2018 All at once!!

Okay,it is Halloween today.

I have only done one post this year.

What have I done? Will post some pictures to sum up the year.

My darling Striper died in Feb.

He was very old.19,20 or 21.

I didn't know how old he was when he came to me, but I had him for 18 years.

Wonderful years.

Meet wee Cocoa. A month after Striper,I looked at the Humane Society online and saw this gorgeous boy.

We had some problems at first but now he is a loving happy boy.

Here is Barb meeting him for the first time. Such a hussy. He loves ladies.

The prince and the pea! I had some quilts ready for Vineland Antiques and he decided to try them out.

My carpenter Mike made a catio so Cocoa could be outside.  We both love it. He can be out when I am.

Got this gorgeous pansy oil painting to add to my collection. $5.00 at a garage sale!!

Summer is good!

Went to a sweet country antique and craft show with Ellen and Barb.

My antique booth at Vineland in Sept.

Went to a fabulous estate sale,contents of a Victorian house. What fun. I was first!

Bought a large collection of gorgeous early,silk,lace and cotton clothing. Just starting to get to the lace.

Wonderful children's button boots and leather shoes were included. Such sweet shoes.

That is just a little update of some of the fun things this year. 

I haven't posted since June 2017! Wow

I have not been posting.

Last time was June 2017.

What the heck have I been doing?

I am just going to put some pictures on that have been taken since then.

Here Striper has found a new duvet in the spare room. 

Barb and I went to Kincardine.

She has found a lucky Buddha.

One of the lovely sunsets we saw over Lake Huron.

I am stripping down a chair for me. I love this chair but needs re-upholstering. Dirtiest chair I have ever done. I did it outside.

Look later for redone chair.

Went to Paris in Sept. I love the markets.

Went to Vanves my favourite Brocante market.

Love chairs like this.

Nice lace.

Missy's booth.Full of treasures.

 Went to the fabric district and found wonderful wide French linen. Bougt 5 yards and then had to carry it all day! It was just so much fun to poke around all the stores. This area is just below Sacre Coeur which is the highest elevation in Paris.

Great store.

Venus de Milo in the Louvre. Usually too crowded to see her.

Took a break and had a wee treat. YUM.

Some of the ceilings in the Louvre are fantastic.

Saw and ate lots more in Paris. Here at home I am doing some of my market finds.

Went to the closing sale at The Green Barn Antiques in Sherkston. Eleanor closed after many many years. 

That just takes us to Oct. Will do more another day.

Two posts in a day!

I have been working in the garden this past few weeks. I am not doing any antique shows,so I feel lucky to have time to garden.

Years ago Barb gave me this chair.I finally decided to make it a garden chair.

I found this lovely planter a few years ago. 

This little fellow showed up yesterday at my pond.

I left a little corner in the shade to go wild. I got Solomen's seals,and a patch of Jack in the Pulpits.

Striper likes to snooze here.

It was a good spring for Bleeding hearts.

Lots more is coming. My Indigo is just about to bloom. So I will post when it does. I have several shows to go to, shopping is much more fun that setting up! This next weekend will be good. Will post my finds.

Where did a year go??

I have been busy but not on my blog.

I have been out and about buying but a cool,wet spring has made outdoor shows difficult.

I had a great time this weekend and came home with some treasures.

These little dogs are so sweet. One is a Merrythought. The other needs his ear fixed. I will do that. They are so charming,I am keeping them and doing a little story about them in my blog. I will post their life here,most days for fun.

On the left is Roxy and on the right Cooper.

Here they are being introduced to their new home.

Here they are in bed watching over Striper. They have never seen a real cat up close. Striper just ignored them and went to sleep. We are all on my bed.

They will tell their story from now on. 

We are on the front porch. Bev told us we could meet the wee Yorkie who lives 2 houses over. We are very excited!

Here she is!! Kisses.We are all happy to see each other. Her name is Megan and she is very quick! 

 That was so much fun. We are chillin' in Bev's chair.

Trying out our bed.

 

Nite Nite.

 

Spring is finally here!!

 

I am getting ready for my booths and a linen show.  I bought 36 vintage European towels. Here they are all washed and ironed. It was a pleasure to do these, they are handwoven and have an amazing texture.

 Striper was keeping me company,passed out cold as usual.

Will keep posting as I get organized.

 

New life for an old and tired footstool.

 

Years ago I took an evening upholstery course at Mohawk College in Stony Creek.

I enjoyed it so much that I took it about 7 times. I loved my teacher, John,who taught full time during the week at George Brown in Toronto.

I bought a compresser and pneumatic staple gun and I have never looked back. It is a very useful skill. Last week I was thrifting with my twin,Barb, and a stool came in as I was checking out. Of course I bought it and I am going to show the stages of re-upholstery.

This is the before picture. One of the most time consuming stages, is the striping off of the old fabric and everything else. If a piece is for resale,it has to have new material only and I have to be registered with the white material police.!!!

Always surprises. The plywood is rotten so it has to come off as well.

Wood underneath isn't too bad but I add a layer of

the fabric you use on top of springs to give more secure base. 

I painted it all with chalk paint. Will finish that at end.

Put 1/2 inch edge roll around the edge. It gives a softer edge for the fabric, not just the sharp.edge of the wood. Ready to add stuffing.

This is a lovely product, unrefined cotton that even has the seeds in it. You never compress this or even cut with scissors. You tear it with your hands.

On top of this I put a layer of compressed Dacron. It is polyester .

On top of this I put a slightly larger piece of 1" foam.

Finally ready for fabric. Try to drape it so the pattern is even. Not easy. I start with three staples on all sides, smoothing the fabric as I go so there is no slack. Then I check if it is even and I add 3 staples on each side of the existing staples all the way round. That way all sides should be even and equal.



It looks odd but it prevents the fabric being pulled all to one side.

The flat side of the corners should go on the broad side of the stool or chair.

I made piping and sewed it to the fabric that covers the bottom part of stool. All seams in upholstery are 1/2" .

The small cardboard is pushed up against the back of the sewn on piping and stapled on an angle. I used the piece of cardboard to make sure the piping was the same level all the way around. You are doing it wrong side out and upside down.

Photo won't let me rotate it!! This is how the stapling looks.

Cardboard stiffener is in place.

I put a half layer of Dacron to cover any staples or bumps.

Then I pulled the skirt down and stapled it close to the bottom. I want to finish the bottom edge with white pompom trim but I seem to have sold all mine. What was I thinking?

I sanded back the white legs a bit and applied wax and polished them.

I hot glue the pompom trim on to cover the staples

 and put a light dust cover on the bottom.

And that is a very brief synopsis of the many stages to re-doing a stool.

Before

 After!