Saving Face

     So....we all know that we're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, right?  Other things, however, should most definitely be judged at face value.  Among these are ironing boards.  Quite a serious matter  Do you really want to smooth out the wrinkles on your great-grandma's swiss batiste christening gown on a less-than-pristine surface?  I didn't think so.

     Unfortunately, the ironing board can become a receptacle for all manner of stain-inducing objects; especially for the seamstress, who uses it's surface as a second desk.  Coffee cups and plates of cookies can be found perched on my board at any time.  Over time, these lovely indulgences are inevitably going to leave their mark on the surface which will receive my white cotton blouse, not to mention my $25-a- yard silk charmeuse. *shudder*
      Fortunately, thanks to a fabulous tutorial I found over on the Purl Bee,  I can change the surface on my ironing board as easily as I can change the sheets on my bed.  Well, maybe not quite that easily.  With just a few materials, and these wonderfully clear instructions and illustrations, you can have your ironing board all spiffed up and ready for your next pressing issue.

                                      

Et Voila!  My spanking new ironing board cover~~easy as pie.......almost.

By the way, I totally judge books by their covers---don't you ;-)?   Here are a few favorites.....

      

....all from Anthropologie.

                                                                                                                

Sweet Home Sweet

                                    My Belgian Home

   Do you have more than one "home"? I don't mean, necessarily, a physical building; but, a certain location where you feel that, in that place, all is well in the world.  
For me, there are two places an ocean apart that are "home" to me.  One is in Louisiana, where I spent my growing up years, and return to now for several weeks a year. The other is a small town in Belgium where my family and I have lived for the past 12 years.  These places are an essential part of me because of the the memories made with people I love, and because of the ways I've grown in them.
   Certain activities can also feel like "home" to us because of that same connection of memory and growth.  For me, one of the connecting threads that has run through my life is sewing.  From my first fledgling efforts with a needle and thread at my grandmother's knee,  to junior high home economics class, to making sewing part of my everyday life as a young mother; the act of taking a flat piece of fabric and turning it into  something completely original to be used or worn has never lost it's ability to bring a thrill and sense of satisfaction that can only come from creating something yourself.
   My hope is that this blog will entertain you with anecdotes of the people and places I have come to know here in Europe,  and will inspire you to keep pushing forward, along with me, in learning the skills that will have you reaping the rewards of the time and effort you've "sewn."