Friday, October 25, 2024

A Revamped Rocking Cradle for Juno & Sadie

Greetings lovely friends & readers

Back in June I spotted this old wooden rocking cradle, tucked down on a bottom shelf in my local Habitat For Humanity Op-Shop ... only $20, which I thought was reasonable.

I went home & thought about it for 2 days - certain that upon my return, it would be long gone.  But No - there it was waiting for me to bring it home.  I'd thought it would be wonderful to revamp it for my step Grandaughters Juno & Sadie, who are now 2 & 4.

It appeared to be a sturdy piece - someone had tipped it upside down & written on it with black felt pen ... I think it says "Ashley's Caning Room? and ef I wot"  - but I'm not certain. 
 

I very lightly sanded the pen markings & gave it a good clean.  To be truthful, it was a horrid thing to paint ... all those skinny dowel pieces seemed to take forever.  I actually put it away after I'd done half of it & it sat for another month before I bought it out again & finished it off.  I used chalk paint in the colour Vintage White.  It seemed to take alot of coats to get a decent coverage.

I prefer to spray varnish anything for the little ones, rather than wax.  I find it more durable & hard wearing, & seems to be much more wipeable.  After I'd painted it I noticed a definate "bow" in the top railing on one side - this was not noticeable until I painted it - you could see someone had leaned really hard & bent the railing, almost breaking it.   The Mr was able to screw it tightly together & then I filled the hole & touched it up.  It made it more sturdier.


I wanted to use only fabrics already in my stash for this & luckily I was able to.  I found some sweet Winnie the Pooh fabric for the mattress, then this cute little girl fabric was perfect for the pillow & sheet.  


This Peter Rabbit fabric was a lightweight cotton drill, so it was ideal for making a simple frilled Quilt for the cot.

And I didn't even have to iron it because Miss Pippi very kindly did that for me by laying on it!!!
 

I think this vintage Crochet Granny Blanket came from my friend Sally ... It fit the cot perfectly so that got tucked in as well.  

By fossicking through my leftover transfers I found enough to decorate one end of the cradle - it was wonderful to keep with the rabbit theme. 🐰🐇  I am thrilled with this now it is all done ... I plan to buy the girls a doll each & give them the cradle as a joint christmas gift ... I am not sure how their sharing capabilities go but I guess we'll soon find out.


Last week I noticed my stunning Cherry Blossom Tree in full bloom (Prunus Shimidsu Shakura).  This was the tree that the Plumber said to us "that'll have to go", when our new septic tank fields were put in.  I just adore this tree & am so thankful that The Mr said to him "like hell it is" & stood his ground.  It did not need to be removed at all, there was plenty of room.  


I had to go to the city this week for a Specialist appointment & on my way home I called at the Red Cross Op-shop in Hamilton East & found this stunning blue plate for $10.  I put a plate hanger disc on the back & it looks wonderful on my blue plate wall out on my covered deck area.


These next 3 pictures are especially for Elderberry Rob Betty who frequently asks after farm life here at Threadbear HQ.


The contractors have been making the most of the fine weather lately & there was silage making going on in the house paddock this week.  They cut one day, turn it the next & then on the 3rd day they row it up & then the silage wrapper comes along & bales it.

It is a fascinating process to watch these big balers in action.  They turn the roll like a huge cling film wrapper & when it's covered it pops it out like a giant egg & the machine goes on to the next one.

I meant to take some photos of all the "eggs" sitting in the paddock but the tractor came & picked them all up while I was away getting Sid from school. 

Thank you as always dear friends, for your welcome visits here today,

Wishing you a wonderful weekend - it's a long one here in New Zealand with Monday being Labour Day,

With much love & friendship to you all,



27 comments:

  1. Julie the dolls cradle is Adorable! The bedding perfect. It will make the most beautiful Christmas gift. Love the blue plate. The blossom tree is stunning.

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    1. Thank you so much Sandy - I am really pleased with how the cradle turned out - I hope the girls love it!! And share it!!! xx

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  2. What a wonderful find that rocking cradle was! And you really upped its value with all the rehab and bedding. It is gorgeous! And the platter - WOW! You found a real treasure, and how well it fits with the other blue china! I'm so glad your sweet husband stood up for that cherry! It is beautiful. Does it bear fruit as well?

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  3. Your Mr deserves a medal, Julie! What a travesty if that gorgeous blossom tree had to go. Juno and Sadie are going to love this gorgeous cradle you magically transformed, and I'm assuming many a life lesson in sharing. I can see in my mind's eye many, many hours of fun playing with their dollies and rocking them to sleep. All the linens are gorgeous. I particularly love the fabric for the sheet. I must say, Life is looking very spring-like and idyllic on the farm.

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  4. What you have done with the cradle is wonderful.
    I see your Spring as arrived , just as our Winter is coming in soon .
    I just don't do Winter , I will be staying in more if I can.
    Keep showing your Spring photos makes me feel better ha, Hugs June.

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  5. Lovely makeover Julie and the little girls will love it. The cherry tree is stunning, so glad it stayed and your plate wall is looking nice and full. Enjoy your long weekend. xx

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  6. Once again Julie, you've created a wooden masterpiece....
    The rocking cradle..cot.. looks lovely...and the linen for it,
    is lovely for it to...
    I never had a crib as a babe...only a wicker basket, that mia
    Mama used to put me down in, and we had a pussy~cat
    that used to jump in and curl up next to me and sleep..!
    HeHe! Long time ago that was...! :).

