He is Risen

I made these small wooden "He is Risen" decorations as a couple of Easter gifts.  I used 1x4 pine boards.  Each phrase is made from one piece of wood with cut outs for the different areas of the letters, making sure that each letter is still connected to the next.   I painted the wood a light green and then decoupaged purple, green, and yellow papers to the faces of each letter.  A purple pansy with a yellow button center makes the "I".

Easter Words

I have very few Easter decorations. I have boxes and boxes of items for the Autumn and Christmas seasons, but I have very little for Easter.   To add a couple things to my very small Easter box this year, I cut out wooden letters to spell Faith and He is Risen.

Like my previous MOs, I stained the backs and sides of each with a walnut stain.  Then, I decoupaged scrapbooking papers to the letter faces.  Finally, I added glitter, ribbons, flowers, etc. 

Burlap Flower Pots

At the same Relief Society Activity that I made the lemon curd tarts, Helen, one of the other women in the planning committee, made these gorgeous table centerpieces.  She planted these cute spring flowers in basic terra cotta pots. Then she simply wrapped them in burlap.   I think the burlap adds such a charming cottage garden feel.  Love it!

Mini Lemon Curd Tarts

I took a blogging vacation. But, now I am back and ready to post some of the various things I've worked on this past month.
Why did I take a vacation you might ask?  Well, I was starting to feel like blogging was taking over my life and that my family was suffering for it.  It was time to take a step back.  Was I planning on taking such a large break?  Nope.  It was only going to be for a few days, but once I got a few days behind, the thought of trying to catch up on posts was extremely overwhelming.  So, I just kept putting it off, figuratively watching those posts pile up on my to-do list.  As the pile got larger,  I would find more things to do as an avoidance mechanism instead of just tackling the posting project.   So, tonight I am beginning the lengthy task of catching up.

I tackled these delicious treats for a Relief Society Activity (the women's organization of my church).

Mini Lemon Curd Tarts

Tart Shell Ingredients:

6 c flour

2 c butter, softened

8 tbsp brown sugar

4 eggs

1. Heat the oven to 400*.  

2. Mix ingredients together to form dough. 

3. Chill for 15 minutes. 

4. Take 1 inch balls and press 1 into each cup of a mini muffin tin with a mini tart shaper. 

5. Bake 8 minutes.  Cool for 1-2 minutes, then take each tart out of the pan to cool.

Makes about 96 tart shells

Next, I filled each of these shells with a delicious Lemon Curd.

Lemon Curd Ingredients

1 tsp lemon zest

• 6 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 c butter
• 
  
• 1. Grate 1/2 teaspoon lemon peel; set aside. 
• 2. In saucepan combine well-beaten eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and butter. 
• 3. Cook and stir over medium heat until it starts to bubble, will thicken, about 15 minutes
• 4. Remove from heat; stir in lemon peel. Chill.  
• 5. Spoon a rounded teaspoonful of filling into each shell.

Top with fresh whipped cream, blueberries and powdered sugar or any other garnish as desired. 

My kids loved these; they couldn't get enough. And they were a hit at the activity. 

Friday Fashions #13, FLOP!

TOTAL FLOP of a project today.  

I am rather bummed and totally ready to pack it up for now.  

Last night after I finished up some other projects, I was going through my fabric stacks and had absolutely no inspiration.  NONE.  I would pick up a piece and think about which one I had purchased the fabric for in the first place.  I didn't like anything.  Not my original ideas, not any new one either.  I was in a total creative funk.
Well today after lunch, I finally thought about this shirt.  I love this shirt, why not try to replicate it.  I like the raglan sleeves and the gathers in the bodice and sleeves.

I had this fabric.  A nice light weight knit.  I love the silver sparkles running through it.  

I didn't have a good t-shirt pattern with raglan sleeves.  Too many gathers in the original shirt for me to try and trace it.  And the closest fabric store is 25min drive away.   I just didn't have an hour+ to go shopping today.  So, I had to try and alter pattern already in my stash.
Bad idea.   I guess I have gotten a bit cocky lately, because all of my projects have worked lately.  So, I thought I would be able to make something work, no problem.  WRONG!  I had a tshirt pattern with an option for raglan sleeves that were off the shoulders.  So, I thought I could just add inches to the sleeves and necklines and I would be fine.   Well, what I ended up with was a shirt with a really wide boat neckline that was too tall in the back and sleeves, and surprisingly way too low in the front.  It bunched in all of the wrong places.  After pinning and fitting and resewing, repeat,  I thought I maybe had something that would work.  I then decided to add a ruffle to the neckline.  This action undid all of the good from my previous pinning, and I ended up with something just as hideous as ever.

