Some progress (house and stitching)

We have a couple of things working against us on the house progress front right now, some planned some not planned.  First we have busy Saturdays entirely for 4 weekends in a row.  Second Ryan got sick, his work got busy then Bella got sick this past weekend and his work is still busy.  Travel and illness and work.

2 weekends ago Ryan managed even though he was sick to get a start on the built-ins in the master – just got the base platforms in.  The built-ins will be just open bookshelves.  We originally were going to do cabinets however the room is a bit tight when you count 2 night stands and a king size bed, the cabinet doors wouldn’t open so we’re going with just open shelves (same amount of storage space).

The base for the left one

And the right

They have to be pretty high off the ground so the trim will look correct going across the front (baseboard).  I’m excited for the extra storage for sure.

In stitching news I’ve had a lot of time in the evenings to stitch (sure I could be painting or something but it’s more fun to stitch) 🙂  I pulled this piece out that I started years ago – it’s called Autumn in my Garden by Mirabilia (there’s one for each season) and I’m stitching it on 40ct fabric over 2 to make it a bit smaller (these pieces are quite large).  I finished up the lady’s skirt and started the pumpkins.  It’s beaded a little bit and I think it will be a very pretty piece when done.

Autumn in My Garden progress

I was only going to show stitching when it was a finished piece but if I’m working on such a large piece I like to track the progress a bit more.  I have another small piece in progress that I’m doing as my travel piece that I’ll show when that’s done.  Continuing to work through my old previously started pieces.  Soon I’ll have to start something new though at this rate!

Tales of Wonder and Appleseed Needlecase

This past weekend I went down to DC with my group of stitching friends from Boston!  We met up initially at In Stitches in VA and what a great store it is!  We shopped, took a break for lunch and a needleshow nearby and then shopped more.  On Saturday we spent the afternoon stitching!

On Sunday when I was home I finished up a little piece I had finished stitching a few weeks ago – finished it into a needlecase as it called for.  It’s called Appleseed by Jeannette Douglas Designs :

Appleseed Needlecase

It was a small piece from Celebrations of Needlework years ago that I had 1/2 finished – so I finished it up as I’m working through a pile of unfinished pieces.

This next piece is one that I started last week and finished up Saturday in DC.  It’s called Tales of Wonder by Dragon Dreams and it is just a cute small piece I’ve had in my pile of things to stitch forever.  I’m not yet sure if I’ll frame it or make it a small banner.

Tales of Wonder

I’m not yet sure what my next project will be!

Trim weekend

Ryan spent the weekend working on trim in the upstairs hallway and master bedroom.  The door trim and baseboards are well under way now!

Doors still need caps but are looking great

That little closet has a door frame now so we can put on a door some day 🙂

In the closet the baseboards are done

I think I’ll be the one putting trim on inside this closet!

The next few weekends are all booked with activities – but hopefully we’ll get some Sunday time to continue work on the trim – we’ll see!

Last Dragon!

I can’t believe how quickly these little guys stitched up – considering I started them back in 2003!  I just did 4 of them, taking about a week each!  They are officially done now and I have to decide how to finish them into a quilt and also what on earth to work on next??? These were perfect as travel projects!

Peace Dragon

A picture of all of them finished together :

Dragons finished!

Weekend Progress : Master Bedroom

More progress on the master bedroom this last weekend!  First up – fun thing – since I finished installing all the outlets in the master bedroom and hallway last week I was able to install the LED strip lighting in the linen closet :

Lighting!

It takes a power supply, switch and this strip of LED lights that are adhesive (tape) that I ran all along the inside trim of the closet (all the way around the top) so we get great light in there!  I had planned for this so the outlet was installed in the closet up high for just this.  There’s an outlet near the floor for roomba too.

More importantly though was Ryan’s progress.  Saturday his Dad and he finished up the floor in the bedroom!!!

Floor finished!

The little spot at the end there is where the built-in bookcase will go (so plywood base) – there is one on each side of the closet.  Speaking of closet, then they got the closet door installed!

LOVE this door!

On Sunday Ryan got the threshold to the master finished and installed the bedroom door!

Door done!

Threshold

The plan for this weekend is to get those built-ins done and a good start on trim.  The windows are done so it’s door trim, baseboards and chair rail like in the girls’ rooms.

I’m hoping by the first weekend of April the trim is done and we are sanding/polying the floors in there!  Then it will be painting and we can move in by the end of April?  I’m trying to be conservative because things always come up.  We have a vacation planned in April but if the weather is nice I think Ryan wants to work on the front porch we are adding so that we can get the new roof installed in May.  SO many projects to do!

