Hiatus

I can't believe it's been almost a year since my last post. A lot happened last year, the biggest thing was my mom's health declining significantly until she lost the battle with her diabetes related liver disease May 30th.

Losing a parent is a big life event, and one that you really can't understand how it will effect you until you've lost one yourself. I haven't really felt like blogging in a long time, but lately I've been thinking a lot about it, so here I am!

The last couple of years have been a trial for me filled with change, loss and a lot of betrayal. Every time someone would say 'It will get better!" something even crappier happened so I forbade people from saying it to me! But as the saying goes, nothing good or bad lasts forever, even though it seems like it at the time. And as Train says "I stopped believing although Journey told me not to. Before I call it day, maybe this'll be my year." 

Thanks to my family and friends, and running away to Scotland for a month, I've finally found the good things in life again and have become a stronger, better person for it. This year is starting off pretty amazingly. I'll go into that soon, so stay tuned.

I still haven't posted the latter half of my Scotland trip, so I will do that soon. I really want to introduce everyone to the wonderful quilters I met there! 

Here's a little recap of my projects from the last year for you. It's going to be a quick and dirty synopsis, so please bare with me!

This is a quilt I made for my darling Emmett's wedding in Sept 2012 that I just finished in time for his sister's wedding this January! I baby sat both Emmett and Liz since they were born and they are both very special to me and I love them tons. I can't believe they are both old enough to be married since I'm totally not any older!

Ironically enough the quilt pattern was designed by a quilt shop owner in Austin, Texas which is where Emmett got married! (I can't recall the name now, I'll update it when I find it again) Michelle and I discovered it when we were hitting all the quilt shops in the Austin area!

I used the first David Butler line w/Basic Grey' Grunge. I freaking love Grunge! It always come through for me when I can't find the perfect coordinate to pull it all together. It's white Minky on the back. I made it extra large because Em is ridiculously tall, and I wanted it big enough for he and Chrissy to be able to cuddle up together underneath it.

I quilted this vintage quilt top that a friend of mine found in the attic of her family's farmhouse which several generations of her family lived in. I couldn't believe what gorgeous shape it was in after being packed away for so many years!

I quilted the empty blocks with a traditional wreath pattern. It took me a long time to decide how to quilt it because I wanted to do it justice and be age appropriate (probably the only time I am age appropriate!)

I thought it photographed well on my grandmother's buggy bench.

I've had a terrible case of project ADD lately. I recently started working on this wall hanging. It started out as an entirely different quilt set on point, but I wasn't thrilled with that, so now it's straight set and will have applique when I get done. 

I've also been working on this for my baby cousin's baby quilt. She turned a year in November, so I'd best get it done before she's too big for it!!! I can't figure out how to rotate it, so you'll have to turn your head. I think I'm going to continue the pink down the tree trunk.

I've also been working on some wool applique when I travel or go to guild. 

This is the pattern:

I'm using a variety of 3 Sisters by Moda (because you know, I have quite a variety of it in my stash!) I think I'm going to change around that top left corner block too, because I'm not much of a heart person outside of Valentine's Day decorations.

On the home front, I've been quite busy as well. I found this cabinet at a barn sale for $50.
The bottom is now my sink in the Tiffany bathroom. The top will eventually be repainted and hung in the laundry room.

I have custom molding for the edges of the sink to put on and the backsplash tile to install, then it will be done!

I got the knobs at Anthropologie, I think they cost as much as the sink did in total!!! The 4 corner ones are mercury glass and the center is all blingy and rhinstones. Now if I can just figure out how to put a chandelier in there....

I went with the one on the left.  It sparkles in the light. The photo doesn't do it justice.

I finally finished painting the master bathroom. Say goodbye to the last of the Avocado Green!!!!

And hello to the gorgeous Farrow and Ball  Blue Gray! I thought I took a photo w/the mirror up, but I guess I didn't so I'll do an official before and after when I do that.

Ahhhh, that's better, isn't it?

I was going to go into the outdoor projects, but I have a feeling Blogger will explode if I try to add more photos, so I'll do a separate post on that. Also, I can't seem to get the font out of red and underlined. I'm not sure what' up with that. Apparently Google and Apple don't play nicely together, still.

The Reveal part 2

I haven't much time to write the post tonight since I have a TON to do in the next 36 hours, I'll tell you why at the end if one of the pics doesn't give it away.

Bedroom 1 before.

Bedroom 1 after.
I didn't realize until just now the quilt is askew!

