Progress Report: Pillow, Rug, Mural, Stuff...

Busy week, I tell ya.  Though I suspect this progress report may seemingly reflect otherwise.  Let's see....

I made the pillow for the chair in the library.  Yay!  That was pretty easy.  I clearly have a lot of theater left in me:  I just kinda eyeballed the size and shape of the pillow while folding the fabric on the chair, found a shape and size I liked, didn't measure, no nothin', then zipped off to my spiffy sewing machine.

My parents gave me a Kenmore machine what seems like eons ago and man, this thing is a monster.  It's not one of those uber fancy machines that will cook you dinner or anything, but for one that appears moderately delicate, it is a serious workhorse.  I've run some crazy s**t though it over the years and it just keeps on tickin'.  I love it, such a stellar gift I'm eternally grateful for.

Anywhooo.  So I trimmed up the fabric, not much for measuring or precision here oh at all, or at least I tried to trim it up.  I had to wait.

My helper Finn was very helpful when it came to the pillow.

Seriously, who is this weirdo?!

Ran three sides through my handy machine, turned it inside out, stuffed it but not too stuffy, and hand stitched it shut using the best thing I learned in junior high:  the hidden stitch.  Here's a tutorial I found on a quick search.

Once it was done I thought, hm, it needs a button in the middle, both sides.  Sadly I only had a single 1" make-your-own-button kit button so back to the store.  Not a big deal really as I had gone through a whole thingie of yarn for the rug and had a panic moment of uh oh, did I get enough yarn?!?

Have you ever used those button kits?  They're neat.

So I picked up a new button kit* at Joann Fabrics; man, overall those have gotten pricey.  Thought I had grabbed the 1.5" button kit on sale for two bucks but when I got home, apparently I hadn't.  Ah well.  So it is.

After struuugggggling to get the fabric around the top and get the backing on, I thought heeyyy, maybe I should read the directions?  Yeah.  World of difference.  Duh.  Put the fabric on the top part, mush it into the weird rubber ring thing,

and bam, duh.

Button!  Yay!  Darn simple.

Usually when I put buttons on pillows, I tend to do it the challenging way of course, trying to thread through, buttons on both ends then tighten the pillow all at the same time.  I make it way infinitely harder on myself and it never works out.  This time I pre-tightened the pillow with a few stitches and knots,

then attached the buttons.  Again, world of difference.  Heh.

Pillow done!  Cute, yeah?  I had wanted it more rectangular but hey, square works too.

Cute on the chair.  Happy Becky.

And as you can see here below, the progress on the DIY rug.  Yeah, that's one whole whatever it's called thing of yarn, 480 some odd yards.  Must....keep.....going.......

Please excuse the dusty table top.  Ahem, embarrassed.

I'm of course going to mess about and play with where the poms with the two yarn colors are going to go.  If anywhere.  Mixed throughout?  Along the edge only?  How about in the middle only?  Or?  Or?  Or??  My crazy head, sheesh.

By the way.  Lesson learned the hard way again.  That excellent photo wall mural?  So, don't let the wallpaper paste goo totally completely dry if you've got overruns onto other walls etc. to trim.

'Cuz here's what a-happens.  Sigh.  Ah well.  I'll scrape it when I go to paint the room.  I've got a couple edges where the mural isn't completely stuck on so touch-up's ahead regardless.

Yeah, hm.  That doesn't seem like a whole heck of a lot for a progress report now does it?  Kinda boring for you really.  My apologies.

But it's been a busy week.  We started up with a trainer for Finn, had our second visit the other day.  We've got some resource guarding going on now (I'm the resource) and he's still nippy with Mike.  Training is work for sure, but it's good and important and, yes important.  He's a good boy though, super super sweet.  He likes to sleep curled around Mike's head at night, it's so cute.  No judging dog on bed thing -- it makes him feel safe which is very meaningful to an anxious dog who's been through hell.

Next week is The Week of Becky.  Birthday week.  Oy, ugh.  It's one a' those milestone-y types too, ya know.  If a couple were having an anniversary of this particular number of which we will not speak, yeah, it'd be a big shindig with all the relatives coming to town, rent the party hall, balloons, fancy silverware, hors d'oeuvres....As the numbers get larger, it gets harder on my brain as I don't feel this age, like a grown up.

Plus, and I'm trying very very hard not to do this, reliving the awfulness each step of the way, but this is about the time last year when Hailey started limping.  Just before we got the bone cancer diagnosis.  Man, I cannot believe it's been almost a year already.  Sigh.

Hailey's half birthday is my birthday.  And back many years ago, she nearly died the day after my birthday which led to her Addison's Disease diagnosis.  Week of Becky is bittersweet, or confusing, or, I can't find the right word.

My super cool wise friend Rondi posted this great thing about grief recently.  Really excellent read, even for folks who may not be experiencing grief themselves.  Highly recommend it.  I cried.

But!  On happier notes.  Our good friend Jonathan will be in town all week which is fun.  And Jupiter Ascending finally opens on the 6th!  Watch for my name in the Chicago unit credits! And of course Sirens is now running on USA Network on Tuesday nights.  We'll see my folks for dinner and Mike is planning a nice out-to-dinner celebration too.

Fun will be had next week.  Fair warning, nothing will get done on the house I'm sure so I'll be missing you.  :(

The week after though, back into the swing of things for sure!  I feel anxious (in a good way) and fired up to get some larger projects in motion.  I recently read this about taking big risks with decorating choices which is something I unequivocally believe in.  See if it empowers you like it reinvigorated me.

Happy happy, all.  Mwah, thanks, and I'll see you soon!

*The button cover kits are an Amazon affiliate link.  Mwah, thanks!  Please see the "boring stuff" tab for more info.