Quilt Update, Part Three

OK, the end of September is approaching, and I'm not finished with the quilt yet.

Gasp!

But, the top is finished and I've assembled the layers.  I'm ready to start quilting.

Want a peek?

And tonight I quilted all the vertical lines!  All new projects are on hold until I have the quilting finished!!  That should motivate me to finish quickly.

Whole-hearted THANK YOU to all the kind people who donated fabric.  I'm happily taking down the donation button tonight.

Spool Table Love

I have a thing for spool tables.  They pack so much stylish punch into a tiny space.

I found my new spool table at my favorite thrift store.  Only it looked like this when I found it.

I was smitten at first glance.  Oh the curves and the delicate etching on the table top.  And it's only $8.

Nevermind the repulsed looks of other customers as I haul it to the cash register.  People, can't you see POTENTIAL?

It rolled around in the back of my car for two weeks while I tried to decide what color to paint it.  Go for a modern white?  A funky green?  Then I saw this spool table in Crate and Barrel. 

The price? $229!

Source

But I was sold on the color.  I gave my $8 tarnished table a good rubbing with 0000 steel wool and a couple of coats of oil rubbed bronze spray paint.

Isn't she a beauty now?

Mary Carol Garrity House Tour

Last weekend I drove to Atchison, Kansas, home of Mary Carol Garrity, founder of Nell Hill's.  It was her open house weekend, and I had to see her home for myself.

I was surprised to see that she lives on a typical street, the kind you see in the "historical" district of most Kansas towns.  In other words, some houses were large and well kept and mixed in were small, tidy bungalows.  And then there were the houses that probably fell from grace 40 years ago.  I think I saw a sofa on someone's front porch. 

Yes, it was that kind of historical neighborhood.

But Mary Carol's home was the grandest on the block.

The inside of the home was decorated for Christmas and the outside was decorated for autumn.

I've read in her books that when she's having a party, she has drinks ready just inside the front door.  It gets the party started and the tray stand blocks off access to the upper floor at the same time.  Pretty clever!

She literally covers her walls with art work. I love the line of prints above the door.

Everyone was ooing over the dining room table. The walls are a deep midnight blue, which is striking against all the magnificent trimwork in the room. I'm sure a setting like this would be magical during an evening dinner party.

I loved the breakfast nook.  I suspect it was a converted butler's pantry.  I love the built-in cabinet!

By the way, the kitchen was charming, but TINY.

Let's go outside!

She used a lot of orange for her autumn theme, but it didn't scream AUTUMN since it was paired with bold colors.

She's big on lanterns right now.  They were EVERYWHERE in both of her stores, Nell Hill's and Garrity's.  I thought the flowers and urns were a nice departure from the usual candles, especially during the day.

There was a lot of statuary scattered throughout the garden, filled with pumpkins, moss, and pinecones.

I've read on her blog that she doesn't have much of a green thumb and has alluded to having a gardener to tend the outdoor spaces.

With two stores in Atchison and one in Kansas City to keep her busy, I understand!

If you are ever northeast Kansas or Kansas City, visit one of her stores.  They are a delight and the prices are very reasonable for small home decor items.  Mary Carol often in her stores, so look for her and tell her hello!

If you pin, please be sure to give Mary Carol credit for her work.

Chair Migration

I looked at a house a few weeks ago that had a sitting room off the master bedroom that knocked my socks off.  Fireplace.  Built-in shelving.  Huge window.  Sigh!  I love the the idea of a quiet little seating area in the master suite, but ultimately they are probably just eye candy.  If I had a seating room, I'd probably use the space to sort the dirty laundry.

But I'd still think a master bedroom needs a pretty corner.  Since our dining room set came with more chairs than we usually need 363 days a year, I had moved one of the extra dining room chairs into the bedroom.  And it look liked I plopped a dining room chair into the bedroom.

The standard white seat was a dead giveaway that it was a dining chair.  I didn't want to re-cover the seat since it matches the rest of the set downstairs, so I made a seat cover using Miss Mustard Seed's tutorial, added a pillow and a chunky woven afghan and now that dining room chair is looking pretty.

I didn't see the point in re-writing Miss Mustard Seed's tutorial.  If you want to see how to make a slip cover, just go to her.  She's fantastic.  I did modify it by skipping the piping and the ribbons since I wanted a more tailored look. 

TIP:  She doesn't tell you to do this, but baste the ruffle in place before you begin sewing so you can check the fit and make adjustments to the pleats.  I hate basting.  I don't have the patience for it.  But for a good fit for a pleated seat slip cover, it is worth your time to baste, baby, baste.

Details about the woven throw, the pillow and the table to follow!

Linking up at...

Savvy Southern Style

Handy Man, Crafty Woman

The Shabby Creek Cottage

Miss Mustard Seed

Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

At the Picket Fence

The Shabby Nest

Funky Junk Interiors

Under the Table and Dreaming

Blue Glass

Remember that garage sale where I found the little library table?  I found a fantastic thick blue glass container at the same sale.

Most of the shoppers were digging through the stuff scattered in boxes on the ground.  This beauty was setting on the top of a bookcase.

It had to be mine.  No point in haggling, I was going to just pay the asking price.  I really blew the budget on this one...

I paid only 75 cents.