    The plates on the wall, look nice to, l have a dinner/tea set
    very similar, l bought in 1973 on my return to this country,
    and first wed...but...l still use mine, even though there worth
    a lot of money now...AND...of course there pink/white...! :).

    And, the final photos are nice to....the tractors working in the
    fields, on a nice bright sunny day..lovely...!

    Well...I'm home to~day, lots to do, may even get out in the garden,
    if it dries out enough, leaves to sweep up from the Virginia Creeper...
    Clocks go back an hour at the weekend, so it's lighter in the mornings...
    So an extra hour in bed, Sunday morning...not that it'll bother me...!

    Must get on...Another lemon tea called for...'Onwards and Upwards'...! :O).
    🍁🍂🍃🍁🍂🍃🍁🍂🍃🍁🍂🍃🍁🍂🍃🍁🍂🍃🍁🍂🍃🍁🍂🍃

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  7. Julie, first off I hope Miss Pip is Okay. I see she is not eating and that can mean a million things in cat world. And you got a lovely blue plate for your effort to go off to see a doctor. Also not fun thing. The crib looks so much like one I had as a child. For me it was a handme down from older cousins and I loved playing with it. It never got cleaned up or painted, but my mother and grandmother made sure I had proper size quilts for my dollies. The tree is magnificent and a good thing you hubby was there to stop the chain saw! Our trees are all orange and 90% bare due to the drought. We have only had about 7 inches of rain since mid June. Not at all normal but climate change is drastic. As usual you and your waving paint brushes do great job. I bet the girls will definitely love it and the bunny theme. Hope they can share. Lynn and Precious XX

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  8. Jabblog has left a new comment on your post "A Revamped Rocking Cradle for Juno & Sadie":

    Julie, you have created a wonderful heirloom for the little girls.They will love it.
    Your blue plate was a wonderful find and looks so well on your wall.
    I'd love to watch the balers - fascinating.

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  9. The cradle looks amazing Julie, well done on your transformation. You did well to find everything you needed at home. I am sure the girls will love it. Great finding that blue plate too. It looks wonderful on your blue wall. Always good to see farming photos - I noticed a paddock of huge hay bales up the road from us during the week. The cherry tree looks spectacular, thank goodness it was saved from the manic plumber!!! Good to see Miss Pippi helping in the creating process.

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  10. You always do such a wonderful job of transforming items. I love the cradle and I am sure the girls will love it as well. As someone who grew up with the small square bales, seeing those large round, wrapped bales is always amazing to me. Having a husband who grew up on a farm, I usually get told what those balers cost....

    God bless.

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  11. The Cradle turned out wonderful Julie, great job to you and Miss Pippi. Stunning tree, glad it was saved. Your plate wall looks fabulous as well, have a great long weekend.

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  12. Amazing work on the crib, Julie.Beautiful keepsake presents.xxx

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  13. A beautiful makeover, Julie...two happy girls at Christmas!

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  14. The cradle is beautiful. Nice of Miss Pippi to help you. :). I'm so glad your tree wasn't removed it's stunning.

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  15. The cradle turned out so wonderful Julie - I just bet those grandaughters are so happy & spend many hours playing with it ... sharing together 💗 How very special that you do these things for them. Sarah USA xx

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    1. Thank you so much Sarah - I hope they spend many happy hours playing with it too !! xx

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  16. I think that beautiful little cot will be loved and used a lot. What a treat for Juno and Sadie, you are kind to do all that work for them.

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  17. I hope those 2 girls love and cherish their beautiful cot with all that pretty bedding. I bet you are so pleased the cherry tree stands another season, it's stunning! Good to see 'make hay while the sun shines'.....because winter IS coming my friend....One day!

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  18. Hi Julie, the cradle is just beautiful. I love all your little finishing touches. x

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    1. Thank you so much Dianne - that is so kind of you 💗xx

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  19. That cradles is gorgeous! You do such fantastic work! On the subject of the "eggs" in the field; here in North Carolina, USA, we call them "marshmallows". Blessings from NC

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    1. Thank you so much for your sweet kind comment. I had not heard of the "marshmallows" before. xx

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  20. The dolls cradle looks beautiful after your makeover and making all the bedding too.
    I enjoyed visiting your place and seeing all the lovely pics.
    Maria lifeontheblock

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  21. A beautiful makeover Julie, the girls will love it.Perfect fit with the plate you got, it looks fabulous on the wall with all the other plates. My Grandson Sam when he was little asked one day as we passed a field of bales " what are those marshmallows". Never forgotten it. As you know he is nearly 21 now. The cherry tree is divine, so glad it remained.

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  22. Oh, my, that doll cradle turned out beautifully! And all the sweet bedding--you outdid yourself. I hope the girls love it.
    So glad your Mr. stood his ground on the tree. It is gorgeous.
    And what a find on that blue plate. Your grouping looks lovely with the yellow wall as a background.
    Okay, I have to tell you that as we were on a tour in part of Norway in September, our guide motioned to a bunch of those big, white bales in a field and said that the locals often refer to them as gnome toilet paper. That got a laugh.

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