Repurposed Ironing Board

My friend, and felter extraordinaire, Kathleen Gerdes, recently had a "Yard Fair" at her home - half Yard Sale and half Craft Fair.  My big purchase? A vintage wooden ironing board! I had no place for it, and no use for it (I'm downsizing, remember?,) but couldn't seem to leave without putting it in my car. I'm so glad I did!

It was leaning against the side of Kathleen's garage when I first spotted it.

Kathleen had planned to paint sunflowers on it but, like most of us, had just too many projects going and never quite got to it.

I loved that the original label was still on the underside of the board. And it was made right here in Portland, Maine. 

 I couldn't find a date on the label but, judging from the clothes and hairstyle of the lady ironing her husband's shirt (Wow, this really is an OLD ironing board!), it's  probably from the early 1900's.

Did they really iron back then?

Did they really iron in heels back then?

After moving my "new" ironing board all around the house, I decided to check the Internet for inspiration. Other bloggers always have great ideas! These two are from Floriane at Floriane Lamarie Blog. Designer Floriane writes in French but the blog has a "translate" button which works well. (Any way, I think "vieille table a repasser" sounds a lot better than "old ironing board", don't you?)

This one is from Anita at Cedar Hill Farmhouse.

This ironing board image is from Pinterest. It caught my eye because I have the same sign (thought I was the only one!). It reads simply, "Work Hard and Be Nice". I haven't really gotten into the "Live, Laugh, Love" sign trend but this one really speaks to me so it now lives in my kitchen to remind me of what's important. I love how this vintage ironing board is styled.

 And here's mine. There were so many places I could have used it but it has finally settled into my dining area, right off the kitchen. It will be great for displaying seasonal vignettes as well as for serving when I entertain.

DH just cut back the hydrangeas for winter. They dried right in my vase. Aren't they beautiful?

And if you happen to find a newer ironing board at a yard sale, how about this idea for your laundry room, again from Floriane Lemarie?

Even though I refuse to think about Christmas yet, I had to share this ironing board from Becky at Beyond the Picket Fence.  How about the "tree lights" coming through the steam vents?

Who thinks up this stuff?

 For now, I think I'll just stick with my old wooden model.

Yours in repurposing . . . 

A lot more fun than ironing!

This post is linked to:

Amaze Me Monday #284 at Dwellings

Talk of the Town #144 at Knick of Time

Inspiration Monday at Refresh Restyle

Share A Cup #310 at Mrs. Olson blog

Share Your Style #178 at The Red Painted Cottage

Farmhouse Friday Link Party #78 at The Painted Hinge

Fat Quarter Projects

Being in a quilt group, has encouraged me to organize my fat quarters and fabric remnants and think about what I might create with them.

Most of us who sew end up with a "stash" of beautiful fabrics we bought just because we loved them, with no particular project in mind. I'm definitely guilty!

 

Our Cobblestone Quilters group just had the reveal of our Brown Bag projects. The challenge was to make something wonderful for another quilter with only five fat quarters. I made this bag. 

 

 

10 Beautiful Things to Have In Your Craft Room

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."              ~William Morris

Welcome back to my craft room!

In my last post I had some fun thinking about the perfect craft space. I looked around my own craft room and came up with a "Top 10 List" of items in it that I find to be the most useful. Today I'm thinking about how to make a craft space so beautiful that it inspires you to sit right down and start making something.  So, here's my . . .

Top 10 List of Inspirational Items to Have in Your Craft Space:

1. Natural light

You can't top this one. Not only does natural light help us to see what we're doing (and at my age, that's becoming more important!), it allows us to really appreciate color and texture.  In addition to a big window, my craft room has a skylight located right above my work table.

 Ott light over my sewing machine

If you don't have the luxury of natural light in your craft space, or if you do a lot of work at night, an Ott light may be able to provide you with task lighting that approximates natural daylight.

2. Color



I believe in surrounding yourself with your favorite colors. I love orange and turquoise, my friend Mary Elizabeth loves pink . . . our personal spaces reflect the colors we love. Who cares if no one else likes it? Who cares if the rest of the house is "builders' beige"? This is your room; it should make you feel happy and inspired.




3. Words that inspire

I love words and find them both soothing and encouraging as I work in my space.

These words were stenciled on the wall in my sister Nancy's yellow and red Mary Englebreit inspired craft room.

4. Objects found in nature

The shapes and colors found in natural objects inspires a sense of balance and design.

