Sunday, June 9, 2013

My Spring Finishes

Merilyn is the winner of the 2014 Quilt Ladies Calendar.
Congratulations!

I wish I could give everyone who commented a calendar. Thanks so much for your supportive comments. Merilyn, send me your address and this calendar will wing it's way to the other side of the world to you soon.

Here is my completed 9-patch. This was a swap I organized in my quilt group. I'm afraid I made it a tad bit LONG. It's 72"x48". What was I thinking? Oh, well. Dave will appreciate it's extra length when it keeps him warm while watching TV in the cold weather. He's the tall person holding it for the photo.

Here is my other quilt finish. A mini using the shoofly blocks Bea sent me. Thanks so much, Bea. I love my new little quilt.

Another project I've been working on since the end of last year is painting my dining room furniture. The table, chairs and china cabinet were my grandmother's so they are about 90 years old. The set also includes two other storage pieces - sideboards I think my mom calls them. They don't fit in this room. One is holding our TV and the other is storage in my sewing room. My whole adventure in furniture painting is because of this set. You don't have to look closely to see the scratches and dings on the table and chairs. Despite that I was still hesitant to paint it. What if I messed up? So I practiced on a lot of other pieces that didn't mean as much to me. Finally, in December I felt I was ready to tackle this big job.


Here is my refreshed room. We also painted the walls an off white. I love wallpaper and would have done that if the budget allowed and I knew we were staying here a while.
It's an awkward room because it has openings to the living room, family room addition and a doorway to the kitchen. This set would look much better in an old farmhouse. ; c )


This glass front bookcase and paintings came from my in-laws. We covered the chairs with a toile from JoAnn's. Very inexpensive and easy to do.

I love the fretwork in the china cabinet. I was a little worried that piece would crack when I took it out, but it is still strong and supple. The china came from my MIL. It really belongs to my DD but I don't think she needs it while backpacking New Zealand.
I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White for the table and china cabinet, Scandinavian Pink inside the china cabinet and Aubusson for the chairs. I used dark wax mixed with clear wax and distressed the edges a bit to give them a little patina. I used Country Grey on the bookcase.

I almost forgot to show you this-
While two of my nieces were here over the holidays, I asked them to Mod Podge these recipes that my grandmother had clipped over the years and my mom couldn't throw out.
The yellow tape is from my grandfather's butcher shop. I think they used this tape to secure the butcher paper. If you click to enlarge the photo you might be able to see it says-
S. A. GABUZDA
Meats-Groceries-Provisions
(SERVICE WITH A SMILE)
Cor. Centre and Chestnut Streets
FREELAND, PA.
Phone 373
Free Delivery
The funny thing is, I didn't get this tape from family. I found it on eBay several years ago. I searched either on "Gabuzda" or "Freeland PA". You never know what you'll find on eBay.
If you know a Gabuzda, you know someone related to me.

I'll be back soon with more quilt show photos.

14 comments:

  1. Your hubby's Nine Patch quilt is lovely, and so is your mini Shoofly! Goodness, you did a wonderful job painting the furniture, and there was a lot to paint! How special to have those family heirlooms, and to involve nieces to modernize the a bit by modpodging memories from the past to the inside of the drawers... really special!!!

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  2. Maureen, I LOVE your quilt finishes!!! The nine patch - one of my favorite simple patterns - and you made it look just wonderful. And the little shoo fly is just adorable - yeah for you!!

    You did a fabulous job on the furniture!!! Such wonderful memories and you made it your own!!

    Blessings

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  3. Oh! my! what a lovely surprise to wake up to here on a very overcast and cool morning! I will send you my address via email.
    I can see why you decided to paint the furniture, they are beautiful pieces and I'd hesitate to paint normally, but I think in this case you did the right thing, they really have brought the pieces to life, love the fret work on the cabinet!!!!
    Your 9-patch is wonderful, and the mini Shoofly is just darling!!!!!

