Thresholds to Kids Quilts

I love easy projects and when I don't have to do the cutting all the better.  Several of my friends do the  Quilts for Kids.  The kit is mailed to you with all the material you need, all cut and ready to sew with a pattern.  You furnish the batting and sewing.  My pattern was the 4 strip Rail Fence.  I found it very relaxing to just sew and not worry about picking colors, cutting, or picking a pattern.  I kept the quilting simple and straight lines.  A few hours later it was a kid's quilt ready to mail back.  One more charity quilt completed for 2015.  Now to begin a design for the corner of my Vortex quilt.  I am thinking long horn for a Texas twist.  We will see!

String Bean challenge with Pat Sloan

A quick post to show the quilt top and back I completed for the Pat Sloan challenge called String Bean.  I had all the materials in my stash so it was easy to sew up a few blocks.  Not finished yet as I will embroidery in the center of the blocks.  I am in the process of designing the patterns for the centers...circles, balloons, circle tree, stop signal circles, cherries, music notes...theme of things round.  I love the ease of this block and the blank canvas to do some handwork.

Quilt Top ready for center embellishment

Quilt back

Windows and Chairs get a Redo

After 10 years of the same window treatment,chair cushions and pillows it is time for a change.  I challenged myself to keep it under $300.00 for the two sets of windows and the 8 chairs.  Bargain hunting began with going to Target, Tuesday Morning, Discount Linens, Bed Bath and Beyond and a few other places to search for drapes or sheets or something.  Found what I wanted at World Market and Pier 1 ...table runners, napkins and drapes at World Market in just the right pattern/colors, all on sale for 25% off and I had a coupon for another 20% off entire purchase.  4 table runners, one table cloth, 6 napkins and one table cloth for under $125.00 sent me through the Thresholds of Yes, this can be done.

Note: The "old" were the same for both my breakfast room and den

Here are the old and the soon to be yellow/white and gray window treatment in the breakfast room.

Two and half table runners later (used the forth as my table runner on the breakfast table) with 3" pleats every 19 inches with ties at the pleats the new set goes up.  I love table runners because they are already lined and unusually heavy enough material to hold the pleat well and yet give a little drape when needed and the cost is so cheap compared to a yard of material in today's world.  

 6 Chairs redone with napkins:

2 Chairs redone with cut from table cloth.  I have a lot of this left, so looking for what to do with that.  Thinking placemats, coasters, hot pads, oven glove  well later for this.

Then den redo:




New pillows (Pier 1) with coupon for 20% off and another 10% off for bonus day and drapes (World Market).  Ok so one chair has a blanket Mr Kitty likes to sit on. . .

with all materials and new pillows I spent well under my $300 budget and have material left to do other things with.  I love coupons and I love on sale.  All the redo took less than 48 hours and it has made Spring feel like it has entered the house while the flowers bloom outside too. 

What is your recent redos?  Bargains?  Spring into action and take on a project.