Electric Fireplaces

Regarding my electric fireplaces, I furnished my home with them for several reasons.

-These portable fireplaces, although functional heaters,  are mainly decorative for my purposes. I wouldn't have it any other way, because I very much need the look of a real home for this type of house.

Since I do not own my home, I instead own the things that make it a home: the chandeliers are mine, as well as any architectural embellishments.

-The house I live in does not have a built-in fireplace and  there is no possibility of adding one.

-The electric fireplaces  supply a good decor item that gives the house a warm, lived-in look.

-Electric fireplaces are portable, which makes it easy to heat up any part of any room, or rearrange the furniture.  "Real fireplaces" have to stay in the same location, but a portable one makes rearranging the room more interesting, at least, to me.

-It is not necessary to use the heater and run your electric bill up. You can just use the light to light up the fireplace.

-They can be used in the summer, since you don't have to turn the heater on, only the lights.

 If you are planning on getting something like these, I would advise against any of them with the darkened glass because the fire in it does not shine as brightly. Instead of this one, above, get this one, below.

 I did not know about this until I received the white fireplace and discovered the darkened glass. The only time the flames show through the darkened glass is when the room is completely dark.

So if you are in Walmart looking at the variety of electric fireplaces, get someone to take it out of the box and let you look at the glass, if you can. If not, Most of them are clear glass. 

The brown one, above, has an optional hinged leaf in the back whereby you may make it into a corner fireplace. Corners are great places for these units, and give the room a different shape.

All of my fireplaces came from Walmart.com and were delivered to the door. However , they are available in the stores and can easily fit in a car, as far as I know. 

I particularly like the little black stove with the flame and the heater. It fits so nicely in small rooms and tiny corners and can be put in the most unusual places--a hallway, a bathroom, an inside porch, the sewing room.  It is being used as a bedside table here, and in the living room next to Mother's chair it makes a nice table for a reading lamp and her books.

The larger fireplaces look great in bedrooms, living rooms and dining rooms. I have three altogether.  

Our main source of heat is propane, which we like very much, and the electric fireplaces are just supplemental, to take off the chill for 5 minutes or so in the mornings or now and then. Otherwise I use the lights in them that make the fire flicker as though it was really burning.

I would not recommend the portable electric fireplace as a main supply of heat, but it helps warm up a cold bedroom and looks ever so nice in a guest room.

In spite of the covering of snow, one of the primroses on the porch bloomed:

Inside, I enjoy using the electric fireplace as another piece of furniture that can be used in other ways. The mantel makes a nice book shelf or place for framed  family photographs, a big bouquet or anything that suits your creative thinking.

Adding things like stacks of wood in a kettle, or fireplace screens and other fireplace equipment, adds to the fun of these portable fireplaces. You can also place a little mat in front, or make your own by braiding a rug from fabric you don't want anymore, that goes with your color preferences

...and add a few pieces of real wood , which smells great. I'm using artificial wood, made with styrofoam and bark. You may remember I made a fake cake using bark, and this is the same kind of craft. If I ever get time, I'll show you how to make one of these logs.

If you are ordering one on Walmart.com read the description and make sure it is fully assembled. They are "a bear" to put together but the recent models are fully intact. The stores also have them, in one unit, and  the box fits in the car.

 The portable fireplace also, in my opinion, provides a little elegance to even the poorest of rooms!

If you do decide to get one of these portable heaters, make sure it is completely assembled  right in the box so that all you have to do is slide it out and plug it in. In years gone by when these first came on the market, you had to put them together, and what a job that was. 

Pretty Coats You Can Buy

All around us in the bleak of winter are black coats. Chadwicks catalog and online sells them in colors. Here are some of them.

Sewing Report: Plaid Fabric Siting

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Hello Ladies,

Our view today is quite cloudy but Mr. S., ever the optimist (in a dry way) tells me it is "clear" indoors.

These are two of my window pictures, but I don't think they will make it to Pinterest.

Today I turned up the heat and stayed inside as much as I could.  On days like this I long to browse in a fabric shop and dream of future coats or uncharted sewing worlds.

Yesterday was another hospital office visit to the surgeon to check on the progress of Mr. S.'s foot wound.  He took a picture of me as we walked across a causeway, with the snow capped mountain in the distance, and of course, to get yet another glossy of my pink fleece coat.

Because of the snow, Mr. S. wanted me to model some of my fleece coats.

I didn't want to let him outside in the cold yet, so he had to click the pictures from the window. 

This is the raspberry coat with the hood up.

 Green coat from a few weeks ago.

Pink coat from a few years ago. It was the most difficult, most expensive, and heaviest fabric, which is why I am only using the thin fleece. Although fleece is light weight, when you add a lot of seams and pieces, it gets heavy. That is why I haven't lined any of these so far, although I still hope to line the green coat and finish the matching purse. 

