I received a plaintive email from Lisa the other day, begging for my help in decorating their apartment. They've been really good about saving money and putting it down on debt all summer and fall. Now her mother-in-law and sister-in-law are coming for a visit before Christmas. She's starting to panic. "How to I make it not look like an impoverished student's home Mom?" Poor Lisa.

Lisa specifically mentioned the Victorian style, "but I don't want it to look like a bordello Mom!" Hmm...amazing what your kids think you might do to them! ;) Actually, I know her mother-in-law, and I don't think it will be near as bad as she thinks it will be, but...in an effort to help the Lisa's of this world, here are a few ideas...

• Check the library and Internet for pictures/books/magazines. You want to thumb through them and use a sticky note to tag every page that has something on it you like, or that appeals to you.
• Recognize there is the expensive way and the cheap way to get any look. Trust me. My sister once gave me an apartment decorating book that was great. It had the expensive photo and prices on one page, and the inexpensive version photo and prices on the other page. It was great for expanding my decorating possibilities!
• Decide on a colour scheme. Sometimes this can come from a single piece that you absolutely love. Like picking a colour out of a very precious piece you own. Other times you just go with what makes you feel good!
• When we redid our main floor we decided to go with earth tones because we wanted a relaxing place. Think about the function of the room before picking colour. Probably bright orange isn't a great idea for the bedroom...
• If you can't paint walls, as most apartment dwellers can't, then plan to put your favourite colour in draperies and furniture somehow...even if it's just the throw cushions or quilts or afghans (I know...so 70s) on the sofa. Or maybe an area rug on the floor.
• Make everything from scratch that you can. Sew the curtains. It is very handy to learn how to sew. This is one skill it pays to learn. It can be used many ways in your life. Sew the cushion tops.
• But also check the library for books on no-sew decorating. They're out there! You can even come up with nice window treatments without sewing a stitch. So don't think you have to learn how to sew!
• Cheap fabric can be found in the bedding/curtain section of the thrift store. Don't forget, 100% cotton can be overdyed in the washing machine and your landlord will be none the wiser.  that means that ugly orange can be toned down by adding green to make a nice rust or brown colour...or blue and yellow to make green...or whatever you want to do!  Use RIT dyes available at Walmart, Zeller's or a hardware store near you. 
• If you can braid, hook, weave, etc. a rug...go for it... But if those are too time consuming and expensive for your taste, try painting a design on canvas and coating it with a few coats of polyurethane before putting it on the floor.  It'll liven the place up. 
• Be aware that some rugs attract dirt and dust and are hard to clean.
• Be aware that cats sometimes like to pull on the pile in rugs with their claws.
• Be aware that rugs do occasionally need cleaning. In an apartment this might be problematic. They usually need to be beat (or vacuumed) and sometimes washed...depending on type. 
• If you're not crafty, head to the local Home Depot or Rona for rugs. 
• Also check out antique stores or vintage stores.  I found Belgian rugs selling for $30CAD each the other day on a half price sale at the local antique store.  And of course, check the thrift store first!
• At any rate. The ceiling and walls should be dealt with first. So if you're going to change any lighting do that first...with your landlord's approval. Then the walls include colour and drapery.
• Furniture can be had free or cheap on-line through Kijiji, Freecycle, Full Circles, and other such sites. Don't forget, you can always sew or cover it with a slipcover if you like the style but not the colour!
• The cheapest places for fabric are the above on-line sites, or visit the bargain wall and bins at your local Fabricland/ville, Atlantic Fabrics, or discount fabric stores. I consider cheap to be under $4CAD/m. I often try to buy cotton at under $2.50/m...for everything...
• You can also buy pillow forms at the fabric stores, though they tend to be a bit expensive there. You might want to check the upholstery stores in the area. Some DIY places have foam dirt cheap. They'll even cut it to size for you. Don't go with the cheap foam at Zeller's or Walmart. It simply isn't firm enough to give good support. You want higher density foam...but that's up to you. There are many things to fill a cushion with and books have been written about them! You'll have to check the options in your area to see what is cheapest in your locale.
• Anyway, once the ceiling, walls and furniture are done...look at the floor and decided how to handle it. I put the floor here because in apartments you usually are not allowed to do anything other than put rugs on it. Normally I'd deal with the floor before the furniture in a house. But in an apartment you're limited. Be aware that there are non-slip mats you can buy at the Dollar Store to put under area rugs so they don't slip when people land on them. This is a safety issue folks! Use them! I've also seen them selling in IKEA and SEARS. 
• I especially like to check out the SEARS bargain/clearance center for furniture.  Some really good deals there.  Sears itself can be expensive.  So check for furniture clearance/outlet places in your community.
• Wall decorations come next...that's paintings, mirrors, stitchwork, etc. Black frames look classy. In fact, a bit of black in a room is good. It anchors the room...even if it's just a black accent item...like a black candle plate.
• Then add accents...lamps, plants, knick knacks, etc. I like to add green in every room. Haven't managed it in this house. But a green plant in a room just makes people relax. It also freshens the air in the room...depending on the plant.  Think flea markets, garage sales, etc. for finding accents.

