Me & Mimi's Crafting Nook

Last year a friend ask if we could reupholster a piece of furniture for them, at that time I was out with my arm and we were in the remodeling the shop stage.  Since that time it has been in the back of our minds to reupholster a chair.  Mimi and her mom had redone some together, but Mimi hadn’t done it by herself.  We had some old computer chairs that either needed something done or thrown away.

Here is the chairs initially

We took off the back and the seat

We then cut the upholstery fabric a lil bit bigger than what was actually on the chair

The final step is stretch the fabric over one side and staple it. We done a few on each side then went back and finished.  Trim off access amount of fabric from staple about 3/4 to a half inch. Replace the back and seat covering and replace to the frame of the chair.

The Finished product.

I am doing this post in memory of Helen Thornton Terrell and Versie Wallace Wactor.  Both women were my grandmothers and passed away of a heart attack.

The American Heart Association is collecting knitted and crochet baby hats to celebrate American Heart Month in February.  Mimi and Aunt found this and me and my cousin decided we wanted to learn to knit.  The American Heart Association is asking for volunteers in donating some of these little red hats.

These hats will be distributed to participating hospitals.  For more information and the knitting and crochet patterns click here.  If you like to knit and/or crochet join us in donating to the precious little babies.

Here are a few of ours. So far we have around 30 and hope to get a few more before the deadline.

So I have been playing with my Cricut machine this week and LOVE it.  I have done Auntie one , kids one a piece, and me one.  I have a few more I want to do for Christmas, but I am having tons of fun doing them.

Auntie’s shirt

Bubba’s Shirt  He loves him some legos and sister loves to aggravate him when he is playing with them.

Sister’s shirt  I asked sister what she would trade for Bubba? Oh the face she gave me and said “I not trade Bubba for anything” well then… enough said on that one.

My shirt not the best picture….

I have a few more I want to get done for Christmas but since they are presents will post them after Christmas.

We decided to make ornaments with the kids this year.  The lil one had a blast with it and the big one was not so thrilled with it getting everywhere.  If your not in the Christmas spirit once you make these wonderful gingerbread ornaments you will be….. It smells wonderful.  When I was little we made them so I wanted to make them with the kids this year….

So to make these you will need the following:

Apple sauce

Cinnamon

Tulip paint

straw

Cookie cutters

Mix equal portions of the apple sauce and the cinnamon together. Kneed it in a mixing bowl to make a dough.

If its sticky add a little more cinnamon to it.  Once you get the dough mixed, roll it out on a flat surface to the thickness you prefer(we did them pretty thick because if you do them too thin they will break and crumble). Then cut whatever shape you want.

At this point we cut a whole in the top with a straw, so that we could put a string through it to hang the ornaments. Let the ornaments dry this may take several days or so depending on the thickness you have made them.

Once the ornaments are completely dry its time for painting or decorating them. Also before decorating the ornaments sand off any access around the edges of the ornaments.

Let them dry overnight and put the string to hang them on the tree.

They will smell for several years, ours did.

Boo had a school project to do “disguise a turkey”. He wanted to make it a lion, so we (me, Mimi, and Boo) put our heads together. Mimi had extra thick homemade paper she had made some tear-bears for scrap-booking.  We both, Me and Boo, learned how to do this.

First pick the colors and draw with a pen of water around the shape you want (this allows you to tear the paper).

Then take a wire brush and scrap over the edges so that it makes it look fuzzy.

Once you get all the pieces tore off and fuzzy put them all together.

The final step is adding the final touches to it.

Turkey disguised as a lion….

Boo had a good time crafting with me and Mimi.

It seems like time is flying by. But progress is coming along. Not quiet finished yet but we are in the shop and working on a few projects.  Here are a few pictures of the shop…..

Mid arm quilting frame minus the machine.

Found the above plaque and had to have it.

This little angel I ask mom to make me for my Christmas tree last year (16).

Mimi has been working on a few things, dolls, mice pin-cushions, and acorn shaped thread waxer.  I have been playing with my cricket machine and learning about it.

We decided to make a wall hanging/throw for Briar Ridge Children Ministries.  To visit their website Click Here, to visit their Facebook page Click Here.  Some of the members of our church started this ministry, and we wanted to help in some way.

