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Making a tablescape for an elegant Christmas table

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....

Crochet Therapy

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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....

Starting my Fall Hand quilting

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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...

Removing a little cement and tiles...major job

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 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 ...

Homemade knitted dishcloths and crocheted potholders

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 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..

Getting my Patio Furniture Finished

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 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...

24 Sets of Pillowcases to finish

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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...