Hope that list gives you a few ideas of where to find things cheaply.

If you want new furniture easy to knock together, try thinking of alternative uses for things already in existence. The old concrete/brick and board bookcases we used to make as university students comes to mind. But if you have basic carpentry skills, you can knock together a couple of modular boxes in a weekend to house books too...if the landlord will let you do it in the parking lot! Or you have someplace you can do it.

If not, check out the modular units available at Home Depot and other hardware stores. Canadian Tire usually has storage units on sale in the fall. Not sure if the sale has gone past now or not. I buy my plastic storage units for craft supplies from them.

Keep your mind open and think outside the box. I have the drawers from one half of an old vanity, thrown out by the garbage bin one day by a neighbor precisely because it was broken, painted and holding office supplies in my sewing room.


You don't have to be a great artist to do these things...as you can see! You just need to be able to judiciously apply some paint in a pleasing pattern to you. If you don't like it...you can always paint over it. I hear spray paint is quick! (I love the stuff!)

If you don't like the look of something, but you like it's function, buy a can of spray paint! It's amazing what you can do! I spray painted some magazine archival boxes to match the decor of my sewing room. I really didn't want office black/gray in my sewing room. I also picked up a metal basket from a garage sale that wasn't the right colour. I spray painted that to match my sewing room.  And I spray painted a bulletin board as well. Don't be shy! Think outside the box!

But for Lisa doing Victorian theme.  Love...use lots of glass, crystal, beads, china, chintz, velvet, layered window treatments, crazy quilts (easy to make from old hankies actually), and knick knacks.  And good luck keeping it from taking on that bordello air!  Just remember honey, Victorians loved stuff!  Theirs was an age of abundance...in fabric, in things.  Head the to the thrift store for some cheap fabric!

Have fun decorating everyone!

My spinning story...

It all started long, long ago in a land far far away...Alberta to be exact...at my sister-in-law's to be precise. She has been an excellent spinner and weaver ever since I've known her. Over 29 years ago...before Paul and I married...I spent the summer with my brother and his wife. I knew I was serious about Paul, just not sure how serious. So I decided to go away for the summer and see if I could live without him. LOL! Well, what happened was we wrote letters every week or more frequently. My sister-in-law laughed at the amount of mail I received!  She chuckled at all the 'x's and 'o's on my mail.

In an effort to distract myself I landed a job at the Town Office drafting a cemetery map...which I might add, was not a very well done job. No doubt due to my being distracted by thoughts of a certain young man! However, to further distract me my sister-in-law, Sarah, decided to teach me to spin. But not just spin! Oh no! We had to go all the way back to the beginning...with the sheep.

I can't say I've shorn the sheep, but I can say the fleece we picked up was very dirty and smelly, not long off the sheep. We washed it, carded it, and then Sarah introduced me to the drop spindle. A lovely little tool known the world over in various forms.

That summer I spun enough yarn to make the longest thickest scarf I've ever made in my life...6' long and 12" wide! By the time I finished spinning the yarn, I knew who it was for. And I knew I was sunk...I loved Paul.

After my arrival back home Paul and I wasted no time coming to an agreement on a wedding date. I'd like to say he asked me to marry him...but I don't think it happened that way. We met each other after the summer apart and we were pretty desparate. One of us was talking about doing something that meant we'd obviously be a serious couple. The other said "I guess that means we should plan a wedding then." The other agreed and so we did!

I dropped spinning after leaving my sister-in-law because I did not have a spindle or the time. I was knitting that scarf for Paul and working full time. Plus planning a wedding!

That scarf lasted about 25 years before it sprung some holes in the thin spots. I let it sit for awhile, then unraveled it and reknit it, doubling up the weak spots, into a scarf for Carl. Carl's scarf was much smaller and I have oodles of yarn leftover.   I was totally amazed at how long the scarf lasted...and how resilient the wool was even after 25 years!

