Grandpa's ladder.

If you spend any time reading blogs or perusing Pinterest, you might have noticed that it's become popular to display your quilts on a ladder.

I like this idea.  It achieves two purposes- it takes the quilts from being a pile on the couch, and it provides a way to display the quilts, rather than just shoving them in a chest somewhere.  (The chest thing proves to be a bigger issue when your youngest child uses the blanket chest for a bench at the dinner table.  It becomes more of an issue when she spills milk.)

Alas...I mentioned to my dad that a simple wood ladder would be a fantastic idea for me for Christmas this year, and he responded with something better...

My dad went downstairs to the storage under their garage, and he came back with a 12' ladder that he remembers his dad building when he was a little boy.

I could have it, as long as I didn't mind that it was well used, rickety, and dirty.

Oh friends, it was perfect.

He was right- it was dirty rickety and cobwebby, but I didn't mind.

I loved the history.  I loved that my grandpa made it and used it and bumped it and scratched it.

I'm pretty sure the HGTV people call that "character."  :)

But just like the handwritten recipe cards in my kitchen, I cherish the history of it.

And a couple of weeks ago I finally finished it.

It took quite awhile to sand it down.  After it was sanded, Blake helped me add the first coat of poly.  He enjoyed the history lesson in the ladder, and asked if maybe he could have it someday.

Most definitely.  :)

Except I'm left with one problem.

Now I think I need more quilts!

Enjoy.  :)