Finishes....

Ahhh.....coffee break time!

School is on spring break today and Monday so that means little Rylee isn't here today....she's home with mama and daddy.  John and Briar are at work, so that means I have the whole house to myself. 

I was off to a leisurely start, enjoying my morning coffee out on the back porch.  I've been enjoying that alot over this past week with the unual warm temps for mid-March! Once I started, though, it was busy busy....done a little reorganizing in the sewing room then got started on an alterations job.  The worst and most time consuming part of any job is the taking apart & preparation...so seams ripped apart, I decided it was coffee break time and to sit down to share a couple finishes with you.

It took me some time, but I finally finished a little spring pillow tuck, chart by Primitive Betty

Stitched on 32 count linen with Crescent Colours hand-dyed floss, Bing Cherry.  I love how it turned out.

The little strawberry pin-keep on top is made of hand-dyed wool and filled with crushed walnut shells.

I actually had this done with the stitching a couple weeks ago but out of filler until I read Betty's filler blog post and felt encouraged to try using mohair. (I've had a supply stash of mohair for some time and not wanting to make THAT many santas to use it all up). I really like it...it gives the pillow a lumpier and more weighty feel.

This next finish could also be a post for my "new uses for old things"...

These are old tanning boards.  What to do with them?

They come in all lengths and widths.  I have two hanging in my house....on is shorter and wider and another, like these, tall and slender.  These will be making their way to the Mercantile this weekend.

I've simply wrapped them with some  fabrics and twine. One is wrapped with a piece from a very old linen towel, then with ticking and cheesecloth.  The other,  a piece of osnaburg, homespun and cheesecloth.  Both are wrapped with twine and a "hands to work" tag attached.  You could finish these off with just about anything you like.    Ornament size barn stars, florals, cookie cutters or a small vintage kitchen gadget.

Well, that's it for finishes today....and I'd better get back to work.

Enjoy your day!