Coffee Table Re-Do!

 I bought this coffee table at a garage sale over 6 months ago - I paid $2 for it!  I didn't really know what I wanted to do with it - I figured I would paint it or something.  So, it sat in the backyard for months and months.  After reading I Heart Naptime's post on DIY Chalk Paint, I was inspired to paint something.  This coffee table was the perfect candidate!

 Step #1
Have your husband kill the black widow spider that is living in the underside of the table.  YIKES!!!

 I loved the tutorial from I Heart Naptime.  She does an amazing job of explaining each step and her piece of furniture came out fabulous.  You should check it out!!  I followed her steps pretty closely.

#2 Sand

This table had spots of glitter glue all over it from it's previous owner.  I felt that a good sanding would help my table get off to a good start.  I didn't sand down to the grain - just till it was smooth.

 #3 Base Color
My goal in this piece was to distress it.  I wanted a black color showing through (you can use any color - or even have the wood show through)  I used some black paint and painted the edges and spots on the surface.  Looking back, I would have given the entire table a coat of black because I couldn't remember where I put my spots on the top!!

#4 Vaseline

This is a technique to help the base color show through the top color.  I have also seen it done with candle wax.  Rub the Vaseline along the edges and parts where you want the black to show through - this will give it a shabby chic or rustic look depending on how much sanding you do. 

#5 the Chalk Paint Mixture

This is where we will get that worn, vintage feel to our paint.  I went to Lowe's and purchased latex paint in a light aqua color.  I asked for Satin finish and when I got home I noticed it was semi-gloss.  I was a little miffed, but it worked fine anyway. 

Mix 5 Tablespoons of Plaster of Paris with 2 to 3 Tablespoons water in a small container
Then measure 2 cups of paint in a separate container and stir the plaster mixture into the paint until it's smooth.  This was the right amount for the size of table I was painting.

#6 Paint Paint Paint

I gave my table 3 coats of paint with a paint brush, letting it dry completely between coats.  Some items may only need 2 coats of paint.

#7 Inspection

Make sure your cat inspects your work, getting his paws, tail and back in the paint!!

 

#8 Sanding

Take a light weight sand paper and sand where ever you want the black to show through.  I sanded all the edges, curves, and random areas on the top.  This is where the Vaseline helps so you don't have to sand like crazy - especially with 3 coats of paint!  It worked great!!

 #9 Finishing Wax
This is my favorite part of the project!  Use Minwax Paste Finishing Wax.  Get a rag and rub it all over your piece of furniture.  Then let it sit for 20-30 minutes.  Take another cloth and buff or polish the wax.  The wax gives it a vintage look as it is not glossy or too shiny, yet not flat.  It's the perfect finish for this project.  If you are finishing a piece that needs to be durable, such as a kitchen table, I suggest polyurethane or polycrylic - it will be more durable.  You can get those in satin finish so they aren't too glossy.

 Ta Da!!!!
It's done & I LOVE it so much!!!

 I would totally paint furniture using this technique again.  When I bought the $2 table I was thinking $4 of spray paint and it's done.  This process was lots more $$ but still cheaper than buying real chalk paint.  Plus I have plenty of Plaster of Paris and finishing wax to do several more projects - YEA!!!

Cre8 + 2 = Me and You

I am entering this post in the Family Ever After "Cre8 + 2 = Me and You" Contest

Sewing and quilting are the things I love most - they are rewarding, challenging, and exciting.  However, when I get the opportunity to sew with the people I love, the experience changes; Sewing becomes more than a hobby, it strengthens our family bonds, creates lasting memories, and allows us to enjoy the simple things in life.  Here is my latest sewing memory.

Meet Sally

Sally is 4 years old and she has her own sewing machine, rotary cutter (minus the blade), iron & ironing board (toys of course), and giant basket of fabric.  She has an extensive button and zipper collection as well.  She is a talented fabric shopper - all the ladies at the fabric shop know her by name!  Sally loves to pick up the latest princess fabric or anything pink and purple. 

 

Meet Ella

Ella is 12 years old and has spent her whole life by my side at the sewing machine.  Two years ago she inherited my Bernina Quilters Edition.  She is a talented crafter & sewer.  She has designed and sewn many quilts, softies, and bags.  When we go fabric shopping, I can always bet that Ella will be bringing home fabric with a face on it (cats, birds, owls, fish, dolphins, etc).

Meet Mary Beth

Mary Beth is my mother-in-law.  She lives in Utah and I live in California, so we don't see each other too often.  But when we get together you know the sewing machines will be going & there will be yummy treats in the oven.  Mary Beth has been sewing and quilting her whole life - most of which have been for other people.   Oh the projects we have made together these past 18 years!!

The Project

While we were all together last week we decided to go to the LA Fabric District.  (If you haven't been, you should go, it's quite an experience!)

We didn't really have plans to sew, but once we got into the Michael Levine quilting department there was no choice!  Ella was picking out owl fabric left and right.  Then she explained how all her quilts are too small for her & she NEEDS a new one!  That's all I had to hear and we were having yardage cut!

 

Of course she wants minky on the back, so we head to the minky store ($8 a yard!).

 

That night we all spent together looking through quilt magazines, pinterest, and blogs looking for just the right quilt inspiration for Ella's owl quilt.  We came up with a simple design to show off all the owl prints.  It's an 8" square with a colored border all sashed in a Kona white.  We had fun looking through my stash for all the coordinating fabrics - not any of them are the same!

