What's Old is New Again...

I would love for you to meet a very sweet gentleman!

This is my Uncle Bob--my mom's brother!

About a year and a half ago he passed away.

He was a very creative and talented carpenter who

built a beautiful home for he and my aunt in the late 1960's.

We are alike in our creativity...just different mediums--his was wood, mine is fabric!

As happens when people pass away, their belongings go to various family members.

Uncle Bob was a meticulous carpenter. This bench below...sorry I don't have before pictures...was one of two work benches that he made. They were rough and plain wood and to him they were a tool. My mom and I were so endeared to them and thought they would look cute painted white and put somewhere in the yard with pots on it.

As I finally got to them this summer, I started by painting them white, but in my creative mode of the moment, they turned into this!

It was OLD but now it is a NEW beautiful addition to my americana themed patio!

This "NEW" patio chair was an OLD redwood and aluminum lawn chair that belonged to Uncle Bob. I was about to donate it somewhere when I had the wonderful idea to spray paint it glossy red. Gorgeous!!! Doesn't it just invite you to sit down and relax?

Well, in the spirit of thinking about what I did with my Uncle's "treasures" here are a few other OLD things made NEW around my yard this summer.

My brother gave me a beautiful park bench a couple of years ago. Originally it was stained and the iron was green. It was supposed to weather through the winter being sealed, etc. Unfortunately, it didn't and it has been looking very sad for the last year!

So, to the rescue, out came my red spray paint!

An OLD bench, made NEW again.
What do you think?

What about this below? When I bought my home three years ago, this 50+ year old fireplace was in my side yard. At first I thought I could restore it to use as a fireplace but that plan did not materialize. Last summer, some gardener/landscapers helped me turn it into a water feaure.

I recently finished adding pots, plants, etc. to make it look fantastic! Sorry, I don't have it turned on at the moment.

The water comes out of the top and the front!!!

An OLD fireplace = a NEW water feature!!


This was once an OLD tea kettle. Someone...not me....found it and envisioned it as a watermelon themed art piece. It came home with me to add a NEW splash of summer to my patio!

And, finally, last but not least...these pansies were planted last fall and earlier this summer trimmed back to almost nothing....they were OLD and now they look NEW and beautiful again!!!

Isn't it amazing!?

Dotti

Blooms, Blooms Everywhere!!!!!

So...I'm looking around me and there are blooms, blooms......everywhere!

Remember the ME Framed Four-Patch that I finished a few days ago? I also showed a picture of the Woodland Bloom version that I was helping my mom with. In her picture, though, the blocks were arranged on the floor but not sewn together.

Voila!!!

Amid much challenge and some frustration.....

+ lots of teamwork....It is completed!!!

Isn't it pretty!!!

I just think my mom is so cute...she's 82 and she's in love with Woodland Bloom!!!

Now that it is done, she is so happy with it!

We won't tell you what she considered during the last bit of construction time!!!

Even though I haven't done as much sewing as I had wanted to do this summer, I have had some time to work on blooms in my yard.

I love Black-Eyed Susans....

Dahlias....



These pretty and unusual flowers that I can't remember the name of....

(can anyone help me?)


Zinnias....



and a collection of zinnias and snapdragons in this cutest little vignette!

Hope you have a day full of blooms and fun.....I guess one of my favorite quotes would be appropriate here:

"Bloom where you're planted!"

Dotti

Friends, Flowers and a Finish

Do you like the Mary Engelbreit fabrics with the theme of flowers and friendship?

I do!

Remember my last post I mentioned a project I was working on....

Well....look!

I see some Mary Engelbreit flowers....

It all started when I bought a little kit from a LQS over a year ago. It was a pattern designed by the shop called a "Framed Four-Patch." They sell lots of kits because it is actually a fun little quilt to make. It is 48 X 56.

Since my summer has not left much room for sewing, I was ravenous to finish SOMETHING before I have to start getting ready for school to begin

so

ready to sew

My first finished framed four-patch!!! I am so excited about these colors!

Put 20 of these charmers together....

Add borders with framed four-patch cornerstones

and there you have it....

