On the Road Again & Heading South!

We've spent the day packing the Casita for what is becoming our annual March road trip to visit friends and favorite places "down South".  We're anxious to get an early start tomorrow morning.

We'll spend tomorrow night on the road so the bed in our little Casita is all made up with our new Gee's Bend Quilt.

I thought I'd wait to make new curtains for the camper to match the quilt, but . . . waiting is just not in my DNA so I sewed them up this morning. They have vintage campers on them, of course!

When we get  home from this trip, I want to slip cover the dinette cushions in blue denim. After 10 years, this little camper deserves a face lift!

I love collecting postcards from places we've loved along the way and displaying them on the soffit in the camper. South Carolina is up there front and center. I love the Low Country and am convinced I must have lived there in another life!

The Casita has a little kitchen in it with a two-burner gas stove, sink, frige, freezer, and microwave (hidden in the cabinet) so we're pretty self contained. When it's raining, or we're just not in the mood to go out to eat, we can cook right in the Casita.



We have a little bathroom too, with a small sink and shower. The older I get, the less I want to walk to a campground bathroom at two a.m. This is perfect!

Looking out at our driveway from the Casita (aka "Cassie") this afternoon, I realized that we'll soon be trading those snow banks for palm trees. Yay!

So - my bag is packed . . .

As are the toiletries . . . and we're ready to go.

Just the thought of watching the dolphins from the deck of Red's Ice House in Mt. Pleasant, SC . . .

While sipping a frosty cold Margarita with garlic shrimp, has me counting the hours 'til morning.

We'll head out at dawn, leave the snow behind, and spend a few weeks exploring. We love leaving the proverbial beaten path and discovering little towns and old buildings that time has forgotten.  Although we live in Maine, we love the culture of the South and enjoy exploring its back roads, kudzu and all.

 I'll be posting from the road so I invite you to follow along.

It's always an adventure!

What Would You Make With This?

I received an unexpected gift that's really special to me . . .

Ten yards of vintage dishtowel fabric that has been stored away for years.

DH and I first met these two creative ladies over coffee at our neighborhood Dunkin' Donuts. After many mornings of conversation , we've become friends. Margaret and Jo are sisters who grew up in our little town and have lived in the same house for over sixty years. We love hearing their stories of how life in small-town coastal Maine "used to be".

Since we've become friends, I've invited "the Ladies" over to my house to work on crafts with me. They taught me to knit again (the RIGHT way this time!) and, in exchange, I taught them how to make jewelry. That has evolved into a monthly Applegate Lane "craft group" with five ladies in it.

One afternoon, as out little group discussed future projects, my friend, Mary Elizabeth, described a class she took at Fiber College of Maine last Fall on stenciling dishtowels.

She took the class with another friend of mine, Kendra, who gave me this towel.

That was when Margaret mentioned that "somewhere" (maybe "stashed in the shed" behind their little cottage) she still had dish towel fabric that had been her mother's. I didn't think much about it that day but the next time we saw Margaret at Dunkin' Donuts, she pulled out this huge roll of vintage toweling.  And said it was for me!

I measured the fabric. It's 16" wide and TEN YARDS LONG!

Hunting for the old fabric, and then gifting it to me, were such thoughtful gestures on Margaret's part that I'd like to do something special with all that yardage. 

Maybe use at least part of it to make something for her and her sister?

I guess making dishtowels out of this fabric is the obvious answer. I've also thought about making aprons, valances, place mats or table runners with it.  I'm just not sure that those are the most creative uses for so many yards of  the "real stuff".

So I'd love to hear your suggestions.  I have pretty good sewing skills but can't seem to come up with the perfect project.  Can you think of unique uses for this fabric that would lend themselves to either my own coastal/farmhouse decor or, even better, to gifts for friends?

I'd love to hear your ideas!

This post is linked to:

Flaunt It Friday #398 at Chic On a Shoestring
Farmhouse Friday #52 at The Painted Hinge
Salvaged Junk Projects #423 at Funky Junk Interiors
Craftastic Monday Party at Sew Can Do

$4.00 Goodwill Chair Re-do

We have a little thumbback chair in our kitchen that was originally in the old farmhouse in Virginia where DH's father grew up. I've been looking for another one of similar size and style to pair with it. I found this one yesterday in a quick "walk through" of Goodwill. For $4.00, I grabbed it.

The chair was solid but the wood finish needed some work. 

The chair seat was woven with old men's ties. Remember when that was a popular DIY project?

When I have a new project in mind, I can't wait to get started. Within an hour of getting home with the groceries (and chair!), I had given the wood frame a good cleaning and used MinWax Wood-Sheen on it to restore the finish.

I cut a pattern out of brown paper so that I could sew a new seat cushion to cover all those ugly ties!

I had enough fabric and batting in my stash to make matching cushions for the "new" chair and the one we already had. Another hour and they were done.

Here is the finished chair.

I didn't even replace the men's ties; just placed the new cushion right over them.

By late afternoon, this project was done.

Just in time for a cup of tea glass of wine!

This post is linked to:

Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
The Farmhouse Friday Link Party #51 at The Painted Hinge
Salvaged Junk Projects #422 at Funky Junk Interiors

Reflecting on Two Years "Away"

A lot can happen in two years. 

Here's what's been going on while I've been goofing off away from my blog.

I turned 70 . . . OMG!  The Good News:  I celebrated my birthday with my best friend (DH!) drinking champagne on a balcony overlooking the ocean in Portugal!

I taught myself to knit . . . again. My current repetoire consists of scarves and pussyhats.  I'm looking to expand my "collection" once I learn how to knit something that is not rectangular.

I lost 10 pounds . . . and gained it back over the holidays. Freestyle? I can do this!

I danced like no one was watching (thank God) in a pub in Dublin. (No, that's not DH!)

I lost my dear friend, Anita, to cancer.  When will we find a cure for womens' cancers?

I got dreadlocks. Sort of. They're clip on so I can be a part-time free spirit to balance out my latent OCD. (Did I mention that Fiber College is always a great time?)

DH got one too!

I camped. A lot.

I crossed Elton John off  my Bucket List!

In fact, I crossed Liverpool off my Bucket List too!

And I made things . . .

Tote Bags 

and aprons for friends.

Baskets for the library fundraiser.

A memory quilt, with Miss Stella from Gee's Bend.

 Altered Books.

and Sea Glass jewelry.

A busy two years.

No wonder I didn't have time to blog!

Linking to:
 Amaze Me Monday 252 at DWELLINGS - The Heart of the Home
Show & Share #393 at Coastal Charm