Dream Studio

I have always wanted my owns studio. I restore so many things like brass, quilts, lace, toys, furniture and even bones. Slowly I am moving all these tools, bins, books and more books into the studio. This is the doll, toys and automata restoration room. This restored white oak table has been retrofitted with reinforcement stability to take a lot of punishment. It can now withstand hammering and weights. The chair is modern picked up while thrifting. The rug is a modern washable rug.

Had the garage worked on and had to move projects around. 

I love the Repair Shop program. I know it is not real but the skilled restorers are doing real work.

My studio space lets me restore in my favorite Edwardian steampunk Sherlock environment. I have no pets to get into my restorations and I have a quiet place to work. I have 4 rooms to allocate projects. And each room is dressed in velvets, brocades, rugs, antique woods and many lights. 

 

Projects and more projects

This is a vintage lacquer shelf that I bought from an antiques dealer. Basically a box of parts.

And this is the reason I bought it. Under all those pieces were these doors with original hardware. This will be a fun restoration for me. I cleaned all the spiders off and found a note about the missing parts. Those missing parts I can remake myself. The the rest of this is so pretty. This will be one of the first projects I work on in my new studio.

The above cloak hooks broke as they were very low quality metal.  The antique cross hooks were salvaged and are solid brass. I removed the new hooks and put the antique ones on the cloak.

Here are the antique hooks backed with leather. The leather prevents staining and chafing of the brocade fabric of the cloak. I hand stitched the leather and hooks with book binder thread. This should last a long time.

 

The table of requirement

This is a 36 inch diameter marriage. A clawfoot base under a tabletop. Same maple wood or white oak and very heavy. It is solid wood and on wheels for now. Going to be my studio dining table.

 

Studio furniture

I needed some chairs for my studio. I was shown these 2 vinyl and maple wood vintage chairs in need of restoration in storage someone had for sale . I love the yellow and orange vinyl. They are very solid need some cleaning and TLC but are usable. 

These are 2 of 4 but the other pair was out of my abilities in woodworking to save.

I will update their restoration soon. The owner may salvage the other two.

 

Fall fabric leaves

I got some time to work on my sewing machine. I found a box of scraps of batiks and wanted to use them up. I ironed them onto stabilizer then free motioned the fabrics down. Then cut out the shapes and added thread stitching to the leaves for more realism. These are for a fall decoration idea I am working on.
 

Studio Stirrings

I have always wanted my own studio. Not a basement room, not a closet or outbuilding but a full blown studio to call my own. After 30+ years I now have one 10 minutes from our farm. It is a house newer than our farm and in town! It was a good price on -1 acre with a cell tower in the backyard. And it is surrounded by hay fields and cattle.

I am slowly getting this fabric restoration room with 2 huge closets up and running.

This will be used as leather crafting and embroidery work. Also for sewing students.

This is one of over 6 sewing machines I will set up in my sewing room/pumpkins. Yes, I love orange and pumpkins. I have my restored vintage ironing boards and my sewing machines. It has one small closet for my antique sewing restoration supplies. There is room here for students to sew as well. Lighting is an issue I will solve with led lamps. The windows are nice as well. I love velvet curtains. I can't have them with pets at the farm. But in my studio I have velvet where I can. 

I have always used old furniture to save money. Now I can decorate as I need mixing modern functional with the antiques I want. And I have a large garage and front living room next. The garage will become my furniture restoration/ tool workroom. The living room may become a showroom to display my works. It is going to take time to move all my stuff. This is a new chapter I am looking forward to.

 

Forest Room

About 6 months ago I came up with an idea for our church. The children's room (aka crying room during mass) needed updating as we now had several young ones attending. After some brainstorming with our pastor, we came up with camping theme/forest. I sketched ideas and a supplies list and began working on it. I put down a gym padded floor for falls over the floor, padded washable rugs on the walls for tactile activity, painted cool colors of a mountains & forest, camping toys. When you turn the lights off in the room, you are "in the woods" with pillow rocks for napping and a campfire that makes forest night sounds and looks like a real campfire. The rugs can be removed and washed. This is now a room for those who need some quiet time while in church. The bench wood was donated and another volunteer made the bench. The room is almost completed. I need to add the big corner trees and it will be done. The room is now being used and tested.

I love the rug walls under the chair rails. Very soft and tactile walls that are washable and safe.