Of the three coats, the green one is the most comfortable and I haven't finished it yet. I wanted to put a border on the hem to give it more weight in the wind. 

In the winter, Kate, of  Btitish royalty, wore this colorful plaid coat. I really like the hat.

On the way home from the surgeon check up, we stopped at HL* which is in the same vicinity as the hospital, and I happened upon this plaid fleece fabric:

It certainly looks the same as the coat, so I was quite interested in it. However it is one of those "furry" fabrics that gets all over the place when you cut it, and clogs up the machine, but I'm still looking at it whenever we are in the city.

Here are some scenes from the fleece fabrics of HL

I love the colors of "minky" fabric, above, but it is not as stable as regular fleece and it tends to sag and stretch if used as a garment. Instead I go for the thin version of polar fleece, pictured below, for quick coats. I am looking for the colors mint, pale yellow, light lilac-mauve, and pale apricot, which I did not find here.  I like some of the prints here on the lower shelves. The black and white check looks interesting.

The wound update is this:  The surgeon took Mr. S. off the bandages and special socks and declared it healed.  However,  I am still padding the area and wrapping it and making him wear his special sock.  We go to the Wound Care division on Thursday and will see what they have to say. They use powerful lights and magnifiers to  check out wounds and know what is what. It appears to be completely healed but somehow having a bandage on it still, is a comfort, if you know what I mean. I feel it still needs some padding on it in case he drops a book, a spoon, a cup, and all the things we usually drop around here. We don't have a problem with it, but in any home, it is wise to have the feet protected a little more if you have had an injury.

Let me know what you think of this cute plaid coat and the fabric. I know plaid doesn't look good on most women, but this coat seems quite nice, especially with that warm looking hat.

*Hobby Lobby

  

This year we aren't economizing on heat. It is good for the windows and walls, bedding, fabric stash and all the corners of a house to keep it warm and dry, and for those who are inactive and need a bit more warmth. 

Sewing Report: Fleece Coat in Raspberry Color 2

Hello Dear Ladies,

I am always so much happier and friendlier when I have worked my own jobs and done a little extra. So, today despite the torrents of rain and black skies, I am much cheered up by the near-completion of this raspberry color fleece coat.

It just lacks the hems on sleeves and on the hem area, going around the lapel.  I might wear it today anyway, if I don't have time to fix it.  With fleece, it isn't really noticeable if you don't get hems and buttons done.

This is the pattern I used, and look at those nice buttons--only $1.50 at Walmart.

But I have to tell you something about the pattern, and many new patterns I have used: I do not understand the instruction sheet as well as I do in the older patterns from the 1980's-2000.

I attempted to sew the side pocket version of this pattern that fit inside the seam.

Tried as I did, sewing, un-picking stitches, I could not get the pocket to work. I even cut out a new pocket and tried again.  I just couldn't "get it" according to these instructions.  They just were not clear enough and I could have used some extra steps. After all the attaching and un-picking and re-cutting and reassembling, I gave up and left out the pockets. I may try again, my own way.

 I hope to trick myself into sewing pockets in future coats by cutting them out extended on the pattern piece and that way they don't have to be attached separately. 

I like this coat better than the green one. The pattern did not require lining, and the collar was not cut out separately--it is just rolled over from the fabric; and lays perfectly.

I thought the hood was a pain and will be looking around for a coat this simple to make with only the shawl collar, which I really like.

 

While I have sewn men's sportscoats,  formal dresses outdoor awnings, curtains, furniture covers and many more difficult things, I am much more appreciative of simple and easy to make patterns that get me a garment quickly.

I loved the sleeves. I don't want to go back to sewing  set-in or gathered sleeves..

Although the pattern  did not require lining,  I  bought some, thinking I might eventually insert it. Lining makes fleece easier to slip on.

For now, I think the lining works well as a backdrop for this old tea cup.

In other news, I was looking for some sheets to make Mr. S. more comfortable. Cotton 

Flannel sheets are not always the easiest thing to sleep in because they tend to cling.

Years ago, bamboo sheets were only sold in specialty stores, at prices way over $100, and I was so tickled to get these for $20 in one of our local stores.  The fabric is very soft, and easy to move around in, yet also very warm and quite tough.

You may remember I bought some bamboo/cotton fabric and made a nightgown for a nursing mother. She said it was very silk-like and comfortable.  

I discovered there are other unusual fabrics being made these days--even wheat!

Of course I'm always interested in textiles.

I had another interesting arrival from an ebay purchase: Issue 62 of Molly Makes magazine from 

March 2016.

