7/20/12

Much Ado

I am recovered from my painting experience and have scrubbed most of the paint off. 

I’m learning that parenting is a whole lot about keeping my mouth shut.  Like not saying anything when the kid spilled the paint.

Oh, how much easier that makes it.  How easy it would have been to say something during the brief periods of complaining.  In my mind, I was thinking “just shut up and go in the house.”  But, I kept painting.  Painting and painting and painting and I heard all about how boring it was, and how hot she was and how tired.

But, between, I heard about boys and the boy she has a crush on that’s crushing her back and the counselor that observed it and pointed it out to Syd.  I heard about the boy from Kansas and had to explain why I keep asking about him…”because I liked him and I want to know if that’s the kind of boy you’re going to like…or are you going to be penpal to a prison inmate?”

Not knockin’ pen pals for prison inmates.  But, I have higher aspirations for my retirement.

Funny.  I took this so much in stride that I didn’t even think about mentioning it to Rob.

I also found out that she has a backup plan if she doesn’t make volleyball team and based on how much extra time she’s devoting to volleyball, I’m not so sure that the backup is really a backup.  It might be the plan.  Photojournalism club.  Hmmm.  And, how much she wants a new camera.  Even though she got a new camera a month ago.

Never happy.

Anyway, here are our chairs.  100_4145

Not white, but a nice yellow-ey off white.  I think my next project is to make new cushions.  The old ones are faded and worn, even after a wash.

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I made these chairs in the early 90’s with a co-worker and her husband.  We worked together to cut everything out and then we assembled theirs, while I was there, and I took mine home.  For years, they never got more than a coat of primer and they lived on the screen porch at my first house.  When I moved here, they sat on the deck for a while and then they moved out front and got actually painted for the first time.  Many years later, a fresh coat of paint.  They’re made of untreated pine, which I now recognize as a mistake, but kept painted, they are not showing any sighs of wear.

Don’t know if Sydney is going to stencil them.  I think she underestimated the amount of work it would be to get them this color.

And, I painted this set of shelves.

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These are from the 80’s and were built to hold “green bar paper.”  Don’t worry if you don’t know what green bar is.  And, if you do, you don’t have to admit it.  Admission would be about the same as admitting your family kept a brontosaurus as a pet.

This is going into the sewing room closet as a storage unit for fabric.  It will stack on top of a bookshelf and the narrow sections will be for FQ’s and the big section for yardage.

Hoping that will free up some floor space in that closet.

Because I have been keeping the mail lady busy. 

First, she brought up a box from Amazon with these:

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Yummy.  Leah’s new book with all her free motion quilting designs in it.  No more trying to decide on the internet.  Now, I can look through them on paper.  Great photos, Leah! 

And, 501 Quilting Motifs was a book I’d been looking at on Amazon, but when a participant in my first class brought one in, I knew I would own one soon.  Yay me!

Then, yesterday, there were two squishies.

First, Bonnie’s new book.  With an inscription to me.  Tickled me pink!

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I know she’d shown us a preview of the quilts on her blog, but after I started looking through the book, my plan for a first project changed.  Now, there’s a tie.  We’ll have to consult the strings before a decision can be made.

And, my thread got here.

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I had to mail order silk thread for the red silk quilt because it’s on backorder for the LQS.  And, since I was paying postage, why not go all out.  So, I ordered an expensive spool of Superior Treasure hand quilting thread to try it out and 1800 yards of Presencia 60/3 cotton because I love that weight of thread and finding it around here is impossible.  And, while I was there, I saw the “Y-knot” quilt and thought “why not?”

Unfortunately, I have to go to work today, so all my little treasures are going to have to wait until I get home.  I can see them drumming their fingers on the sewing machine now.  Waiting and waiting for me to come to the party.

7 hours and 59 minutes and counting…

Lane

14 comments:

lw said...

Ooohhh! I want to pick up those books and flip through them right now.

I wonder if some preemptive counseling might be a good idea for Sydney. We have a tendency to "go home" with our first loves, and her first home was pretty unstable. It might otherwise take years for her to want to "come home" to something that looks like her current wonderful home. One more thing to pray about, so I'll put it on my prayer list.

qltmom9 said...

If you let me know which two of Bonnie's quilts you are going to do, I will go through my scraps and find the colors you need to add to the the scrapiness (HOW do you spell that?)

Lucy (in IN)

Anonymous said...

Not only do I know what "green bar paper" is, I HAVE some! (Yeah, I'm old.) It's great for enlarging patterns as the bars are 1/2 inch wide. I'd love to send you some strings too. I'm awaiting my copy of Bonnie's book.
Barb

Becky said...

You are doing a great parenting job! Parenting a teen is difficult on a good day....and I'm thinking that parenting a teen GIRL is beyond the pale (I can only speculate on that one). But the chairs look wonderful and whether you get them stenciled or not...you survived a project together!!! :)

Marei said...

Isn't parenting just the "bomb"? Like a bomb waiting to explode!! When my kids were teens it was the most trying and most rewarding time of MY life. Keep on keeping on, Lane. And, yes,my family kept a brontsaurus as a pet...named him Albert. mdmontalvo@yahoo.com

http://thankfullga447 said...

My granddaughter did volleyball, volleyball and a little cheerleading. She tried out for cheerleading and now volleyball is just for fun and with family at the moment.

Elizabeth said...

I'm not a big fan of buying books for reference material. Often, there are only one or two things in there that I like and the minimalist in me doesn't like having stuff around that I'm not using.

But . . . I love Leah Day's designs. Having them in a book that I can curl up with on the couch and flip through at my leisure instead of waiting for web pages to load is an appealing idea. As is the 501 quilting motifs. I am always wondering what to quilt. Having 866 ideas at my fingertips might be very useful.

Loved catching up with you this morning. May your work-day go by swiftly so you can get home to play with your new friends soon.

xo -E

Kim West said...

I am rally glad someone else took up the position of keeping the PO in business... With out military retirement around the corner, I've cut back greatly on ordering and buying stuff.

The chairs and shelf look great!

Kath said...

Amazing what kids will tell you if they don't think you're really listening!
Now I have to go Google “green bar paper"....

Unknown said...

My daughter and I used to have serious chats while we were in the car. Sometimes I would have enjoyed a nice quiet drive, but am glad she could open up to me. Love your goodies and I really love the chairs. We have 2 old ones on the back porch and they are crying out for some attention. Too hot right now, perhaps this fall.

Linda said...

Being a good listener is a big part of good parenting. Sounds like you've learned it well!
Green bar paper? I didn't know it was called that, but I can see it clearly in my mind! (My pet brontosaurus is calling me!)

Susan Entwistle said...

I LOVE the chairs. And the paint is great. I say make loads of cushions so you can change them out as the mood strikes....vintage/modern/holiday (I am such a troublemaker). The Kimono silk is my go-to applique thread. Can't wait to go to the Hershey show next week to buy more.

Vesuviusmama said...

1) I am so impressed that you MADE those chairs!
2) I got Bonnie's new book a few weeks ago, too. Yay!
3) shhhhh...I remember green bar paper...

Carla said...

Impressed with the chairs and you making them. Nice. I love it when they talk and we just listen. You learn so much.

LOL yep I know what green bar paper is along with key punch cards and fortran. YUCK. I hated programming and I was any good at it either. Thank God for my lab partner.