After the post note - I composed this entry, published it, took John to the doctor, ran to the pharmacy, battled with insurance, returned home four hours later and re-read the entry - only to discover I sound like a snob... something I sincerely hope to never be. So I'm adding this diclaimer and an advance apology if my comments are offensive. That was not my intention.
Disclaimer: *My* wooden plaques were ticky-tack, which is not to say that *all* wooden plaques are ticky-tack... I like wooden plaques... but I did NOT like the old country style I had hanging in my home... and for those who have decorated with wooden plaques, I'm sure yours are much more appealing than the ones I had in my home, because to be honest - mine were really, really ugly!
Years ago when I was struggling to decorate a home on a very tight budget, I went to a craft show and picked up some wooden plaques - the kind with clever little sayings painted on them with coordinating toll painted pictures (and as I type that, I'm wondering if people even paint those anymore?). Back in the day, wooden plaques were [kind of] trendy and [sort of] cute. But more importantly, they were inexpensive. After my craft show excursion, I went home and proudly hung the plaques in my laundry room. Voila! Instant home decor. At the time, it was exactly what my home needed. But that was a long time ago, and since then my decorating tastes have changed dramatically, as has my love for wooden plaques. And due to my change of tastes and styles, I'm ashamed to admit that I've moved those wall plaques from house to house in spite of my lost love for all things wooden and tacky. As of last week, the plaques still hung in my laundry room. But the problem is that after fifteen years, wooden plaques are no longer trendy, nor are they cute. The plaques I bought all those years ago are now tacky and tasteless and very much worse for the wear. But since they were in my laundry room - a room I do not care for - I have ignored them for the past ten years. And so they just hung there taking up wall space and looking bad.
Last week as I was doing the laundry, I stopped and actually looked at the walls - I was disgusted by all the ticky-tack I had hanging around. The wooden plaques looked like a garage sale gone bad. And it was at that moment I decided my laundry room needed a face lift. I had a good foundation to work with: a paint color I loved, a wallpaper border that worked, and a long space of wall that was perfect for something large. And so in keeping with my rekindled love affair with the sewing machine, my thoughts naturally turned to fabric and quilts.
A note about quilted wall hangings: they are the perfect solution to decorating a large space on a tight budget. Additionally, they are considered "soft goods", and as such, they absorb noise, which is a very nice thing when considering how noisy and loud a washer and dryer can be. Why I didn't think of this solution sooner is beyond me.
Here is what I came up with - a 36" x 36" machine quilted wall hanging made using the strip piecing method:
I selected fabric from the never-ending stash that I've collected through the years - most of which I've used for other home decor projects... bits and pieces that had been saved as left-over scraps. Clearly, when I find fabric I like, I over purchase! And in keeping with my love of all things pink, it was relatively simple to mix and match the scraps because most of what I purchase has either pink in the print or blends well with pink. (When I say I love pink, I'm not exaggerating... look at the paint color on the wall... a deep, dark, pink! Seriously... I LOVE pink.).
As I was digging through the large volume of fabric I've been saving, I realized that I really need to use some of what I've stashed away. A 36" x 36" wall hanging didn't begin to make a dent in the huge piles I have stashed in my closet. And so I'm on a new mission: use the fabric I have and make something larger than a 36" x 36" wall hanging.
In the meantime, I'm pleased to say that the ticky-tack is gone and something a bit more tasteful has replaced all that wood. The good news is that I don't dislike my teeny-tiny laundry room nearly as much as I did last week. A face lift was just what that room needed, and my attitude about doing the laundry has vastly improved since the removal of the wooden plaques! And because this was the result of time spent with my sewing machine, I'm thinking this project was well worth the effort of digging through my scraps and rekindling my love of sewing.
Ahhhh snob, schnob, whatever - when we moved into a new house only a few miles from our old one, our neighbors/friends kept asking why we were moving (helloo? we had a chance to turn a profit on our old house, and get into something bigger and new and now the old house looks so tired) But here's the thing: I realized it lived it's life for us. So your plaques lived their life for you. Sometimes, classic things can live forever. Yeah, there are probably some wooden plaques out there (DO they still paint them?), and that's okay for them. And I love the quilt - I continue to be impressed at your ability to finish these things up - so inspiring!
Posted by: Kirsten | February 01, 2008 at 10:59 AM
I get what you mean- totally. And I think the new hanging is BEAUTIFUL! Elizabeth says "look at the beautiful paper! Look how pretty the wall is so pretty!"
Posted by: may | January 30, 2008 at 08:55 PM
I have spent the last 3 weeks looking at the cross stitch pieces I made for our wedding 15+ years ago and thought "why the heck are those still hanging up?" Tacky or not . . .tastes change and you just don't always like what you liked before. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to do to the bedroom . . .
Posted by: heather | January 30, 2008 at 06:23 PM
Kelly, that is absolutely gorgeous!!! And lol @ your disclaimer. I don't like the plaques, either! :D
Jennifer
Posted by: Jennifer | January 30, 2008 at 02:19 PM
You are SUCH a snob. ;) Too snobbish for the BB threads. *sob*
Come out and play Kelly! And if you can't do that... make me a wall hanging for my laundry room!
Posted by: JenC (aka Kate77) | January 30, 2008 at 12:04 PM
i am with you on the "old crafts" thing...you weren't being snobby. remember when country cows were big? between you and sue martin, i am redesigning my sewing "space" so i can keep my machine out all the time - after seeing what you all are doing, i am inspired to get to it again....
btw - my "wooden plaques" were the southwest inspired decor pieces i bought when first married. i dragged them from house to house (can you imagine how silly they looked in a house in destin florida?). this is the first house they are not prominent...not out at all. some tossed, others in storage.
Posted by: pc smart | January 30, 2008 at 09:26 AM
Your disclaimer - - *snort*
Stop inspiring me - - you are such the goddess of the sewing machine these days. I wish you lived closer to me so you could be my mentor.
Posted by: Pinky | January 29, 2008 at 11:41 PM
you so didn't sound like a snob at all. Love the room. Those are some pink walls.
Posted by: becky | January 29, 2008 at 09:45 PM