I took the loveliness outside for a photo shoot but sorry that my pictures did not turn out that great!

So....now I am waiting for the Mary Engelbreit fabric that I ordered from the Quilt Shoppe that I am using for the backing and it will be off to the quilter!
I am hoping to sew a few more things up in the next few days!

Oh....did I mention that while I was sewing mine, I was helping my mom work on one from the same pattern using fabric from the "Woodland Bloom" collection. Her sewing machine was being difficult and she needed lots of support and encouragement but it's worth it seeing her feel good about making something pretty!!

Have a wonderful beginning of the week and hopefully, I will be able to share some more lovelies before the end of the week!

Dotti

It's a Birthday Bash

Rachel at p.s. i quilt is having a giveaway to celebrate the 2nd birthday of The Quilt Shoppe! Check out The Quilt Shoppe and check out Rachel's blog to join in the fun! They have some really yummy stuff!

Have an awesome day and come back tomorrow for pictures of my newest completed project!

Dotti

A New Look and summer continues....

Do you notice the new look of my blog? What do you think? I don't like to change it often but I chose my first background so quickly and have really wanted to change it for a while. When "V" first created her picture mosaic for her blog, I was in awe. I told my daughter I wanted to do that because I had been thinking of something like that that reflected the title of my blog. Well, my daughter went to the link provided by V and created one on her blog and it turned out so sweet. I worked on it this evening and figured it out myself. Along with the new background and the buttons I added last night, I am thinking I like it for now! I must admit, though, that I am already thinking of new pictures to change it out. Like this one, maybe...

A view of the skyline of the big city of Seattle from our side of the water. Not bad of a picture for my camera--you can even see the Space Needle!

I was over in Seattle Mon-Wens. this past week and stayed in one of those tall buildings--the Westin Hotel. It was a conference for schools. It was great and we accomplished a lot--but it was during such hot days. Glad to be back on "the peaceful side."

Do you remember this adorable baby quilt that I made for little Joshua?

Then came the special day he arrived into this world...

I was lucky enough to finally get some pictures of him with his quilt.

Enjoy! He is so adorable!

I am wishing they didn't live so far away on the east coast because I so want to kiss those precious little cheeks! Doesn't it look like he likes his quilt?!

My friend, Sherri of A Quilting Life has a section of the quilt made from this pattern as the header on her blog. I contacted her right after I started blogging and asked her where to get the pattern because I loved it! She connected me with the shop that had designed the pattern and I was able to purchase it! I plan to be working on this very soon.

Because I don't have border fabric I will be tweaking the pattern a bit--I think you will like what it looks like and how it reflects something about me!

The following two pictures are some of the fabrics that I have collected for this quilt~

They are from the Cider Mill Road collection designed by Nancy Halvorsen.

Thought you might like a little peak at the current "home" of my triple irish chain table topper that I was lucky enough to win from Sheri Howard's giveaway. I love how it looks here!

I picked up this wooden bowl from a garage sale, layed the fabric inside and put these wonderful real looking strawberries inside for the fresh summer look! I like it--a lot!

Now this picture is in my header but I wanted to show you a picture that I have hanging in my dining room that reflects my love of apples and quilting! I really like this picture--I apologize for the slight glare.

This apple bowl is also a new find at a garage sale in June. The same store where I got the life like strawberries is where I got these apples....you can tell they are not real up close, but I think they look cute in there anyway. I'm not usually one for "fake" fruit decorations!!!!

In the middle I put an apple spice candle for the fun smell!

This picture is of another new apple find at a recent yard sale!

And these, too! I like them and got them for a very good deal!

Well, thanks for taking a look at some of my apple inspirations, my new blog and some fun summer sewing! I would love feedback on my new blog look and of course, I always love comments! You are all amazing! Have a wonderful weekend!

Dotti

What are summers made of......

What are SUMMERS made of?

A little of this.....

a LOT of this.......

A little of this.....

Some of this....

And a LOT of this.....

That's what Summers are made of!

Here's hoping that your summer is just as wonderful!!!

Dotti