Powder Blue

Hello Ladies,

Thanks for your emails admiring the light blue dresses in the last post.

For those of you that do not use Pinterest, here are some things from a powder blue collection of pictures for the home:

My Sister by Sandra Kuck.

A Room That Feels Like Home

The Sitting Room

by Susan Rios

Click here to bid

and go here to see more of Susan Rios Art.

Although I like to stretch summer as long as I can, I enjoyed this lovely autumn painting that came in my email this morning and would like to share it here with a link to Susan Rios to see more. I love her depiction of seating areas in the home, surrounded by books or writing materials, and flowering plants.

Camelia Rose Tea

by Susan Rios

  If a home had one room like this to keep for quiet times or guests, the rest of the house work would be a delight, because this kind of room seems to set a standard for the rest of the home.  This alludes back to the parlours of the Victorian times, which were just front rooms where the work of the home was not seen.  They were rooms used for an escape from the commotion of the rest of the house, or for receiving guests, who did not venture into the kitchen or the private living areas of the family. 

The Warmth of Autumn

by Susan Rios

 For most of us, the living room is just inside the front door and immediately comes into view when one enters, so it will be the room we are most concerned about for appearance.  When the lady of the home returns from shopping or from outdoors, her mood can be greatly improved when she sees that first room in order. It makes the rest of the rooms easier to tackle if they are in a mess. 

The Rose Room

by Susan Rios

For a small living area, I would suggest the following items to make it seem like home:

Two comfortable chairs for relaxing.

One couch, love-seat length.

Possibly a longer couch or settee, depending on the preferences of your family.

A bookcase with a collection of favorite and beautifully covered books.

A small desk with a lamp, which could also serve as an end table beside one of the chairs or couches.

End tables for lamps, placed beside the chairs and couches.

A braided or hooked rug for the center of the room.

A small table placed on the rug, for serving tea or bearing reading materials, a pretty plant or vase of flowers or interesting object that has meaning to you---a large sea shell, a tea pot, a basket, etc.

On the walls : a clock, photographs, paintings, and possibly a light that looks like a candle, or a hanging candleholder with wax candles that match the colors of your house.

Seaside Terrace by Susan Rios can be viewed at her website here.

To add to the feeling of home in the living area you can get a portable electric fireplace that is easy to move around, and put it on one wall. It has an electric flame that looks lovely and it actually puts out heat through a vent. The mantel piece area makes another old fashioned surface on which to place photographs, a mantel cloth, or a collection of things you like. You can use the flame feature, which adds like without heat, and is operated by a simple little night-light bulb.

A Place to Dream

by Susan Rios

If you like, you can get out your grandmother's lace to protect the surfaces of the tables and the mantel before you set out the lamps and other objects. It makes good sense to take care of furniture, however inexpensive and humble it is.

Garden Window by Susan Rios

can be purchased here.

As time allows, I hope to post about other places in the home, such as the porches, the dining room, kitchen, laundry room, bedrooms, etc. to find ways to make them both comforting and appealing to the eye. To make one room a model of order and beauty can help a homemaker have more insipiration and delight in her housekeeping and cleaning of the other parts of the house.

http://www.susanriosdesign.com/index.php/gallery/keepsakes/vintage-red-k.html

All Susan Rios paintings here are used with her permission.


Mrs. J., in comments: I agree about the footstool and the sofa table. The foot stool is much nicer than today's ottoman or hassock, which is harder to use and takes up enormous space in a room. The sofa table should be used because that way you do not have to put the back of your long couch or chair against a wall or corner. It makes it easier to position the couch with the back toward your audience but still have something nice against it. The sofa table provides a place that looks like an entry table, with a lamp, maybe a guest book and a vase of flowers. I quite agree that these two pieces of furniture should be included in planning your sitting room.

Also, the lady who commented about the piano: those things are so big and awkward and cannot be moved often, but I love them, and have one myself. They just add so much human-ness to the room, much like a shelf full of books.

