Ozark National Scenic Riverways - Jacks Fork at Bunker Hill

Shawn and I lucked out this weekend, and had the perfect fall weather at the Jacks Fork River.  Bunker Hill is where my family has been going each year since before I was born, where Shawn proposed at Lookout Point, and one of my favorite places, ever.  The bluffs and river change with the seasons, the weather, and the light...and are always the same. 

Jess

Stair crazy quilt

I have been working on this quilt since I finished the first one in April.  It was a step up in difficulty, with a lot more cutting, piecing, and precision.  I also learned backstich embroidery for this one, which is so simple I wish I had known about it for the first quilt.  Here it is, pieced and ready for a quilt sandwich.

Jess

Iron Bed Completed!

I finally completed my project for the iron bed. 

This was the inspiration:

The expensive Laura Ashley bed:

 

The even prettier antique version:

And after a meeting with a can of spray paint, this:

 

 

Became this!

 

 

I think it turned out very well.  : )

 

The refinished floors look pretty great, too.  The room finally looks like it is coming together.  I need to find something to hang above the bed, I think.  

 

Jess

September nights

I was really hesitant to give up summer, though I know this recent cool spell will give way to several more hot, sunny days still.  But more than anything, the cool weather is a reminder that summer is really over - another year of art festivals, Bunker hill, summer vacations, garden plans, and warm nighttime walks are behind us.  It's been a great summer - Shakespeare in the park, the Japanese festival, and a trip to KC to name a few highlights.   And watching it rain this past week while pulling 12+ hour days at work was getting me pretty down. 

But I have this, and many more like them, to look forward to in the next few months.  And despite a mountain of work, everything is pretty nice in this little corner of the word tonight.

Jess

A gift for a new baby on the way

I found a charm pack of quilting squares for a baby quilt, and a few weeks later....

Here it is.

It is made of flannel, machine quilted on the edges in white, and hand quilted in the blocks with pale pink thread.  I used embroidery floss to decorate the edges, add the baby's name, and embellish parts of the design.  I quilted a few animals, so they show up traced in pink quilting on the back.

Hopefully the baby and her parents will get lots of good use out of it!

Jess

Mom, you are never getting great-grandma's cookie cutter back.

I sent this text to my Mom to explain that she would never see her cookie cutter again:

Dear Linda,

It's been awhile since we have seen each other, so I wanted to tell you about my new life. At first it was hard, leaving the other cookie cutters. But life is good here - I make cookies at Christmas, I sit in a place of honor on the lowest shelf...tonight I even made biscuits! In short(ning) - sorry, biscuit humor! - I've decided to stay here. I will always remember the good times with you and the cookie cutters fondly.
Yours (formerly),
Fluted Cookie Cutter

P.S. Green bowl says hello

Shawn doesn't understand that possession is 9/10's of the law...but we do. 

The biscuits (my first attempt!) are beautiful:

 

 

The fluted edges make them that much better.

 

Jess

Extra dining room chairs from Craigslist

My dining room table came with 4 chairs - two are perfect, one needs to be reglued, and one needs to be reglued and repaired.

I reupholtered them early on (except for the one that needs to be repaired) with some pretty blue fabric from JoAnn's.  I bought several yards, because I knew I would eventually want more chairs, and wanted to be able to reupholster them so they matched. 

I have had trouble finding other chairs with the circle design on the back (which I love), so when I saw some flowered Duncan Phyfe style chairs on Craigslist I picked them up. 

They are a bit looser than I would have liked, but I think they will be fine without regluing for occassional chairs.    I think they fit in fairly well, with the matching seats.  Hopefully, one day I can find some that match my original chairs exactly. 

 

 

Jess