Panty-hose strips...Hooked mat

This is a close-up of the "Panty hose" mat!!!

Goodwill Find! Wonderful cross-stitch

A Close-up of cross-stitch I found at Goodwill. (I re-framed it!)

Little hooked Mat! Flea Market find

Little hooked Mat! Flea Market find

This was a fun project that I have had tucked in the back of my mind for several months. In one of our hooking classes....Anita...our teacher...showed us some alternative items to hook with....one being cut strips of panty hose. While I was in Dallas with my sister....we cleaned out her dresser and one of her drawers had at least 30 ?? pair of hose. She did not want so of course I brought home. I have not had much experience with dyeing wool or anything else but surmised that anything with pigment would work so experimented with acrylic paint....I know once on y CLOTHES...it never comes off. It was successful so I dyed some lighter ones...rose....green...deeper colors of each...then cut the srips about 3/4 inch wide...across the leg. The mat is 6" wide..however I added the scalloped wool under-mat to make it "more important" ! It is now 8" in diameter.

It was a bit tedious...the strips stretch as you pull through so you must pull higher than with wool then they spring back. The black background is black hose...not dyed. I believe it took perhaps 1 total pair to hook this.

The other photo...(more photos to follow) is a Goodwill find....a Wonderful!! cross-stitch ...darling little red cottage...was framed

in a n ugly frame and mat..I almost overlooked...but I re-framed and it is great!

Melanie's Thrift shop find!

While at the lake Melanie and I went to the local Animal Shelter thrift shop. I found two lamps...she spotted this awesome painting! It was not priced so we went to front desk to ask them to price...it is an original and quite well done. The ladies conferred in private...came back and said How about $7.00!!!

Of course we were floored..so she bought it. I did work on the frame a bit for her and now it looks better. I looked up the signature on People Find and found the lady...her name on painting is Jessie Heehaw or something similar...she is around 80 now but it had to be her as the name was so different. You never know what you will uncover!!!

Lucian's Lazy Susan!

I made this Lazy Susan for Lucian to take to her when I went to Dallas. One of my favorite pastimes is going to thrift shops..Goodwill...and others. I find many vintage wood pieces...most being $1.00...or maybe $2.00. I bring them home and strip old finish off...then re-purpose. This was a 12" platter...perfect for wood-burning and painting. I put all 7 names of her children around edge and then a sort of village of houses and a church on main surface....then added a lazy susan attachment on bottom. Added the embellishments on top when I set it up for her.

I had gathered those at home. It is Very Cute!

In fact Sally ordered one and so did Michael...Lucian's son in Lincoln. I am flattered...I even have the platters. It is 12" in diameter...

My wonderful "scrap" rug!

This rug has a story if it could talk...since it can't I will tell it. My friend Amy from rug hooking made one sort of like this...only bigger...all from leftover wool strips from other projects. (You end up with many of these!) I of course said I have to do that, too....so bought my linen...drew my grids and started right in.

I think I had 3 squares done and just could not get to it...who knows why?

Time passed and it was time for our Christmas party...which I had here at my house for Anita...our teacher. Amy spotted my forlorn forgotten rug and generously offered to take it and finish! I was floored but said oh! I could NOT let you do that!. As we were getting ready to leave for Florida I kept looking at my poor rug....grabbed a box and all the wool scraps...sealed and mailed to Amy in Lawrence. Then I quickly left town!

We were in Florida till mid-march....and I think on my first or second class after being back...Anita said Amy has a presentation to make...She walked over to me and unrolled my wonderful rug....I get teary-eyed just saying it. There it was...

all finished....bound....in perfect shape. I guess I was speechless!. She shared that at their Barn Retreat in January she passed around and had several others complete a square. What a wonderful gift...I love it! I put it at our back door...as we do not use that often...but it shows from the kitchen. Thank you Amy!!!!

Home from Dallas!

I had an uneventful trip home from Dallas..made good time and arrived home about 4:30.

Good to be home! But I had a very nice visit with Lucian and ALL the Kielys! So wish I could be there for the fun part....putting all her treasures in her new place. Guess I will just have to go back down....

I brought back many things that she could not use....one being this adorable little chair. The story goes that my mother (her mother, too!)...bought this from a man early in her married years before any of us were born....the man did not want to sell...but when his wife died my mother was still asking him to sell...in frustration he said ok...just give me $1.00! It has been covered several times over and Lucian had it covered in this blue velvet for as many years as I can remember. It is now in our bedroom....and tho' not my style....looks very cute. As my sister Sally says...it looks like a piece of art. Someday Melanie will get it. I think it is called a slipper chair...Kevin...one of the Kiely 7 said it was...he said it was similar to one in Valeries family. I can sit on it and put on my slippers!!

Also brought back ALL of her paints....she had more than I have ever had as she used to paint many years ago. So that was quite a find. Other painting related supplies...wood items to finish....brushes....etc. My car looked like the Beverly Hillbillys on the way home. Got quite a few stares...maybe people were feeling sorry for the homeless lady with the little Chihuahua!

Guess that's it for now!

Heading Home!!!

Well....I have been in Dallas for 3 weeks helping my sister. She is moving July 1 to her wonderful retirement facility. She is all packed up....having chosen the pieces of furniture she will take. It is going to be the cutest....coziest place with all her favorite things...so much easier for her to love in and care for. Pictured is her house where they have lived for 34 years. It is a charming colonial...this photo happened to be this past winter when it snowed...a rare happening in Dallas.