Leisure Arts - Fleece Decorative Cake

This is a little play-cake for a child's kitchen, made of fleece and poly-fiber-fill stuffing.  If you are familiar with sewing with felt, you can make the same things using fleece. Polar fleece is a little more flexible than felt and has a softer look, but the choice is yours.

I did not make a pattern for this because I used a teacup saucer to trace the circle, and then cut a fourth section out of the fabric circle to make the cake look like it had been cut. I measured the other pieces as I sewed, and also made a slice of cake, which is not shown here. You can get directions for a slice here.

Since I host a Ladies Tea once a week in my home, I like to have an interesting centerpiece each time, and this cake will be just the thing. Little leisure-art bits like this are great for gifts for those who like them. After the tea, someone might go home with the centerpiece of the week, or I may send it by mail to someone who likes it.

Creating a Homey Feeling

Painting by Klaus Dietrich

 If homemaking consisted only of cleaning house and getting the laundry done, there would be no need for the homemaker. There is a big difference between house cleaning and home making, which will be explained in this post.

Every homemaker will want to be happy in her place at home.  If she can surround herself in a certain amount of beauty and comfort, it adds to her contentment.  No matter what kind of dwelling it is, whether it be a trailer, terraced house, contractor house, or log cabin, it can be made the dearest and brightest place, with a little care and some thoughtful additions.

Wild Rose Manor by Ron Carter

Since the family, and especially the homemaker, will be spending many hours in the house, it is important to have a pleasant place to live.  Here are a few things that show how it takes the whole day, every day, to really keep a home. At the same time, these are activities and touches  which will increase her feeling of well-being and happiness inside her own home:

Cleaning: Although it sounds like only work, cleaning can be creative. As you sweep, wipe or clear clutter, leave every area looking not just cleaner, but more attractive and well-arranged. The task seems more pleasant  when you consider cleaning as a creative endeavor.

 Really thoughtful homemakers do not just clear the dishes from a table. They wipe up all the food crumbs, straighten chairs, change the tablecloth to one of a different color, and add a cheerful and inspiring centerpiece. It is a beautiful way to finish a cleaning job. This habit applies to all areas of the house, including the living room, where things are straightened and the coffee table is cleaned to make way for a pretty display. 

 Keeping the front door area attractive and neat can create a feeling of being in an important and rich place, even in the humblest of homes. These are just a few areas where cleaning can really make a big difference in your mood toward homemaking.  It costs less than painting or remodelling, and often makes a huge difference. It is in a sense: creative arranging and changing, to make the house the best it can be.

Log Cabin Retreat by Kim Sung

Find the most appealing  supplies for the home: This is a lovely time to be a homemaker, because of the myriad of attractive cleaning and storage products available for the home. Check out the product reviews that some of the homemakers are doing on their blogs, and you'll get a sense of how uplifting house keeping can be, with all the attractive soaps, towels, containers, and cleaning supplies available. The natural products are packaged to go with your kitchen or bathroom so that they look like luxuries.

 Wear a fresh, feminine style apron, use pretty rubber gloves when washing dishes, and listen to your favorite music. House cleaning does not have to be a grueling drudgery. It is a good idea to relax and enjoy each moment of the day, whether working or relaxing.  If you live like this, home becomes more like a vacation resort where everyone can be revived.

Create a writing space for yourself:  Get some good office supplies that make you feel that your job is worth it:- a nice pen and a notebook in the style you really prefer. Have a desk of your own or a space somewhere to sit and begin your morning Bible reading and plan out your day. Be flexible with this, but do list some things  you wish to accomplish, plus a list of errands and shopping, future plans, and reminders.

Please do not think you have to spend money for your office area. You can create your own space in many ways. Use one of those old metal typewriter tables that no one wants anymore,  or  your desk can be a folding wood tray scooted over to the couch  or used with a spare chair. You can make your own notebook by choosing the papers you like and putting it together yourself. You can even cover your pen or pencil in a matching paper. Creating your own area and having pretty supplies can make a big difference in your motivation as a homemaker.