In the meantime...I've been visiting this yarn shop buying knitting yarn.   It also sells spinning supplies and wool roving to spin. I never paid much notice, being too busy with my other hobbies. But then one day the owner and her co-worker piped up with me being able to dye roving or yarn just like I do for rug hooking. Well, I never thought of that. I'd been buying their hand dyed wool to knit for awhile. Never occurred to me to make my own to knit!

So I decided I'd try it. But as I looked around I was lamenting the cost of yarn to dye.  Well that was it.  One of them mentioned spinning my own yarn to dye! LOL! I smell a plot! I really like the ambience of the shop. And we have an excellent spinning instructor locally. So I took the plunge.

It's cost me a bit of money. But as hobbies go, it's not bad. A spindle for $50CAD. Some roving for $5. That's it. Then there was a gizmo to help get my yarn off the spindle and into a ball. That was about $10. However since then I've picked up a smaller spindle $60. And a contraption called a niddy-noddy to measure my yarn as it is turned into skeins - $50. And lots and lots of wool roving. And then there's the spinning class - $120. Still, when you look at the cost of learning to sew and a new sewing machine (good basic ones run around $1000!) - this is cheap! If it works out, I'm bucking for a spinning wheel for Christmas. It'll be approximately $400CAD. MUCH cheaper than learning to quilt!

While I was in the Maritimes I picked up some roving to spin. I tried to pick up roving we couldn't find here. I only had one flub - the alpaca suri that was sold as "alpaca prime" by London-Wul outside Moncton, NB. I've been told I can spin it to make baskets or tote bags. It'll be too rough to knit into a garment. This is it...


It's pretty rough and coarse. I should have opened the plastic bag and checked it first.  But I fell in love with the colour...

I was in Dartmouth, NS. one day and asked the proprietor of Tangled Skeins about roving to spin. She disappeared in the back and came out with this...a lovely soy silk and merino blend. Merino is great for spinning. It's very soft and makes a nice fine yarn.


My spinning instructor tried spinning a short piece and it was gorgeous once spun!

Meghan was with us the day we visited Belfast Woolen Mills. We found the following alpaca and cashmere blend.


It is just gorgeous to the touch! Meghan pounced on this and wouldn't let it go. She kept telling me she wanted me to make her something from it. Finally she decided she wanted a headband out of it. She said she doesn't like to wear hats. She wants a knit headband. Well, there's a lot of wool there for a headband! There's easily enough for hat and mitts. I'll make her a headband and me a hat...maybe.

Then we were at The Loop in Halifax. I picked up a few packages of roving there. This first is a Bamboo/Merino blend. It feels very soft, but was so tough to pull apart the lady ended up taking scissors to it! When I told my spinning friends they let out a collective gasp. Scissors on wool roving is a 'no-no' apparently. When you get to the end of spinning the cut piece the roving all ends in one spot, making a noticable join/weak spot when you go to add another batch of roving. Well, I'll just pull apart the cut part so it's not all straight across. I was told when I had issues with the strength of the fibre to just hold my hands further apart from each other on the fibre and pull. Some fibres can be very long.


Another purchase at The Loop was this lovely Nova Scotia Shetland wool. I am looking forward to some lace knitting with it.


And then this lovely soft Coopsworth roving.


I've never heard of this sheep breed before. But then I'm new to this spinning thing.

You'll notice most of what I purchased is white. That's because I hope to dye it later as yarn. I'm not interested in dyeing it as roving. The roving felts easily and dyed roving can be harder to spin. Plus I'm used to dyeing yarn. I've been doing it for rug hooking for years.

Of course with all this fibre floating around, I just had to pick up a new spindle when I came home. Our local shop had some gorgeous spindles come from IST Crafts on the Isle of Wight, UK. I've been borrowing a lightweight one from a friend to spin my merino. But this spindle is much nicer! I'll be using it from now on.  It spins steady, fast, and forever!  Lovely spindle!

I can see myself spinning for awhile.  It is so relaxing to just drop my spindle and go.  Tonight I'm heading out to practice a special piece with the choir.  My ride is coming about an hour early to pick me up. That will give me loads of time to do some spinning while waiting for the others to arrive at the church.  Great stuff!

While I was in the Maritimes I took the opportunity to pick up some yarns I couldn't buy locally.

One of those yarns was Mission Falls wool.


I am planning on using it to knit mittens for sale from the pattern booklet "Smitten" by Mags Kandis.

Another batch of yarn I couldn't resist was this...well...we think it's McAusland wool...not sure...that I picked up in Pictou, NS. It is hand dyed by a local lady who runs a business called Cobweb Woolies.  It's going to be turned into men's hats.


I picked it up at the local craft/gift store...which had some pretty cool things in it. Paul picked up a couple of CDs of local musicians.

