Curbside Makeover

Middle E just finished an amazing makeover project.  We found this old dresser on the curb.  It looked like it had potential for a redo, but I had enough going on and didn't even need it.  She was interested, but did not want to get out of the car.  Her line from the front seat was, "Do you need help?"  I know I am Super Mom on occasion, but pretty sure I was not up to manhandling the thing into the back of the van unassisted.  She broke down and helped hoping all the while that no one she knew was watching.

Back home it was a different story.  Took some measurements and figured it could replace her dresser and then she was ready to take on the work.  Even sanding by hand.  A neighbor came over and cheered her on.  It was missing the bottom drawer, but had a board fastened down and a hole drilled in the back so we suspect it had been used for electronics.  She figured right away that she could put baskets down there.

After she sanded and her father put his two cents in with the power sander we got paint.  Turns out her cousin had leftover lavender paint from her own room redo a few years back.  It was perfect and right in our budget.  She painted the body lavender and the drawer fronts white.  Two coats each.  Not one single complaint about the work.

Then finding new hardware.  Struck out at Home Depot and Ace.  Their pulls were not the right length and super expensive.  The knobs were not very interesting.  Struck out at Target - only multi packs and still not the right size.  Joanns didn't have anything.  Hobby Lobby had a entire aisle of drawer pulls and knobs.  Who knew? And they were all 50% off.  She found something she liked and it was the right size.

She had originally planned to paint the middle of the drawer fronts lavender, but hadn't done it yet.  With these pulls it made a huge difference.  The lavender really shows them off.

Then the basket hunt.  Too tall, too short, too long, too plastic, too something.  Finally just right.  More than 50% off at Joanns this weekend.  Perfect.  There was some thought of painting them or not, making new liners or not.  For now she is very happy with them just like they are.

A huge success story.  Her first big "all by myself" project.  This is the crowning touch on her room makeover.

Congratulations, Sweetie!!

Stash Report 022816

Just a little bit out for the binding on Carnival Quilt #1.  Things have been crazy busy so I will take whatever I can get.


Fabric Used/Out This Week: 0.3 yards

Fabric Used/Out in 2016: 7.1 yards

Fabric In This Week:  0 yards 

Fabric In 2016: 3 yards
 
Net Used 2016:  4.1 yards

Linking up to Judy at Patchwork Times to share our stash reports. 

Carnival Auction Quilt #1 Done !!

All done.  I communicated with the teacher about my concerns over a white binding and she agreed to go with my plan once she understood.

 Green is her favorite color and it was the best binding choice so it worked out great.

She loves it. The kids love it. Hopefully it will make a bundle of money for the school.

Now to finish the second auction quilt AND the commissioned quilt & burp cloth project.  I am pleased with what I have been able to get done around my work schedule.  Nothing like determination to make it get done.

Linking up with  Crazy Mom Quilts   and  Confessions of a Fabric Addict  to show off finishes. 

A Mending Job I Didn't Mind

There are people who know that I sew.  Every now and then they ask me to do an odd mending job. A lot of jobs are icky and I take only for the income.  Sometimes they are good like sewing patches on an army uniform and Boy Scout uniform - two thumbs up!  (Disclaimer: I do say "no" if I can't do it or really don't want to.)

This latest request made me feel different. It was more joy than job.  Older brother had the sports jacket with the high school letters.  Younger brother gets it next but it got a giant ink stain on the letter.  Mom tried her best but in trying to get the stain out ruined one of the letters and the stain is still there. 

Sounded like something that would have happened to me as a kid and certainly to my kids.  Hand-me-downs are a way of life in my family.  I grew up that way and my girls have as well.  So my heart went out to the younger brother.   

He had a Varsity Letter he had earned and it turns out it was just the right size to replace the stained letters.  The way the original had been sewn on made it easy to unsew.  The perfect project for one night after work with my feet up.

Then position the new patch and zigzag stitch it down.  I was afraid It might be too thick since it was thicker than the original and was actually being sewn over an inside jacket pocket, but I went slowly and It came out just fine.  I went around the white first and then the black with a slightly narrower zigzag.

 Perfect. You would never know it was not intended to be this way.  The only thing I am unsure of is how to wash it. His mom will have to figure that out. 

One job that I was happy to do!  

Tasty Tuesday - Sour Cream Coffee Cake

This is a recipe I found by accident and we all really like it.  Not just for breakfast or dessert, it is also great for school lunches.  I usually make it when I have extra sour cream on hand, which I did this weekend!

I forgot the struesal topping but that didn't stop anyone from eating it!

It is from The All New Good Housekeeping Cook Book 2001 edition.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Prep: 30 min  Bake: 1 hr 20 min

2/3 + 1 3/4 cups sugar
2/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped  (the girls don't like nuts, so I skip these)
1 t cinnamon
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
1/2 c butter or margarine, softened
3 large eggs
2 t vanilla extract
16 ounces sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease and flour 9- to 10-inch tube pan with removable bottom.

2. In small bowl, combine 2/3 c sugar, walnuts, and cinnamon.  Set aside.

3. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

4. In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat butter and remaining 1 3/4 cups sugar until blended, frequently scraping bowl with rubber spatula.  Increase speed to high; beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl.  Reduce speed to low; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla.

5. With mixer at low speed, alternately add flour mixture and sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating until smooth and occasionally scraping bowl.

6. Spoon one-third of batter into prepared pan.  Sprinkle one-third of cinnamon nut mixture evenly over batter, then top with one-third more batter.  Sprinkle evenly with another one-third more cinnamon nut mixture; top with remaining batter, then sprinkle with remaining cinnamon nut mixture.

7. Bake coffee cake until toothpick inserted in center comes our clean, about 1 hour 20 minutes.  Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes.  Run thin knife around cake to loosen from side and center tube of pan; life tube to separate from pan side.  Invert cake onto plate; slide knife under cake to separate from bottom of pan.  Turn cake, nut-mixture side up, onto wire rack to cook completely. 

Makes 16 servings.