 You can find pretty products for the kitchen and the bathroom and everything inbetween, or you can find attractive containers to hide the most mundane objects.

 Emily Barnes wrote in her book, "The Spirit of Loveliness" of peeking into someones pretty bedroom and noticing a little trash can lined with a scented  pink plastic trash bag, in which was placed a piece of paper doily.   It gave the impression of a homemaker who went beyond the mere obligation of cleaning a room, and added a thoughtful decoration to make it all complete.

If you ever have a homemaking class in your home, try having your students make a list of every possible good thing that could go on in a home. List all the things that could be learned in a home, all the work that could be done in a home, all the social things that could occur in the home, and all the possible creative things.

 Decorating, hospitality, care of family members recovering from illness,  benevolence, Bible study, art and crafts, sewing,  caring for those who aren't feeling well,  and many other things can be centered in the home. Once such a list has been made, it becomes clear that it takes a full time homemaker to see that it is all done. There is more to homemaking than cleaning a house. It has to be cared for as if it were your own lodge, or your own bed and breakfast, by putting beauty and cleanliness into it. You simply cannot have an inviting atmosphere if you are not there making sure everything is in place and looking like a dignified home.

Put refinement and elegance in every place of the house : When a woman truly makes her home a beautiful place of comfort and creativity, it is often more desirable to stay in, than to go out. Think of this: every thing "out there" is practically producible in your own place: your favorite foods, a lovely lounge area, a tea room, an art/sewing/crafting studio, your own library which consists of your favorite reading material, a desk for correspondence and accounting, and a favorite spot in which to relax. There is not a part of the home that cannot benefit from cleaning, creating and beautifying. I have seen lovely laundry rooms, though small, which are cheerful and inviting, and some back porches made into works of art, just by keeping them clean and adding a plant or a decorative birdhouse.  If you tend to be discouraged, just try cleaning up a surface and, like a new canvase, creating a scene with what you have, whether it be a climbing ivy plant or a basket of shells.

Arrange and Rearrange Furnishings and Decorations:
With this kind of approach to home living, a woman does not have to wait until she can afford her dream house. She can make restful  areas in the place she already has. I have seen  women create entry ways in small houses where none existed, and porches where none existed. Architectural interests such as fireplace mantels or shelves makes home living appealing.  Many women have become creative out of necessity. When they had to make room for a study area in their house,  a guest room, foyer/entryway or a seating area in the kitchen, they have innovated and created whatever effect they needed.

Merely moving furniture around seasonally changes the look of a house and makes it seem new and fresh--in a sense, a different place. Simply changing the blanket you keep on the back of the couch in the winter to a lighter piece of fabric in the summer, gives an old couch a new look. It is easy on the eyes and it gives the homemaker a sense of newness.

Don't let others discourage you: There will always be those who will suggest that you must be so idle that you have nothing better to do than rearrange furniture or clean sinks and create new center pieces. If she does not have to be outside the home all day, a  homemaker does have the time to add these niceties and extra comforts to the home. She is not just there to do the hard work; she is there to light the home with her ideas and to put her own personality into it.  Besides being a worthwhile work, it becomes a way of life.

 By now, everyone is familiar with the cynic, the critic and the discourager, who is not happy if you are working hard and accomplishing something, and not happy if you are relaxing and enjoying leisure activities. The following poem, written in 1930 expresses it perfectly. These kinds of sour-on-life people have always been around and always will be.

PEOPLE WILL TALK

Yes, people will talk, the saying is true,

They talk about me, they talk about you;

If we go to the opera, someone will say,

We should go to church and learn how to pray.

If we go to church and offer up prayers,

They say we are hypocrites and putting on “airs”;

If we are rich, they call us a thief,

Scoff at our sorrows and laugh at our grief.

If we are poor, they say that we shirk,

We’re always lazy and never would work;

They talk of our prospects, they talk of our past,

And if we are happy, they say it can’t last.

They talk of our loved ones, they talk of our foes,

They talk of our follies, they talk of our woes;

They talk of our joys, they talk of our fears,

They talk of our smiles, they talk of our tears.

