Jingle Bell Tassels

I enjoy a few tassels around. Most tassels are a little fancy. I made some last year using old glass door knobs for the top.

A few look good juxtaposed against my more primitive decor. Last night I was hanging some jingle bell garlands that I made, and had an idea for a bell tassel using a few left over bells.

First I cut a fringe from a scrap of black wool and some homespun cotton.

I tied the bells with some knit cord, and stained the candle cup.

I threaded a loop of cord through the hole in the bottom of the candle cup for hanging. Then placed the grouped end of cording on the fabric and rolled. After placing a generous amount of hot glue in the candle cup I shoved the rolled end in and waited.......How will this look????? while the glue cooled and dried.

Finished! A Primitive jungle bell tassel.

I hope you are enjoying yourself in the hurry of the season. Much of the time we rush about, as I have been doing, and neglect to ponder or appreciate the meaning of this season. Is it a duty? What family and friends expect? I want to be joyful and share the love that God has shown me (even during some hard times) with those I love and others I cross paths with day by day and on occasion. May you experience peace this day.

Debbie

The Simple Pleasure of Hydrangeas

One of my daughters has two beautiful hydrangea bushes. When the nights turned cool, she harvested a box full of blooms and brought them over.

With a salvaged straw wreath and some hot glue, I fashioned this wreath to enjoy till we see the new blooms next season. Simple pleasures.

Cozy Little Rugs

I like to have a little project that I can just pick up and work a few moments on. So I can feel creative for a moment or two in between all the happenings of a day.

I had an idea for hooked coasters. I have hooked a little, so I thought these would be a fast project. The first one I made with lots of texture, not unifying the loops, just to see how that would look.

The next on , more unified loops and color contrast.

Perfect for protecting from heat and moisture.

Cozy little old fashioned "rugs" for glass and cup.

From Silk Scraps To Lamp Shade

I needed a lamp shade for a lamp by my work table. I had this old wire shade frame that has seen several makeovers. I wanted something different. Affordable lampshades can be so boring. What to do that would be creative and playful?

My inspiration was this bag of silk scraps. It's the bag I reach into for little applique pieces, or to make little potpourri bags. It's all those little, wonderful pieces of fabric in yummy colors. What I did was: cover the wire frame with black satin ribbon. I just wrapped it around the wire and tied it leaving a tail hanging. Then I cut strips of fabric, on the bias about 1/2 to 3/4 wide and 5'' long. I used scissors, not the rotary cutter, and cut the strips a little crooked for interest. I attached the strips with a half hitch knot to the horizontal wires.

Finished shade. It's very funky. I think I'll get a different bulb. It looks a little haphazard, yet rich with the texture of silk.

Well, that was fun, I better get back to work. Enjoy your day!

Debbie

Reclaiming the Window Molding

No way would I part with this window header and the surrounding molding when we added onto our home, turning the window into a door. This is molding from when the house was built in 1892. Old by Northwest standards. I thought about putting doorknobs on it and turning it into a coat rack or just something fun to hang things from. I never found just the right place. Finally,......inspiration struck! It would make a fine black splash for the table holding the sink in the bathroom.

So I added some new paint, and quickly put it up.

I think it would look good if I added a little stenciling to blend with the stenciling already in the room. But that will have to wait.........I loaned my favorite collection of stencils, the stencils were lost "somewhere". I am truly bummed about that. So I will add that detail later.

The mirror is off center from the table, but is centered to other features in the room. There are so many quirky, irregular features in this room that you have to look at the whole to balance everything.

I think I'm liken' it.

Her are some other views of the bathroom.

I found the decanter at goodwill and filled it with lavender and rose bath salts that I made with botanical from my yard.

I enjoy the sun and shadow effect that plays on the walls.

The sweet Amish couple I made years ago now aromatically sit on the ledge, scenting the air with their spice filled bodies and cinnamon arms and legs.

The large cast iron tub, original to the house, is perfect for relaxing and planning the day, or contemplating life's twisting turns. Things hanging from the shaker pegs need a little revamping. Another project....

I have a large old open shelving piece for storage. The old sewing drawers hold make up, clips, etc. The picnic basket holds the hair dryer and curling irons, etc. Jars and boxes add interest and hold all necessities, such as pot pourri, lotions, salts, and bath herbs.

I enjoy this old room. It hasn't changed much since first made as a very modern bathroom of that age. Time has almost stood still here. I'm glad I was able to take from one part of the house and add that part here, keeping it a part of the whole. Moving, changing, slightly, slowly, going forward, living.

