...How to make a little envelope back pillow...

...we had been using the new bed (of course) since Christmas...we bought sheets but not a comforter because I was planning on making one (also of course)...so we just had a hodgepodge of mismatched quilts...not the right size at all...just sort of overlapped on the bed...and they kept falling off because they didn't cover the entire bed...

...so I started gathering my scraps of cloth to make a big king sized quilt for the new bed...and as I did so I kept finding things that I had saved and always intended to use for a quilt...more about that later...
...but...one of the items in the bin was this piece of embroidery...from our first year of marriage...it's our two initials intertwined and held together by a sort of medieval looking sword...don't really know what I was thinking when I designed that...but it was for the cover to our wedding album...and was stitched onto a piece of fabric left over from my wedding gown...that my Mom made...photo here...
...so I cut the piece in two...and kept the back square for the quilt to be...and decided to use the embroidered square as a little accent pillow for the new bed...thinking I probably should have done this years ago...instead of just keeping it in a box...
...first I needed a pillow of the right size...so I just used some more of the leftover sheers to make a small pillow...
...nothing too difficult...I just sewed a square...
...and stuffed it...
...the envelope is created by folding over two pieces and overlapping them...
...so I cut two rectangles the same on three sides as the embroidered square and on the overlapping side about 1/3 again as much...
...then you just fold those over...
...and iron...
...the two folded edges will become the center opening of the pillow...
...lay them one on top of the other...
...then pin the embroidered piece to the two back pieces right sides together...and stitch all the way around...
...you'll be able to turn the pillow right side out through the center envelope opening...
...back view...
...front view...
...then just slip your pillow into the opening...
...and you're done...I was surprised how well the little pillow matched the sofas in the family room...oh well...that's not where it's going...

~Have a lovely day!

...Starbella...and a trick for easier knitting with it...

...when my sweet sister posted about a scarf that she loved...well...what's a knitting sister going to do...

...well...of course...she's going to knit one for her sweet sister right?...only in the colourway 'Canyon'...which suits my sissie better...
...I couldn't find the Starbella yarn locally...so I searched Ravelry yarn and sent a message and got some from someone else's stash...how cool is that...
...at first I was having a really hard time with the loops...I was laying down the knitted piece...finding my stitch...putting it on the needle...then finding the next loop and then knitting that stitch off the left hand needle...

...and then I had the brainstorm to find all of the loops first...so I picked those all up and put them on a big size 15 needle...
...then I just knitted them off of that by transfering the stitch to the left hand needle and then knitting it off the right hand needle...it worked perfectly and I didn't have to fiddle with the loops as I was knitting...

...oh and definitely use a double pointed needle...
...sweet photo of my sissie...I'm so happy she likes the scarf!

Happy Birthday to my Sissie!

~Have a lovely day!

...a final band concert...

...Thanks so much for all the anniversary love yesterday! ...the last band concert of this school year was last night...it was supposed to be an ourdoor concert at a local park...but the weather did not cooperate...as apparently often happens in the spring...it's been about 5 years since this outdoor concert was actually outside...

...but of course they did an awesome job!...

...all the seniors of 2013 were recognized...
...that's Scout second chair from the left...

~Have a lovely day!

...another anniversary...

...it happens every year about this time...

...the Man and I celebrate another anniversary...My sweet sissie and her hubbie do too...as we were married one year and one day apart...funny that...

...anywhoo...it was just a regular ol' anniversary...which was perfectly lovely... ...there were flowers... ...and roses and lots of cards...as the Man had stood up in Church on Sunday and declared our upcoming Anniversary...

...and gifts...and there was dinner out at a nice restaurant with lots of delicious vegan food...

...and you gotta love the vase the Man chose to put the roses in... ...pretty roses... ~Have a lovely day!

...super easy curtains...a draped scarf valance...

...just a quick flashback to the master bedroom when we moved in... ...can you see the sheers behind the curtains... ...there were yards and yards of sheer fabric there... ...perfect for some light and airy draped swag curtains...actually called a draped scarf valance... ...so I cut the pleated tops off...and sewed the panels together end to end... ...a quick hem... ...and then a gather...and a swoop and a drape...and the window treatment over the new headboard was done... ...and then just as quickly the other window was done...and I love the re-purposed sheers...

...now you know what we need...a new comforter for the bed...coming soon...

~Have a lovely day!

new curtains...for the bedroom...

...if this looks familiar

...of course it's because I've done this before...

...we also had this type of curtain rod in our house in Balsam Grove...so I must really like it... ...we ordered unfinished wooden pieces...surprisingly, they proved impossible to find locally...

...I stood them on end and poked the screw ends into a box...and stained them to match the new headboard/bed... ...then I stained the poles...we bought 6 foot lengths and didn't even have to cut them for our 45" windows... ...when we took the old pull-cord type curtain rods down...we put up pleated shades and just left it at that...er...um...for a year...I know that's a long time...but I've been busy with other things... ...anywhoo...there were holes in the wall that needed patching... ...but after a quick coat of spackling and they were good to go... ...so we placed the template that came with the end brackets... ...taped it in place... ...and drilled the holes... ...tapped in the plastic anchors... ...until they were flush with the wall... ...then using the screws that came with the brackets...just screwed those into the anchors...leaving them sticking out about 1/8 th of an inch or so...the little brackets have to sort of hook over these screws... ...just slide the bracket onto the screws... ...it shouldn't wiggle...we had to adjust the screws a couple of times to get a good tight fit up against the wall... ...then we taped the template that came with the end pieces onto the pole... ...and drilled pilot holes for the finial...definitely lovin' the templates...they make things so much easier... ...attached the ball finial to the pole... ...and placed the rods in their brackets...

...another fairly simple project that we can cross off our list...

...frugal curtains tomorrow...

~Have a lovely day!

...Happy Mother's Day...

...I had a wonderfully typical Mother's Day yesterday...I hope you did too!

...I had breakfast in bed...(leftover vegan biscuits and gravy - still yummy though)... ...then Church (of course)...it was YOUTH SUNDAY!

...so the kids did all the music...there were solos and duets...and music of their choosing... ...and then the skit...about the 10 Commandments...written and performed by the Youth - it was Awesome!

...then there was a Mother's Day brunch with friends that was perfect!

...then a quiet afternoon...reading and watching Monk (my new favorited series)...followed by grilled tofu kabobs cooked for me by my lovies...

...I hope you all had a lovely Mother's Day and a lovely start to your week!