Quilting Bee

Y'alluns are too sweet. Really.

Thanks to you I am using my 30 minutes of quiet baby nap time to bust out a post. My dirty laundry is very jealous, but it's ok -- I can just turn my underwear inside out and get an extra day's wear out of them.

Don't laugh. I may not be kidding.

So it's been a long time since I wrote a post about quilts, therefore I am obviously long overdue. Because what sexier topic could there be than quilting, right? Just thinking about all that calico and rick rack make me hot and bothered...

I mean, have you seen this?

I'm a little obsessed. Like, 5am Etsy trolling obsessed. A giant art quilt may be exactly what I need for this back wall:

I love a good neutral space, but somehow this just isn't working for me. I think I need to move the mirror, chair, and brass tree somewhere else, rethink the rug situation, and get a pair of matching chairs to flank the credenza.

And then find a giant, colorful but not garish, amazing arty quilt to hang over the credenza.

Same quilt, different setting. Still awesome.

I've been looking for some affordable fancy quilts and came up with these:

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None of them are quite right, but maybe I could commission a piece for a reasonable price. Looks like a six foot wide quilt could be had for around $250, which is not bad for such a large piece.

Or I could learn to sew.

Yikes.

All I know is the perfect quilt wouldn't have a ton of white, would be relatively muted and low contrast, and would be free of ticky tacky creepy calico flowery rainbow neon bullshit. I really like the menswear type fabrics shown in the inspiration photos.

Anyone have a good source for cool modern quilts?

Oh, and should I buy those green velvet chairs? I can't decide if I should hold out for something less modern, or if I should do a custom upholstery job...

Thanks and that is all.

I Make Woody Allen Look Well Adjusted

Sometimes I think I have a problem, and sometimes I know I do. Here's my issue du jour: retroactive shopping. After I buy things, I keep on shopping for the same (better?) things. My mania reaches fever pitch when I make major purchases. Case in point: after we bought a house I trolled the mls for MONTHS worried that a better house might pop up... it didn't, and I felt all justified and vindicated in our mega sweet buy. But what if the most amazing house in the world had popped up? That's just setting oneself up for disaster.

Anyway, know what I can't stop looking at? Curtains. That's right -- I already bought some. But I want more.

Simple yellow with invisible tiebacks.

Pinch pleat with oversized rustic rod.

High contrast burgundy taffeta (burgundy is baaaccckkk).

Greigey violet matched to wall color with uber skinny brass rods... I die.

Nick Olsen shock of cobalt in a neutral room with punchy accents.

More Nick Olsen, this time he does those curtains up righteous. Ball fringe with matching tie backs!

Joe Nye super ballsy pattenered curtains and matching cornice.

Golden showers... with balls.

But no new curtains today. What I do need are some roman shades. I'm thinking of something like this for the nursery:

Anyone have a good but cheap source for custom roman shades? I just need plain fabric with a blackout lining. My sweet MIL can sew the ribbon trim on.

That's all for today, folks. I have family in town so I'll be on and off the computer, but I promise to frantically check your comments for golden shopping nuggets of wisdom.

[pinterest]

Dominatrix

No, I'm not talking about that 50 Shades of Drivel that seems to be spreading faster than a faux pandemic -- like the bird flu or Y2K. I'm talking about my nascent need to add some cray cray custom upholstered masterpiece to my life. Something that will hold the viewer in thrall and command the scene. In fact, I'm pretty convinced that every room needs a little dominating.

Evidence:

 Apparently it has to be a large, insanely expensive item.

I am poor middle class and I can't sew (a button, maybe?), therefore common sense dictates that I should tackle my wee little chairs first.

Baby steps. Baby dominatrix. That's kind of skeevy.

Weather is being very uncooperative (rain in Austin? in summer???!), but I promise Ike's room reveal will be up as soon as I can shoot it.

Honestly it's good that I can't do it today because I got about four hours of sleep last night worrying about the cleaning lady coming tomorrow... if I weren't pregnant I'm pretty sure someone would prescribe horse tranquilizers for my anxiety.

Nesting ain't no joke, y'all.

 [Pinterest sources for pics hereish, because it's summer and I'm lazy]