therustycupboard

 Finally finished my wilderness quilt.  It measures 55 inches x 68 inches.  Here it is laying on a queen size bed.  I knew this wouldn't fit a regular bed but made it more for a throw than a actual bed quilt.  This has already sold but sure love it and hope they enjoy it.  If you check down farther in my blog you will find the before pictures of me working on it.  This one has taken me about 3 weeks working on it. The back of the quilt is the animals all in brown.  If you look close you can see my stitches where I hand quilted it.  A lady years ago told me the secret to hand quilting is making all your stitches about the same size.  It doesn't matter so much the size as all of them being the same.  So that is what I tried to do here.  This is completely machine washable and dryable.  Just a nice warm cozy quilt.

Yesterday I stopped by a local thrift store that I love to stop at.  This store helps the community so much that I love to stop, donate and be a part of it.  I have so many times been inside the store when someone comes in asking for help, help with electricity, rent, food, housing or just items.  This thrift store does everything they can to help out. I just wish I had thousands of dollars to give.  But until then I do what I can. Then, I noticed that they had all these vintage books.  I love vintage Christmas books. I love the poems, stories and pictures.  Such beautiful pictures.  This will give me hours of relaxing enjoyment.

It seems I don't even have to look for projects for the upcoming Spring, all I have to do is leave my house.  I have been cleaning out cupboards and closets and slowly getting rid of things.  So today I was going to stop by St. Vincent DePaul Thrift store and leave a couple bags of clothing and misc dishes.  When I went inside to get my receipt there was this cool little old vintage 50's step stool.  I remember these from when I was a kid and the more I looked at it the more it pulled me to buying it After asking hubby what color we can't decide whether to paint it yellow, red or white.  I think I might wait until I get the vinyl for the seat and back and then decide what color to work with.   Will be a nice item for our vendor show this summer.  Right now we are on the calendar for 3 "The Rusty Cupboard" vendor shows.  Daughter and I will be busy selling again this year, last year we took the year off and didn't attend any showings. ...

Finished kids game table....perfect for bedroom or recreation room.  I really enjoyed doing this project. I kept the grandson today and had a great time with him and after his nap we got ready for him to go to pre-school.  After dropping him off I see this old table, I think they used to call them old typewriter tables.  Anyway, I just thought it was really cool.  On the top of the table was a sticking note saying make any offer. Of course, I am very frugal so I walk back in and offer a $1.00 and they took it. I see this becoming black with a painted checkerboard on the top.  I already have several sets of vintage checkers that would go great with this.  The legs will have to be done somehow but not quite sure what yet.  Will get you some after pictures when I finish this but for right now it has to go into hiding until the holidays are over.  To many projects already to finish. Here is my inspiration...http://joybeadworks.blog...

Decided to finally start on my wilderness quilt.  I have had the material for quite a long time and just found it again the other day and decided today was the day.  This is panels sewn together, adding batting for middle and then the wilderness fabric for the back.  I love to hand sew so I placed it on my quilting rack so I can watch TV at the same time and started quilting.  I hand sew all around the animals, the frame work around the animals and anything else that takes my fancy. My daughter found this quilting rack for me about 8-10 years ago at a yard sale and purchased it for $10.  I have loved this rack and have used it many times.   The finished product will be just a little smaller than a twin size quilt.  Perfect size for the camper, sitting around a campfire, snuggling up with on the couch or just for showing.  Haven't decided if I will sell it or keep it..

Today I decided to get out some of my Yo-Yo material and go to work on it.  It has been awhile since I have made some Yo-Yo's. - I think I purchased this material from Wal-Mart and got it on sale.  It's the kind that you have to cut out and then just sew.  So while watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, I decided to cut. Yo Yo's are very easy to make.  After cutting them out you need a thread and needle and bast stitch all around the edges of the circle and then pull.  It all comes together and makes a little flower, then you can add anything you like to them.  This time I am just whip stitching them to tote bags.  Will make a nice accessory to sell at our next vendor show.

Purchased a new old trunk today.  I plan on putting my linens into it and storing them.  It seems like I have a love for old trunks.  I have purchased 4 over the last few years and then turned around and sold them for triple my purchase price.  Today's trunk isn't as old or cool as some that I have had but still will work out real nice for what I have planned.  Thinking about opening up my antique store/booth again this year.  Kinda getting the itch for it.  I have been weeding down on a lot of my storage items and just keeping what I think is really worth something.  I still have a major lot of vintage aprons and linens so that is a start. I don't understand why blog land keeps saying my blog needs to be registared.  It got really messed up when another lady decided to start posting on my site and then when she deleted hers mine has never been the same.  People....... I guess they can't think of there own name, easier to take someone ...

