A Quilt Like Dad's Flimsy #2 Finish

My daughter's "quilt like Dad's" flimsy is complete. My design inspiration was this pattern from Jedi Craft Girl. As of now it is 46" x 67" but should end up a tiny bit larger with the binding.

I think she will like the fabrics I chose, especially the plaid, which is from one of her Dad's old shirts.

Next is to make the backing from some Hobby Lobby flannel and a "Woolies" piece left over from my son's quilt backing. Then I will sandwich with "lofty" batting, hand-tie, and bind it. I anticipate another 2-3 days to finish. I have an extra day to work on it, because our kids will all be here the day after Christmas. I'll post photos of my kids with their quilts. Hopefully they'll be smiling - lol!

My husband gave me an early Christmas gift. I've wanted a wool pressing mat since I read reviews of one on Elm Street Quilts. I chose a different brand than the one Pattie reviewed. This one is by Glaciart and measures 19" x 26", and so far I am very pleased with it. Wool enables the iron to press more crisply and stay pressed. But I'll have to keep it covered so the kitties won't use it as a scratching pad!

I'll close with two collages - one of the "down-sized" decorations we do since we retired and one of my favorite ornaments. (Click on the photos for a closer view) I gave the remainder of our family collection of ornaments to my daughter last year.

Merry Christmas to all of you!

My DIY Guy

Before he retired last year, my husband used to talk about how he was going to "make things with wood". Now that he has organized his garage and acquired new table saws, he is ready for projects, and I came up with a few ideas to help him fulfill his carpentry dream. Here are some of the things he has made in recent weeks.

He made a holder for my acrylic rulers

He fashioned a large rustic bird-feeder to make feeding easier for the growing population of cardinals, blue jays, robins, and smaller birds that frequent the other two feeders. When we first moved to this house, we rarely saw any birds, in spite of the fact our yard backs up to thick trees and a small creek.

He placed a bird bath close to the feeders and planted a crape myrtle, one of our favorite trees. Next spring I hope to fill this little garden with wildflowers and herbs. I can see all this from my sewing room.

He built this gorgeous shelf above the tub in my bathroom. He based the design on a picture I liked from this blog

BEFORE: I wanted a small island in the kitchen, so he refinished and re-purposed this buffet. The wood on it was nice, but we wanted more of a contrast with the wood of the kitchen cabinets, so he painted it dark espresso and made a new top for it (pictured below).

AFTER: Although the drawers are missing in the "before" shot, he replaced the pulls on the drawers with ceramic knobs.

He got to practice his "round-over" and sanding skills to make this nicely finished top for the island

With the island in place, we reorganized and simplified the kitchen, so it all looks less cluttered, and we are loving it. It's always fun to have a new look in your home. Now he wants more projects!