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| Painting a huge floor cloth in my living room to look like painted wood, brown and white.. |
So it all started with a chocolate brown couch. Or was it a sewing machine? Or was it going to art school in the 90’s, falling in love with painting, color and design? Or is it turning 40 and wondering what in the hell it is I am going to do with my life? What besides being a mother of two young children, wife of an engineer, orgainizer of all. Yes, I am a multi-tasking, coffee chugging, kid shlepping over-worked and underpaid mama. The many hats we all seem to put on as mothers can range from (and in the span of one single day) chef, (or can-opening, water boiling expert) maid (not my best hat), laundry attendant, schedule master, playgroup arranging/wine drinking and time challenged exhausted woman.
And we now own a home that needs some major renovating and re-decorating. But, as anyone knows, having two children is a constant reminder that money does not grow on trees. That gorgeous couch I wanted from Pottery Barn (around $3000) is just not happening. Prioritizing is mandatory (as my husband kindly points out as our budget conscious bread winner) when we have piano lessons, gymnastics, swimming, new shoes, birthday parties, new clothes….The list goes on and on. So what to do? Well, I have always wanted a sewing machine for various projects and ideas of mine…. My husband, somewhat reluctantly, got me one for Christmas. (and I quote: “Are you ever going to use the thing?”) But yes, I have used it! After a couple of days and many curses later (What the f#*k is a bobbin?Why does this needle keep breaking? What on earth is thread tension? Oh, you need a different needle for heavy duty canvas? There are different needles? ) and slowly figured it out...
And finally got to the goal at hand which is: hemming and painting my own floor cloths; a beautiful way to hand paint rugs that I have been coveting on the internet for years…An old New England tradition, folk cloths were rugs to put in your home when people could not afford to ship rugs from Europe to America. Here are some examples of traditional floor cloths:
What I am attempting to do, is to make them more modern and colorful. I love the idea that they can be mopped, and are impervious to stains. Many people use floor cloths in their dining room, mudroom, or kitchen. They also make excellent splat mats for kids! You can turn them into a wall hanging, or just to beautify any wood floor in your home. Here are my very first ones. All of these rugs I have copied from rugs I have looked at on the internet. Hand drawn with no stencils, it has been interesting…Working on some more designs, and how to make them cushy underfoot – a real challenge, and I will keep posting photos!
As well as finally starting my first floor cloths, we just gained another 1100 sq. feet when my mom moved out of our attached basement apartment. That meant a new couch for our living room upstairs, and moved our old beat up camel colored one down. We found a comfortable chocolate brown couch at Slumberland for a steal! Only $600 bucks, and a year of payments. It was literally the only couch in the whole store I liked, and it is so cozy. I originally wanted a white slipcovered couch (my husband: “A white couch? With our 4 yr old? Are you nuts?” sometimes he makes a good point), but found the chocolate brown one and sighed with relief at the idea of not having to wash a slipcover every week…Or covering it in blankets at all times to save it from misshaps such as red sharpie markers, mud covered fingers, crayons, strawberry jam and dog paw prints. But then the question arises…What goes with a chocolate brown couch? I don’t think the “cup of cocoa” color that is currently on our walls is going to make any statement. It looks too dark with the dark couches. I want fresh, modern and a bit brighter. So its off to the paint store. So far I love the colors of Benjamin Moore as such:
Nimbus Grey
Wyethe Blue
Puritan Grey
Feather Grey
Grey Mirage.
I am trying to go for a blue, brown and white theme. My inspiration is a painting of my fathers which gave me the palette of brown blue and flax linen color.
But I needed to organize desperately, so I decided to start this blog. I know nothing about blogs and it is pretty overwhelming to someone as technically challenged as myself. (what is a URL, seriously...) But I am starting it for the simple reason to set a goal: to re-decorate each room in my house for as little money as possible, doing it all myself, for one year. I will sew (some fabric included,) paint, and love what I am doing all the while, with just a few interupptions, ha ha.
Can I finish the entire house in a year? Not sure, but I am going to try. And doing this blog will be a great motivator to share my daily thoughts and challenges along the way. I really look forward to getting input (if anyone ever reads this) about design, fabric and color choices...Then I am going to make room inspiration boards. Instant rooms, like in House Beautiful…Except I am a total novice and they are accomplished designers. A learn as you go experience.
Can I finish the entire house in a year? Not sure, but I am going to try. And doing this blog will be a great motivator to share my daily thoughts and challenges along the way. I really look forward to getting input (if anyone ever reads this) about design, fabric and color choices...Then I am going to make room inspiration boards. Instant rooms, like in House Beautiful…Except I am a total novice and they are accomplished designers. A learn as you go experience.
