I don’t have any girls but I would remiss if I didn’t pass along the latest find I have seen recently: a blog where the creator gives away the things she makes. And it’s all good. Check it out here and have fun! Hope one of my friends wins something…and if I ever do have a girl (not that one is in the works), I will expect hand-me-downs from these same friends that are going to click there. Yes, that means you.
Just getting started. I will probably end up posting the instructions so everyone can learn from my mistakes – which there are bound to be several.
Today I was able to cut the linen blend fabric into the appropriate sizes for each portion of the slipcover and started T-pinning it to the chair, wrong side out. I had one packet of T-pins and had to stop at 3 p.m. and go buy several more. I got the fabric on clearance (enough for 2 chairs) for about $15 at JoAnn’s and the T-pins are costing more than the fabric…hmmm…can’t complain. I love the fabric. I am going to try a scalloped edge on the bottom.
I love the original chairs – they are from a designer who designed during the Eames era for Tiffany’s by the name of Ward Bennett. There are little plaques on the bottom of these chairs that say designed by Ward Bennett and the year (another Goodwill find – paid $12 each and they’re worth at least $250 apiece). I don’t want to mess with the actual upholstery – even if it is Martha Stewart blue it doesn’t go well with our current decor so I envisioned white slipcovers. We’ll see how it goes…this is scarier to me than birthing children!!!
We have an old plaid sleeper couch ripped and wouldn’t sell in garage sale or on Craigslist. I read somewhere online about an industrious woman who utilized every part of her aged couch instead of throwing it out. (We’ve come a long way from using all the parts of a buffalo, haven’t we?) In my guilt ridden state, I figured that the LEAST I could do was reuse the stuffing. So…I found some Liz Claiborne Home yellow scalloped shams at Goodwill (my favorite eco-conscious store) and made pillows to fit them for our master bed. They match perfectly! Here are pictures of the pillows – I encased them with a Lowe’s clearance drapery panel that I purchased for $4. It’s a soft, velour swirly sheer thing but it didn’t look good on our window so I used it instead of muslin. The pillows could stand on their own but I prefer them in the scalloped sham. Yeah for me! I’m so proud of myself, I might just be able to conquer these slipcovers for my furniture after all. Granted, it’s only two pillows and two hours’ work but for me this is huge! I used my sewing machine and didn’t croak or inflict any drama on anyone nearby. The foam is going to be made into a denim dog bed but what to do with the springs…
The drapery fabric takes shape!
Getting stuffed with recycled couch batting!
In the yellow scalloped sham – Yeah!