homespun living blog
 Before the warm weather arrived, I did some work on the demi-lune table that I found at an antique shop. It is now painted and holding plants in our entry. The table's original wood finish and veneer were not in great shape, so I gave it a good sand and a couple coats of paint. This area gets a lot of sunlight through the front door, so hopefully the plants will like it here.  It's so good to get outside on a warm spring day for a hike. Long before anything else greens up, the moss and ferns and lichens are bright spots in the gray and brown woods.  It looked much neater here before the snow melted and revealed the mess. Lots of weeding and winter clean up to do in our gardens.   It's so good to be able to hang the laundry out on the clothesline again.  I hope you had a wonderful Easter. The night before, I was up until 10 catching up on the embroidery on this table cloth ~ why do I leave things until the last minute?! We had a warm sunny day, some traditional Polish Easter foods, and an Easter egg hunt for the two-year old grandsons. The joy on their faces was the highlight of my day.
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 Are you enjoying any signs of Spring yet? Here the robins are back, the snow cover is disappearing, there is birdsong in the morning, and the days are getting noticeably longer. We have had a handful of days warm enough to get outside and start a bit of garden work. Which all means I better get some spring cleaning done, and the season of Lent seems the perfect time for that. I spent the good part of a day recently cleaning and organizing the pantry and laundry room, so I took some photos to remind myself of how it looks when clean and organized and for anyone who might want a tour.  Above: My $10 flea market shelves  Above: laundry-folding table from a piece of Craigslist marble and a shelf with shaker pegs that Mike built   Above: a salvaged old door for the coat closet    Above: my great grandmother's rolling pin  Below: an old salvaged chimney cupboard to hold laundry supplies   The large cabinet on the left, which was found at a local antique shop and is from Eastern Europe, holds all our pantry supplies.
Thank you for taking the time to visit! Here in Western NY we are in the frosty, snowy depths of winter. Yesterday morning it was 7 F, and we are covered in a thick blanket of snow. Fine flakes are swirling to the ground as I type. Perfect weather for cleaning and organizing the basement, working on some furniture projects, knitting, reading and watching old episodes of Gardener's World. Browsing the thrift and antique shops is also a favorite pastime this time of year. This past week I found a demilune table, something I have been searching for for some time. It seems that good things do come to those who wait. It is not the finest of antiques, but I think some sanding and a couple coats of paint will do wonders...I will let you know. Another thrift store find is this unused, vintage Waverly fabric I found, called Blackberry Thief. I have been hanging on to it for a bit, and then decided to use it for a tablecloth...  It is really barely enough to cover the table, so rather than hem the edges, I just sewed on some bias binding tape. The bold floral seems perfect for this gloomy time of year.   Thank you for stopping by!
 Of course, as soon as we down-sized our home, I am thrilled to say that our family has grown, and my husband is working from home. Three grandchildren now, ages 2 and under, means a portable crib and toys have been added to our spare room/workroom, as well as extra desk space. I have been doing my best to make the most of this small room. I found this antique secretary on Craigslist, and it has been perfect for storing all my books and paperwork while taking up very little floor space.  The cabinet above, which we made from an old window, has been painted and now holds almost all my fabrics. The linen cafe curtains which I made for this room when we moved in, have been replaced. Over the summer, I found a bolt of unused floral chintz at a wonderful yard sale...I had not really thought about floral curtains, but 13 yards for $5 convinced me that I would love them. So while I wait for Spring {we are blanketed in snow and temperatures are in the teens}, I hope to get to some sewing and knitting. And of course, pouring over seed and plant catalogs that have been arriving in the mail, and, spending some time with Elizabeth Lawrence and Katherine White...  Deb
Welcome! If you have followed me over from my blog on Blogger, thank you! I think this switch will simplify my life a bit, and that will be a very good thing. In the fall our first granddaughter arrived, so a hand knit sweater was a must. The pattern is the One Skein Hooded Baby Sweater by McCalls, very similar to the Quickie Baby Sweater pattern. Yarn is Knit Picks CotLin DK in swan, two strands worked together.  Then, when I saw many adorable bibs pictured online, I decided to make one for her as well. Some leftover linen and a bit of trim I modified, along with some braided cord and this is what I came up with:  Are you doing any knitting this winter? Would love to hear what you are working on!
~Deb |
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