Monday, February 20, 2017

Sweet Dreams

Hello lovelies, welcome to my flower-filled boudoir. Yes indeedy, the boudoir, the place of sweet dreams is finished (well.....with just a few little things left to be done); it is in full dress so to speak.



Just to let you know I am now standing upright......all five feet nine inches of me. When you last visited my place I had the bearing of Quasimodo but now all is well, I am standing tall once again.

I have been busy these past weeks finishing my quilt, stitching a curtain and tarting up the boudoir here and there. With the exception of the stitching of a few cushions and some pillowcases, together with a li'l machine sketching of a lampshade, it is the place of my sweet dreams.

The curtain took an age. You've heard the saying "measure twice, cut once"........well I measured my curtain throughout the stitching, over and over and over again, but still in places they were not even. It seems to me my linens took exception to being cut and stitched, but after a dizzying amount of time and endless unpicking of seams they are finished and now hang ever so prettily at the window. But....before I give you a bo-peep let me begin at the beginning.

As I intimated before, I decided to fashion the curtain out of more of my embroidered linens which I have been acquiring over the years. Before stitching could begin, first all my linens had to be washed.



Love, love, LOVE the vintage trolley and washing basket. I happened upon these relics in a second hand store with a "NOT FOR SALE" tag on them. So.....how did these vintage beauties happen to come home with me?? Mmm...I wonder if tackling the lovely proprietor down to the ground and pummelling her on her chest till she gave in, had anything to do with it!! =)




All those lovely ladies hanging in in the sunshine do surely make my heart sing.


Though I washed all my pretty ladies, I decided to only include this lovely southern belle encircled in a pretty ribbon and lilacs. With  the linens washed, dried and folded, the 'FUN' began.





I facetiously say FUN as the stitching of this curtain wasn't at all pleasant. I encountered so many problems with it but it is finished and hanging at the window, so all is forgotten.


I love the finished curtain at the window. I can hear your thoughts ticking away......but what about your husband.....does he mind having all these lovely linens draping the window?? Believe it or not, he loves it. The southern belle smiling at him rather serenely doesn't seem to bother him at all. =) Besides, because the curtain is made of vintage linens with mostly backgrounds of cream or white with embroidered flowers here and there, it creates a lovely calming ambience. Also, as the curtain is pulled right back during the day, it disappears into a blur of pretty pattern.

The scrappy, embroidered linens quilt is finished, too. The last quilting stitch has been stitched. So, so very delighted about that❣

I have spent many moments, sitting in my favourite chair with the sun peeping over my shoulder. I sensed the sun's smile, warming me as I slowly stitched. I hand quilted around each strip of fabric.



Very simple I know but I thought I might leave the dense perfect quilting to the experts. I wanted this quilt to be a simple one, both in design and quilting. As there are doilies interspersed here and there in this quilt, I didn't want an all over quilting design. My KISS (keep it simple stupid) hand quilting aesthetic reigns supreme, yet again.



Alas, my quilting is a little rusty; it doesn't always run in straight-as-straight lines. I am afraid that my stitches are a little wonky in places, but that is okay with me. I wasn't overly fussed with wearing my perfectionism hat for this quilt. That hat was placed in the closet away from sight for this quilt........just for a little while,  as I am a recovering perfectionist! =)





The boudoir is done❣ The gorgeous flowers on the wall are singing the most lyrical of songs, the ripping up of carpet and the painting of the floor is done and dusted; as is the painting of furniture with a lick or two of chalk paint, the stitching of the curtain; AND.....the last quilting stitch on my scrappy quilt having been stitched. Everything is done......let the room reveal begin!
















From very early morning, Old Man Sun trickles his rays into the bedroom like a warming caress, and as the momentum of the day journeys on, engulfing this most delightful room with bright and happy sunshine. Although his beaming smile is always welcome, the sunshine does perish the quilts that rest on the bed. The hexie quilt that I fashioned years ago has perished a little and requires a little tender loving care to repair it. Therefore, I change the quilts often.....hence the reason why a smattering of quilts rest in the pretty cupboard beside the bed, and even more reason to stitch some more pretty quilts. The Cathedral quilt is my next "to do" pretty. Hopefully it will be singing a hallelujah chorus, resting ever so prettily on my bed, before my pretty scrappy quilt fades into anonymity. :)



The boudoir is a most enchanting room filled flowers and sunshine which beams through the windows all day long. It is a place of quiescence and the dreaming of sweet dreams. It is a delightful place, both day night to luxuriate in. It is a place to enjoy lovely lie-ins, sipping a cup of tea and reading a devotional before the busy day ahead. Yes indeedy, me thinks the boudoir is my new favourite place......but then there are a few of those around here.




Until the next time..........



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