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Bench seating

29 Dec

From the real estate programming on HGTV, it seems 95% of home buyers are looking for an open concept floor plan and a fire-place.  A home with a grrrreat room and a fire-place does not necessarily equal a great layout for entertaining.  In our case, the prominence of the fireplace creates a challenge for a conversation friendly seating arrangement.  This dilemma has been particularly frustrating after updating furniture two years ago.

Our “ah ha” moment came hours before company was arriving.  Swap square ottomans for rectangular ottomans…great room to dressing room.  Open the center of the room and bench the fireplace hearth with comfortable ottomans plus pillows.

Bench seating

Bench seating

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It’s a wrap.

24 Dec
Fabric sample

Fabric samples

There are many fine 18″ X 18″ fabric samples that regularly come up on sale.  Here are a couple of ideas for wrapping.

Wrap jewelry box

Wrap jewelry box

Envelope bag

Envelope bag

The envelope bag was not only made as gift wrap but also as long-term storage for a chunky African necklace.

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Happy 2nd Anniversary!

24 Nov

In honor of the occasion, Elfcroft has a new header image of cotton fabrics.

Since the Middle Ages, silver and gold have been traditional anniversary gifts for 25th and 50th celebrations .  In 1937 the National Retail Jewelers expanded the traditions recommending gifts for each year.  Cotton became the new tradition for 2nd anniversaries representing “durability and the ability to adapt”….a fitting description of two years of blogging experience.

For Elfcroft, blogging is:

  • Antidote to demands of a career in manufacturing
  • “OJT” or On the Job Training
  • A laboratory and experiments
  • New “playground” to meet longtime friend
  • Discovery process of my “inner” writer
  • Practice making the “ordinary” interesting with photos and storytelling

If Elfcroft did not post these photos and stories…the projects would surely slip from recall…as I focus on the next thing at home and in the garden.

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Stitched Service

29 Sep

 

To Elfcroft, stitched service (the last three years) has meant prayer shawls, aprons for Wheeler Mission and girls plus boys clothes for Helping Hands Touching Hearts.  My late start for this year’s shipment to South Africa was jump started with boy’s shorts from Target clearance sales.  The slow rolling start at sewing uses up the last of former curtains turned boy’s shorts in my first shipment in 2010.  (Think of the movie “Sound of Music”.)

Simplicity 5218….four pair, size 4

Also last year, I had long narrow bands left over from making girls dresses with Simplicity 2228.  I sewed those bands together to make dresses with See and Sew B5592.  Yeah!  four more dresses out of last years stock.

See and Sew B5592

More to follow!

Tea Towels

5 Jul

Having a small collection of tea towels from vacations in the 1980s, my interest was renewed on a trip to London last month.  I brought home three more.  One each celebrates the Queen’s diamond jubilee, Westminster Abbey and Harrod’s (with a peacock).

This morning I found this outstanding example for do-it-yourself tea towels using Spoonflower to print the fabric.  Added to my TO TRY list.

http://blog.spoonflower.com/2012/07/turn-recipes-into-tea-towels.html

Field trip

30 Oct

Last weekend we had a field trip to the first Container Store in Indianapolis.  I say field trip because far west to north-east is a significant drive.  The Indianapolis Star did a lengthy feature article on its grand opening.

With 10,000 items it is not only a professional organizer’s dream store, but also an inspiration to others of us who are simply trying to solve a problem.  The vertical bookcase probably intrigued me the most.  A heavy base accommodates a single stack of books five feet high just right for small spaces that are difficult to use for another purpose.

The Container Store

The sentiments on their shopping bags are endearing!  I could not leave the store empty-handed.  I decided upon project cases that are stackable with handles for $3.99 each and a small modern floral fabric box.

As intriguing as the store was, sometimes the solution is already in reach if we just consider other purposes.  The kitchen junk drawer do over features glass dishes that formerly contained candles plus a butter dish (probably bought from the Vermont Country Store) for pens, etc.

Junk drawer make over

Screen

25 Jun

Front porch

The screen is new.  Why didn’t we do this years ago?  (The foundation plantings were over grown.)  Could we say “tricked out”  with ceiling fan, new rocking chairs plus table, “candle”labra, wind chime and the porch swing Pap-pa Hall made over 25 years ago.  It is delightful to watch Shelby relate to all the sights and sounds of the outdoors.  He stays on high alert.

Exit left

Next project

What could this be?  The new gate is part of the plan.

Re-purpose

24 Dec

Repurposing comes up fairly often around the house, especially with organizing fever.  I expect to update this post several times as content on this theme comes up.  For starters, the dilemma during Thanksgiving travel was how to handle/pack a knitting and crochet project.  The Ah Ha moment came rethinking the fabric bag for dispensing used plastic shopping bags.  It has an opening at both ends, expands to the volume I needed and is pliable for easy packing.

Perfect travel bag for knitting and crochet projects

Have you ever had the dilemma of seeing something that compelled you to remember someone, but it was not an item that the person would necessarily like to receive as a gift?  Last year, at a country craft shop “Donna and Friends” in Bainbridge, IN I found such an item…a small dish of a snowman with a round nose (which is a favorite thing of my niece). The snowman dish priced at $2.95 was a must buy.  So, what to do?  This is a very classy dish made by Fitz and Floyd.

Special gift wrap for a special girl

What I decided to do, since the price was in the range of a gift bag or such, was to use it as an alternative bow by hot gluing it to the wrapping paper.  The height is shallow and the package is stackable with care.

Add three pairs of wrought iron hooks to a mailbox post and we have a "Fly in" diner serving six types of bird food.

The mailbox post is perfect and was the lowest cost of the options we considered.  How about sharing your ideas?

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