I had to rush this job as some parents were demanding the use of the room. I got it completed in 1 month instead of three all by myself. I learned how to install a padded floor for the first time. 

A padded room for feisty kids who need a time out. This is also great for adults who need a break. The whole room is a soft place that is very quiet.

Everyone loves the campfire. It is a safe toy that makes night sounds. I still need to add fairy lights to the trees and branches. But that has to wait.

 

Butterfly Quilt for Pepe

My husband had a grand niece born this year and I was asked to make a baby quilt.

I drew out this butterfly quilt. Each butterfly is handmade, stuffed and appliqued onto the quilt. Then I added the vines. All was hand sewn for placement and design ideas- aka tryouts. The butterfly became the flowers. Each wing is an assortment of fabrics. the vine and leaves is also a combination of fabrics. 

After all the parts were good, I put the border and the batting and backing.

Then I machine quilted every part. Yes, some of the wings are floppy. The bodies are also made of velvet and fun fur. This quilt is made to be touched.

Wings are stuffed with a plastic liner to keep stiff.

All hand made and hand sewn. This one is hand ruched velvet and wool antennae. 

My goal was LOTS of colors

 

The beauty of Easter Vigil

So along with being the secretary I am also the photographer for our church events. I took this fast as I knew it was about to happen.

This was taken at Easter Vigil in our darkened church. The altar server swings the thick rich holy smoke, Father holds the new Easter candle, and a young mother holder her baby boy lights her candle. The light is spread from her candle to the next person and the next. So from this spark the light takes over. Thanks to God.

 

My spirit animal

 My husband sent me this photo of a very hungry growly kitten chowing angrily on bread. He said this reminds him of me. Yup, pretty much does. I aggressively dive into anything I am doing. I will not be pulled off happily from my adventure. I also tend to forget to eat when I am immersed in a project. And I do get hangry when I finally stop and eat, fast and furiously. 

Sewing Classes at church in 2025

I gave two classes I taught in April & May for beginning sewers. Totes and aprons class. How to measure, cut and sew from pattern to finishes item. With excellent machines and no breaks we got done in 4 hours. Very happy students. In June I will add crochet, tunics and teddy bears. 

 

Pope Leo XIV

 I never thought I would live to see an American Pope. This is so exciting and makes me happy for our faith.

8 thoughts on Pope Leo XIV: by Marcel LeJeune

1 - All Catholics owe every Pope a filial respect and love. Let us commit ourselves, before we know the man, to give him just that.

2 - Every Pope is (in a sense) made new, when made Pope. You can't just take what he has said or done in the past and translate it into being Pope. So, let's wait to see what he will focus on and do.

3 - Don't listen to the commentators and pundits who want to tell you what he is all about. Most (almost all secular ones and even many Catholic ones) have a false framing of Church issues. The left / right and conservative / liberal dichotomies taken from Western politics don't neatly transfer to the Church. Catholicism is bigger. While we have various issues, they aren't just political and the framing is wrong. Catholicism needs to be seen through the lens of faith and not a political one.

4 - God promised to give us Popes and to protect the Church from false teaching. Not good Popes. Not holy Popes. Not Popes we agree with on every detail. While we should pray and hope he is good and holy, we aren't promised those things.

5 - Americans should NOT expect that we will get any special treatment. The Pope is the Pope of everyone. In fact, I suspect (partly because of taking the name Leo), that he will directly challenge many accepted American ways of thinking and living. So, don't say I didn't warn y'all.

6 - Be prepared for Villanova to be unbearably obnoxious for the foreseeable future. He went there.

7 - Because he is a canon lawyer and former Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, I expect bishop appointments to be very important to him. I also expect some pretty deep impacts to the internal workings of the Curia, which are very very needed.

8 - Keep Jesus as your focus. Popes come and go. Leaders come and go. Jesus remains the same. Only he is Lord. Only he is worthy of worship. He is the point of this earthly Church. Jesus, help us keep our eyes on you!

Winter to spring

The woodstove is officially off for the season.

My go to comfort food homemade Ramen with nori and egg.

The futon is for cats

One of many eyes that watch me at night.

Lucky Spots enjoying the sunbeam. He was found in the road as a kitten, he was shot and still has the bullet parts inside him and he has fought snakes. He is a very happy sweet cat on our farm.