Moving right along! Wish I had a use for the shutters. Maybe you can do something creative with them, like build a headboard.

I hope you aren't hosting Christmas at your house. lol

We are and my house is so torn up. Dh & I are working like mad people trying to get it done, or at least enough done to put up the mess laying about before our kids and parents descend.

that's great!

think out of the box on the shutters - like a 'door' on a pen for a puppy?

doors on some shallow shelves built into the wall?

Ellen, you can always find a use for shutters.!
Even if you hang them from cables at the end of your porch, they will look great. A couple of screw eyes in the top, close them into their frames, and open the louvers. It will frame a nice view. I am such a sucker for shutters. And guess what: DH said for me to call the shutter folks to come for an estimate on shutters in our living and dining room here in Alabama. This will be my third house with shutters.

Oh yeah, maybe you have a shed or storage building that you could cut a hole in the wall and put Lexan over, then mount the shutter for the view and for air circulation.

Wish I still had my fat folder of shutter ideas, which I lost during Hurricane Katrina.

thanks for the shutter ideas! I will definitely store them for awhile until I think of something. In a garden shed is a great idea and I want a garden shed.

The carport went up yesterday. I got home and drove into paradise! It felt sort of like a cathedral, it is so tall and wide and open compared to the old one. I was worried it might not offer frost protection, but it got down to 1 last night and not a bit of frost to scrape this morning! It's on temporary posts, the real posts may go up today and then they start the dormer. Can't wait to see how it will change the loft space.

I'll use it as a porch in summer... might have to make some modular screen panels so the cats can use it too.

Modular screen panels for cats to use? Hmmm, it is my experience with regular screening that cats destroy them in no time. The one thing they cannot destroy in the screening line would be the half-inch galvanized wire screens. On my MoccasinLanding carport, I put up the screening so my parrots could live out there, and almost immediately, the raccoons, squirrels, and cats, had shredded the black fiberglass insect screening.

So I called the guys back to install the galvanized 1/2" wire hardware cloth and over that to lay the insect screening. What I did was to wirebrush the hardware cloth first, and roller it with a flat black paint that was birdy safe. The raccoons and cats could still climb up it, but no way could they chew or scratch through it. I might have some old photos of the space that I can upload. Nothing much to show, except in front of the carport where I staged all my huge flower pots to block the view of my birds from the street.

These two pics were taken in winter 2004 before I sold the house in May. Most of the big pots were moved already, but on a warm day I had my beloved blue and gold macaw outside enjoying the sun. And that steel green-painted box was my storage container for cans of paint. After I took a course in firefighting onboard ship, I moved combustibles away from the dwelling places. Note the plantation shutters inside the windows. I just ordered some for 4 windows and 1 doorway in our stucco cottage a few minutes ago. Lalalala.

That's a terrific idea about the wire screening! I will add that to the list of ideas in my idea box.

I want to get a 90 gallon horse trough so I can give my goldfish some outdoor summer camp time, but they would need protection from magpies and neighborhood cats, they could go out in the carportch if it were screened.

Pretty bird!

I found my old birdcage in the backroom when I cleared it out. I used to have green singing finches and loved them. After they died I couldn't find any more for years, but now the local shop has them.

I'm waiting for construction to end before I think about getting a pair. I think they might live in the loft. My cats are mousers, but have never shown much interest in birds.

the dormer is framed and sheathed. It's wonderful. Nice and wide and deep enough to set the loom in it. Shall It will have a great mountain view through a four by three foot window. They'll have to order a window to fit, so it will take a little before I can see out through it. By the time the chimney is gone, the loft will be a really useful studio space. It looked good on paper, much bigger in real space.

The dormer looks great on the roof, not too large or tiny and the shed roof echoes the slope of the carport.

Maybe windows tomorrow, depends on how quickly the weather clears out.

Exciting. Can not wait for pictures. From a used to be weaver. Just have to ask what your loom is.I used to have a LeClerc. Was a great smaller loom. My friend still has 6 looms and another friend has 5 so I do not lack for something to weave on.

