Wednesday
Garden Blessings Barn Quilt
Tuesday
Deconstructed Farmhouse Sofa
We have so much fun this week with our Deconstructed Sofa project! We found it on a whim trip to our local antiques shop while we were looking for a small piece of furniture to paint our with our new line of Tweetle Dee Paints, and instead we came home with an incredible antique sofa for $35.00. It was solid wood and so well constructed that we knew it would be as beautiful under the fabric as it was above.
Both of us have reupholstered furniture before, but never had we taken a piece apart with the plan to leave it half ripped apart. The trend for Deconstructed Furniture is huge on the farmhouse decor scene and for good reason. With the clean lines of the wood frames and inner pieces of leather, burlap, linen, ticking, etc. you see the beauty of the piece in a new way.
The best way to begin is to just rip into it! Seriously rip into it. We felt across the top and looked for a good spot to cut. Because the top fabric was in such good condition we decided to not take it off. We would cover over it with the drop cloth fabric, so no need to take it off. We removed all the rest slowly...slowly! I used a screwdriver and a set of pliers to pry a thousand or more staples and nails out of solid hard wood. Sometimes we just had to feel across it to see if you missed one, which gave us both a few slivers.
Once the wood was cleared of everything, we sanded it and filled some of the holes with drywall plaster. We love using that for fill on antique pieces because it leaves a small mark showing the wear and not a perfect finish, which you want in a re-purposed antique piece! We sanded the rough fill off and painted the wood with our Tweetle Dee Vintage White Chalk Paint and loved how well it covered.
After paint we sanded and chipped some of the paint away to show the wood in places where time would have worn it off. My biggest pet peeve in distressing is when a someone distresses a piece in places that they would not have worn. You want a piece to look like to was worn and well loved NOT just hammered and chipped on purpose.
One of our secrets is to use Acetone over your distressing to smooth out the paint. It makes the transition from paint to wood soft. Use a soft clean cloth and wipe a little of it on and rub slightly to wear down the rough edges.
We purchased two large drop cloths and about four yards of burlap. Using an electric stapler we tacked in the burlap and pieces of linen through the gaps where the original fabric had gone. We covered raw edges with sisal rope, tacking it in as well. The beauty of this piece is the hand stitching along the outer seams. We wanted it to show so using an upholstery needle and twine, we hand stitched the piece in places where the seams showed and across the front edge. Then we hand stitched the drop cloth to the seat cushions with little stitches showing.
Thursday
He Loves Me Wire Embroidery
Our newest Wire Embroidery floral piece, He Loves Me, is in The Shop and in our hearts today. It is a simple spring wreath with daisies and buds dotting the leaves. I love this design and the two toned florals, but more than the fresh spring colors I am in love with the name of this pattern.
Friday
Smokey Mac & Cheese Bar
We are in the end days of winter and there is nothing that whispers comfort to the soul other than Mac & Cheese, especially Smokey Mac & Cheese. At our last family party we had what we called a Smokey Mac & Cheese Bar. It was the perfect winter dinner with the best creamy main dish and tons of sides.
Depending on the sides you choose you can a different tasty bowl of creaminess each time you come to the bar. If this post I will give my recipe for the best Mac & Cheese in the world, Smokey Mac & Cheese. The secret ingredient to this special mac is Smoked Paprika and Caramelized Onions, oh and lots of cheese.
Smokey Mac & Cheese
1/2 Cup of Butter
1/2 Cup Chopped Yellow Onion
1 Teaspoon of Smoked Paprika
1/2 Teaspoon of Ground Nutmeg
1/2 Cup Flour
4 cups Half and Half
8 cups of assorted shredded cheese
(Sharp Cheddar, Gouda, Monterrey Jack, Swiss, & Parmesan)
2 lbs. of uncooked macaroni noodles
1. In a warm thick bottomed pan, melt the butter. Add the chopped yellow onion and begin cooking until translucent. Add Smoked Paprika and Ground Nutmeg. Let simmer a few minutes to infuse the spice into the butter.
Boil water to cook macaroni to firm but coked. Because you will be baking this pasta dish, you want to make sure the noodles are almost under cooked. If they are over cooked they will turn to mush with the cheese sauce and added heat.
2. Sprinkle Flour into the mixture and continue cooking whisking it around until it forms a thick pudding or pasty consistency. This is called a rue. Basically a thick flour paste that thickens broth or milk into gravy or sauce.
3. Slowly pour the Half and Half into the rue and whisk to remove any lumps. It should be a smooth gravy consistency. If the sauce is too thick add a little more milk.
4. Add half of the grated cheese to the milk mixture and whisk slowly until it melts and is smooth. Salt & Pepper to taste.
5. Drain the cooked macaroni and place a layer into a casserole dish or Dutch oven pan that is over safe. Pour some of the sauce over the layer and mix with a spoon. Sprinkle with a layer of grated cheese mix. Continue adding layers of the macaroni, sauce and grated cheese until the pan is full. Pour remaining sauce over the top of the dish and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.
6. Sprinkle Panko Bread Crumbs over the top. Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for a half hour until everything is bubbly and lightly browned on the edges. If you want to make this ahead of time, you can freeze the mac & cheese and cook at a later time or keep in the refrigerator for a few days ahead of the day of cooking.
The wonderful flavor of this Smokey Mac & Cheese comes from slowly sauteing the onions and spices with the butter. The butter is the base of this dish, so cooking the onion into it with those spices, makes a flavorful mac & cheese that is anything but boring.
Wednesday
Tweetle Dee Winter Workshop
This past Saturday we had our Tweetle Dee Winter Workshop in snowy Woodland Hills, Utah! If you have ever wondered what we do at an all day workshop, I'll fill you in. We get to spend the day eating, painting, creating, and getting to know the funnest makers from all over the country. I don't think there is another event we enjoy more!
Everyone gets to choose the size, shape and color of their barn quilts. Some choose the largest of all, and some choose to paint several small ones. We even had a table top built and designed for a very happy painter. We call it our "paint anything" day because all of the supplies are included and there isn't a schedule or any expectation other than to have fun...lots of fun!
After the painting is done we get to finish your barn quilts exactly the way you want, stain and seal and even frame them if wanted. We have a saying that there are "no boards left behind" and there never has been. Everyone finishes! It is such a great day.
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