GRANNY SQUARE WARMTH

On Sunday afternoon our furnace thermostat went out; and in our small town there is not a furnace repairman to be had on a Sunday evening.  I knew we were in for a cold night as the temps outside hovered just above zero degrees.  So, I was pulling out all of the wool coverings I could find.  There is nothing like wool blankets for warmth.

 Among them is this granny square afghan that belonged to my grandmother.  Neither she nor my great-grandmother crocheted, so it must have been a gift; or perhaps since my grandfather repaired sewing machines, a barter.

 

 I know that it dates from at least the 1940s because I remember napping under it as a child.  It is made from all wool yarn scraps; as opposed to the granny square items made in the 1970s which were primarily acrylic or polyester.

  

  Whoever made it was a master as the tension and each stitch is perfect.  I love the red border around it.

 The afghan is large and contains 168 granny squares.

With the afghan and the wool blankets made years ago from my family's sheep, we stayed quite toasty! The furnace repairman had the thermostat fixed by 9:00 Monday morning.

Hope you are staying warm.

Party time at the following:

Ivy and Elephants for What's It Wednesday

Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Common Ground for Be Inspired Friday

Pieced Pastimes for Saturday Sparks

So Much Better with Age for Give Me the Goods Monday

Confessions of a Plate Addict for The Scoop Tuesday

Knick of Time for Knick of Time Vintage Tuesday

USING SELF-ADHESIVE LAMPSHADES AND AN ALABASTER LAMP

I have issues with lamp shades.  I seem to have no aesthetic sense when it comes to size, shape, etc. that is suitable for a lamp.  I wish I could just walk into Homegoods or Target and find the perfect lamp shade; but that just doesn't happen with me.  I agonize, then agonize some more.  I have this thing about the height of the shade -- I don't want to sit in a chair and look across the room and see the bulb.  But I never know when a shade will be too long?  Also, I want my shade to make a small statement, but not too big of a statement -- not frou-frou, etc.  Oh, my!

Several times I have ended up with a self-adhesive shade that I can customize with my own fabric.  These are available at Hobby Lobby and JoAnn's, but it seems they are never in the size I think I need.  Therefore, I usually end up buying them online from fenchelshades.com where they can customize any size.  They have shades with lots of options for fabric and paper covering, but they also have an option for "Self Adhesive:Hollywood Lights".  Below is how they arrive with a removable paper covering over the adhesive.

The paper covering is removed to be used for the pattern to cut your fabric.

The instructions say to cut the fabric 1 inch larger than the paper pattern.

Once that is done, simply roll the fabric around your shade.  It adheres well, but is repositionable so that you can smooth out any bubbles.

Fold under about 1/2 inch where the fabric joins in the back.  Some trimming of excess fabric may be necessary.  Either hot glue or white glue may be used to join the seam.  I prefer white glue as it seems to lay flatter.  I was hoping to match up the pattern of the plaid better, but because of the angle of this shade I didn't succeed.  I'll just remember to place the seam out of sight!

Now this is where I part ways with the included instructions.  They say to trim the top and the bottom excess fabric even with the edge; and then glue on trim to hide the raw edge.  I prefer a more finished edge with the trim on the inside.  So I trim off the excess fabric to 1/2 inch beyond the edge.  Then, fold it to the inside and glue down.  I use wooden clothespins to hold it down until the glue dries.  

I then cover the raw edge with a gimp or twill tape by gluing it down -- again using my clothespins to hold it into place until dry.

The finished lampshade. 

Oh yes -- the lamp!  We were at an estate sale a couple of weeks ago, and I found another alabaster lamp.  I now have three -- guess that means I have a collection.

Here are three other self-adhesive shades that I have covered:

This was just my experience using the product -- I was not compensated in any way.

Check out the following blogs for a plethora of inspiration:
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Common Ground for Be Inspired Friday
Nancherrow for Fridays Unfolded
Pieced Pastimes for Saturday Sparks
Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
Between Naps On The Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
The Dedicated House for Make It Pretty Monday
Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at our Home
A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday
Cozy Little House for Tweak it Tuesday
The Dedicated House for Before and After Wednesday
Ivy and Elephants for What's It Wednesday
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday
The Vintage Farmhouse for Creative Things Thursday

CHEAP (?) BROWN TRANSFERWARE

 When our usual Wednesday morning coffee group got together recently; my friend, Susan, brought me a gift -- this brown transferware relish dish.

 She said she found it "cheap, really cheap"!  

 She assumed it was inexpensive because of the brown discoloration on the back.  I told her that was the way we like it!

I'm glad I have friends out there looking for my interests, because I certainly haven't found any brown transferware "cheap, really cheap" for a long time.  

Thanks, Susan.

(The pictures may be clicked on to enlarge.)

Please check these parties out:
Ivy and Elephants for What's It Wednesday
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday
From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday
Common Ground for Be Inspired Friday
French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Helene's Legacy for Everyday Vintage Friday
Nancherrow for Fridays Unfolded
Better with Age for Give Me The Goods Monday
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Knick of Time Interiors for Knick of Time Vintage Tuesday

METAMORPHING - CHANGING THINGS OUT

January -- the month to change things out!  After putting all of the Christmas things away at the end of December, it was time to bring some things out that haven't seen the light of day for awhile.