Euglossa, your house is coming together, very nice indeed.
I cannot wait to see the view out your big window either! You can imagine all the features we want to see. Dormers, windows, shed roofs, carport, and of course how the loft is bigger in real life than on paper.

Your blue door reminds me so much of a California bungalow. But never saw one shaped exactly like it before. I can imagine some really deep bluish-purple clematis in a big terra cotta pot growing around that doorway. It would be like Elizabeth Taylor's blue eyes wearing lovely eye shadow to make her eyes appear like deep pools....I hope your climate allows for clematis?

Euglossa, I think I put the blue door on the wrong house.
Sorry.

It is great to read about folks on here making room for their activities, like weaving, mosaics, woodwork, painting, sewing. Even our smaller homes can accommodate the features that make us unique.

Yep, I'm not the blue door.

Not sure what I'll paint the door. The house is going dark gray with white trim. Eventually, I want to put a bead board ceiling in the carport and paint it pale blue... which is said to deter wasps... paint will, don't know about blue specifically, but it sounds charming. Then a darker shade of blue for the door might make sense, though I'm leaning toward plum at the moment.

I have loads of pictures... Just need to figure out how to get them attached. I can view picasa directly on my tv, so I need to look into setting something up.

It rained all night, was nice to listen to it drumming on the dormer roof.

Shades of Idaho...
I have an Ashford table loom, 8 shaft, 32 inches. Also a variety of small frame looms and a card weaving setup. And my Dutch great-grandmother's spinning wheel, which is whispering at me to take up spinning.

I ordered wood-working plans for a fancy sewing machine cabinet. I don't know who would build it, but I recently had an old wooden couch restored, spectacularly and very reasonably, though it took about 8 months. When I'm flush again I might see if he would be interested in the job.

Hey, how about some angora rabbits and harvesting their luxe fur for your spinning wheel work? I was watching someone do just that with her angoras on YouTube, cut the fur off, then spun it by hand. That has to be a soft garment when done.

My college roommate had a blanket sent to her from Scotland (her father was a seaman), and that was light as a spider web and warm as anything. She still has it, and that was 50 years ago! I wish I could remember what the fiber was.

That is an interesting looking loom. I like the smaller size. But my weaving days are over. Sold everything. My LeClerc was only four harness. This picture was from before 2003 but not sure exactly when it was from 4 houses ago. LOL

I love to listen to the rain on the roof and with the metal roof it makes more noise then a comp roof. Snow is silent until it slides off the roof and then Ka-Bang!! Ploop!! Sent our dog straight up onto the bed this morning when she heard it and it scared her. She did not get in trouble and no she does not sleep in our bed.

I really believe in considering anything that makes living in a small house easier a good thing. Save for the cabinet and get it done. Ever since I dedicated our guest room to my sewing room doubling as guest room when needed it has made living here so much easier.

Here is a link that might be useful: Loom

Nice. My sister has my mom's floor loom, having a little more space than I do. I like my Ashford a lot, and have a project ready to warp that I hope to get to next week... late christmas presents. I lost momentum this summer after breaking my arm, surgery for a plate and physical therapy. I'm ready to start up again.

I also love card weaving and just found a link for a card loom that has gone to the top of the list of things to get when construction is done, which will be awhile. I've been wanting something just like this. Although I didn't anticipate anything quite so beautiful. I like the one at the bottom of the page on the attached link.

The plans arrived for the sewing cabinet. They look very clear, I have several options for building it myself (class at the trade school) or having it built. But it too has to wait.

I think the windows will go in today, or perhaps the chimney will come down and the shingling will start. It's a nice day. The last of the old asphalt shingle siding came off yesterday.. good riddance.

The original wood siding is too old to keep but it's a lovely dark brown. I have been wondering if I would like the house in a dark color, being so small, so I'm glad to see the old siding. I think the house looks fine in dark brown and will be fine in dark gray.

Here is a link that might be useful: folding card loom

Those are great looking little looms. Now that size I could handle here.