Getting ready to start working on a tablescape for a Christmas brunch at our church.  Each year we do a wonderful Christmas brunch and this year it is at a local motel The Red Lion which is a very special motel.  My daughter's reception was held here. Several of us ladies do a table that sets 8, we are to fix it up very festive and then bring favors for the ladies at our table.   This year I thought I would start with something that I already have thats vintage and work from there.  My daughter can't help me out this year as she got married and moved 6 hour drive from here.  So she helps me with everything on the phone, facebook and skype. I am getting excited to put it altogether and then show you the wonderful pictures.  Hope I win the prize for the coolest table....

Been working on my pile to donate to our church's group "Redeemed Remnants".  A group that was formed my our Pastor's wife to help out local day care's, schools, missions and anyone who needs one of these items.  I have worked throughout the summer collecting yarn and yarn scraps to work on through the winter months.  But since I have had this pneumonia and on going cold that I can't seem to shake, I decided to start early and get some done. I can't seem to watch a TV show without working on something.  So my hands are busy working.  Enjoy getting a chance to help out.  Just hope someone likes them enough to wear them....

I got to looking at my supply of baby quilts and found that I only have 2 left.  I usually have at least 24 baby quilts ready at all time for gifts or re-sale.  My supply has really gone down.  So today I dug out my quilting frame from the basement and decided I had enough items to start a new quilt. I put the layers down on my bed and lay them out flat to get the idea if I have enough of the fabric to work.  My daughter purchased this topper for me several months ago and I haven't been able to work it yet so today is the day.  I always back mine with flannel that I purchased at JoAnn's fabric and then a good quality of batting for the insides.  You can see the three layers here in this picture. Then I start hand quilting around the squares and animals and just making it look pretty.  This will take me about a week because I move on to other items in between.  But will have an after picture as soon as I finish.  Have a great day...

 When we purchased this house 6 years ago we knew we were in for a lot of work but thought it would be fun to just remodel it how we wanted and at the pace we wanted.  So we were in for a lot of work.  A lot has been done and a lot has been redone.  My husband is a truck driver not a carpenter and I am a housewife, so we had to do a lot of research and google time.  This first picture is where we took a one car garage that was attached to the house and made it a dining room/TV room.  But since it was a garage before we had just cement slab for a floor.  We treated it and then covered it with tile squares, not the porcelian kind because the floor was not level, (remember it was a garage from the 1958's) so we used the vinyl kind.  They worked really nice and then we used an area rug for the TV area.  But along one wall was a lip that stood up about 1 /12 inches higher than the rest of the floor and ran the length of the wall.  Everyone ...

 Sometimes in the evening I like to sit and watch TV and work with my hands.  But when I do I like to work with my hands and it needs to be something that I don't have to think about.  These dishcloths are knitted with small needles and then I crochet around the edges.  Problem is I now have cases full.  Lately, I have enjoyed going out after dinner and sitting on the patio and watching traffice, bikes, or people just walking along enjoying the evening. I decided to switch to potholders and these are crocheted and are double thick so they can keep anything hot out.  All of these just my little thought and prayer items that I enjoy doing.  Now, I think I need to start selling them because the last few years I have attached them to gifts and I think everyone I know has at least 3-4 of them..

 Been working on getting my patio furniture finished.  It's really been fun getting all the right pieces and working them all together.  The little round table started the whole idea.  It was found at a yard sale for $5 and I loved the size.  It was rod iron and had a cool little design on it so off I was on a journey looking for the same pattern.  While working at Costco I noticed they got in some rod iron chairs that looked just like my pattern and so I purchased two of them, they were $19 a piece and so they are the most expensive part of my project but worked out great.  Plus, hubby doesn't mind sitting in them. The old and I mean old rocking chair is made out of rod iron tubes but this chair has been with me for probably 10 years.  I love the old thing and I must say I think it has been several different colors during that time.  So I purchased some rust-o-leum spray paint and worked it to fit right in. My neighbors saw my projec...