They talk if we’re single, they talk if we’re wed,

They talk of us living, they talk of us dead;

Tho’ we live like an angel with circumspect walk,

Our efforts are useless, for people will talk.

Most people are afraid to offend anyone, and afraid to be called conceited or be thought of as a snob. This is one tool that Satan uses against anyone who is trying to do a good job at home and make their homes lovely places. You will be called   a snob if you do not allow anyone to disrespect or destroy your personal property, or to behave badly in the home. People will say you are conceited if you have a tea party for friends. They will say you are putting on airs if you dress up at home or when going out in public. They will say you think you are better than other people if you don't accept the careless way in which the rest of the world lives.  As the poem says, it creates an attitude that all must stop, because people will talk.  You cannot give up on your efforts to be creative and productive. If you do nothing, people will still talk, so it is best to do what you know to do, to the best of your ability. James 4:17 says "Therefore, to him that knoweth to do good, and does not do it, it is a sin."


Do it for God and for yourself: If a wife, mother and homemaker gets too caught up in the appreciation of the people around her, she may lose sight of why she is doing more than absolutely necessary. You have to make your home a place you would most like to be. You are the home keeper and the guide and guard of it. You are the lady of the house. You do most of the work or the supervising, and so it belongs to you. You decide what you like and what you do not like, because you will be in the house probably more than anyone else. The way you set a table, arrange flowers or clean up a room has to have meaning to you. You have to put your own personality into the home by using the things you love and arranging them in a way that cheers you up.  Ultimately, we do what we do for God. Others may not appreciate it but we should continue in well-doing. (Galations 6:9)*


There is nothing wrong with you:  If you are particular about the appearance of your house, inside and out, and prefer to have things in order, things put away in their proper place, and do not like to sit in a mess, there is nothing wrong with you. Today's casual attitudes suggest that anyone who has any standards has a "problem" and needs to "loosen up."

 If you have the habit of cleaning up and putting things away and you like to have a neat and tidy home, you are very blessed. Some people struggle for years trying to develop good habits like that. If you have been trained in your youth, you have an advantage. There is nothing wrong with you if you like your clothes to match your hair bow, or if you enjoy having dishes that match and furniture that goes together.

 Today if you even attempt to have some kind of order in your life, others may accuse you of being too "materialistic."  We are obligated to look after our material possessions, from dishes to furniture, and we should do so, with a sense of personal responsibility and pleasure. It  allows others to enjoy our homes when they are not broken down and ruined. It shows good stewardship. There is nothing wrong with you if you dislike loud music or arguing in your home, and there is nothing wrong with you if you shrink from things that are not good, pure and lovely. (Philippians 4:8)  A homemaker will always pay attention to the atmosphere of her home, by making sure the sights and sounds are in accordance with the loveliness and appropriateness that brings glory to God.

Cling to your homemaking values: Know how to live  when you are prosperous, and know how to live when you are not.  There is a time to be generous, and a time to cut back. It is that way with life, and will always be that way. No one can be completely free from worries and no one can be perfectly secure in this life. Even those who make great plans for the future, saving huge amounts of money, can lose it through the ups and downs of the economy. We cannot put our trust in money, but in the commands of the Lord. If God saw fit to give women a place in life, a place in the home, there will be ways to accomplish it.

*Galations 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.



Bible Commentator, Adam Clarke (Irish, 1762-1832) wrote, concerning this verse:

"Let us not be weary - Well-doing is easier in itself than ill-doing; and the danger of growing weary in the former arises only from the opposition to good in our own nature, or the outward hinderances we may meet with from a gainsaying and persecuting world."

Hand Sewn Doily

Beautiful Summers Day 

Today I am going to show how to make one of these easy round doilies. They are useful for protecting furniture from sun-stains or scrapes or just anything that occurs when you have a lamp or hard object on a table. They absorb water if you have a little vase of fresh flowers. 

Above is one made from muslin and gathered lace.

