My New Quilt and House Tour--Bedroom

I know, I know~~I said I would next show you Man of the House's office, but I wanted to show you my completed quilt and it just made sense to do the rest of the bedroom at the same time. So without further eloquence (The Quiet Man fans get the reference), here it is! Ta-da!!



Here's a close-up so you can see my mistakes. ;-)



Yes, that is Little Red Riding Hood, Puss 'n' Boots, and Jack and the Beanstalk you see. Girl of the House made a quilt with adorable fairy tale fabric, and I loved it so much I used the scraps in my quilt. You're never too old for fairy tales!

I decided to make this quilt because I didn't like the prices I was seeing on all-cotton ready-made quilts. While I did have to buy some materials, I also used up a lot of leftovers from other projects and worn-out clothing, which means it's full of memories. I also didn't want an artsy quilt created with coordinating fabrics and a fancy design; I wanted it to be more like what my grandmothers would have made with what they had on hand. I don't know if I'll ever make another one, but if I do, it will be because someone needs one. I like the fact that my quilt is frugal, practical, and pretty all rolled into one.

I machine quilted it in diagonals. Anna suggested going both ways, but I liked the way it looked with the diagonals going just one way, and besides, it took less time. :-) The pillow cases were embroidered by my mother. The rag doll is pretty bedraggled, and I'm thinking of making a new one and some decorative pillows too.

Here's the view from the doorway.




If you look to your left, you see this:



The jewelry box is a gift from my husband from the early days of our marriage. A co-worker made it. I l-o-v-e these curtains! I nabbed them ten or twelve years ago for $9 apiece from the Walmart clearance aisle. The brush and mirror set on the dresser were a gift from my grandmother when I was a little girl. The blue and white Spode vase came from my mother a couple Christmases ago. The rag doll on top of the bookcase is Anne of Green Gables, also a gift from my mother. The little shelf she's sitting on was made by my father before he died in 1990. The dresser itself as well as the headboard were borrowed from my in-laws 23 years ago! I wonder if they will ever want them back?

Here is it from a different angle and in better light. The books are Man of the House's TBR pile:





I love this little spot!



The lamp was a wedding gift, and you can see my basket of needlework on the floor. I'm working on a cross stitch for my niece who is getting married next month. I've just started it, so I'd better hurry! The books? Let's see . . . from top to bottom . . . The Lutheran Book of Prayer, the Bible, The Psalms of David by James Freemantle (gorgeous illuminated manuscript!), Green Dolphin Street by Elizabeth Goudge, Resounding Truth: Christian Wisdom in the World of Music by Jeremy Begbie, and Literary England: Photos of Places Made Memorable in English Literature by Richard Wilcox, et al. (The remote control is for the A/C. We don't have a television.)

Two more windows with those curtains I love. Oh, and the closet:



I have to tell you about these two pictures:

They are both from my grandparents. The top one was painted by my grandmother when I was a little girl and had a vegetable garden. I believe the frame was made by my grandfather. The bottom is an old Easter postcard decoupaged with some fabric and rick-rack to a piece of wood beveled and finished by my grandfather.



As in all old houses, the closet is teeny-weeny. Man of the House uses it and I use this wardrobe. Before Girl of the House was born, we had a spare bedroom and it lived in there, so we had War Drobe in the land of Spare Oom. ;-)



Looking from the far corner to the doorway. I think that pink blur is Girl of the House's hand as she's running away. LOL The shelf on the wall was also made by my father.



Don't you love seeing what books people have on their bookshelves?



That's it! Like the rest of our house, this room is not very fashionable or trendy, but we are comfortable in it. :-)