the ed grimley life...

"oh, this is MOST unexpected, i must say! give me a break!" and i flounder about, looking for my oven mitts. then i smooth down my hair, stop my dancing, put down the triangle, and look for a real solution.

a few shots from the kitchen

using the retro camera app. when i first got this i used it non-stop, but have managed to restrain myself a bit lately.

i love the vibrancy of these flowers:



the cookbook and dog biscuit shelves:



productivity is slowing down a bit as i get ready for a visit from my parents, but hopefully soon i will have trip photos to share.

chairs, continued

this is one of the chairs after sanding and two coats of minwax rub-on poly finish.

and this is a somewhat crappy picture of my string of pearls plant. i think it's probably the sweetest of the succulents.

chair covers

i had been planning on covering these chairs with a neutral linen-y type fabric. but then, when faced with all of the choices at the fabric store, these were the two which spoke to me. i think when i post a picture of the finished chairs with the dining table and rug, it will be obvious why. sometimes you just have to let things happen as they want to, i guess. no use forcing decorating decisions.

this and that

the first quarter of my simple pullover using the madelinetosh vintage "cove." knitting is so therapeutic. i felt completely crappy last night but managed to knit several rows, despite my eyes involuntarily closing every few minutes. and i felt better for doing it.



this is what my work table looks like in the middle of a number of projects and endless planning.

thrift store chairs, again

chairs for the dining room table, because we're getting desperate. i had been thinking of getting clear acrylic chairs, but have decided to go the mismatched, thrift store route. i just like chairs, what can i say? why have them all the same, when you can have sweet, sweet variety?



in the sanding process. uncertain whether to paint or leave as is. i think they're made of fir, and i kind of like that. but they are fairly messed up. will finish sanding and then decide.

p.s. the colors on your monitor are as bright as they appear. our house really is that color. no one can call this house gloomy.

success, of a kind

that is what the curtain looks like at night, with the flash.

in the daytime, the nice needlepoint design turns into one solid bar of stitches. with the light shining through, all thread is visible--front and back. of course. i wish i'd thought about that earlier. sigh.

curtain

today's project:

random sunday images

my swatch for the madeline tosh vintage.

i really hate making curtains, but this lovely fabric makes me a bit more interested. it's a very rough linen loosely woven. softened with washing, it has a nice drape.

these are some of my inspiration boards.

a thrift store skirt for refashioning.

Thrift store score

today i found the perfect sewing chair at the goodwill. i love the scuffs that are evidence of it being well-loved and used, and how sturdy it feels. it's a heywood-wakefield, which explains how well-made it is. and all of that satisfaction for $4.99. there's really nothing like a good day at the goodwill.

Prettiest yarn in the world

i wonder how many times i've said that before?




but it is quite pretty, no? madelinetosh vintage in cove. designing a simple v-neck, capsleeve pullover to show it off. i'm thinking about using large needles to get a loose knit and more of a drape.

this is the preliminary sketch for the design. i don't exactly know what i'm doing, but i'm ok with that. it's fun!

Fig Tree

i'd never seen a fig tree until we moved to this house. i am watching the figs' progress with a great deal of interest.

mainly because i want to make these.

photo: big city, little kitchen

I have to start somewhere...

...so how about my sewing room--in which i am conducting my making experiment?

two different angles showing most of the room:



it's not perfect, and i admit that i am no stylist, but i kind of like it. i'm comfy there.

and here, hanging somewhat forlornly, is one of my current projects. please ignore the scrapes that are the evidence of my battle to hang the bird hook. i really need to touch up that paint.