And, last but not least, the Belfast Mini-Mills in Belfast, PEI. I don't know about the lady running the place. I was going to buy qiviut roving to hand spin. But she told me it wasn't good for that. So instead I bought the yarn. When I came home and talked to my spinning friends they just laughed and said she had told me an outright lie. They had all spun qiviut with a drop spindle and had it turn out just fine! In fact, another lady (who owns a yarn store I might add) had been down east trying to buy qiviut from this lady and she told her the same thing...it's not good for drop spindling.

I know from listening to the proprietor discuss things with another customer, that she doesn't think much of drop spindling. But to lie to your customers?! Frankly, if it weren't for the fact she carried such neat exotic fibres I wouldn't go back. At any rate if you want qiviut roving, stick to your guns with this woman. Could be she simply had a bad experience with drop spindling. Course, they do sell mini mills! LOL! Maybe it's part of her sales pitch for them!

I finished spinning, plying, washing and skeining my first homemade yarn in 29 years! Here's the finished results...

Each skein is roughly 40 grams...which means I have enough to make a hat and possibly mitts as well! I'll use the white for the cuffs and ribbing. It's pretty wild stuff! Definitely varied in thickness. I have no idea what needles to knit it on...time to try soon enough.

I'm pretty excited about this! I am already spinning some Merino. It will make a very fine yarn. I have no idea what I'll knit with it. I don't do lace knitting...but I may have to by the time I'm through!

I love rug hooking. And, while on vacation, I managed to pick up a few items to keep me going this winter.

A bunch of textured yarn for sky and to hook a moose. This will hopefully finish off two rugs this winter.


And silk yarn as an accent in one of my rugs underway...



Three metres fabric to dye and play with... It was $12 cheaper to buy it like this as opposed to on the bolt. No idea why. This is just 3 metres already cut. And picking it up in person certainly saves on shipping costs!

And books to stimulate the creative juices...


I'm obviously hoping to do some rug hooking this winter.

I love going to the Maritimes. There's a rug hooking store in every town almost! If not rug hooking, then a yarn store, or a fabric store, or an art gallery.

When we were in Peggy's Cove one day we stopped at an art gallery and chatted with the proprietor, a local artist. She informed us that the stretch from Halifax to Lunenburg, NS has the highest concentration of artists of anywhere in Canada. I believe it! The Maritimes is just loaded with excellent artists and artisans. I love visiting and exploring there.

Alright... here we go... This is what I did on my summer vacation (well...fall vacation!)...

 

One of the advantages of being sick is that you have to totally clear your schedule.  Why is that an advantage?  Well then you're trapped at home with nothing to do...but finish your projects!

Today I pulled out the hollyhock rug I started several years ago.  I finally figured out how I was going to do the sky, thanks to Deanne Fitzpatrick!  I worked on finishing the hollyhocks and a bit of sky today.  I'd love to show you all a picture, but now my computer is refusing to download the new version of Java.  Sigh...  Can't upload to Photobucket without Java.  Annnnywaaay...

Aside from playing with my rug I also worked on spinning yarn.  I spun some Merino, plied more Romney, and made skeins from some previously plied Romney.  I have two skeins all ready to be soaked and blocked for knitting...80 grams of yarn.  I have a couple more skeins to go.  I'd love to show you a picture of them too...oh well...soon...

A friend was over today and we talked quilting...which is always fun.  She had a few projects underway and needed some advice/input.  She pulled them out and we puzzled over them and came to some conclusions.  We had the opportunity to go into a craft sale together, but decided it was too short notice...especially with me being sick right now.  Plus she's just getting over something. So we decided not to commit for this year.  Instead we'll build up a stock of things to sell next year and plan on going into a sale then. 

Another advantage of being sick?  Paul has been so nice and considerate.  He didn't bat an eyelash when I told him I'd ordered Chinese last night while he was at work.  In fact, he laughed and said he wasn't fond of the supper he'd taken to work, and had gone out to Arby's on his supper break!  Not at all frugal, but I am glad our previously frugal lifestyle has allowed us the financial freedom to do things like this every now and then. 

I can't stress to people enough how freeing it is to have no debt over our heads... no mortgage, no credit card debt, no loans, no line of credit...  It makes life a whole lot easier!  And a lot more enjoyable.  It wasn't always like this.  We made our share of mistakes.  And we also bought into the "keeping up appearances" scene once upon a time too.  But not anymore.  It just isn't worth it.  I'd rather have no debt, cash in hand, and be able to take a trip to visit family whenever I want, with no financial worries to come home to.