You Go Girl!

Sewing Through the Chaos

You wouldn't think that moving one child into a new room would be that big of a deal.  But it has been.  Moving Paige from the triplet's room into the room I used as my studio has created a Mount Vesuvius of endless jobs and an eruption of messy piles throughout my house.  The process is kinda like a maze of falling dominoes...This thing can't be moved until that thing is painted. That thing can't be painted until this thing is relocated.  This thing can't be relocated until that thing is cleaned out.  That thing can't be cleaned out until...You get the picture.   Through it all, I continue to sew.  I've mostly been working on wallets for the Cora Paige Playground project.  These wallets have sold.

 

These two wallets were just listed in my You Go Girl shop yesterday.

 

Creating in the chaos reminds me of why I love to sew: 

1. It is tidy and predictable.  There are straight cuts whipped out by my rotary cutter and even stitches punched out by my sewing machine.  (It's sounds kinda violent with all that punching and whipping. It's really not, though.  It's empowering.  Tah-wan-dah!!)

2. It is orderly.  Sewing has a definite start point and a definite finish with a result you can see.  (Look!  I did that.  Me.  I finished something.  You go girl!!)

3. It is beauty.  Soft, smooth, clean, colorful fabrics mixing and matching to create a slice of loveliness.  (Excuse me for a moment while I go pet some of my fabrics.  There is therapy in this, people.)

I started seriously sewing  when the triplets were very small.  I had a five-year-old, a two year old, and three babies. Here's a visual, if you need it (December 1998).

I think I was looking for predictable, yet creative, order back then.  As you can imagine, I had to run a pretty tight ship on a set schedule, but the rule was to expect the unexpected.  And the unexpected happened often.  Believe me.  Having a space in my life that was predictable and creative was important.  Still is.  I need to create.  It calms me.

After moving a piano, relocating a computer, settling a chaise lounge into a new spot , painting walls, and sorting and moving the mountains of treasure in my studio, I am set up in my new space.  I want it to be fabitty-fab-fab shabby chic (on a budget, of course).  Right now it is mostly shabby.  I'm working on the chic part.  I'll post a picture when I'm done.  I'm so thankful that Mr. Handsome and the girls recognize how important is to me to have a space to call my own.  It's been a lot of work to carve out this space, but totally worth it.

Next up is moving Paige into her new room.  I'm a bit wary to start sorting through her piles of treasure.  Just to be safe, if I haven't posted by this time next week, send search-and-rescue under her bed to find me!

Toodles,

Cassie

Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Banana?

Everytime I see an orange, or say the word orange, I think of this knock-knock joke:

Knock-Knock!  Who's there?

Banana.    Banana who?

Banana.   Banana who?

Banana.   Banana who?

Orange.   Orange who?

Orange you glad I didn't say banana?

What can I say?  I also have knock-knock associations with cantaloupe and olive, but I will spare you the details.  Now, back to orange.  I have a thing for orange right now. 

I love these gigantar orange begonias growing in a planter on my deck.

My toenails have a fresh coat of orange polish.

My new favorite fabrics from Jona's store are the orange cuts of Farmer's Market.

   

I have a new chair to go with my chicked-out chaise.  This is a cheap ($8.00) Rubbermaid stackable chair that I did a rockin'-redo on.  I painted it with Krylon Fusion spraypaint in orange.  Then I made a chair pad using a little Ginger Blossom, a little Freshcut, and some bright orange covered buttons.

    

 

And finally, do you remember this doodle on orange linen.  It is now a spanky Glory Bag.

(Big contented sigh) Olive orange!  Get it?  Olive orange...I love orange.  I cantaloupe with orange because I'm already married (giggle, giggle).  Okay, I'll stop now.

Orange you glad I'm done?

Cassie

Chicked-Out Chaise

You've heard of a tricked-out truck, right?  How about a chicked-out chaise?  Last year my husband's parents purchased new deck furniture.  I called dibbs on their old chaise.  Ok, I didn't have to call it.  Nobody wanted it but me.  Here it is.  Ubber comfortable, but a little...um...how shall I say it?  Ugly!  Sorry, sorry, sorry.  I don't want sound venomous.  I just call it like I see it.

But, have no fear. I had a plan.  A plan that I had hatched long before the chair came to live at my house.  I used to look longingly at this amazingly comfortable chair and think, "If only she was mine..."  Well, as fortune would have it, she is mine.  Last summer, I spent many hours sanding, painting, and stitching new clothes for her.  I finished the chair just in time to put her in storage for winter.  It was so much fun to get her out this spring.  She is now sitting smartly on my deck, all chicked-out, waiting for someone to sit on her. 

Since this picture was taken, I have added a shade umbrella and a planter of flowers.  Today I am treasure hunting for a side table. Once I have a table, I can languish in the sun with a tall lemonade to sip and a plate of shortbread cookies to nibble on.  I know, I know, it's far fetched, but a girl can dream...

Wishing you long sunny afternoons and tall glasses of lemonade,

Cassie

It Seemed Simple...

It was supposed to be simple.  Fabric. Spray adhesive. Scissors.  That was the supply list...

I spied with my little eye some boxes that would work perfectly for book storage.  I was at Target.  The boxes were sitting empty in a notebook display.  I put them in my cart and asked the cashier if I could have them.  She gave me that whatever-would-you-want-those-for look, but shrugged her shoulders and said, "Sure." 

