Friday Finishes!

This week I got a couple of projects done, one was my noodle board, I finally finished it.
Bill made the board for me and I painted it black. I was going to do mustard over black, but decided that would be too busy in the kitchen and left it black.

The problem was, the board had been sitting for months and the paint was really set into the wood and I do not have a lot of strength, so I didn't sand it very well.  My stain was old and I had to water it down, so that didn't help and my spray varnish was way too old, it wasn't going on right and left a messy finish, but it will do.

This is how it looks on the stove. We made it to cover up the old stove, it was a mess and this would have looked nice on it, but I think it is too much for my new stove and I love my new grates and don't like covering them up.

Then I used the broiler without taking the board off, not a good idea. The varnish started melting, so never use the oven with a board on top;) I decided it would be better to use it elsewhere and now it is sitting on top of my chest. The chest is another future project, I think it needs to be painted and antiqued. I like how it looks on the chest and keeps things from being knocked over by the kitties.

The hooked rug and cat pieces were gifts from my friend Kelley, With Hook & Needle.

I also decided to try another needle felted project and I needed an eyeglass case. I used designs from online coloring book pages. If you use white wool for the backing, you can trace designs onto it with a light box. I like to have the outlines to follow, even though my version is definitely not as detailed as the original. I made the case in one piece, doing a design on each side. It has a fabric liner inside, then I added a twisted cord for the edging.

This is what I did as the front side. My seagulls are sad looking, I think I should have gone with simple black outline gulls;)

And this is the backside, I kept it simple and had fun with the fibers for a sunset look. I think it is time I dye some roving so I can do more shading and details in my pieces. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Monday Freebies Galore!

I recently joined a group called Wool Applique to share my love of wool work with others. What I didn't realize is, the group has a lot of talented crafters and generous designers. One of the things I was able to make this week was a free BOM by Stacy West of Buttermilk Basin. I love the first design and can't wait to see what other ones we will be doing.

I used a flannel suede on this piece and have woolie flannels for the other blocks. I am not sure if they are all the same size or what they will be, it is a mystery BOM, so I got neutrals so I can mix and match.
The only thing I changed on mine was the star, I used a button instead of wool.

The bad thing is, they only had one piece of the blue suede and I messed up my cuts, so I may be able to do two more.

The reason I used this blue was, I made a trip to the folk art quilt store and when I saw this, I knew it was perfect for the pineapple. Since she had a supply of woolie flannels, I was able to get three neutral shades to add to the mix. I also found monks cloth on sale. It was two yards that had gotten wet, but it is dry now and nothing wrong with it, so half price was worth it. I also found some homespun to add to my stash and a fun art print for a future art piece. I have been avoiding going to a quilt store since i want to use my stash, but also fun to treat myself;) The seagull print is to go with a charm pack, I bought. This will be perfect for the border, of a quilt I have in mind.

Since we had a break in the snowstorms but too cold and deep to enjoy being outside, we went to the antique barn. It is two floors of booths with antique and new items. I found a wooden box that is perfect for my canisters. It was slightly used, but looks new and less than half the price, so well worth it. It is in the mustard/black shade that I am painting my noodle board.

Our kitchen is a work in progress, I am still debating on how I want to do the walls.

Bean is still growing and being good this week. He gets out for some play in the snow, and I play with him in the house but it is nice that he is calming down and relaxing more often. Of course he decided he wanted my chair and there is not enough room for two. I hope everyone had a nice weekend and it looks like we may be hit with one more storm this week. I guess I need to get snowshoes next;)