my mom could possibly wait that long, that is.) I've carried on that tradition in my own home as well. I love the cozy feel of the sparkling lights and glass ornaments with Christmas carols playing in the background. Then there is all the gift wrapping in perfectly coordinated papers and ribbons. The beautiful mound of presents under the tree is part of my incentive to have shopping and creating done as early as possible.

So with much excitement we set up our Christmas tree....and I hated it. I was in crisis mode. I quickly called mom who is trained for such catastrophes. "Lie down on the couch," she said, "and tell me what's wrong with what you're seeing." The problem is that it just looked so fake. Charlie Brown probably would have rejected it. After talking me down from the ledge she suggested I put on the ornaments that I truly loved and fill in the rest with some new finds. Perfect advice.

For some reason whenever I thought about Christmas this year pink was popping into my head. Pink was the perfect twist to add to my tree, a wonderful complement to my favorite wine and cream colored ornaments. Throw in some gold for sparkle and it just might work. So out I went to scoop up some pink and gold ornaments. I also added in some gold glittered initials, some ribbon in a cream and gold harlequin pattern, and a clearance rack throw turned tree skirt. Now I am in love!

Big Dots

I do believe it is the season of the polka dot at Funky & Delightful. Elise has chosen to wear hers. Soon my couch will be donning dots of its own. I have slowly been piecing together strips of fabric to make Amy Butler's Big Dot Pillow featured on the cover of her book In Stitches. Not a single piece of new fabric was purchased. I made use of my overflowing scrap basket, using fabric found in various projects around my home. Featured are fabrics that have dressed my windows, made flea market chairs fabulous once again, covered tables, skirted my bed, and provided protection for messy cooks. I plan to make some changes to Amy's pattern. My pillows will be slightly smaller, just 24" square rather than 28" square. Her local shops must carry a better selection of pillow forms than mine do. I'm also thinking of using four patchwork dots per pillow instead of the nine she used. Who knows? Perhaps I'll go a little crazy and have five dots on one pillow and four on another.

Instant Entry

Home is a 642 square foot, 2 bedroom condo. I've packed a lot of functionality into that space. Helping me do that is a $4 wooden shutter complete with chipped and peeling green paint. With the addition of several S hooks it has become command central in our "entry". It holds our keys and sunglasses for quick dashes out the door in the morning. It also provides neat and convenient display space for the cards we get.

Just below the shutter sits a basket now awaiting its yearly fill of assorted mittens, gloves, scarves, and hats. I'm currently in denial winter is imminent. Therefore, this task will wait as long as possible perhaps until December. On the adjacent wall hangs 3 giant double hooks. This is the perfect amount of space to have an assortment of coats and bags at the ready.

The key to living in a smaller space is keeping the necessities from appearing to be clutter. Thankfully flea markets, consignment shops, and thrift stores provide an ever changing array of possibilites to do this in a funky and delightful way. Keep your eyes open. Nothing has to remain as it first appears.