So much fun over the weekend. I went to several yard sales and had the best time. At one sell I found 13 SETS, not individual but SETS of pillowcases all folded and printed on ready to be embroideried. I was so excited. I thought that was the golden find of the day but it wasn't. On to several more sales with hubby and picked up a few small items and we were getting ready to head home because I have to promise hubby we get to go out to breakfast if he goes yarding with me first. So we were headed to the restaurant when we saw one more sale and decided to stop. By now we were running low on funds because we only take a set amount yarding that way we never come home with regrets. So we stopped and while hubby rummaged through the manly stuff, such as tools, hunting and automotive items, I found a box. It was priced $5 for all. It was a treasure....full of new folded stamped pillowcases ready to be finished, new material (yards of it all folded up as it had come from the store), knit...

I love working in the yard. I also love rusty old items from my past and my folks past. This is an old rusty garden rack that was used years ago. I fell in love with it immediately and had to have it. It stands proudly next to the outside wall of my patio. Here I will my flower pots and transfer my flowers to larger pots. Also in my travels I found this really rusted old bucket..this works great for bringing my water for my flowers. Old and Rusty...just the way I like it....

I hope you can see this little rod iron rocking chair. I love this little chair. It always sit my our back fence and the neighbor lady would come over and lean on it and tell me stories about out home and the people who lived her before us. We are the second owners of this home and it was built in 1958 so we love the stories. Darlene always could explain to me about flowers, how to plant them and what they were. Her back yard was always like a little park. Lots of flowers, trees and fun things to look at. Darlene passed away and I will always miss her. The other day her son was driving by and stopped and said "Helen I put that black rod iron chair across the fence it's yours". I almost cried. It is now got a fresh coat of spray paint and is proudly sitting on my front patio. We will always think about Darlene every time we look at this chair.

We were asked if we wanted to help out the youth group at their fireworks booth this year. So we deci ded to take Sunday , we worked from 9-4. We didn't have many customers at first so we cleaned the area. Ate lunch, read books, magazines and then we played dominoes. This game was played many times in both of our childhood years. You would think we planned it the same, "well" we didn't. I swear my husband cheats. He has all these crazy ideas on how it should be played and I have all my ideas. So in the end we made up new rules and had jus t a great time...

Enjoying the fun of summer means a lot of different things to different people. My husband and I have been working a lot the last few months. So we finally had a weekend together so we loaded up the truck with camping supplies and was off to Oregon to the Wallawa state park. We go there every year on Labor Day but this was just a spontaneous weekend trip. It's hard to get a camping spot without reserving months in advance but I thought I would try and low and behold we got a spot for one night. So we drove for 1 1/2 hours down a grade they call the rattlesnake grade which is one windy steep cliffy grade. Finally arriving and the most beautiful lake and campsites. Took us about 2 hours to set up camp, eat lunch and then we were exhausted. So we set around the campfire, just relaxing and watching all the other campers and their families. We slept in a tent that we had just purchased and realized that it was 9x7 feet. Crazy we could hardly fit our air mattress in. We decide...

Now that my lavender is in the process of drying I now need to get all my items together that I will need to make my soap. I just make soap the re-fashioning way. I don't like the idea of having to use the lye that is needed in homemade soap making so I just re-fashion it. Off to the nearest Wal-mart to purchase a pack of Ivory soap. I like to get the pack that has 6-8 bars in it. The reason for this is the Ivory soap has already gone through the process of the mixing of lye and fats and the right proportion. It's just a simple pleasant soap. We take the bars and shave them on an old cheese grater. Usually that is a job for the hubby. We take the lavender seeds/flowers and put about 1/4 cup of boiling water on them and let them set for about 15-20 minutes. This way they get to steep. You can also add a little lavender oil at this time. Then bring this mixer back to a boil and add this to the melted soap. Let cool a little about 15-20 minutes and pour into molds. Here I like to ...

Determined to finish this project. I have been working on it for about 2 months off and on. I work a few rows and put it down. Not that it's hard, it's just a shell cluster using double crocheting but I guess I get bored with it. So I leave it near my chair so in the evenings while watching TV I will pick it up and do a couple more rows. Today I will finish it and it will be available in our etsy shop.

Memorial day and we are home this year no camping for us. So we are up at 6 am and working in the yard. I wanted today to start harvesting some of my lavendar. I love to bundle it, dry it and make sachets with it for gifts. Tonight while we are resting we will take it and tie string around small bundles. We have had it in this raised garden for about 3 years now and it seems to work really nice. We have a total of three raised gardens now. One for lavendar, one for my tomatoes and hubby is making the third one today for the grandkids to put their lettuce, radishes and green onion seeds in. We have been promising them one for a few months and the neighbor gave us the brick this week so it worked out really nice for them to be able to plant this week. Here at the rusty cupboard we always have something to do.

