Homemaking

There are few things in life that make me happier than creating a cozy nest, so these past two months have been a true luxury.

Mama and I wove this egg basket together on her birthday this past January.

Amy and I designed this two part stencel.

I drew and cut the shapes. Amy picked and mixed the tonal colors.

We tag-teamed the paint job.

All the Merrick women had a hand in designing these curtains for the living room. I was lucky to have the time to work out the pattern and sew up the final product.

Mom was so happy with her curtains that I put together a variation on the same theme for the dining room.

Clothes-line Curtains

Tired of the haphazard random rectangle tacked to my window, I decided it was time for some more intentional window coverings in my bedroom. On a recient trip home, I sewed darling cottage curtains for my mother's kitchen, so I figured I could do better for my self. My room is so small, I hate to close off the window and it's lovely view of the Birch tree outside, but it faces south and exposes my un-air-condoned bedroom to a sweltering amount of sun. The window needed something, but what?

I hung a brass bar from hooks inside the window frame and played around with some yardage, trying to imagine what could possibly tie together the contemporary window with the bohemian esthetic of my belongings. Nothing was inspiring me, any color I tried closed in the room and brought too much attention to it's self. The curtains would be white, to blend with the wall, that much I could settle on.

Frustrated, I cursed my room for all it's perceived faults. Then I took a beep breath, and decided to come at the problem from a different angle. What makes me happy? I asked my self... Unique, simple, resourceful, creative solutions. Few sights give me a sense of simple joy like my hand bleached whites sun drying on the clothesline. That was it! I already had all these sweet little vintage undergarments just collecting dust, so I freed them from the suitcase and hung them up in there frilly white glory!