The fit on this shirt is so bad I can't even take a pic of it on me, it is that awful.  I don't even know where to go from here with this shirt to fix it, and I am completely frustrated.   So, for today, I am puttingt away the sewing machine.  Maybe with some time I can get a little perspective and figure out what I can do.   For now, I am just wishing I had stuck to a basic shirt pattern that I know instead of wasting cute fabric on a flop.

Dining Room Table Runner

 This has been a project a LONG time coming.  I had an extra length of fabric from my curtains when we lived back in Wisconsin that I was always planning to use for a table runner.  Well, a couples moves and 4 years later, we are in a new house. I still love the fabric and I purchased it again for my curtains.  Only with this house, I used this fabric for all of the curtains on the main floor since I have such an open floor plan.
 But, I still had this perfect amount of fabric left over for a table runner.  I just never got around to sewing it up.  I have way too much ADD when it comes to sewing and crafting.  However, this spring I've got a little Finish Decorating Fever.  I want to finish adding all the little touches to my rooms so that my place looks cute and put-together instead of half-way done.   So yesterday afternoon, I whipped up this table runner.
This was actually a very quick and easy project.  I love how it ties in my mismatched colorful chairs and crackle-finish table.   This glamorous custom runner is the perfect juxtaposition to my very casual table and chairs. It just makes me smile!

 After I figured out my desired width, I folded and ironed the edge under. 

 Then I cut a piece of white muslin just smaller than the width of the runner, taking into account my seam allowances.  With right sides together, I sewed the 2 pieces together forming a tube.  Turn it right-side-out and press. 

 Now it looks like this.  Nicely lined with a great finished edge.  Then, I tucked the top and bottom edges under, pressed and sewed shut. 

 Next I took some tassel trim and sewed it to the edge using matching thread and the longest stitch on my sewing machine.  I stitched along the stripe where the brown meets the blue on each side.  I think you have to look really hard to find the stitching.  Perfect!

 Adding the trim made this runner look more formal and polished. I love it next to the shabby-chic crackles on my table.

 I just love this fabric!

 This is what I was using as a runner before.  Just a plain, tan cotton runner from Ikea.  Boring. 

It makes such a difference and adds a huge finishing touch to this area of my house to finally have a beautiful table runner.  

I've Found a Twin!

Imagine my delight when I saw this chair will thrifting last week for only $2.99!  I'm giddy with excitement!  Of course I had to snatch it up, even though there is a small hole in the caning because look at it next to my Vanilla Oasis chair.

 They have they same scale and same look.  At first glance, they even appear identical (or they will once I redo this one!)

 There are of course some differences.  The size of the caning is different.  I might try to redo the caning.  I've been researching it online, but I'm not sure if I'm up for that challenge yet.  If I do replace it, then I could just buy the same size that I have on Vanilla Oasis.   The backs of the chairs are slightly different too.

And the legs are different.  But the overall look of the chairs is identical.  

So, now I pose a few questions.  Should I try to make these chairs look as identical as possible, or should I change things up a little?  When I just had Vanilla Oasis, she was going to live in my living room area.  But, now that I have 2 similar chairs, I have a great place in my family room where they could both be placed near each other with a small table and lamp in between them. 

I could definitely paint the chairs the same color.  But  I am stumped when it comes to the upholstery.  I don't quite have enough left-over camel colored fabric from Vanilla Oasis to make a perfect cushion. And I bought the fabric a long time ago, so I can't just buy more.  I'm close to having enough, so I could maybe seam a couple of the scrap pieces together for the seat as well as the underside of the cushion.  The seams would be in places that would be hidden, so no one would know but me.  But still.  The perfectionist in me is having a hard time with that thought.  My other option is to use a coordinating fabric.  This would make the chairs look like fraternal twins or just sisters, instead of identical.  

I happen to already have this tan and blue striped fabric.  Notice that it does coordinate with the camel.  I also have some matching solid blue that I could use for the piping.  Then, I could make throw pillows for both chairs out of the camel, blue, and the tan and blue striped.  

So,  I really need your opinions. Should I somehow patch the leftover camel-colored fabric together to make the cushion and seat?  Or, should I use this other fabric for the upholstery?   Please help!

Does it make a difference to know that in the family room I have a shag rug with chocolate brown, blue and tan colors?  Or that the side table and the coffee table are going to be painted that light blue color?

Please, give me your opinions!  Thanks!