More Dragons

I’ve been working on the dragons exclusively now that Celtic Banner is done!  Love and Trust are now done.  Just 1 more to go and it will be quilt time.

Love

Love

Trust

Trust

Peace is the last one to do!

Flooring

This past weekend was a busy one!  Thursday night Ryan finished installing the trim in front of the tub and I got all the trim caulked and holes filled.

Friday Brad sanded and primed all the trim.

A view of the tub trim finished too! Most of that is removable in case we ever need to get under the tub to the pump.

A view of the tub trim finished too! Most of that is removable in case we ever need to get under the tub to the pump.

Where toilet and vanity will go

Where toilet and vanity will go

Door

Door

Friday night Ryan and I finished the master closet ceiling bead board installation and moved tools downstairs.  The ceiling isn’t finished but we wanted to get the bead board finished so it could be moved downstairs.

Ceiling of closet

Ceiling of closet

Saturday after a trim to home depot for supplies and more cleanup, Ryan and his dad started putting down the new floor in the master bedroom!  It’s hard to work in a room where you’re laying the floor, each time they cut and router they have to vacuum etc but we have no other place to do that part of the work!

By the end of Sunday they had the master closet and about 2/3 of the main room floor finished!  We have to clean it all up and move the pile of wood so this weekend Ryan can finish it up.  Once the floor is done it’s on to door installation and trim!

Floor!

Floor!

This side of the room is done

This side of the room is done

This pile of wood has to be moved so it can be finished :)

This pile of wood has to be moved so it can be finished 🙂

While the guys did the floor on Sunday at naptime I got the door knobs installed on the newly painted doors and filled up my new linen closet (Ryan cut the shelves Sat night for me)!  Finally a closet with a door (this may be my first ever finished closet that has a door on it already!).

Not many linens but it's my first closet for bathroom supplies. And finally towels are out of the hallway!

Not many linens but it’s my first closet for bathroom supplies. And finally towels are out of the hallway!

Linen Closet and Trim

Finally a post with house pictures!  This weekend while I was away Ryan surprised me by finishing the trim in the linen closet and having Brad prime/paint it along with the door (and the door to Alex’s room which still needed paint!).  I just have to finish the outlets in there, set up the lights (LED strips that will plug in) and we can install the closet system!

It’s hard to take a picture of a closet – but you can see the baseboard and door painted at least.

Ryan had finished the beadboard in the bathroom by Saturday but spent Monday working on the caps.  Bathroom trim is almost done and then it will be painted!

Next weekend he hopes to start laying the floor in the master bedroom!

Celtic Banner

This past week I finally finished up a very large piece called Celtic Banner by Butternut Road.  I used a ‘green’ conversion so it’s not in the original browns but was inspired by one we saw finished in this color way in a store that no longer exists.  In 2006 my best friend and I both purchased this piece and selected matching Yellow fabric (32 Ct Belfast in Ray of Light).  We started it when we took a vacation to Maine together on August 3, 2006.  Some history can be read on this post : Celtic Banner 2011

Most of this piece was stitched when we were together over the years (mostly on trips to Maine).  This year was the first since my kids were born that we picked it up again during a recent visit.  We decided we should just finish it up now that we had picked it up again and a month later – it’s done!

20170215_201420-1

Top half :

20170215_201427

Bottom Half : 20170215_201435It’s great to have such a large piece finished after so long.  To truly finish it though it needs to be hangable – so I need to figure out how I want to finish it off.  I’m sure that will be a project of its own.

Wicked Weekend

No house work this weekend because we went to NYC for my xmas gift!  Ryan got us a hotel and tickets to see Wicked!  We left Saturday morning when Mark and Suzanne came over to watch the girls for the weekend (THANK YOU!).  Poor Bella of course ended up with a nasty cold but is already doing much better this morning so we missed the worst of it (sorry Grandma!).

We drove down to Poughkeepsie and took the train into the city.  I stitched on my travel project (dragons!) on the train rides which was an extra bonus.  We had a hotel right on Central Park with a view of the park and we went to see Wicked!  I’ve seen Wicked before but it was Ryan’s first time and he really enjoyed it plus our seats were amazing!

Sunday sleeping in was maybe the best part and then I stitched on the train ride back.  Driving back from Poughkeepsie was horrible in the snow – stressful in the car with front wheel drive.  I missed having all wheel drive for sure but Ryan did all the hard part and I kept my head down and stitched.  I ended up finishing up my Patience dragon so I have 9 dragons ready for the dragon quilt – 3 more to go!

Some pictures – more stitching since there was no house work this weekend!

Finished - Patience Dragon - perfect for right now!

Finished – Patience Dragon – perfect for right now!

 

Dragons so far

Dragons so far