The Victorians insisted on using crochet and tatting, and various types of cloths to protect their furniture. Until recently, women used pieces on the sofa and chairs in the living room, to protect the head area and the arms, where it would become the most worn or soiled. It is partly due to this extreme care, that so much of the furniture of that era is still so beautiful and durable. I have a few small tables from that era, that have barely a mark on them, because they protected with women's lovingly hand made place mats and doilies.

You will notice in the previous post, that I still have one of those crocheted pieces from the 1940's, on the back of  sofa chair in the back ground. These little things you are making are a quicker way to provide protection and beauty to your furniture. Try them in different fabrics, such as tapestry, to give an old-world feeling, or even that sparkly butterfly fabric from the fabric store, for a country cottage appeal. 

As in previous projects, be sure to press the fabric with a hot, steam iron. You will need all cotton for this project.  You can use muslin or anything else from clothing, sheets, and even dishtowels, if they have no "nap."  A nap is anything that sticks out in a fuzzy way, such as terry cloth or velvet or corduroy. I am working with no-nap fabrics, meaning, they are smooth and flat. 

You can make this any size you want, depending upon the size plate or bowl you use to trace around. I used a glass plate so that I could make sure that one of the brightest roses was in the middle of the doily. In this case, you do not have to turn the fabric over and mark it on the "wrong" or more faded side. It works better to mark it on the right side.

Then, cut out around your pencil marks, and iron the edges in toward the wrong side, one- fourth inch. If your circle is really large, you can iron again one-fourth inch. Since mine is just small, I will only be able to crease it one time.

 Now thread your needle and make a knot. Put the first stitch under the hem, to hide the knot, and take a few stitches in the same place over and over to secure it. Then stitch around the hem, as you see here. Fasten off. If you are unsure of things like threading and knotting a needle, running stitch, over cast stitch, fastening off, etc. you can find instructions on the web. However, it is better to get someone to show up up-close and personal.

After you have stitched it, press your stitching. Then, turn it over and press again firmly on the other side.

Your project can be completed right now, if you like, and you can use it somewhere in your house...

...however, I am going to add some lace. To get the right length of lace, just leave it on the roll or hank, and stitch it around until you meet the beginning. Then, continue stitching and sew the two end pieces together so that you can't tell where the beginning or end is. I always like to match up the floral design and then cut it.

 In a future post, I will show you how to embroidery a piece like this, using matching embroidery threads. Since the colors will already be stamped on the fabric, all you have to do is use a satin stitch and co-ordinate the threads to the rose parts.

Here is what mine looks like so far. It is not necessary to do any of these things, but it helps you learn and it leaves some pretty evidence behind. Someday you will be able to show some little girl the things you did when you were young. In future posts, I will show you how to make a matching box to store these things in.

Remember, you can click on the pictures twice  to get larger details.

It is not all indoor activity around here. Sometimes I fly a kite,

..and yesterday I renovated an old metal tricycle that no one wanted. The basket came from a junk store and is tied on with pink wired ribbon...

...and found another treasure, which I traded for something I made.  It looks old, and it has a heavier base than the modern lamps, so it does not knock over as easily.

Future easy projects: handkerchiefs, stuffed pig, pillow, pillow case, wall hanging, garden flag, yo-yo quilting project, doll, apron, girl's skirt, scarf, place mat, purse, tea towel, fabric toys, and more.

Note: these projects are for beginners, and those who may feel a bit awkward with a needle at first. I used three threads in the needle, which has a large eye, to stitch the rose. I prefer the larger needles when showing someone who has never used one before, but if you want to advance, just reduce your needle size and use less thread. I am not trying to be perfect in these projects, because I want it to be easy for people who want to learn quickly and easily.  I do not intend for any of this to look professional.

And that ye study to be quiet....