 I decided to celebrate my Colorado pioneer heritage.  The big picture below is of my grandfather and his cowboy cronies; and the smaller photo is a studio shot of my great-grandfather in his dress cowboy finery.   

In the dining room cupboard, there are now blue and white dishes; most of them belonged to various family members.

The two small pictures are of different prairie houses belonging to my grandparents and great-grandparents.  The large photo is of the family farm with two houses that my grandparents built in about 1916.  The wood-handled utensils belonged to a great-great uncle who homesteaded in Colorado in 1876.

Here is how that dish cupboard has morphed the last three months - in November, brown transferware; December, red transferware; and now blue in January.

What will Spring bring?  I don't even want to think about it -- I'm enjoying Winter too much!  My goal this month is to get some of these old photos printed on matte paper and reframed.  I love Winter projects.  How about you?

(Pictures may be clicked on to enlarge.)

I'm partying with the following:

The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday

Common Ground for Be Inspired Friday

The Dedicated House for Anything Blue Friday

Helene's Legacy for Everyday Vintage Friday
Nancherrow for Friday's Unfolded

Pieced Pastimes for Saturday Sparks

Creative Home Expressions for The Creative Home and Garden Hop Sunday

Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

 Better with Age for Give Me the Goods Monday

A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday

Cozy Little House for Tweak it Tuesday

MOTHER NATURE HAD OTHER PLANS

Our favorite weekend excursion is NOT what Colorado is famous for -- skiing, hiking, outdoorsy things.  No -- we love to go to Denver to antique and junk hunt.  So, when we can combine an antique show with some 'new to us' antique malls plus meeting up with our son, we are off to the city.  The weather was beautiful at about 60 degrees.

This past weekend, was the antique show held each January at the Wings Over The Rockies Air and Space Museum located at the former Lowry Air Force Base.  The Museum is located in Hanger #1 that was built in 1939.  

 A really fun venue as admission to the museum is included in the $6 admission to the antique show.  The antique show is small in comparison to others held in the area during the year, but has lots of quality stuff especially toys and ephemera.  But, of course, the prices reflect the quality.

 While I get lost in checking out the dishes especially the expensive brown transferware; my menfolk are checking the airplanes.  Here is Bob with a museum volunteer trying to find the jet that Bob flew in ROTC training in college.  Guess it was determined that the plane is in Colorado's other airplane museum.

 After the show, we hit a favorite antique mall close to our hotel.

We had a great hotel stay with good food; but upon awaking the next morning, we saw about 5 inches of snow with slick roads.

So much for spending the rest of the day checking out those two 'new to us' antique malls.  We decided to head home before the weather got any worse.

 It is really boring traveling 40 miles per hour over roads you have traveled a million times at 75 miles per hour; but we made it home safely before the bad weather hit southern Colorado.

My only purchase for the weekend was this book that I have been looking for -- the dust cover is not in the best of condition but the price was really reasonable!

The weather today is quite cold, but the sun is shining.  After watching 'Downton Abbey' last night, I'm in the mood for a cup of hot tea (I never drink tea!). 
Are you staying warm?

I'm partying with:
Smiling Sally at Blue Monday
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday

PREPPY INSPIRATION

In the 1950s,  I was in high school, then college; therefore was greatly influenced by the preppy sense of style.  

I even had a pair of purple suede penny loafers.  I loved those shoes and wore them forever into oblivion.  Actually, Bob gave them to me for Christmas when we were seniors in high school.  I was the envy of my friends -- no other boy gave his girlfriend penny loafers for Christmas! 

Even though I already had his class ring on a chain around my neck, what I really had my eye on was his letter sweater.

He would occasionally let me wear it for an hour or two, but at the end of the day it went home with him.  After all, he had worked hard to earn it; it was part of his persona at that point; and a daily part of his wardrobe.

 A couple of years into college we got married.  That letter sweater has hung in our coat closet for 55 years now.

Every now and then I get a glimpse of it hanging there.  I could wear it anytime I wanted; but now really, how silly would a rotund, 75-year old look wearing a 1950s letter sweater?  I won't subject you to a picture of that!

I decided this week to cover my sewing journal with a piece of leftover Pendleton plaid fabric, and my thoughts went to the sweater.  In the 1950s that sweater would have looked darling with a pleated plaid Pendleton skirt!  

That was so much fun;  I also made a pillow for the guest room.

I'm joining the following:
No Minimalist Here for Thursday Open House
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Common Ground for Be Inspired Friday
Pieced Pastimes for Saturday Sparks
Sunday View for Vintage View Sunday
Better With Age for Give Me The Goods Monday
The Dedicated House for Make It Pretty Monday
Confessions of a Plate Addict for The Scoop Tuesday
Our Home Away From Home for Tuesdays at our Home
A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday
Cozy Little House for Tweak It Tuesday
Knick of Time Interiors for Knick of Time Vintage Tuesday
Ivy and Elephants for What's It Wednesday
Helene's Legacy for Everyday Vintage Friday