Kitchen Done! And Other Stuff

This is going to be a post with a lot of pictures, because I have a lot to catch up on. So, let’s get started.

To start off, this month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge I am working on my gray scraps, such as they are. All I really did on them this week was sew together a bunch (like 50+) half square triangles in 3.5, 2.5 and 1.5”. I have no immediate plans for them, but they’ll be of use sometime down the road, I’m sure. Over at Angela’s So Scrappy blog, the ladies there have more misty/hazy purples and greens and grays - why not hop on over?

The front porch columns are done! The kitchen is done! The living room demolition has not yet begun (thankfully) because I need a break for a week or two. I am so tired of painting, cleaning up, painting some more, sanding, cleaning floors, dusting, painting, etc. etc.

So, here are some pix:

We do plan to seal the front walkway before winter. It is concrete; embossed and dyed to look like flagstone. Our house faces north, so the porch area is in shade all winter and gets a lot of water, ice and snow.

Yeah, so I didn’t paint the columns crazily after all. I started to add colored stripes, but it looked so bad that I couldn’t paint over it fast enough.

As for the kitchen, when we moved in in 2003 (left picture below), it was stuck in the 1980’s and had blue/pink indoor/outdoor carpeting in the kitchen to match the white with pink and blue wallpaper. Our refrigerator didn’t fit.  In 2006 we did a full gut and remodel, adding hardwood floors, new cabinets, etc etc. (middle picture).  It has served us well, but needed fresh paint and some new window coverings. While we were at it, we added a new fixture because the old one was too dark, and replaced the dishwasher.

Here are the pictures looking east:

Left: 2003  Move-in                    Middle: 2006 Remodel                   Right:  2016 Refresh

And these are looking west:

Left: 2003 Move-in                 Middle:  2006 Remodel                   Right: 2016 Refresh

We still want to replace the table and chairs with a farm table, chairs and bench. But that will have to wait until next year. And, obviously, I need to get some things up on the walls...

With our new refrigerator (from February) and dishwasher, the cats can’t knock toys and things underneath. When we replaced the refrigerator, there were 19 straws underneath (they LOVE straws). I thought that was bad, but the dishwasher was replaced there were 34 straws!! Unfortunately, I still have to do a monthly fishing expedition under the stove/range to get things out. Yesterday there were no straws, but 2 shriveled apricots, 4 catnip mice and one of my wool pincushions. Actually, I was hoping to find a flash drive that has gone missing, but so far no feline is talking! (It has our wills and foundation information on it. Bruce is convinced the cats hid the flash drive to protest not being included in the wills).

So, in preparation for the living room demolition chaos to begin next month, we are choosing paint colors, hardwood flooring (since we cannot match the kitchen floor exactly, we will go darker) and pick out a fireplace gas insert.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

As promised, here is a picture of the quilt that my cousin Kim finished this month. She has been working on it about 2 years BY HAND. She finally used my Kenmore to sew on the borders. I did the quilting (simple loops) and she attached the binding by machine, then finished it by hand. I think it turned out beautifully! Way to go, KIMMIE!!

Aren’t the colors gorgeous? It’s for one of her granddaughters, Trini (who used to sew on Sundays with us).

Kim so enjoyed sewing on the machine again, that she had her old Kenmore serviced and will be using it to work on a quilt for her other granddaughter, Zoe. We expect it could be done by Christmas!

I have been working on sewing the rows of my Aria quilt together, and am 80% done with that. Pictures of that next weekend. I also hope to begin quilting Notting Hill during the coming week.

Finally, I bought the kit for Lori Holt’s Cozy Christmas Quilt, and am participating in the quilt-along. There are 12 blocks, each with an appliquéd center and pieced borders. I am not a fan of appliqué, but I loved the fabric line. So one block a week is do-able.  This is the first block, called Cozy Bell:

That’s it for now. Thanks for dropping by!