Quilting Bee

September 28, 2012 erin

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:

via

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.

Lady Lazarus

September 26, 2012 erin

Hi. A lot of people have written me wondering where the hell I went. I'm not dead yet, but lately anything beyond merest survival has eluded my grasp. In any given day juggling a newborn and a three year old leaves me about five spare seconds to rub together, and I'm just wondering if it's worth it to come back to blogging.

My kids need me. My husband needs me. My laundry piles need me.

But decorating is a disease, you know? I can't stop fantasizing about kitchen and bathroom renovations, pasting wide swaths of wallpaper over anything that will stand still, and of course... repainting.

Because who would I be if I didn't redo everything I've already done? I live in an experimental lab, and someday soon I hope that people will hire me to ~~experiment on~~ effortlessly redecorate their homes, too.

Also, it appears I am hosting a HUGE Thanksgiving party at our house... PANIC MODE!!!

Really who would I be if I weren't a complete and utter basketcase? I know a lot of you are concerned about this aspect of my personality, but I kind of get off on pressure.

(Cue Queen and David Bowie)

So I suppose my endless, self indulgent stress is something worth blogging about. Maybe.

Anyway, let's take a look at what I need to do before the masses arrive for dinner.

#1. Figure out how to seat 20 people. Or at least eight in the dinette area.

Our replacement marble table may or may not arrive in November, so we could be stuck with a rickety piece of vintage pecan shit. Hopefully it won't collapse under the weight of an 800 pound turkey and enough casseroles to initiate myocardial meltdown. I think we may have to get rid of some furniture...

#2. Renovate entire kitchen.

Yeah, I never got around to painting our hideous cabinets before the baby came. Surprise!

I'd rather just rip everything out anyway. Should I go traditional?

Euro - nouveau?

Or somewhere in between?

Who am I kidding? I have even less money than time. But just maybe I can figure out a way to paint those god forsaken cabinets.

#3. Redo office/guest bedroom.

This will be the third time I paint that room... don't tell Ben. Not yet, anyway.

I'm thinking dark sexy green. I'm sure the office/guest room will look EXACTLY like this.

Or this.

Somehow I managed to cobble together a moodboard for this redo (moodboards mean I am for serious). Do you want to see it, or do mood boards just piss you off?

#4. Wallpaper the damn hallway, already.

Oh, how I wish I could afford Zuber.

Or for David Hick to reanimate himself and come visit me.

Or Cole and Son's Nuvole, which I have been obsessing about 4EVR (I must have ebola, because I can't believe I just typed that).

I do, however, have three rolls of Neisha Crosland's Zebra, and if I can ever paste it up it will be RAD.

Can I start a collection plate to save Erin's brain? Thanks.

#5. Tweak the kid rooms.

They are almost done... just need a few accessories and then I can shoot them.

Or you know, I could start over and make Ike's room look more like this.

Or this. HOW COOL IS THIS ROOM?!

And the baby's room should probably look more like this. I must have that bed.

That is all. Basically I am unhappy with everything I've "made," but don't feel sorry for me (or, more likely, be disgusted by me). Dissatisfaction is just my normative state of being. I'll be happy when things are perfect.

Ok, maybe you should feel a little bit sorry for me. I am obviously insane.

Also, am I insane for still blogging? This post took me all day to write... and if you haven't read this post by Jenny then you should, because then you will know I am not alone in the to-blog-or-not-to-blog conundrum. Writing a quality post (which this may or may not be) is a lot of work.

I have so many post ideas about art and fabrics and trends and my house (duh), but my time is very very precious.

Yeah, that is kind of a sad little plea for feedback.

What would you like to read about here?

Ok, gotta clean the baby puke out of my bra and make sure Ike isn't playing with knives...

Good to proverbially see you guys again. I've missed you.

Toodles.

[pictures via my pinterest, because I be tired]