I am leaving tomorrow to head back to Kansas...must say I am homesick...even though I

have had such a good time with all the family. There is always a party when you are at the Kielys! Wish I could see everything all put together...but I will just have to come back

sometime.

I am bringing back a wonderful antique slipper chair...Lucian has had it for years...my mother bought it I think before I was born...for $1.00!!! Will try to post it when I get back to Kansas. Also many treasures that Lucian could not take with her. Her children are taking many thins...then the estate sale...should be an awesome one!

Till later !!!

Staying with Lucian...my sister

I am in Dallas....staying with Lucian ....my older sister....she fell and broke her arm and is recovering...but needs some help as two years ago she had a slight stroke. She will regain her strength...but in the meantime needs some help with different tasks. We are hving fun in spite of the situation...my other sister Sally was here all this past week and we helped organizing Lucian's household belongings as she is moving to a Sr. Citizen

apartment July 6... We visited her new home and it is LOVELY! Two bedroom ....2 bath..with a small kitchen and good-sized living room. She will have breakfast and dinner every day and the common areas are just beautiful. We all decided we want to move in!

Next was the task of sorting through all her belongings and furniture....tagging what she will take...and the rest for her children to sort through and of course I found some treasures that I will be taking home. They

(she and her husband) have lived here in the same house for 34 years so there are many treasures!

Of course we had to go shopping.....found her a 60" round table at Horchow Finale...beautiful table with somewaht fluted edges....Sally bought it for her....in her subtle generous way....then on to Weir's...a fabulous

furniture store....where we found some lovely upholstered ...fairly high back chairs...very comfortable. So there will be 4 of those. We also found a charming dressing table...as she will need that to sit at in her

alcove to put on make-up....it is creme-colored with accents of pink...I brought the chair home so I can put

touches of floral painting on the back of the chair... It is a wonderful set...very feminine. When I finish I will

photograph and post on my blog!

After all the children (7 0f them!) take what they want....there will be an estate sale...and the house put on the market.

Sally and her husband Glenn left this morning to return to Tampa..sad to see them go....it was like a sorority....we three sisters having fun together and talking about old-times. Sally is so good at planning placement of furniture...measuring...deciding what will go where.

This has truly been a glimpse into the future for me....a sad but necessary part of life where you break up your home and move to a simpler place. I think Lucian will be very happy....but it is difficult at the same time. Of course I have been crafting in any spare time....making pincushions...wood-burning a stool I found in the garage...I even made a wonderful bag that Sally helped me with....for my new KINDLE!!!

Sally gave me one!!! I was so embarassed...what a gift! I have not had time to use it yeat...but THE HELP is already downloaded on it!

I am blessed to have two wonderful sisters..there were 4 of us but my oldest sister Eleanor died about 5 years ago. We all have fabulous memories.

Guess that is for now...but want to share some more photos in my next post.It is very hot here...was 105 the other day!

FUSED "PLASTIC BAG" BAG

THIS WAS A FUN PROJECT....YOU FIND AROUND 10 PLASTIC BAGS.....THEY CAN BE FLIMSY...LOOK FOR SOME UNIQUE ONES BUT ANY OF THEM WORK....I USED THIS ONE WITH PAW-PRINTS FROM OUR CUTE LOCAL STORE.....LAND OF PAWS....A VERY UNIQUE PET STORE....OK...CUT ALL THE BAGS APART....LAY FLAT....YOU NOW HAVE A STACK OF BAGS....YOUR FAVORITE ON THE TOP......SPREAD A SHEET OF FREEZER PAPER ON YOUR IRONING BOARD....PLACE THE BAGS ON THE PAPER....THEN ADD ANOTHER SHEET OF FREEZER PAPER...OR BROWN WRAPPING PAPER.....TO PROTECT YOUR IRON.. BEGIN IRONING..MEDIUM HEAT ...SLOWLY MOVE IRON ALL OVER YOUR "SANDWICH OF PLASTIC BAGS"...THEY WILL CRINKLE AND SHRIVEL...BUT THAT DOES NOT MATTER. YOU WILL END UP WITH A GOOD SIZED PLASTIC SHEET THAT YOU CAN FASHION INTO A CREATIVE

"GREEN" BAG FOR YOUR TRIPS TO THE GROCERY STORE..OR ANYWHERE.....UNUSUAL AND VERY FASHIONABLE!

TRY ONE!

MARY ENGELBREIT WORKSHOP

THIS IS A PHOTO OF MARY ENGELBREIT AND MYSELF! IT WAS TAKEN AT HER FIRST HOME COMPANION WORKSHOP IN ST. LOUIS. IT WAS GREAT FUN AND I CAME AWAY WITH LOTS OF FUN IDEAS....HAVE MADE SEVERAL OF THEM.....

HOPEFULLY THEY WILL DO EVERY YEAR...THERE WERE AROUND 150?? PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE...I THINK THERE WILL BE MORE NEXT YEAR AS THE WORD GETS AROUND AND THOSE WHO HESITATED

WILL SIGN UP. I MET MANY VERY TALENTED PEOPLE...IT WAS HEAVEN!