A Day For Projects

Today, I worked on some very overdue gifts, but I also finished my curtain-the-townhouse project. I think I will be buying any curtains for downstairs because there are just too many windows, but I am happy with how the upstairs rooms look now. Much more framed. Anyhow, I didn't do any during photos, just before and after, I am also including some duplicates with and without flash, since I want to show the natural light and the details. Here we go!

Here's the sewing room window before. I had bought some home decor fabric while it was on sale, and unfortunately didn't buy quite enough. I had quite underestimated how large the window was. In any case, I had to be creative unless I wanted to spend a fortune on the fabric I wanted, and I'm actually very happy with the results.

I made two panels, which don't fully cover the window. They just skim the top of the window ledge, but because the tables are there, you don't really notice.

To add length to the fabric, I used some left over fabric from one of the throw pillows to create an over-sized pocket for the rod. I love how this ties in all the colors and fabric!



I bought two teal tie-backs from JoAnns, a bit of a splurge, since I probably could have made them, but I like them a lot. You can see the detail of the fabric is sort of reminiscent of the silk curtains from the Newport Mansion we visited.

Here you can see how the curtains, once tied back, are a little short, but the tables provide a good hiding place for that.



I love the lighting right now, but I do need more light for sewing at night...will  be working on that soon.

Here's a great look at how the curtains tie in with the chair. I am really happy with how this room is turning out!

The next project was a curtain for the hall stairs between the second and third floors. We hung a frame next to the window, but something was missing.

I did a very simple curtain here, just taking a length of fabric, a yellow cotton eyelette that you might use for a summery dress or shirt. Fabulously priced and we could both agree on color of fabric. :) I hemmed all sides then created a pocket for the rod at the top. Very quick and easy! 

My boyfriend was the one that chose the hanging style, and I am loving how effortlessly beautiful it looks. It may seem like we have a lot of yellow in the house, but we really don't. I think it's become our latest "pop" of color, but we have a lot of blues, greens and black everywhere else.  



And here's the final shot, coming up the stairs. This townhouse is really feeling like a home. :)

In other news, I have finally, finally finished my graduate school application. Hooray! If all goes well, I will be starting classes in the fall to become a reading specialist!

Did I Give Birth To My Cat Or Is This Just The Craziest Coincidence Ever?



See this beautiful cat? She's been attached to me since we adopted her in December. She always waits for me at bedtime, sitting right beside my pillow, then climbs onto my chest so I can't see the computer and makes herself at home. Sometimes she even crawls under the covers with me. My boyfriend complains that she isn't like that with him, and I argue that she loves him, she just loves sitting on me more. She loves to be near me, like a little baby likes to be held by its mommy. She only wakes me up in the morning, either by pawing me in the head or headbutting my face.

 Oh...and she's been peeing blood all over my carpets since we moved into the townhouse. A month and a half ago.

See, I couldn't understand why I was so drawn to her, even on the shelter's website. The minute I saw her, I knew we had to have her. I begged my boyfriend until he agreed to go see her, then I saw her scared, shivering body, afraid of the shelter and desperately wanting to be safe and loved (quite the opposite of our other cat, who was quite happy wherever she was as long as she was fed). I couldn't explain why I felt so attached. So bonded. I found out today.

My cat has kidney stones. Yep, in the plural sense. More than one! She is me in cat form! The treatment is to raise her uric acid content (JUST LIKE ME!!!)........or an (estimated) $800 surgery.

Poor kitty! She stopped peeing blood for a while so we figured she was better. But she kept peeing everywhere. One day I came home and caught her trying to go, so I chased her away from her favorite peeing area yelling, "You're not even SICK anymore!!!" At which point, she peed a ton of blood all over the floor. Ok...I got the message. "Mommy, I AM sick! You should know how this feels, you bitch!"

Can anyone explain how we found each other? She's going to cost us a lot of money to care for, but this is a sign. I am her mommy!

(Sorry everyone...just needed to laugh about this recent turn in events. Hope you were entertained a little.)

Hemming Capris to City Shorts

This was a quick weekend project, and I apologize for the low picture quality, but I had to take them using my phone...in my bathroom mirror. I bought these capri pants yesterday using a $20 coupon of my boyfriend's. I bought them not because I like capris but because I have a really difficult time finding pants, and especially shorts, that fit. My biggest problem is that because of my hormone therapy, I have the body of a woman who has already been through menopause. Now, I don't mean this to be an insult to women who have been through menopause, but typically clothing made for my age and style do not take into account a pooch. A pooch that couldn't even get rid of while I was doing tons of ab work when I was in physical therapy. It is what it is, and probably won't go away even after I am off the pills and lose the weight. Once it's there, I think it will be there. Who knows, but in the meantime, it makes buying pants difficult because anything that fits in the butt/thigh is too tight in the waist, and anything that fits in the waist is about 5 sizes too big on the bottom. So it is exciting, and rare, that I find a pair of pants I like. Even rarer to find shorts. So...I figured I'd make pants into shorts...city shorts, to be specific! I took the length from a pair of city shorts I bought at Talbots Outlet that actually fit everywhere! A slight tightness in the waist, but good enough. Anyhow...here's how the hemmed pants turned out!



