{Post 1,384} A Long-Awaited Project

I am getting our guest room ready for some special company.  I need to patch and paint a portion of the main wall one sees upon awakening.  I wanted to get a sign that had meaningful words.  I looked and looked, but could not come up with something that I liked and that would match the room.  The walls in there are a light lavender.

Here's what I am doing to make a sign.  I have the text and paint colors selected.  Just waiting for the paint to dry.  I actually have 4 painting projects in the works today.  All have been painted.  I am at various stages of waiting-to-dry with all of them.  More pictures later.

I had my son take apart a pallet that had been forgotten weathering in our driveway behind the roll-out trash cans.  I cut some boards to length (I think 17") and used my brad gun to attach a thin piece of trim along the back in two places to keep the whole thing intact.

To paint them, I stuck 4 thumbtacks in the back to elevate it off the edge of the drop cloth.

I painted black only on the edges so that when I distress the white (sand it lightly), the black will show through.

I have looked for white chalk paint at 4 local stores.  My last stop was at my Lowe's.  The paint guy told me how to mix up my own from "ingredients" I already had on hand.  I tried it this AM.  Above is the result.  I'm sure I'm going to have to apply another coat of white before distressing and painting my text on.  The text will read, "Rejoice evermore.  Pray without ceasing."  It is I Thessalonians 5:16-17.

The littlest things tickle me.  I figured out how to flip then print the text using Photoshop so I can easily transfer it to the sign.  I am doing "Rejoice" and "pray" in purple and the rest in black.  

Going to a wedding shower today that I predict will be fun, Fun, FUN!!  Leaving in 90 minutes, so back to the projects. 

{Post 1,383} GFG 8-1/2 Strong

Here is the mother ship with one more block pieced to add when I can.

The next few days and week will be so busy.  I am getting our guest room ready for my son's girlfriend.  She will be visiting off and on during the month of August, but will be arriving for the first time Tuesday. She'll just stay overnight that one night then head to SC for the month of August.  I have some big things to do in there to have it ready.  I'd love to make a sign for the sall...some wall decor.  Time will tell.  There is some wall prep and painting to do.  

The above picture shows all my blocks put together so far.  They are all attached except for the one on the top right.  I have two more blocks basted and ready to sew together.  I will do that as soon as time allows.

{Post 1,382} Gratitude Mat

When I was at Walmart the other day, I saw a picture of Marilyn Monroe.  My trusted haircutter had mentioned that she loved MM and had some pics of her in her new apartment bedroom.  I asked her what colors she was using to decorate (she is a VERY modern girl), and she said mostly black and white with pops of turquoise.  For some reason, I remember random things like this that people say. 

So I got it in my head to make her a little mat.  This measures 14-1/2" square.  I hope she can find a place for it in her new digs.

{Post 1,381} Insomnia, Stitches, and Peacocks

What a night!  After my post last night, we watched a movie while I unsewed the middle block from the coloring book quilt and glass-etched a set of baking pans for a wedding shower Saturday.  (I rarely just SIT).

Just as we were going to bed at 11 PM (which is late for me), I remembered that I had left a load of laundry in the washer.  Heavens!  A cardinal sin around these here parts.  So I sat and hand-sewed in the laundry room while that load dried.  I made some progress on my GFG.  Then I could.  not.  sleep.  I seriously tried.

To make a long story short, I didn't go to bed until 3:30 and did not fall asleep until after 5.  Still got up at 8.  I tried to nap a while ago and only slept 20 minutes.  What's wrong here??

The up side is that I now have 5-1/2 blocks on the mother ship (as shown above) and have basted numerous diamonds and my whole next block is basted and ready to assemble.  

Just now I selected fabrics for the next 2 blocks to go in the spaces on the board above so I can attach them to the mother ship as I am calling it when they are pieced.  This is going so well.  I can't explain it, but I get great satisfaction from making things.  Especially small things.  Especially small pretty things.  People who don't sew or do crafts just do not get it.    Poor them!

I am machine quilting peacock feathers in the sashings of my friend's quilt.  I have had some thread breakage issues, but not nearly as many as before replacing the needle with a smaller one.  I will get back to that after my next post.

{Post 1,380} GFG Progress

You might be thinking, "What progress?"  Here is my last picture of how this was coming along.  Besides what is pictured, I have 3-1/2 more finished blocks.  

On the above picture, the only blocks sewn to each other are the 4-1/2 in the bottom left part of the picture and the red and green ones to their right.  

This past Saturday, my husband surprised us all by rounding us up and taking us to the Dixie Stampede in Pigeon Forge, TN.  I got to hand sew for about 5 hours on that trip.  I finished adding cream hexagons to 2 blocks and basted some green diamonds.  

Tonight I sewed the purple and yellow block to what I am thinking of as the mother ship.  I am going to try to work on this a little more often.

I also bought 3 pieces for it last week when I drove Isaac home from Tennessee.  Stopped at a cute little quilt shop that I heard about at a guild meeting I attended Monday.  No picture, but I also bought a charm pack to make someone a Twister ruler table runner for Christmas.

{Post 1,379} Baby Quilt

My daughter, Elisabeth (the new mother) colored the blocks for this quilt and pieced it about 10 years ago.  The blocks were copied from a favorite coloring book of the children's.

I found it and had an idea.  I asked a friend (RJ) to embroider the block in the second picture to replace the striped block in the top picture.  RJ has a fantastic machine embroidery machine.  

In the picture, the quilt top is lying atop my queen-sized bed.  

Do any of you know how to "set" crayon-colored blocks for permanency (is that even a word)?  I'm all ears.

This will be a nice little surprise for Elisabeth.  She is out of town visiting extended family and friends for about a week, so I'm going to try to piece a back from my I Spy collection and surprise her with it soon.  Maybe when Timmy turns one??  That won't be soon, but may be more realistic!!