So funny, my grandkids are programmed to know Grandma. They came at 7 am this morning to have breakfast and then go off to school but they remembered it was friday and they had time to go yard selling and then to school. So we were off after they ate breakfast, first stop is always McDonald's for hot chocolate and coffee for me and then to the gas station to get a money saver for the sales. But with this being Memorial Weekend...no yard sales. After checking we find one in Clarkston and we figure we have time so they all yell road trip and we are on our way. we have a total of 46 minutes to get there yard sale and be back to school in time. The sale was great for Grandma, grandkids couldn't find anything. Just not a kid sale. But grandma got.. This cool rocking chair which I will give to my daughter because I already have 3 rocking chairs. These really cool dark stained solid oak mirror panels which I will rework and hang on the wall in the family room. This one old sewing bask...

this last weekend we drove 6 hours to Boise to go to the Idaho's Largest Yard Sale.  We have not ever gotten to go before and decided it would make a great trip out of town for the weekend.  We met up with our daughter in Nampa and drove over to Boise.  The sale was in the Fairgrounds and was really large.  Even though we got up at 2 am and drove for 6 hours we were 3 hours late.  The gates opened at 7:00 am and we arrived at 10:00.  We took our shopping carts along with us and everyone loved our liners.  It was so easy to make them and then we realized people were using garbage bags, pillowcases and some never used anything to hold their items in their carts.  So when they saw ours they loved them.  I should have thought about it sooner and made some to sell.  Oh, well maybe next time. So we purchased a few things, nothing really overwhelming.  We were almost ready to go when hubby starts looking.  Before this he just hel...

Hubby is working on taking out the old cupboards that have been in this house since 1958..made of solid wood and put in with at least 100 nails.  These cupboards are all home made.  Mostly just long boards with doors and drawers added.  So they go from one side to the other.  We want to remove all of them and then work on electricity up grades and then new cabinets and counter tops.  If you look real close you can see that the original linoleum wallpaper is still there.  It was just covered up.  The original counter top had linoleum on it and then someone added some tile square but not a great job at it.  All will be gone... Our problem is we started this and then had to switch to getting ready for a wedding.  Our youngest son is getting married this weekend and we are all geared up to have a great time. We did in the middle of all the planning go out and purchase the counter tops for the kitchen and they are just sitting on the...

We are starting to get that itch for camping.  As the weather warms up and the sunshines in we are so ready to pack up and go camping.  But this year we don't have a camper.  We sold our 5th wheel camper last summer and now looking for a motorhome.  Last night our neighbor came over and said we found you a real nice motorhome.  So we got the info and drove to the next town and looked at the motorhome.  But no one was home to talk to and we loved the motorhome.  So we left a message on their door and came home.  Praying about the camper and getting a little excited because it was also in our price range when the neighbor came back over and said she talked to the owner and she had sold it that morning.  Boy, were we bummed...but then realized we did pray about it so we felt it just wasn't the one for us right now...excited to see what is ahead for us in the future....

Spring break and I am home with three grandkids and having a great time. This morning we made cookies and then played outside for a while until to cold to stay out. Then came in to board games, dominoes, puzzles, cartoons and more snacks. Having some company for Easter so trying to get a few things done. After Wednesday I have to work each day for 8 hours per day so not going to get much done on those days. Seems like the more I work at something the more I find to do..not to hard though when we are in a re-modeling job in every room. So many little things to finish like trim, crown moldings, touch up paint jobs, new drapes, change out pictures (which I do a lot) and so it never ends. I love Easter. One of my favorite holidays..we always get up really early and go to sunrise service somewhere. It's getting harder every year to find a church who has one...then to breakfast to get back home and put on new Easter clothes for the Easter service at church. No longer doing Easte...

Sure do want to go camping...I know it's raining here today and probably snowing all around our town but something about sitting around that campfire...makes me homesick..

Just wanted to send a test post to see if I can get my blog working again.

Purchased a old mirror for $4,80 and a vanity for $21.00 and decided to make them over for my granddaughter's birthday.  turned out nice

Just a little unsettled today..I have had this blog for 6 years and someone else decided to try to take the name and use it..makes me a little shakey.  now all out pictures are interlocked and it doesn't want to come up right.  At least etsy is still intact and twitter...crazy

I have had this blog since 2006 and was just contacted that someone else has been posting to it and claiming to be the author ...what a deal...