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Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Michigan Treasures

June has been crazy!!!  Or should I say, WAS?  It's already gone!  It started, of course, as my June's have for the past two years,  with my 400 mile yard sale trip with my two best friends. So much fun!  June was, so far, my best month of this year.  I went to North Carolina to visit my sister for a week.  We went bargain hunting, I appeared for a second time on Charlotte Today (link to follow), had Camp Cousin (so blessed), and jumped out of an airplane with my sisters, at 14,000ft!!!!!  Wow!!!  Followed that trip up with our annual grown up trip to Bear Lake Michigan, my favorite place on earth, with my husband Chris, my best friend Wendy and her husband Scot (our best friends)!  If you haven't ever been to Bear Lake or Frankfort Michigan, you really should add it to your list of places to visit.  All those commercials you see about "Pure Michigan", are right on.  It is brimming- no, it's overflowing, with natural, untouched, quiet, beauty.  As we pull into the village of Bear Lake (I love that it is a village), I roll the windows down to smell the pine.  My soul is at peace here more than anywhere else.  The lake is small, but untouched and clear enough to see the bass we are after 14ft down!  It is a quaint little place with no Walmarts or chain restaurants of any kind, which, for me, makes it perfect.  It is 5 minutes to an undisturbed, small, beach on Lake Michigan.  Our own private little piece of heaven.  Frankfort Michigan is about 30 miles away and is on Lake Michigan.  Between the two, there are antique and art shops scattered about.  Wendy and I found some really cool pieces we were dying to take home, but the boys put a stop to it because we were out of room in the truck!  She and I think we need to drive 2 vehicles next year so we can bring home our treasures!  I found a great vintage feed sac at a place called Monumental Finds, for $5!!!!   If you are ever around Frankfort, you simply must visit this store.  An amazing sculptor calls it home to his creations made from "found objects".  So cool.  ANYWAY, when I found it, I knew it was the perfect new upholstery for a little stool I found on the 400 mile.
 
Here is the little stool I found on the 400 mile before I have done anything to it.    Pretty ugly huh?  Typical 70's upholstery, but it was sturdy, had clean lines, and was only $3!! 








I needed to wash the feed sac, but before you do, be sure to turn them inside out.  If they were actually used, as this one was, there may be straw or left over feed hulls inside.  Which, once put through the washer, really stinks.  (I know this from experience unfortunately)  Check to see if the design is woven into the fabric or if it is just printed on.  If it is just printed on, it could run off.   This one was woven in so I was good to go.  I was excited it was only $5.  It is a great size and really thick material.  Which I really needed to cover the nasty stuffing.  I added two new layers of batting before reupholstering with the sac.

After a quick cleaning, I lightly sanded the surface of the whole piece.  Then went to work with some paint I had left laying around from one of my many projects.  I wanted it to be about the same color of the feed sac, but for it to look worn.  I was lucky enough to have company during this process.  Normally my husband, Chris, just walks away when I have a project going.  The mess usually makes him twitch, but today, he and my dog Jack joined me with some good tunes and a cold beer.    He was surprised it took so many layers to make something look old.  I think he thought you can just throw paint on anyway you want!  

I started with just two layers. The first was a color called Natural Tan.  The second, was an antiquing glaze.  I liked it good enough at this point, but there was still something missing.  Don't ya think?  There wasn't enough dimension to it.  So I decided to add a layer of brushed on and wiped off antique black.

So here it is!  The finished product.   I love it when my projects turn out looking like they did in my head.  This one is exactly that way!  I am very happy with it.  I was tempted to keep it, solely because the feed sac came from Michigan.  But I have decided I will take it up to the shop.  I had so much fun working on this piece.  The fact that my husband sat with me, for the first time, and watched me do what I love,  makes it even better to me.   I hope the joy that I felt being able to use one of my Michigan treasures is passed on to someone else.   I hope it will find the perfect little spot in someones home. 

3 comments:

  1. Love love love :)

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  2. Thanks Gal!!!! Thanks for loving it and for being the first to leave a comment on any post!!!!!

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