2015 March

A Day With Robert...
3/27/2015

Oh! How I wish there were at least eight more hours in a day that do not require sleep!! How many of you feel like that?? I feel like I am running like a chicken with my head cut off and not accomplishing a thing! You know those days! Yet... when I look around it seems that there is a lot more done than is registering with me... I keep looking at the unfinished and not the finished!!



With all the craziness of getting product ready for Delray and spending time making sure that folks have what they need for the Annual Recreation Workshop that I am directing in May, I took Saturday off to play in the Creature Art-Doll Workshop with Robert Hartley.

Above you see my crazy creature that is far from finished! He will have a big curly tail that goes up to his head, a collar with scales (that came off a $26.00 per yard trim... oops... don't tell) and red feathers coming out of his tail. He has not told me what else he wants to wear yet!!

We have been fortunate enough to have had Robert teach several classes and his creative talent is unbelievable. I think it goes all the way down to his toes!! If you get a chance to take a class with him you definitely won't be sorry!!

Looks like Portia, Mark and Jo, Jane, Leslie and Leslie, too are having way too much fun! 

Of the creatures being made we have a "chicken to be', a four-legged horned thingy, one that looks like a dead body, one being stuck with a pin, and a headless creature!! 

Can't wait to see the finished products!!

Tomorrow is our chest ottoman class and I'm looking forward to creating another piece to take to Delray with me.  Hopefully we will be taking orders! And next week I should have photos of the tunics that we're creating and final pics of Lucy and Leonard. 

When you find a way to add more hours to the day, let me know!  And let me know what creative things you are playing with that make you smile!!

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Meet Leonard & Lucy!

3/19/2015

We are definitely on a roll around here and Lucy and Leonard are taking a small trip to the upholsterer's and then to Delray Florida! These are the fronts of my latest wing back chairs that I have designed... We (the customers and I) had too much fun creating their stories and adding their rolls, lumps and personalities. I am not much of a journaling person or writer but I sure can come up with stories in pictures!!  The chairs will have four different fabrics mixed in with them in various places. I think they would be great in Florida on a screened in porch.

Bobby brought in the finished bird chair this week during the upholstery class and I am thrilled with the way it turned out. I started with the mixed color diamond fabric that covers the back, sides and boxing, pulled solids to match, and then spent days trying to decide what I wanted to design on the back. It is funny that I have never cared much for birds on fabric but have spent a lot of time during the past couple of years making my own birds.  I think that the chair design is my new favorite thing to do!! 

This cute little Quirky Bird was from last Christmas or two. Judy is after me to make some more since they sold so well.... I guess I need to listen since I didn't get one for myself!

I am so excited for Monday March 23rd. I will officially be celebrating 11 years cancer free!!  It is a yucky disease and I hope that all of you and your friends make sure to get checkups on a regular basis. 

Celebrate with me and say a prayer for those that are fighting!! 

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Ellery - Congratulations on your Anniversary of being Cancer free!!! and Leonard and Lucy are looking fabulous. Best of luck in Del Ray

Busy Week...!

3/12/2015

This week has been a busy one! It started with The Upholstered Chair Workshop happening in the STUDIO. This particular workshop has been scheduled for Monday and Tuesday nights the first 3 weeks of March. These women have taken their thrift store finds and are turning them into works of art!!

It is so amazing to watch the transformation and the different styles of chairs that come in to be redone. The fun part is that you not only learn to redo your chair style, you can watch the others as they tackle a different style. 

But the most fun is to watch the different personalities as they tackle their projects. Some are exacting, some are here only to learn techniques, and some just come for fun!! 
Come try it out!

I love to be in the STUDIO while all the creative juices are flowing but it is hard for me to have anything spread out to work on. So I decided to finish this cord basket that I had started as a gift. 

It was finished just in time since Lenny was leaving for Indonesia this week and I wanted to send it with her as a gift to her parents. Nothing says hospitality like a bread basket for family meals. I hope that this is a reminder of the love we feel and the hospitality we share with our family across the ocean.

I just love the colors in this piece of fabric. This butterfly fabric was hand screened in India and each color change is a different screen and color run. When they make these fabrics they have to wait till the weather cooperates so they can work.

This fabric has the colors that I am using in my great room at home and I thought it would be fun to reupholster my two matching chairs. (chair behind me). Slight problem!  When I went to reorder they have decided to not have them hand done and to digitalize them and raise the price. So... how do I make one panel work? I found a wonderful fabric to put on the backs and sides of the chairs. 

I think I am going to use them and do a crazy quilt look with the solid like the back. I have single panels that have birds, one with botanicals, and a small piece with frogs, all with the same colors. It sounds like a creative challenge to me!! Ideas???

The sale is going great at the store. The change is tough for some of our customers but it makes it easier for folks to know that we are so excited about the changes that are coming. It has been fun to catch up with customers that haven't been in for awhile. There are still LOTS of fabrics ,trims, etc (and more coming out as we clean out the back rooms). Come visit us!!

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Tabitha Rimmer - The boys and I are hoping to come Wed or Thursday to check out the sale! Hope to see you then as it has been so long.

Snowed In Again...

3/7/2015

McCarthy Lane

What a ride this week has been!! Thanks to the hard work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday  by Delphia, Peggy and Judy we were all ready for the big 'Retail Going out of Business Sale' by 3:30pm on Wednesday. What a blessing that was since we would not have been able to get in on Thursday if we wanted to!!

We had 11 people scheduled to work the sale on Friday. After the snow storm we were down to 5 with the others (including 3 full time employees that could not get out of their drives). We have run like chickens with our heads cut off... which is not unusual for us around here :)

I will never again fuss at my husband and his big diesel work truck. I definitely would not have been at work unless he was able to drive me to the store this morning. The 17" of snow that we got at the house drifted in our lane to about  24 or more inches.

Bo and Hank

Yesterday at the house I sewed all day on items for Delray. The Hobo Jane bags that I made the girls for Christmas were the project of the day. It was a very productive day and even better since there was no stress to have to get in to finish things at the store. 


My beagles are not a big fan of the snow. 
Bo, who is looking at you, hates the cold and snow and was begging to come in... 

Poor Hank was having a hard time finding somewhere to do his business!! It was so pathetic to see them try to go out and their little legs were not long enough to hit the ground with out freezing their parts!!

Bill, Julie, Maritess and Delphia

We did it and are whipped puppies!!  A special thanks to these tired folks (and Jason) for braving the ice this morning and working so well together! 

First day of the sale is off to a great start but there is still a large and wonderful selection of fabrics, trim, accessories, custom pillows and furniture for you to choose from! 


Come by and see us either Saturday or next week or the weeks to come. The sale will continue with new things coming out as we make room on the floor. It is well worth  a trip to Shelbyville. 

Off for an early night and an early morning.

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