...and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; that ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing." Ist Thessalonians 4:11-12

My mantel for June...the one place that no one lives in or touches or parks their wallets, eyeglasses, mail or keys! This is the new poster from Lovely Whatevers

More June Mantels and June House Tours:

http://www.enchantedtreasures.com/mantel-of-the-month/?month=6&year=2008

http://theoldpaintedcottage.wahmweb.com/store/WsPages.asp?ID=3

http://www.shabbysuite.com/articles.php?article=8




The verse I posted today reminds me that working with my own hands can prevent "want" or poverty. Money seems to go out as quickly as it comes in. Living on your income may require some imagination and some inspiration and some innovation. Resourcefulness is a great blessing. It means that we can make many things that we might have thought we could only buy. I've been to see a sight about the pioneer spirit, that shows how to make everything from your own potato chips to your own catsup (ketchup, tomato sauce) condiments, and cereal. There are a lot of things we do not have to buy, if we are trying to save money. If we buy everything, and make nothing, it is hard to keep up with the grocery bill. Even with a large income, the grocery bill comes in next highest to the rent or house payment. I am not saying women should feel obligated to do this, but that in a pinch, there are alternatives.

Studying is referred to in several places in the Bible, and it is always in reference to studying that which is good, lovely, pure, and builds the inner man.

Step By Step Mantel or Shelf Arrangement

1. A plain surface is like a blank canvas...







2. You can start by covering it with a layer of white. In this case it is a white lace runner.


3. To that, place a line of bright flowers. This is a latex garland, painted with glitter.

A close up of the "frosted" garland.

4. Then put something bright in the center. This is an electric candle set, and the cord is hidden.

5. Balance the sides with other items, leaving the tallest piece in the middle.

6. Then put in fillers, which are small objects to fill in the spaces and give the arrangement a lush look of fullness. Here is added a tea cup, another candle, and some hand crafted dolls.

7. For a different look, find something you already have, such as a woolen scarf, for a winter look. Add other things for a bright look.

If you enjoy other blogs that glorify the home and family, here are some I've grown to appreciate: http://fadedrosecottage.blogspot.com/ - love her music and soothing decorating and craft ideas.
http://pleasantviewschoolhouse.blogspot.com/ - this lady has the sweetest hand crafts, including the old fashioned yo-yo's that our grandmothers used to make entire quilts of.
http://www.plainoldkristi.blogspot.com/ - this mother is not as plain as she thinks she is, and her posts from her home life are wonderful...I can almost taste the hot bread!
http://adaughterathome.blogspot.com/ --this one is encouraging for the many daughters who lovingly attend to the home and family and who want to honor their parents by being the best they can be at home.
http://farmhomelife.blogspot.com/ - I like the fact this lady has menus and is careful with the family income!
http://www.xanga.com/MrsCatherine -- Catherine and Blaine are always an inspiration to me and I enjoy the music on her homemaking blog. She shows women how they can come home and develop a career of home living.
http://www.noblewomanhood.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=5&Itemid=14&limit=9&limitstart=27 -- I like this woman's idea of decorating with scriptures! Indeed the Israelites were taught to "write them over the door posts," something we could all learn from.
http://www.stay-at-home-daughters.blogspot.com/ -- another wonderful stay-at-home daughter whose family is blessed by all her talents.
http://gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/search/label/tea%20towels?updated-max=2006-05-16T10%3A14%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=20 - everything looks so calm and peaceful--and delicious, on this site; a truly inspiring blog for new homemakers who need to see the possibilities to be had in dedicating their lives to home and family.
http://quietrest.blogspot.com/ - also has more peaceful music and a beautiful Victorian sketch on the opening page, a symbol of another, more peaceful era!
I like this blog for the McGuffey Reader entries you can read online, including one of our favorites, "How to Be Happy" and "Hugh Idle and Mr. Toil." For those who do not know, these are 19th century readers that used to be in the public schools. http://happyheartsathome.blogspot.com/
Check out http://thimblecottage.blogspot.com/ for some wonderful homemaking ideas and inspiration. New homemakers will have no trouble finding friendly kindred spirits on these blogs!
(I don't mean to offend if I left out your blog. I will continue on another post)
Thank you all for the wonderful blogs you do and for opening your homes and sharing with the world things like hospitality, cooking, sewing, decorating, home keeping, homeschooling, and being wives and homemakers.