Vintage Find: Dresser

I picked up this old dresser from the Thrift store. Paid $50 and figured it was worth it. I don't know that much about antiques, vintage finds but I figured it was very solid, and the name on the inside of the drawer with beautiful dove-tail joints were a good sign of it being old-ish... and of quality too.

I think I loved its original knobs the most!

The top of the dress had beautiful wood grain but needed to be sanded and refinished. 

A lot of work ~ as I learned from this project.  

 I'd recently heard about Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint and thought this dresser would be a good first project. I figured if it didn't work out, there was little investment and I could just sand it anyway.

But chalk paint is a fabulous product - easy to use and the learning curve is quick. There's no sanding required. I know. I was sold there. And when combined with a dark wax, it gives you a fantastic French country look. Which is a look I love but had never attempted. 
Until now...

Aaah. I love those knobs even more now.

With just one project behind me I feel like I can easily tackle many more!!Seriously. This paint is so easy to use. Go get some!

Now to tackle those floors.....

Something from Nothing

I recently made this little mouse for a friend.

She asked me to make something for her daughter from a pillow that had belonged to her grandmother. 

This project reminded me of one of my favourite children's books by Canadian author and illustrator Phoebe Gilman, called Something from Nothing.

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Every little boy should own a copy of this heartwarming book. It's the story of a grandfather re-working the fabric of a favourite blanket throughout the early years of the little boy's life.

 

I thought this project would be such a sweet gift from something of generations past.

 

The pillow was made of a fabric that frayed very easily so I decided to use just a bit of it to applique the belly and ear patches of the mouse, and let it do just that - fray. For the rest of the mouse I used quilting cotton in coordinating fabrics and filled it with the stuffing from the pillow.

Mabelle the Mouse

I made a little pinwheel quilt for the mouse. The button in the center was created with that special pillow fabric. And you'll have to read the book for the significance of the blanket and button :)

To make this mouse I used a pattern found in this adorable book, Sewn Toy Tales - by Melly & Me: 

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 Thanks for reading.