~A peek at my sewing studio~

As I work through the horrendous project of putting my sewing room back together after our recent home renovation, I thought I would post a few pictures of the better parts of the room for the time being..
This room will be primarily white and pink...I love the combination and it is the room where I go to do what I want to do. When we were figuring out what we were keeping and tossing after our renovation and how our rooms would be set up, my hubby and I agreed I needed a space to do what I love to do...soooo wha la!!

Bet you can't guess who made me these pretty hand painted beauties?..this little room is adorned with quite a number of accents and treasures from my favorite "hand painting" friend, Rebecca at A Gathering Place.

This is what I look out both windows at and view from this upstairs sewing studio "in the making"!

It is hard to believe, but the rest of this room is a disaster with plastic tubs full of fabric and etc. My sewing machine isn't even in here yet...still set up downstairs finishing up the new baby's items. For now these pictures are the only good parts of this room.

Will post before and after shots after I have completed this project...remember I'm slow....

Granddaughter's Special dresses

As some of you know, my youngest daughter is about to deliver her baby girl. We are within weeks. I have been franticly trying to sew the baby's "blessing" dress, which has become tradition in my little family especially from me. Pictured above are my 2 oldest granddaughter's special dresses for their blessing day.

This special beauty is Tess Anna's (2nd granddaughter) made in 1999 which was made with the softest pure white fabric. I embellished hers with european lace that honestly looks as if it was handmade.

A little darker version (flash is off)..using available light..(I will get how to do this someday!)

The 2 previous pictures are of the special dress I made for my oldest granddaughter, Aubree Rose in 1997. This was the first one I had ever made and she was absolutely gorgeous all dressed in white on her blessing day. I used a beautiful crepe fabric and embellished her dress with a beautiful lace that almost looks like an eyelet style, but lacey. The picture below shows an "up close" picture of the lace. Additionally, I hand pearled each girls' dress, around the bodice and along the hem line. It turned out to be a nice touch.

Our newest addition's blessing dress is still in the making and I will show pictures later of how that one turned out. Laurel's baby shower is this coming Saturday, Aug. 29th...I'm hoping to have it finished by that date for it's unveiling. Wish me luck!! (I have changed the fabric twice and the lining, ugh!..the hazards of being a perfectionist...thanks, Dad for that "hand-me-down trait). Always takes me a little longer than most...love in every stitch!

More later...as I work through my projects.

~Our Master Bedroom~

Okay...Little by little I have been working around the house and in particular the bedrooms. Thought I would show some before and after shots of our "not your standard size" master bedroom. I poured over my magazines and research for this particular room. I wanted a soft, romantic, passionate room I could create that was new and different than I had ever "made over" before. I love soft colors together that would blend with the wood in my room. I chose white and different hues of ivory or cream or taupe. I wanted it to be cozy and elegant and a place of retreat. Though it is still in the making. I love this room.
We painted, replaced the carpet, had a linen cabinet built and installed, rewired some areas, added all new window coverings, bought a new bedframe and chose some fabulous upscale linen (mostly Sferra and Waterford).
Here we go, but remember this room may change some, this is how it is for now. I have already bought a sweet iron bench that wasn't even in these original pictures and other things.

~Before~

This picture shows the walls right after we painted and before the carpet and crown moulding went in.

Here shows the corner area where the new cabinet will go in and before the iron rods and window coverings went up. Also the wiring was being finished up. The room looks pretty rugged.

~After~

This is the "after shot", a dark pic and doesn't show the cabinet well, but does show a little of the room. For some reason my camera wouldn't take a better picture of this area. I think I probably should have opening the shutters some.

My new Wesley Allen bed is wonderful! It is so beautiful and my hubby and I just love it. Although plain for now, the room is very comfy. The curtains are a little too dark, so I will be changing those out, but okay for now.

Our window covering hardware is so pretty. I feel so happy to have at least this much done. Believe it or not, just this little bit took months it seems for us to do.

Some tips of the trade that I used and kept in mind as I was decorating was a wonderful "insider tip" I found in one of my magazines:

-Be true to yourself. Buy what makes you happy and stick with it.

-Choose a maximum of three colors in each room.

-Make your bedroom your favorite color--the color that makes you feel cozy.

-Know when to acquire a bargain. You get what you pay for.

-Buy the best Sheets, candles, pillows, linens and towels that you can afford.

-Invest in special pieces of furniture that you can live with for the rest of your life.

-Take your time decorating. It takes years to complete a home.

-Browse through magazines and books of rooms that speak to you. You will see a pattern of colors and style.

I hope these tips help you as you are redesigning those areas of your home that make you happy.