We actually started this project in Feb. this year before my accident and just now was able to finish it.

We started off by graphing a pattern.  We had two ideas at first, one with the cross in different colors and one with the cross in different reds. We laid both out and decided we liked the red cross better.  We cut the fabric in 2 1/2 inch squares. and then laid pattern out on a felt board( helps hold the blocks in place).

We laid out the 2 1/2 inch squares in the pattern.  We sewed the blocks together forming rows,  then  sewed the rows together.

Once this has been completed, we alternate a red and white boarder around the cross. The main boarder is a black marbled fabric with a corner stones of scripture blocks.

The final boarder is a red fabric with black and gold hearts on it. The back fabric is a houndstooth fabric black and white with an accent of gold.

Quilting on this throw was done a little different, we didn’t want to take away from the Cross design so with a frixion pen(pen that when ink is heated it disappears) we drew rays and quilted them.  Once the quilting is complete, we took a hair dryer and heated the ink which made it disappear.

We trimmed the access fabric to make all edges even and did the binding in the black marble like the main boarder.  You can find the binding tutorial here.     The final step is the label. (tutorial coming soon)

Finished Cross Quilt

While looking on through the Buyer’s Guide or the Southwest MS Light Company paper, we ran across an ad for the 2nd annual Bazaar and Quilt Show in Wilkinson County.  I was looking forward to going, however something came up, so Mimi and Auntie went instead. Here are some pictures from that day.

There were alot of craft booths there as well. One that caught their attention was Mrs. Dorothy McQuarter making pine straw baskets.  (My Grandpaw (Auntie & Mimi’s dad) made oak baskets, so we all love any kind of  baskets.

Mrs. Dorothy McQuarter

• P.O. Box 87
  Woodville, MS 39669
  Ph: 601-888-4368

They had a great time and I am anxious to go next year.

On August 26th Mimi and I took a trip to the Quilt show in Vicksburg, MS.  We had the best time, even the kids enjoyed it (One ate the entire time so she was good ha ha and the other one helped with the picture taking).  All the quilts were beautiful.  Here are some pictures of the quilts I took.

Boo loves to take pictures as you can see in one of mine  and he does a good job… These next ones are ones he took..

He had a regular camera vs. my cell phone ha ha ha better pictures than mom…..

Stay tuned because coming up next is another quilt show that Mimi and Auntie went too…….

I had a trailer when me and my husband got married, and then we decided to buy a house. So we were left with the question what do we do with the trailer? We went back and forth for several years.

When I decided I would like to do quilting, sewing, crafting. We decided to look closer at the trailer. We had it and all it was doing was sitting there. So the end of January February, I went in and cleared out all of our old stuff , then decided we needed to take out all the carpet. The roof was leaking so we had a company out of Natchez come and fix that for us. Then where the roof leaked there was some damage on the inside as well so we checked around and went with a construction company out of Brookhaven.

Right before we got the construction crew called, priced and decided who we were going with was about the time I decided to be stupid and let my horse knock me down. One major surgery and then a second surgery to clean out the wound. So since April 14th  I have been out of commission when it came to working on the flooring, shop etc. I am doing alot better I am healed now just trying to get the motion back so I’ll be as good as new and with God’s grace I WILL get there.

Got that fixed then it was on to painting the floors. I was out of commission for that which was so not fair but I needed to heal so I tried my best to stay out of the way (boy it was hard because I really wanted to help). Mimi and Paw did an awesome job painting the floors and then stenciling the floors.

I got to do the black room tho– I was super excited to get to help!!!!
       

For the Main room and hall way instead of painting and stenciling we decided to go with hardwood flooring. Easier on our old backs, knees and also went faster too ha ha ha.

The trailer had three bedrooms so we decided to turn one into the kids room so they would have somewhere they could play in or watch tv while we did our crafting. I also took the carpet up in that room as well but we didn’t paint that floor. I wanted something softer for them to sit on, play, lay on the floor so we went with reversible floor mats in different colors. We got ours at Sam’s club. They are super easy to put in and also the kids love them.

Mimi already had all the machines we needed to set up our shop. She has been collecting sewing machines for many many years, and has old ones(treadle machine) to the industrial machines and everything in between. I bought me a regular sewing machine and for Christmas last year she bought me a serger.

Now to get it all decorated!!!!!!