Now, instead of high-watered capris, I have a much more flattering (according to Stacey and Clinton of What Not to Wear) pair of jean city shorts! What do you think? I have to say the top picture is not taken from the same vantage point, so you don't get the full length comparison, but I think you get the gist. I did forget to fold the hem twice, so I'll have to get some seam finisher or else deal with the fraying, but for a cheap pair of shorts, I'm not going to worry. :)

My Chair Is Finally Here!

After a month and a half of waiting, my single sleeper chair finally arrived on Wednesday! It is even more beautiful than I imagined. I am still in love with the color and it just pulls the room together. Finally, a place to sit that isn't a desk chair or a vanity bench. :)

Here's how it looks with the photos on the wall. I like the way the blues in the sky pop with the teal of the chair.

Here's how it fits with the side table. The best part of this chair is that if one of the Red Sox hits this tiny little baseball on the Jordan's Furniture sign at Fenway, I get my money back! I'll have to start watching the games this season...



Just another photo with the pictures above it. What do you think of the new chair? Does it make the brown carpet look like it "goes" a little more?





Here are the accent pillows in their special spot! We went to see the Rosecliff Mansion in Newport today and I kept looking at the decor...I love the style of the decor in all those mansions, so elegant and lavish! Two details I noticed...the pillows had the same cord detail as mine here, and the silk curtains looked JUST like the yellow curtain fabric I purchased for the sewing room. I can't wait to get those made and see how it looks together.

Here's a picture we took of the Rosecliff...we couldn't take pictures inside, but I found a picture someone else took of what I think might be the drapes...they are at least definitely from a Newport Mansion.

Photo Credit

These, of course, are silk, while mine are cotton...or polyester...in any case, mine weren't expensive, and they won't have that sheen, but they are similar in color and pattern. That made my day! As did this photo that my boyfriend took on the grounds near the water.



Hehehe! And finally, here's a picture (from online) of the ballroom.

Photo Credit

I know it seems silly, but I was excited to see some subtle touches of my decorating choices in this mansion.  Makes me feel classy. We had a great time, as we always do, in Newport, even though the weather was not the best.

I don't usually post pictures of myself on the blog (somewhat for identity, but also because I'm a bit self conscious...this shouldn't surprise you, since I have the diet blog), but I had to share my ruffled jean skirt in all its weekend-outing glory. I've made a change to the skirt, making it slightly more fitted around the leg area. I haven't worn it since last summer, and I always worry when I wear the clothes I've sewn that someone might think they look weird (the ultimate in self-centered self-consciousness), but I still really enjoy it. Yay for getting use out of my projects!

And the Winner Is...

...entry number 7, Jel!

Congratulations, Jel, you have won a Quilted Wall Hanging Organizer! I can't wait to see what you come up with! :) Thanks to everyone who entered!

Only One More Day To Enter My Giveaway!

The giveaway will close tomorrow night for the Quilted Fabric Wall Hanging Organizer, custom made just for you! I hope you pass this along and can't wait to see what the winner will design!



Celebrating 101 Posts with a Giveaway!



That's right, even Slinky is getting in on the celebration! Today marks the 101st post on Silver Rose Sewing! It's been a long road so far, but I'm not stopping now! When I started this blog, I needed a creative outlet to give me something positive while in the throws of a back injury and unemployment. Since then, I've opened my Etsy shop, learned new sewing techniques, gained confidence, and after a lot of ups and down, gotten a job! Now, I've finished my newest project, a quilted fabric wall hanging organizer. I hope you enjoy it! 

I chose large pockets in a blue and white vine print, with pockets for ribbon, needles, scissors, misc. and scraps.

The pockets are fairly strong, able to hold a heavy remote and several cutting devices in each pocket.

Ribbons are placed around the edges to hang the organizer to the wall without seeing the nails.

Each pocket is embroidered with a label.

The organizer is built like a quilt, with batting in the center to give it some heft. I've hung mine above my cutting area so all my materials are at hand.

And now...it's your turn to win your own custom organizer! Size, number of pockets, orientation, color, labels...all up to you! There are several ways to enter! Leave a comment for each entry.

*Mandatory* Be a follower of the blog and tell me how you would use your organizer. (1 entry)

Be a fan on Facebook. (1 entry)

Add Silver Rose Sewing's Etsy shop as a favorite. (1 entry)

Buy an item from Silver Rose Sewing. (3 entries)

I'm so excited about this new project and I hope you like it too! Let me know what you think and any ideas you may have when you leave your entry comments. Happy 101 Posts!