Changing light

I always go into a bit of a slump after the Christmas gift-making.  Only the deadline of Christmas keeps me going through that, because the lack of light in this country kind of gets me down.  I don't necessarily stop creating, but my heart isn't always in it.

The light is increasing and changing and I love it!  And it only gets better as well.  The weather feels like spring too (unseasonably, so I'd better not start looking for tulips) and now I'm jumping into projects with a bit more energy. 

This was a tiny project for a birthday present. 

I found this nice little notebook for a ridiculously cheap price.  I do love paper - recycled paper, notebooks, the feel of good writing paper.  I don't actually write, but I'm attracted to the stationery section of stores. 

This little girl does like to write.  Stories and journals, mostly.  I didn't want to cover the nice cover with a notebook cover though, so I just made a little slipcover for the back of the notebook to carry a few pens.

The big project occupying my mind these days is our master bedroom.  I hesitate to call it that because that brings visions of a much larger space than what I'm talking about.  Our room is a typical 1960 bungalow bedroom with only room for our bedside tables, bed and two dressers, and just enough room to walk around them.  So  without budget for anything new, I am mainly painting a lot of things.  We've been in this house for over 10 years now and our room is the last to have anything done to it.  It's still got a feature wall of lovely dark forest green.  When we moved in, I knew it would have to go, but every room seemed to have priority.

It's finally time.  And I've got a real deadline to help me keep it moving.  By the middle of March, we are having a friend stay in our house for a full days while Yvon and I go on a short holiday.  I can't have her stay in our room as it is. 

Over the years we've managed to find two bedside tables that are identical except in their paint treatments.  And one still has the sewing machine inside.  I've never even tried it to see if it works. 

Goodbye mismatched tables.  And hello two matching white ones.

Yvon won't let me use them for a few days until they are properly cured, but I'm dying to move them back into our space.  Two more pieces need to be painted too. 

The whole room needs to be whitened and brightened.  The forest green is becoming either apple-y green or yellow (we have leftovers of each from other projects and I just have to check on their status.  Dried up and crusty?  Or fresh and ready to use?  How much is there?)   And I have some lighting ideas in mind, but not sure what I'll find that's cheap.  I love going to the Habitat store, so that'll be my first stop on Monday.

And this...

I didn't think this was my year to quilt, but that's what my brain is constantly dreaming of.  I'm starting simply though.  More of a pieced duvet cover.  And I shouldn't have to spend a penny on this.  We've got the duvet, the white that makes up most of the cover, and certainly lots of scrappy bits for color.  I can't wait to see it all come together! 

No quilter will be allowed to ever see it.  It's a mess of mismatched corners, but it makes me happy.

How are your brighter days going?