I'd anticipated covering them with fabric using a little spray adhesive.  A few tucks. A few snips. A few folds.  Simple. HAH!

The supply list looked more like this: spray adhesive, fabric, scissors, fabric glue, glue gun, glue sticks, needle, thread, fabric marker, freezer paper, and TIME.  The tricky part was deciding how to cover all the unfinished edges in a neat and tidy fashion.  I ended up covering a freezer paper template of the box side with fabric.  I then handstitched the fabric-covered template to the side of the box.  It sounds a lot more confusing than it really is.  Long story short, the unfinished edges are covered up.I am pretty satisfied with the result.

 

It took much more time and thought than I'd anticipated. I have a second book box to cover.  It's going to have to wait a while for its stylish makeover.  Other projects are calling my name.   

By the way, do you see my new book sitting right in front?  I found  Joelle Hoverson's book, Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts, at JoAnn.  I used a fifty percent off coupon. Hmmm?  A book I've been admiring...  A coupon that needed to be used....  It was meant to be. Life is good.

XOXO,

Cassie

Bits and Pieces

Here are a few more bits and pieces of my work room redo.  The blue drawers are a find from Michael's.  Not real attractive when I found them, but hey, they were only five bucks apiece.  Could I really go wrong?  After I removed the hardware (the little handles were screwed on with the cutest, little, teeny, tiny screws), I slapped on a couple coats of cream acrylic paint, a couple coats of blue paint, let it dry, did a little sanding, and sprayed on a seal coat.  Done.  In one evening, I had little drawers that were functional and fun!  This is actually two sets of drawers stacked up.

 

Next I have a picture of the valance I mentioned in my last post.  As you can see from the picture, my craft room is in the basement.  My sewing machine is right under the window.  Shelves of love are right beside the window.  Some day my middle daughter will claim this as her bedroom, but for now it is mine.  I'm not sure where I will go when she is ready to move down.  We'll cross that bridge when we get to it!  By the way, it is really hard to photograph a window.

About a year ago, we finally did a major remodel of our home after seven years of planning and saving! I am just now getting to the decorating projects that need to be done.  I agonize over every decision because it seems so permanent. I want to be in LOVE with things that are going to be around a long time.  It takes me quite a while to find just the right thing when there has to be LOVE.  Anyhoo, I seem to be finding the LOVE lately.  As a result, a lot of my current projects seem to be home dec related.  I typically sew bags, clothes, book covers and other fun stuff.  I am enjoying the change, but I might need to do a 'just for fun' project pretty soon.

Here is another one of my recent projects. Did I mention that it is hard to photograph a window?  These are the curtains I made for the girls' bedroom.  Four of my girls share a giant room.  As part of the remodel, we took out a wall between two existing rooms to make a large room for the triplets.  Paige, my middle daughter who is eventually going to steal my room, is sharing in with the triplets for now.

Finally, some lamps.  These lamp bases are from Target.  I fell in love with them. Remember, that's how I know when something is right for the house...LOVE (giggle).  I purchased inexpensive shades.  A little fabric, some spray adhesive, and viola!...custom lamp shades.

We are trying to get ready to go on a Spring Break getaway.  We will be visiting my parents.  It's hard to pack for the girls. In our neck of the woods, we are still wearing sweaters and long pants. We need to take shorts and flip-flops. I couldn't find many summer clothes from last year that still fit the girls. I've already made one trip to Old Navy, but I think I will have to go again.  Thankfully, Old Navy has summer clothes for sale. That's lucky considering we won't be wearing summer clothes here for a couple of months.  I am not a clothes shopper. This is a trying experience for me.  On the bright side,  the girls should be outfitted for summer when it gets here.  Yay!!

Four of my five daughters have a birthday the week we get back. I am trying to prepare for this, as well. It feels busy like Christmas season around here.  Easter fun, vacation plans, birthday excitement...Yeehaw!  I hope to post one more time before we go, but if not, Happy Easter, friends.

~Cassie

Shelves of Love

The ball started rolling when I decided to raise my cutting table by placing an upside down flower pot under each table leg.  The results were good for my back but unsightly to look at. I decided the table needed a skirt.  A few yards of fabric and a little time was all it took to make the table look lovely. But we all know what happens when you change one little thing in a room.  Suddenly everything needs a lift. My supply desk looked hideous, my chair looked tired, and my ironing board looked pitiful.  Not for long, though.

Supply desk before...

Supply desk after...

It's amazing what some fabric, a little spray paint, and some time can do.  My desk got an overhaul, the ironing board has a new cover (Can you see it on the right side of the 'after' picture?), there's a valance in the window, and a pink "embellishment center" on the wall that holds all my beads and baubles and what-nots. I can't forget to mention the newly stiched slipcover for my old and comfy chair.

After all these changes, Lady Laundry Basket was not cutting it as a proper home for my fabric friends.  Enter the Shelves of Love ( bells ringing, harps playing, angel's singing...).

   

These truly are Shelves of Love. Here's why:

1.I love this shelf unit.  Color. Style. Everything. What makes it special, though, is that my true love gave it to me on the day that celebrates love, Valentine's Day. 

2.The shelves are full of fabric I love. I'm not sure I have the art of fabric sorting and folding down to a science but I like it anyway.

3.I love having my fabrics in front of my eyes when I am designing.  I come up with things I never would have thought of if my fabrics were still stored in the sad little laundry basket they used to reside in.

You could say that my new shelves are Love from my love that I filled with love on the day of love. Does it get any better?