Fall In The Family Room

Welcome back.  Today is the official first day of Fall.  Just as the calendar tells us, the night air reminded me last night to put another blanket on the bed soon!  Thank you for all of the lovely comments on the last two posts.  It really warms my heart to hear from  you.  How nice to hear about some of  your special memories that you shared.
Let's visit the family room today.  The room where we truly LIVE!!!!  I left you yesterday in the doorway, just as you are entering the family room from the entry way to the house.  The Fall whole cloth quilt is a panel I bought a few years ago, and fell in love with the colors!  I quilted it with a simple meander stitch and used a variegated thread in Fall colors.

Our family room has a kind of cabiny feel to it, I think.  We have always loved the curved wall, rock fireplace, that is the focal point of the room.  I realize this style is very 1970's, which is when our house was built.  But, we like it.  It has, however posed a problem with arranging the furniture in this room.  But finallly, after only 21 years living here, I have come up with the perfect solution.  Now, we are truly enjoying this room!  This room faces West, and we have a covered patio just off this room, so it has a tendency to be on the dark side.  So I have a lot of small lamps in this room to illuminate it.

These photos were taken in the late afternoon, so the Eclipse curtains that I put up this summer are partially drawn to keep the extreme heat and light out.  They work great too, by the way.  Why I didn't do this much earlier too, I do not know.   Looking left, from that doorway, you see the fireplace.  I couldn't get it all in on one shot.

The one thing I have always disliked on the fireplace, are the three rock ledges that jut out to serve as mantels.  Pattooey....I hate these!  I would love to have them removed and a real mantel put up instead.  We recently moved the telly over to the hearth, and it works so much better for this room!  Now the fireplace can serve as the focal point of the room, as it should have all along.  We have a lot of wood fires, and now we can enjoy those, AND the telly at the same time!! I put that small brown ottoman on the floor, and inside are all of the cords from the t.v., cable box, dvd player, Wii, and apple t.v.  I put a couple baskets on the dvd player, and a wooden box on the shelf above.  These hide the cords from being visible at the back.  The small pumpkin totem wall hanging is one I quilted a couple of years ago.  The big reed pumpkin is a recent Goodwill find for me.  I snatched it right up after seeing the 3.00 price tag.  It was just plain when I bought it.

I like it just like that too, but I thought it could use a little pizzazz.  I had been at Joann's and found several spools of Fall ribbons and some wired burlap ribbon for .74 cents each.  So I made some bows, and then added a couple leaves.

 I think this is just what it needed!
On this day that I found the pumpkin, I also found these two pillows for a song.  I washed them, and line dried them, and they came out perfectly.

I think I paid 1 dollar for each.
On the leather chair, (my spot) I have laid a favorite quilt across the back.  My best friend Jae made it for me for my birthday a few years ago.  Behind the chair, on the wall rack is a Sampler Quilt from Thimbleberries that I made when I first began to quilt, about 15 years ago.  The pillow on the chair, is also a Thimbleberries pattern.  I took this as a class at my local quilt shop.  We also made a large tote.  The pillow is made of some of my favorite Fall fabrics.

I loved the technique that was used to create the ruffled edge on the pillow.  It appears to be two layers of different fabrics, but is actually only one.  There is a second fabric sewn to the first, but a much narrower width.  Then it is sewn to the pillow to create the illusion.
I love the quilt my friend Jae made for me, but the best part is the label she put on the back.

Very special!!!
I put a little table behind the couch, and I have a Fall quilt on that, with a small Fall table topper quilt that I made when I was a new quilter.

I finally tried my hand at making some sweater pumpkins. I made the white pumpkin, but am not liking the tendrils.  I will remake those with some jute and Mod Podge.  The chenille pumpkins were purchased at a Big Bear thrift a couple of months ago.  I got 5 or 6 for just a couple of dollars.  The barred rock rooster was a gift from my friend Patty, who recently redid her kitchen.  She changed up the decor and gifted some of her items she wasn't going to use, to her friends.  The vase with sunflowers has a cluster of lights in there.  I love to plug that in when the room begins to get dark in the afternoon.
In addition to the white sweater pumpkin, I used the sleeves from another sweater project for two small pumpkins.

I still have a few more sweaters to make more.

Speaking of pumpkins.....last year I grew them, and had quite a bumper crop!  Probably 40-50 were harvested.  This year.....ONE!!! That's right.  ONE  pumpkin!
And here it is.

I planted twice as many vines this year.  And vines and flowers are all I got!  I have heard from many gardeners, that their pumpkins did not do well this year.  It is a mystery to me.  Below you can see where my once kitchen table, now resides.  We love having it in here, and use it daily.  On top of the table, I have a basket with some Fall things.

 On the bar I have some Fall placemats, and a ceramic pumpkin pie dish.  The candlesticks were a find from Target many years ago.

This little flickering light is a favorite of mine too.  I bought it at our local quilt shop, several seasons ago.

 

This picture was taken from the sliding glass door.  The quilt on the wall is one I made about 11 years ago.  It was a fun one to do.  A Cheri Saffiote pattern.

The pumpkin pillow in the black is done in all felted wool.  The orange one is a slipcover from Hobby Lobby.  So is the linen/burlap looking one on the right with the buttons.

I'm still looking for my paper leaves.  My apples!  And a few other things.  I will go buy some pumpkins this weekend  Oh, and cinnamon pinecones!  Mmmmmmm, it is isn't Fall til you have those!!!

I hear that the upcoming weekend is going to be truly Fall like!  I can't wait.  We are going to Big Bear to pack up some of the cabin.  I am looking forward to seeing the aspens with their shimmering golden leaves!
Have a wonderful day!!!
Kris