It has been a busy couple months since I last posted. We decided that since we had both been at our some what new jobs (mine 3 years and hubby's 2 years) long enough now to refinance our home. This will be a big savings, as we bought our home at the peak of the housing boom and interest was at 10.5%, the refinance will bring us down to 3%. This is going to be a huge savings each month. That being said we started the process and what a job it is to make sure all your i's are dotted and t's are crossed. I literally sat down about 45 minutes before they showed up for the appraisal. Not thinking we had started some home improvement projects that needed to be finished along with things like painting the garage and refreshing the trim on the house. We are just waiting for the appraisal to come back now and that should be any day. All of these projects sure took a bite out of my fun time:) I did however manage to get a new sewing room out of the deal and for that I couldn't be happier. I will post some pictures of it empty, as it isn't organized yet. Some things were stashed in a closet until the appraiser left. I was simply too tired to get it completely done. After 100 or more trips up and down the stairs in a couple of days, I gave up and stuffed some rubber maids full in the closets;) Then prayed the appraiser didn't need to see in them. Now I will take some time to organize it and then I will post some pictures of it full of my fun things. I wish I had taken some before pictures, so you could have seen the transformation. The floor had yucky tile that we ended up chipping off in dime to quarter size pieces. The sheet rock walls were in the rest was block. I still need to poly the wood. I took a few days vacation coming up in a week or so and plan to do that then. I am thinking I need to put some shelving around the window yet. If I remember correctly the dimensions are 11' x 15' not including the nook that has some shelving in it. I did the floor with the Rustoleum Epoxy Paint. I really like it. A word to the wise though if you have an old floor it will take two coats, no matter what the can tells you. You can paint the first coat and put the chips on just to be sure and if you need another coat you can just go over it with your new can of paint. We will be doing the rest of our lower level in this too. The appraiser really liked it. it is so easy to work with. The knotty pine is what they call 8" tongue and groove car siding and I put it up with the 4" side out. Very inexpensive as far as real wood goes.
I might have been done organizing, but I needed some bonding time with my machine. Sew I joined a "Mishmash Silly String Block Swap" over at QATW. Used up a few scraps and really enjoyed my sewing time. Speaking of QATW, there is a fall mug rug swap going on right now. They are sew much fun to make and use up more scraps and lord knows I have plenty of them. Here is the link to the QATW website.
Here are a couple of my blocks. Untrimmed, all my trimmed blocks are bagged and ready to be sent to the their new home. I think they are going to make a wonderful scrappy quilt. I have seen so many designs done with these blocks I can't decide yet how I want to put them together.
So another finished project that I talked about in earlier posts is the hall tree. Here is a photo of it completed. Hubby calls it my door to no where. I tell him it is to Narnia. He looks at me really puzzled. I am thinking he doesn't know what Narnia is and I am not telling him. Those are my snowshoes hanging next to it. I made them a couple years ago now. I know some of you will smack me for saying this, but I am actually looking forward to using them pretty soon. Fall and winter are really my favorite times of the year. I don't like all the heat.
And here it is as it sits in my entryway.
Sorry it isn't a better photo and the stair railing is in the way.
I did manage to work on a couple of hand projects here and there, when I was just too tired to do anything other then sit in my chair. While they aren't finished here are couple of photos.
The first picture is of a new needlebook and the second is of the wall hanging or it could be a quilt block, both done in the same design. Hopefully I can finish them up this week-end or on my upcoming vacation.
Well I hate to say goodbye, but I need to get some things done today. I promise not to be gone so long next time and hope to have some fun things done for the next post.
Happy Stitchin!
Hugs
Laura