Sewing:

We spent that whole next day in the dining room putting the quilt together.  We all have our stations:  Ella was on the sewing machine (her 1/4" seams are amazing!), Mary Beth was the presser, and I was the pinner.  We make quite a team! 

   

 

 

Meet Marbles

There is one more person involved our family quilt day I forgot to mention: Marbles, Ella's Bengal cat.  As soon as we began laying the rows out on the floor he was all over it.  At one point the strips were all swirled in a nest around him!  After he is done playing in the quilt, he tires and naps!  It just wouldn't be quilting without a cat!!

  

It's More
There is a song by Trace Adkins called "Just Fishin" about a daddy and a little girl who go fishing.  The little girl thinks the outing is just about fishing, but the daddy recognizes it's much more - it's a memory he will have forever.  I feel this way about my time spent with my girls and my mother-in-law.  Yes, we make some pretty darn cute stuff, but more importantly, we make memories.  The quilts may not always be around - but those memories are forever.  There is nothing more important than time spent together with the ones you love.  I hope when ever Ella uses her new quilt, she will remember her Grandma coming to visit, our fun & crazy trip to the Fabric District, and our day spent sewing & chatting.  That's why I sew :)

Thrifty

I had almost given up shopping at the Good Will.  In fact, I haven't been there for over a month!  We are starting to gather items for Halloween costumes, so I took the children there today.  Look what I found!  My first pink piece of Pyrex!  I couldn't believe it!  It was on one of those carts they had just wheeeled out!  It isn't in perfect shape - but it will do!  Yea!!

I also picked up these cute apple bowls - five for $6. 

And I LOVE these retro glass rectangle dishes!  They were two for $3.

Square In a Square Baby Quilt Tutorial

 

 Here is a fun quilt tutorial I came up with.  I made this for a friend who is having a baby boy.

What you Need:

(28) 6 inch squares of theme fabrics

(8) 2-inch WOF strips - (mine are cream with brown circles) for outside of blocks

(4) 3-inch WOF strips of center block fabric (mine are all different)

Fabric for binding and back

Here's what you do: (Make sure to use 1/4" seam allowances and press after each step)

 

Sew 4 strip sets of (2) 2-inch strips with the 3-inch strip in the center 

 

 Chop the strip up into 3-inch increments

 This makes a 6-inch block.  You need 28 of them.

Lay out your pattern - Mine measures 7 blocks across and 8 blocks down.

 Sew the blocks together in rows.  Sew the rows together.  Make sure to press seams going opposite direction so they line up.  Quilt as desired

Girl's Camp

I had a lot of fun getting ready for Girl's Camp.  I made these little first-aid zipper pouches for the girls to put their first-aid kits.

I made these bookmarks for them to have during their scripture reading each day.

Arise and Shine laynards.  To make the lanyard, I just used 2 1/2" strip of fabric.  Press it in half then press the sides in & fold over (like double fold bias tape.)  Top stitch and put a clasp on the end.  They were fun to make!

 

I made little "hooties" for each of the girls.  They were part of a devotional about being a daughter of God.  Every owl is different, just like each of the girls.  They also have a sunshine on their tummy because they are letting their light shine!

 

The girls LOVED their owls!  They were so cute when they were choosing the one they wanted.  They slept with them and kept them on their beds.  During the week everyone would write little notes and tuck them into the owls wings. 

"Got my Shiny On" bottlecap necklaces

On of our girls had her birthday at camp.  I made this little birthday badge for her to wear all day so everyone would say happy birthday to her!

I made these flower headbands for the girls.  It looked cute when we all had them in our hair.

There were a few other things I made that I forgot to take pictures of.  Each day we gave the girls candy in their mail boxes: DOTS disciples of the Savior, You're a Sweet Heart sweetarts, and Saver Life Life Savers. 

LA Fabric District

We spent the day in the LA Fabric District.  It was lots of fun!  You can find anything you want there.  Bins of zippers, all colors & sizes, 10 for $1.  There are buckets of buttons and you can fill a little bag for $1.99.  We bought Minky fabric for $8 a yard!  We also bought fabric for $2.50 a pound at the Michael Levine bargain loft!!  I even bough bolts of fringe trim for $2.50 a bolt!  They have all kinds of stretch lace, antique lace and other trims!  Oh the possibilities!!

Best Caramel Sauce EVER

Once again, The Brown Eyed Baker proves to be my favorite cooking blog ever!  Her caramel sauce is amazing.  I made it last night and wanted to eat the entire batch!  Go to her blog for a complete step by step (with photos) tutorial.  She makes her's "salted".  I left out the salt in mine because I was taking it to a shower & not sure if the salted flavor would go over.  If you just want the recipe here it is:

2 cups granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature

You heat the 2 cups of sugar in a sauce pan until it is melted.  This takes a while & I was convinced it would never melt!  But it does.  Cook the sugar until it is a dark amberish-redding-orangish color (350 degrees)  I didn't use a thermomater - you can tell when it is cooked.  If you over cook it it will taste burnt - mine was right on the fine line of not being burnt.

Then add the butter and stir in until melted.  Then turn off the heat and add the cream until all mixed in.  Let it sit for about 10 minutes & you're ready to gobble it down!!

Sewing like Crazy

I have been sewing like crazy!  Today I am making a baby quilt and 14 zipper pouches.  I will post photos once they are finished!!

Blow Fish Tutorial at Riley Blake

I haven't been able to post any new projects but I did find this darling fish tutorial.  It's from Riley Blake Designs and I can't wait to make a school of them!!