I saw it years ago while browsing in a bookstore, and passed it up, but I kept thinking about the little cottage purse playhouse made of felt, and went looking for it online.

I was thinking how this could be adapted to your own style of house--cabin, seaside, Victorian, etc.

The pattern was included and I am already thinking what a nice quiet toy this would be. 

In the dark at 6:00 a.m. I walked the little pathway through the rain (wearing my new coat and matching umbrella) to the meeting house where I unlocked, deposited the church bulletin that Mr. S. printed the day before, turned on the heat and lights and unlocked the side door for the handicap area, and then hurried back to my warm house.  Before church, we always have a really nice breakfast, because I wouldn't want Mr. S.'s voice to weaken while he is talking about any subject of "great doctrinal import."  (I am sure you know the source of the quote).Some of you will recognize that saying from literature.

I left the housekeeping list for another day, while I sewed this coat.  The utility room which is a combination of laundry room and storage room is really a disaster.  The harsh weather is upon us and I want to wear the coat while the wind is up and the temperature is down, instead of having the coat unfinished until next year, which is sometimes the case with me. Who minds unfinished housework or hoarder-looking rooms when there is a new coat to be sewn. For that matter, who minds anything. 

Did I mention it is raining?  

 This is rain fashion.

As you can see, the bleakness here is brightened by the coat.

The true color of the fabric is quite muted and not this florescent color the camera has picked up. It isn't as bright or light as you see here.

Coat Cost:

4 and 1/2 yards thin polar fleece @ $3.80 per yard:  approx. $16

1 spool rose thread $3.00

Buttons package of 6: $2

Total $21

This is a synthetic fabric, and therefore, I didn't use the iron on it; not even a cool iron, because it will melt the fibres.  Also, it is cold wash and cool dry or dry on a hanger in a warm place. A dryer will cause acrylics to bead up.

As for the kind of needle to use, I used a regular needle recommended for woven fabrics. The ball point machine needles recommended for nylon, stretch fabrics and acrylics did not give good results. The regular needle had no problems.

This is the one fabric I use that is not a woven or knit fabric from nature. Fleece is really good for a barrier against the wind and cold. 

Dollar Tree Lamp DIY Links

Hello All,

In my previous post I showed a makeshift lamp using Dollar Tree unbreakable items. I made it for my night stand but today as I was passing through the hall, I was  surprised at myself for not using this battery lamp, which I had perched on a shelf. It would have been a lot easier.  

However due to some comments showing interest  in  the Dollar Tree lamp do-it-yourself subject, I took the trouble to look up some of the videos on the subject and found some very glamorous lamps.

You still have to have a heavy base to keep such lamps from getting knocked over and you have to glue the components together.

   

Dollar Tree DIY's are quite the thing these days, and there have been contests with a $10 or $5 limit, to make things in certain categories.

While my lamp was rather small, if you need one for your living/lounge area, here are some you can make using larger plastic bowls and large vases, that look like crystal cut glass. They sometimes use the led push-light that is easy to click on and off just with a touch

Dollar Tree Crystal Lamps

Glam Lamp

Chrystal Beaded Lamp

Silver-Look Lamp

Lamp With Shade

I think you will agree, even if you are not into DIY's  that some of these ideas, and others that come up on the list of videos below them, are very interesting.

There are also ways to make chandeliers, if you are interested. One advantage is that if you use plastic items you don't have to be overly concerned about them falling and breaking.

To make a larger lamp than the one I made below, using no glue or any thing permanent, just buy a larger plastic faux crystal salad bowl for a dollar, and set it over a large plastic faux cut glass vase. The bowls are sometimes found in the wedding decor department, and the vases in the floral aisle of Dollar Tree. You can then fill the vase with led light or battery candles, or set the vase upside down and put one of those push lights on the end of the vase before putting the bowl over the top.


This is the small make-shift one I showed here yesterday:

I  have a very ambitious day ahead of me and am hoping to complete 3 things on a list of 20, which is always the way it goes around here.

The color red or burgundy red is all around us in the commercial world and it is just right for the month of February, which in some climes like mine, is a month of fog. 

I posted these photos to share what you can do with the Dollar Tree florals combined with things you already have. Sometimes a book (which someone gave me) has the colors you need, to-go-with, and  if not, open the book to a page that does the job. It looks so bright and fresh on a table.  Those are the variegated silk roses, above, and one stem has 5 or 6 full-looking flowers on it, which is enough to fill a jar or vase. You do have to bend the wired stems and make it all look branched out.  I've been in restaurants where they plunk these in a vase on the table without poufing out the flowers, and they look so fake, so I'm just saying you can give them a more life-like look if you can bend the stems outward, and you can even press out some of the petals if you are careful, to make it look more natural