Bedroom 1 before

Bedroom 1 after.
Paint is Restoration Hardware's 'Silver Sage', which is my all time fav.

Bedroom 2 before.

Bedroom 2 after.
Whoops, didn't clean the bed off pre-photo!

 Clean bed, that's better.
Paint color is Martha Stewart from Sherwin Williams 'Pearl Grey'.

Bedroom 2 inside before.



Bedroom 2 after.

Bedrooms 1 &2 before.

Bedrooms 1 & 2 after.
Much more serene, don't you think?

Bedroom 3 before.

Bedroom 3 after.
The color is a custom mix that I made from paints on hand when the color I originally
choose didn't turn out the way I wanted .

            

 I only have a couple photos of the master bedroom because I can't seem to find the s.d. card where the rest of the pictures are hiding.

Master bedroom dresser area before.
Can I just say how much I detest Harvest Gold? 

Master bedroom dresser after.
Paint is Farrow & Ball 'Shaded White' and I love it.
I made the jewelry board last January.
 The dresser was a 1980's oak and brass freebee a friend gave me.
I'll do a tutorial on this probably in March since quite a few people have asked me to. 

Master bedroom quilt ladder.
 I got the ladder from Paducah when Michelle and I went this past fall!
I made all of the quilts other than the 2nd from the top and the bottom one.
The star quilt is vintage.
The bottom signature pink and green quilt was made by Tammy Tadd and most likely Sherry Massey too.

And now for the reason that I won't be doing a tutorial until March.... 

In case you didn't see the mess on the bed in bedroom 2, it's my suitcase! Well, one of them anyway. I need a couple because I'm leaving Friday for a month long sabbatical overseas. 
I've had an extremely awful and emotionally draining fifteen months and I need to get away, far away, from everyone and everything for a good long while to get myself in a good place again. In essence, I'm running away from home, adult style. 

If you'd like to see where and what I'm doing check back really, really soon. I plan on exploring quilting as well as culture in other countries while on my sabbatical.

And don't worry about the dogs, I have a friend staying at my house and taking care of them and the house while I'm away.

The other fun thing I'm up to is the Nancy Drew blog hop in March! I LOVED Nancy when I was a young girl, and was giddy when I saw Moda had the 'Get a Clue with Nancy Drew' line coming out! Michelle told me about the blog hop, so I jumped to sign up! I'm hoping to work on my Nancy Drew project for the hop while away. I have an idea, but I'm still working out how to make it into reality.

In addition the Nancy Drew project, I have 2 embroidery projects, 1 wool and embroidery and a 12 block wool applique kit I'm bringing with on my trip. I think Pitti-Pat is right, all quilters have delusions of grandeur when packing projects for time away! (A HUGE thanks to Pitti-Pat and Sophie for helping me trace, cut and staple the wool last weekend!)

So until I figure out how to get Blogger to work on my new iPad.....

Happy Quilting and Happy Travels!

Vicki

The Reveal part 1

I know it's been ages and ages since I've updated my blog, and to those who have told me they keep hopefully checking it for new and exciting things (Bobbie and Sherry!), I just want to say thanks for hanging in there during my hiatus!
I think when you see what I've been up to, you'll agree that I didn't have much time for sleep, much less blogging.
Here are some before and afters of the new house:

Hallway to Reading Room before

Hallway to Reading Room after.

Reading Room before.
Isn't the avocado green lovely?

Reading Room after.
Paint color is Farrow & Ball 'Oval Room Blue'
Everyone loves this color.
The chaise will get a proper slip cover with a pleated skirt when I get a chance to make one.

Reading Room into Kitchen.
The avocado/eye-popping red combo is awesome!

Fireplace before.
The fireplace was painted those colors, they are not the original brick.
Below is the in progress, w/the mantle and brass fireplace doors not yet rehabbed.

  

Fireplace Room after.
Walls are Farrow & Ball 'French Gray'

I don't have a before of this little nook since it was just the

Avocado hallway between the Harvest Gold and Dark Terra Cotta bedrooms.
The Hallway is Farrow & Ball 'Shaded White'

I love my falling apart vintage needlepoint chair and cowboy boots vignette.

I was originally going to fix the bottom of the chair and paint the wood white, but the more I looked at it as is, the more I liked the look of it in it's current state.

I was going to add more photos, but Blogger is being testy today and not letting me upload more photos or arrange the ones already in here, so I'll have to do a separate post.

Check back within the next week for more on the renovations/redecorating as well as some really exciting and fun news!

Happy Quilting,
Vicki