Goodbye Summer Garden

This past weekend my husband and I said our final goodbyes to our summer garden. The last of the blooms are fading and many have died down. We took advantage of the great weather and got a head start on cleaning the yard before colder weather arrives.

We both enjoy gardening and really love doing it together. This year we had the challenge of dealing with lots of rabbits and squirrels, so needless to say we lost quite a bit of what we had planted. Regardless of our losses, it was lots of fun and so rewarding to see the beautiful blooms.

It was great being outside, chatting and getting things organized. I also had a chance to admire the remaining blooms and took several pictures. There are several new bulbs that will be planted in the coming weeks, and beautiful blooms to look forward to next year.

Have you said goodbye to your summer garden? Are you planting anything new this fall?

Thrift Store Find: Milk Glass Collection

It has been several weeks since I have shared my thrift store finds with you guys. So today I just had to do a post to share my latest finds. I have been working on my collection of milk glass pieces and I have had some beautiful finds in the past few weeks.

Overall, I have been trying to focus my thrift store purchases on items that add to an existing collection. I have been building a collection of vintage picture frames, linens and table coverings; but my current goal is to put together a wonderful collection of milk glass pieces that I can use for Crafted Spaces Weddings.

I have several pieces that I have collected over the years, and my husband's grandmother gave me some lovely pieces when we got married. I will like to keep some of these pieces for personal use, so I have decided to invest in building a collection that I can use with clients. I have been doing research, and I have identified some must-have-pieces that will look stunning for a wedding.

Over the past few weeks I have found several bud vases and some larger vases that I think are very beautiful. There are several other pieces that I have my eyes on, including a couple cake stands. I will be sure to share with you how my collection is coming along. I currently have about forty pieces, and I hope to have some of my coveted pieces in the coming weeks.

What do you like collecting? Do you have a collection that you are building on?

Tin Can Organizer

There are several different crafty organizing solutions that I am working on over the next few weeks. My goal is to find creative ways to organize some everyday items. As part of this organizing project, I decided to make something for the kid's room to hold their coloured pencils.

I used a tin can, some jute and hot glue to create a container that is fun and functional. It also works well with the decor. It is a simple little project that is a great way to reuse a tin can and it adds a wonderful decorative touch to the room. The container coordinates with the bulletin board and is a natural compliment to the jute-covered lampshade.

To do this project, I used the same method as shown in the DIY Lampshade Makeover project. I hope that you like my little project and that it gives you an idea on how you can reuse your tin cans.

I-Spy Bag Toy

I was browsing Pinterest with my three year old son on my lap and an I-Spy Bag was on the screen. He was so excited and asked what it was, so I decided to make one for him. I used fabric from two shirts that my eldest son has grown out of, and I backed it with an end of medium weight denim. The clear vinyl is from some packaging, and I reinforced it with topstitching.

I filled the bag with four cups of rice, which filled it about half way. The difficult task was finding trinkets to fill the bag, but I was able to find twenty pieces that work really well. The finished bag measures 9 x 10.5 inches with a 4 x 5 inch vinyl window. The large window will make it easy for my son to find the trinkets, while the use of rice makes a bit challenging to see all the pieces.

If you are thinking of making one with light or medium weight fabric, I suggest using fusible interfacing or double up on your fabric (which I did). Using a medium weight fabric at the back of the bag is great for wear and tear. I think that the new toy is going to make car travel a little more fun for my little guy.

I also think that it will be fun to create bags that are based on themes. Do you have any ideas on making fun I-Spy Bags?

Making a Hand Embroidery Appliqué

I love making aprons, and this week I decided that I would make an apron from a vintage pillowcase I recently purchased from a thrift store. It is a beautiful cotton print, but there is a hole in the middle of the fabric. I was thinking of ideas on how to cover the area and decided to add an appliqué.

Using a white vintage cotton fabric (from a twin sheet), I cut a piece of fabric large enough to cover one of the flowers on the pillowcase. I placed the white fabric over one of the flowers and secured with pins. I then traced the outline of the flower onto the white fabric using a pencil. There are several other transfer methods I could have used; however, I found this to be a quick and easy method.

I plan on doing a basic running stitch over the lines in alternating colours and will fill the centre of the flower with French knots. I will attach the appliqué with a running stitch on the last row to secure it to the printed fabric. The final phase will be to cut away the excess fabric around the edge of the flower. My plan is to make a total of three flowers of varying sizes.

Do you like appliqués? What do you think of the idea of using an appliqué to cover a damaged area?

Crafty Idea: Spray Painted Clay Pot

I like clay posts, but I cannot say that I am a huge fan of their colour. I have had this little clay pot in my craft studio for a while now and I have finally gotten around to painting it. I have painted clay pots before, and I generally use a brush. I have been doing several projects lately using spray paint, so I decided to try the spray painted method.

Weather permitting; I prefer to work outside when doing a paint project. I set-up my workspace and before getting started, I wiped the pot clean. I then placed the pot on a wooden block to lift it off of my work surface. I applied several light coats of paint and waited for the paint to dry between coats. I also painted the inside of the pot for a more finished look. I did not use a primer coat, but it is something worth doing especially for larger projects.

I now have a much better looking container to hold some items in my studio. The ivory is a great colour match and the pot looks more finished. I left the pot a solid colour; however, I think next time I will like to try lightly sanding the edges to create a shabby chic look.

I hope that my little project, gives you some ideas for your own projects. Let me know what you think!

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