 

This strange looking piece of bark is on my craft shelf because it is shaped like a goat's head (?). Call me crazy but I'm saving it because someday I hope to make something out of it for a friend of mine who owns goats and makes beautiful things from their wool. (Yup . . . you know who you are!)

the view of Casco Bay from the bottom of Applegate Lane always inspires me

5. Things with interesting shapes or textures

Who knows what these things will become . . .  or not?  Right now it is simply their textures and shapes that make me covet them.

 6. Old Things

What can I say besides . . . bring on the rust . . .

and chipped paint, and beautiful wood, and faded lettering, and steampunk goodness!

7. Collections

 Sometimes I think I have too many strange collections lurking in my craft room, but . . . I love them so, there it is.

 

 

 I collect sea glass, buttons, door knobs, sand dollars, rusty tools, old keys, scrabble tiles, beads, vintage postcards, clothespins, tie clips, girl scout patches, miniatures, wooden spools, belt buckles, vintage linens, magnets, children's blocks, vintage Shiny Bright ornaments, old dolls . . .

oh, my!

 

 

I also have quite a collection of Cat's Meow buildings depicting some of my favorite places.

DH attached molding high up on the walls of my craft room so that I can display these without having them in the way when I work.

 

8. Books that teach

 

I love my craft books even more than I love Pinterest. Call me old-fashioned but I like to hold them, come back to them again and again, and have directions and photos right next to me as I work. Thank goodness for my local bookstore and, when that fails, for Amazon Prime.

 

 

9. Things that evoke memories

 

My craft room shelves are chock full of things that bring back happy memories, like this old Patsy doll, with her steamer trunk full of organdy party dresses.

 

 

And my Mom's buttons. Many of them came from clothes she made for my sisters and I when we were children; she would remove the buttons to use again.

 

 

 I love being surrounded by my favorite family photos . . . even the silly ones!

 

 

10. Handmade things

 

Having a few completed projects on display in my craft space reminds me that I really can finish what I start, frustrated as I may get with a project at times.

 

 

And displaying  things that others have made for me just makes me happy when I look at them. This amazing 3-dimensional book was made by fellow blogger, Paula Clare, from Paula's Palace of Altered Art.

 

 

 

So, to recap, here are my Top 10:

 

1. Natural Light

2. Colorful things 

3. Words that inspire

4. Objects found in nature

5. Things with interesting shapes or textures

6. Old Things

7. Collections

8. Books that teach

9. Things that evoke memories

10. Handmade things

 

 

 What are the things that inspire you the most in your creative space?

 

 

 

This post is linked to:

Party Junk at Funky Junk Interiors

Nifty Thrifty Sunday at Nifty Thrifty Things

Weekend Wrap-Up at Tattertots & Jello

Flaunt It Friday at Chic On a Shoestring

Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Amaze Me Monday at DWELLINGS

 

 

Needle Felting 102: Dance Like Nobody's Watching

With my witch completed, I signed up for a second needle felting class with Kathleen Gerdes at Fiber College . . . this one on making a needle felted wall hanging rather than a 3-dimensional object. The class was called "Dance Like No One's Watching". Just the title alone made me want to sign up!

 

 Here is our inspiration piece, Kathleen's dancing woman, kickin' it up in her red shoes!

 The wall hangings can be made with tabs to hang on a dowel or branch, or with a hidden casing on the back for hanging.

 

 

There was no pattern - just the inspiration piece - so each of our completed dancing ladies was unique.  After just three hours on a beautiful September afternoon, here we are with our finished products.

 

Here's my wall hanging; I'm really pleased with it. It's already living on my bedroom wall as a daily reminder not to take life too seriously . . . and dance while I still can.

 

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain."
(in red shoes, of course!)

And here is Kathleen, who turned us into fiber artists in no time!

 

 This is another of Kathleen's needle felted wall hangings. This one is on display at Port Fiber, a "laniferous and splendiferous fiberarts shop" in Portland, Maine, where Kathleen teaches.

 

 

 

And here we are, Kathleen and I . . .accidental neighbors here in Falmouth, and now, fiber friends!

If you've never tried needle felting, you might want to give it a try. . . so much fun and neither difficult nor expensive to begin. There are lots of ideas on Pinterest to get your creative juices flowing.
 

 

I hope you dance!

 

 

This post is happily linked to:

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps On the Porch

Inspire Me Monday at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Show & Share Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Through Life

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

 Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do