Trip to Belle Isle

Belle Isle is an island in the James River in Richmond, Virginia.  It was used as a prison and for munitions manufacturing during the Civil War.  We traveled there a couple weekends ago on a drizzly day to explore.

 View of the swollen James from the hanging pedestrian bridge.  There's an osprey nest in one of the trees.

 Train coming through.

 Old Civil War era bridge support.

 Trail on Belle Isle.

 Ruins

 Below is a group of reenactors at the American Civil War Museum (at the old Tredegar Iron Works) doing a cannon firing demonstration.

Being a Civil War buff, I found the museum a little disappointing, but it was fun to visit it and read the markers on Belle Isle.

Clamshell Club - April 2011

I didn't do an update last month because I didn't have any progress.  This month isn't much better . . .

 I added 1.5 clamshells to the top.  Maybe I'll do better next month. 

I am still excited about this project; there has just been a lot of baby quilt sewing and house renovating-type projects going on lately.  After I finish the current one, I am sewing up some curtains, and then it is nothing but fun sewing - pillows, sundresses, quilts I want to make . . .

Spring in Pictures

Wordless Wednesday

Faux Egg Vase Filler

Everyone seems to be doing it this spring - making Pottery Barn Knockoff egg vase filler.  Here is my version.

I started off with some Dollar Tree foam eggs - the glittery ones with ribbons for hanging.  I got two dozen ($2).

 

Then I went through a very scientific process involving dipping the eggs into sample jars of paint and hanging them on unbent wire clothes hangers across our step ladder (with cardboard underneath to catch drips).  I bought the blue but had the cream and brown/tan on hand already.

Two coats later, I cut off the ribbons, put all the eggs in a box, and flicked some brown craft paint on them (using a little paint brush and my finger - it was messy).  

Voila!  Faux egg vase filler.  Not too bad for $5 in supplies.  I think they go just fine with my larger Kroger eggs and my thrift store apothecary jars and bunny.

WIP

My ghetto design wall, better than no design wall . . .

Don't worry about the paneling - it's going . . . hopefully soon.

Tower o' Trimmings