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  4. Wow, Maureen! You've been so busy! That 9 patch quilt is awesome! I think the extra length will be perfect for your hubby, too! And that furniture came out great! I love the recipe lining in the drawers, too! And that so amazing that you found that butcher's tape of your grampa's! Crazy!

    I just made a gazillion (ok, it's really about 150!) scrappy 9 patches in blues and that setting you used is perfect! Mind if I use it? :o)

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  5. How interesting life is. You won one of my giveaways, and I won a giveaway from Merilyn, and now she wins one from you. (insert spooky music here)

    I would have been nervous about painting family furniture too, but you took your time, you prepared well, and you've given new life to the family pieces. They'll be enjoyed for many years to come. They look great!

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  6. Great 9-patch setting, Maureen. Tall people appreciate long quilts! : )
    I am in love with your little mini creation!
    And you have breathed new life into that furniture! I admit, as I was viewing the "before" photos and reading about this, I was nervous. But, wow, it all looks wonderful!

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  7. Isn't it amazing just what turns up and where. Interesting tale and great use for your memories. The furniture looks fabulous.

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  8. Maureen, that was a cute and cheeky prize to offer and lucky Merilyn to be the winner.
    You really do have a way with scraps and I love both the nine patch and mini shoo fly quilts.
    Your talents are becoming evident in the furniture painting as well.
    Well done on all counts.

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  9. Two wonderful quilt finishe, but wow...look at all the lovely refinished furniture!

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  10. Congrats on your quilt finishes! Your scrap quilt is very dynamic and the mini is soft and sweet. Kudo's for going ahead and painting your furniture the way you wanted to. I have a china hutch and a bed frame that I want to paint some day but am so nervous to do it. Maybe someday.:)

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  11. LOVE the mod podge of the drawer bottoms~! what a great idea and how amazing that you discovered that tape on ebay~!! you're right though, it seems that with a little patience one might find just about anything on ebay.

    you did a fantastic job of painting that set and it looks so light and cheery now.

    your finished nine patch will be cozy for your husband to use in the cooler months and i think having it extra long is a good thing . . . no cold toes OR noses~!! ;-)
    he must be quite pleased to have it.

    the small piece from the churn dash blocks is so sweet and pretty. and looks great on your newly painted table.

    :-)
    libbyQ

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  12. Wow, what a wonderful post. The painting on the antique furniture looks wonderful, and the toile was a perfect choice for the upholstery. We went antiquing yesterday, and I saw a couple more examples of the milk paint that you have shown over the last few months. I'm convinced to paint my great grandmother's bed with the graphite color as its veneered and has some pretty deep scratches that could benefit from painting.

    I have butchers in my family too. My mother's dad and six brothers all joined forces to form the Crum Meat Company in the 1930s and 1940s. The Crums came to California in the late 1800s and the subsequent generation formed the meat company and butcher shop. They supplied meat to a large part of Northern California during the big logging heyday, and delivered the meat by horse drawn wagon to the logging camps. Your long narrow quilt is delightful, and reminds me of the "hired man" quilts that we read about in some of the antique quilting books. I've been meaning to make one.

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  13. Wow Maureen you have been busy! What a gorgeous transformation of your dining room furniture! So that's what you were practicing for lol...It WILL look even better in your eventual farm kitchen :)
    Beautiful quilt as well, I like the shape. I want a quilt that shape. Almost like a super long shawl, perfect for the couch, which I never sit on, but would, if I had a quilt like that.
    And love love the Mod Podge idea. I have that exact box of recipes from MY gramma and I have a hutch with drawers and several children out of school with not enough to do...mwaahahaha
    Also, but not least, I am sorry for your dad passing away. I never know what to say in these cases to make it better, but I hope you are okay now.
    Hugs,
    Sarah

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  14. Great finishes.
    Love your dining set. I think your DD will be honored you've displayed the china.
    Great paint choices and the drawer lining is extra special.
    I look forward to seeing them in a farm house!

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