Each room will have a jumping off point such as a piece of artwork, a fabric, or some beautiful inspiration idea. Just joined Pinterest, wow, I could pin things for hours! I also have been reading/collecting magazines for years such as House Beautiful (the best house mag!) Better Homes and Gardens (just as good these days!) Veranda, Elle Décor, Country Living and Dwell, to name a few. I am going to start by photographing my house now, each room as it is today. An unfortunate mismatch of pillows, paint colors (which were here when we moved in), and room design which has not been thought out before hand. I just moved our stuff in and try to make it work. But it needs a fresh start, and this is what this blog is to me. After all its just time and paint, right?
Thanks for reading, and I can’t wait to begin and start talking to the community at large of talented bloggers, artists and talented mamas out there…
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| love this rug |
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Better Homes and Gardens
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| Nimbus Grey, Benjamin Moore |
Well, I'll guess I'll be the first to post a comment, though I don't fit in the categories of blogger, artist, or talented mama, but I have a good eye, and you are one hell of a decorator! I am very impressed with your color selection and courage in jumping into this new project. And the right attitude too - seeing it as a learning experience. In one year, you will have learned so much about this, I can see a book in your future and a business.
ReplyDeleteAre you familiar with traditional Hawaiian quilts? Google "Hawaiian quilt patterns" under Google Images. You might find them an inspiration (we really have to go there on a field trip one day!). Love you! Your sis.
You are my very first blog reply!!! So excited its you!! Oh thank you, thank you, you are making me feel so worthwhile. It feels so good to write about my life; it just poured out of me. I will definately check out Hawaiian quilt patterns, I bet there are some amazing ones. I posted this blog before I downloaded my photos of my floor cloths. I will send you the new blog tonight! Oh yes, and we are trying to go to Vegas if you can still come...Let me know if you still want to. xoxox your little sister
DeleteAnd I've always loved your sense of humor ("what the F*ck is a bobbin?" - good one!). See other message under FB. xoxo
DeleteI, Love you dear friend, what a wonderful idea you have, With rugs in mind may I suggest an old New England idea,Braided rugs. Take old clothes, cut or rip them into long strips, hook the ends into a door or tie the end to a chair, put under your foot be creative and make it fun and most importantly comfortable, and begin Braiding as your strips become short the last 2-3 inches or so lay down the next strips as needed they do not need to be even nor of the same wide or thickness of clothes, if you don't mind fun, sloppy, lumpy designs and mismatch. Braid and braid and braid.get a Big basket & begin.I suggest a bath mat or kitchen pad but the best one would be to take your child's old clothes,stains & all make a child's rug,a truly charisheddecide project,decide on a shape oval, square. Lay flat, begin whip stitching, use old threads, keep stitches close & snug but Not tight or it will curl up on you. Micheals or Online and for $20 purchase a braided rug kit that curls the edges under for you. So theres your first offered project, you're recycling, it's free or very affordable, something that you can work on quickly or take years to make ( my Grammy made a 13' X 13' square sunroom braided rug which I WILL get one day! This can also become a family project you can all work on together, instead of watching TV or as you watch. The hardest p art is when you have clothes that you still wear but would look fabulous in your rug. Reframe ! Old curtains, sheets , be creative. I believe one of the most beautiful one I've ever seen was made from old wool and tweed scraps. Those old fashion lumpy bed spreads make cute bath mats or kids room rugs. This project does take lots of material so your old 80's clothes , dig them out and start cutting or ripping into the longest strips you can. And I would get one of those inexpensive rug kits that curls the edges under once you've made one you won't beagle to stop and the kids will want to help. There is no right or wrong way. Remember, these were made by candle light while telling stories by the cabins heater, a fireplace after a long day on the farm. No talent required.
ReplyDeleteI sincerely hope this is the type of stuff you're looking for. You could even use your painted cloth scraps.
SewPaintLove your way to a stress free, carefree, free projects Life.
I believe that more families need go back to the simple things in life, my husband recently retired from the Alaska Bering Sea Commercial Fishing World at 57 years old. , he gave up the big bucks to spend quality time with the family, but with that said we have had some Mac n cheese weeks, and I still find myself stocking rice, beans and stewed tomatoes in the pantry, but even in our toughest times we always found great things to do and places to go so we rarely felt we were going without, I'm thankful we always have seafood and wild game in our freezers, but I used to tell my girlfriends, you are going to eat , you may as well eat in the woods or at the beach or on a mountain top. Walk, hike, bike or drive there. In the winter we snowshoe, xc skied when downhill was too much, sledding is still to this day almost 30 years later a Christmas week event at our house with the same families still coming over with foods, drinks or just a smile of pleasure to still getting that call from one of my 20 plus year old daughters home from university to Come On Over and bring your sled if you still have one, or we've had five grown men and women on a two person toboggan laughing as one by one we fall off on each bump and hair pin turn down that hill. It's the best of times the simplest of times.
I was using my iPad so please forgive my poor, poor English. I look forward to mine & your first Blogging adventure, I will gladly pass this on, just tell me how to share your Blog. I hope I'm using proper blog terminology.
ReplyDeleteLove to you & the family
Moe