Coffee and Cross Stitch

Refinishing Part II

So...I don't know how many of you remember...but way back in October, I started refinishing my grandmother's secretary.  It's a really cool piece, but I just didn't see any use for it anymore, so I actually tried to sell it at my mom's yard sale last year.  No bites.  So, I dragged it back home, and it sat in my garage for three months before I decided to refinish/repurpose it.  My friend, Sue R., does this all the time, and she definitely inspired me to give new life to this piece of furniture.

My previous post about this project shows more pics of the process.

Cool, huh?!  This is the front of the desk, waxed and ready.  I wasn't sure how I felt about the black wax, but it grew on me.  It definitely brings out the grains in the wood, and gives it a very different look.

I gave myself three days to complete this project.  Three.  However, that turned out to be a very ambitious goal for this girl.  I got the entire thing done........except for the drawers.

I was so close!!  The entire piece was painted.....the biggest pieces waxed......but the drawers....they weren't done until this past weekend.

Yep.

Eight months after I'd started this project.

Hey, at least I finished it!  Do you know how many unfinished cross stitch pieces I have laying around this house?!  I lost count, quite frankly.

I apologize these pics are so dark, but there's not much natural light in the room I put it in, so it was tough to get some good shots.

 Already stuffed to the brim with fabric!  It's got a new lease on life!  My fabric stash hides out here now, instead of piled in bins on the floor.  That's the best part about choosing to use this secretary to hold my fabric stash up top - I can see all my fabric now!

Love how the black wax really picks up the wood grain on the front of these drawers and on the sides of the base.  So cool.

Seriously.  Cool.

Again, I apologize these pics are dark, but the back of my house doesn't get much light, and the walls are a real dark grey, so that makes it tough to get some brighter shots.  The flash on my camera didn't help - it just looked all shiny and stuff, since the flash ended up gleaming off the wax finish.

Have you guys ever tried repurposing a piece of furniture?  What did you refinish/repurpose? 

Much Love ~~~~

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry | Cross Stitch

As crafters & stitchers, we all know the importance of doing our holiday projects early.

Unless you're me, and you wait until Christmas Eve to sew the faux fur throw that you're giving to your sister the next day.  

Ahem.

I actually like to stitch Christmas pieces all year.  I love love love Christmas, and no matter what I'm working on, I alway have at least one Christmas piece going at the same time.

As I stitch the Rosewood Manor piece, I need huge breaks from all that backstitching, so I picked up this Waxing Moon Design to work on when I can no longer see straight from stitching script letters.  I finished it in about 3.7 seconds.  It also happens to be the companion piece to Eat, Drink, and Be Scary, one of my favorite Halloween pieces that I've stitched.

Um.  I love this.  How stinkin' cute are those buttons?!  They're from Just Another Button Company, and they come in a pack specific to this pattern.

The teeny lights!!  I die.

The graph calls for a plain white fabric, but I chose Smoky White instead, just to give it a little variation.  Stark white for stitching always kinda turns me off, so the slight variation in this fabric with the greys helps make it a little softer.

What are you guys working on?  Have you started any Christmas pieces yet?  

Much love ~~~

 

"N" is For... | Cross Stitch

Recently, I picked up the (long overdue) baby gift that I've been working on, which is turning out beautifully, it's just a little more...time consuming...than I anticipated when I chose this pattern.

I posted a while ago my progress to date, and I'm finally almost done the last letter of the name.

I actually had to put it down for a while, because I had gotten about halfway done the letter, and realized one of the script letters at the top was ONE STITCH OFF, and I had to go back and rip EVERYTHING out in order to finish.

Because of the way the script letters are all intertwined, there was no way I could just fudge it and move on.  Nope.  It all had to come out.  

Have you ever ripped out about 15 hours of work on 40 count fabric???  I don't recommend it.

Anyways.

Here's the last letter, almost totally finished.

The scroll frame has the fabric a little ripply here at the end, but here's the "N" in all her glory.

I love that lil' nightcap ;-)

Happy Sunday, my friends!  

Much love ~~~