Debbie

Slip Covering a Worn Chair and Wool Things

Gerry loves it. He sits in this chair everyday in the sitting nook of our kitchen. It has seen a lot of years and hard use. I think it's time for an upgrade, but he loves it, and I'm not one to go out and buy new furniture. So, the easiest thing to do it give us what we both want. He keeps his favorite chair, I get rid of the worn look. Now, I like the worn artful look in many things, but not in this chair. It's worn without the art. I had been on the lookout for some upholstery fabric on the sale table. I finally scored in Sept. when JoAnns was having 50% off the sale table. So for $3.00 per yard, I was able to make a slip cover for the chair.

I like how it turned out. not too loose, fairly snug. The colors and pattern blend well with what I already have, and add to the cozy feel of the room.

Instead of ties, I used buttons and button holes. Ties made with this fabric would be too bulky and not stay tied very tightly. Buttons hold it tightly together. I'm really pleased with the upgrade.

Some other projects I've been working on are from the book With these Hands by Maggie Bonanomi.

A table runner used at Thanksgiving.

An unfinished piece of wool draped over the back of a chair.

I changed the name in the pattern to ours and changed the date, to the date when our house was built.
A small pin cushion, in remembrance, "from me, to thee". I'm really enjoying this book. The style goes with the primitive nature of our home. It is inspiring me to do more work with wool. As I've said before, wool is so flexible and forgiving. I love working with it. These designs are classic, simple, quick and easy to do.

Inspired

The other day I was reading The Pleasures of Homemaking blog spot. Manuela had made a tassel using a bird shaped pepper shaker at the top of the tassle. It was done in black and white. Her tassel was so darling and simple. I really like tassels. They are a nice contrast to the many primitive things I have. I thought, "I can do that". So I rummaged around, thinking I had a pepper shaker I could use.........no. Well, I had to do a few errands, I could stop at the thrift store and find something. I saw a couple of nice shakers, but the holes were off center, so it wouldn't hang straight. Mm mm.
I really wanted to make a tassel. When I got back home I thought, "I'll look for an alternative". Rummage, rummage........not finding anything. I know, I know, I could have made a plain tassel, with some beads on top. But that would not satisfy this time. Mm mm..........What to do?????
I was looking through some boxes of "stuff". You know, the stuff you are saving for the "perfect" project. Not seeing anything. I was starting to get bummed. At this point I just sat back, and let my gaze wander around, not really looking at anything specific, Just letting my eye look and communicate with my brain without my consciousness getting in the way. Have you ever done that?
Suddenly, something sparkling caught my eye, and communicated with my brain "that's it". What , what??? Oh, a glass doorknob. A newer one that I wouldn't be using in restoration on the house. I had it sitting out, knowing it would be just right for some project, sometime.
Out came the glue gun, out came the fringe and ribbon. As soon as the glue was hot, I applied it to the base of the knob and wrapped the fringe around it about three times. Wrapping the fringe around the fat knob makes the tassel look plumper, like it's a fat tassel, without using so much fringe. Then I added some bead trim, and topped that with ribbon. Then I glued a ribbon loop to the top of the knob.
Oh! There were two knobs......so I did it again.Twenty minuets later, I had two tassels. I really like them. They are very elegant, and will go almost anywhere. You know........Christmas is coming. I hardly want to think about it yet. I want to enjoy autumn and Thanksgiving. But I make most of our gifts, so I need to get on with it. Tassels would be a lovely gift or decoration on a box or bag. I think I need to let my eye wander and "see" what else I could use to make tassels. Thanks Manuela for the inspiration.

Wooly Projects

I love wool. I love the process, from fleece, to spinning, to weaving. When dyed, there is so much depth to the color. Each part of the fiber "takes" the dye differently. As a fabric, it is soft, yet firm, stable, yet giving. So when I thought of a new table runner for fall, I knew I wanted to make it from washed, overdyed wool, to capture to aura of the season. First, I chose some wool scraps that reflected the season's colors.
Then I cut out maple and oak leaves of different sizes and colors.
Then scattered them around.
Sewing the leaves with embroidery floss, using a straight stitch, leaving knots and tails on top.
Finishing the runner by cutting up about 6 inches and tie with an overhand knot to create a fringe. Giving it a scarf look. The fall colors and wool look good on the scrubbed pine table. It was a fun project. It turned out well and inspired me. So of course I had to do a few other things to celebrate the new season.A pumpkin pillow for the bench on the front porch. It's made from wool and repurposed cotton fabric.
I machine appliqued the pumpkins.
Then used strips of wool for tie closures at the side. The Boo pillow is all wool. The foundation is pieced from a salvaged wool jacket. and the Boo s from a salvaged wool skirt. I just top stitched the Boo on the foundation, letting the letters fray a bit.
Fun and easy. The day after I finished these the weather changed from very warm to cool. The leaves started falling. Fall is here. Celebrate!