Say I Do to Pink, but a Pink that isn't too GIRLY

Recently I had the great pleasure of slipping the following piece for the sweetest teenager you'd ever meet!

Her mother wanted her to have a cool hip room for her to hangout

in with her friends

and this chair was

the piece de resistance!

They wanted something bold yet feminine.

I think we nailed it!

What are your thoughts?

My favorite part of this whole project was

the box pleated grosgrain ribbon.

Who says you have to use pipping on all your cushions ...

Slip Cover Craziness week #1 Update

Okay here we go is everybody ready?

This week we are going to discuss how to measure for fabric.

I know it doesn't sound too exciting but,

imagine you are 90% completed

and you run out of fabric!

To make matters worse the store no longer carries you fabric...

So to avoid this we are going to learn how to measure today.

Woven cotton fabrics are the easiest to slip with.

I have slipped with heavy chenille, wools and even a satin backed fabric.

Each fabric posed its' own challenges.

If this is your first time slipping I'd say start off with a sturdy woven cotton

Try to avoid fabrics that have a nap or a print that is directional.

This will cause you to use more fabric thus increasing the price of the project.

The fabric I have chosen has a 17" horizontal repeat and a 18" vertical

These numbers will also factor into the amount of fabric I need to slip my chair.

Whew are you ready?

Here We  Go ...

Lets start by measuring the back of your chair

You want to measure from the highest point of the chair (typically center back) to the bottom.

My chair measures in at 37" high by 26" wide. 

To get the width measurement I measured between the two seams at the widest point

 that run vertically down the back.

going by this I will need 1 1/2 yards.

remember the 18" vertical repeat I have included that number to the length.

This way I am sure to be able to match up my print.

On to the sides ...

First Measure the height again going starting from the highest point and measuring to the base.

Next measure your width from the furthest outer most edge to the seam in the back.

My chair is 37" high by 24" wide.

I add my horizontal repeat to the width and this

tells me I need a piece 41" wide by a 1 1/2 yards long.

Since, the side measures the same as the back so repeat yardage length.

Most home dec fabrics are 54" wide so our width measurement

won't allow us to split the piece down the middle.

We will need 1 1/2 yards per side or 3 yards total.

Are you still with me?

The front

Again measure the width at the widest point.

Second measure from the highest point to the seat portion.

My chair is 44" wide by 35" tall

I need 1 yard

The seat is measured from the widest point both directions.

I got 24" wide by 23" deep

I will need to add the vertical repeat to the depth measurement

to allow for match at the the front back seam.

This means I will need 1 1/4 yards

I am not going to account for the inner arm section

as the may be cut from the waste along the side back pieces.

After doing all my measurements I came up with

6 3/4 yards

I will round up to 7 just because it gives me a bit extra.

Well here she is...

How do you think she'll look?

Now these measurements are specific to my chair. 

You may need to take into account your inner arm measurements

for instance, if they are high and wide or depending on the shape of your sides.

Again these are just general guidelines and should be adjusted to your

fabric repeat and chair size.

Slip Cover Craziness

Recently I have received several requests from my followers asking for tips on how to slipcover.

Well starting next Wednesday I will walk you through how to do it.

For the rest of the summer each Wednesday I will walk you through slip covering.

We will work on several different pieces starting with

barrel back chair from this post.

The fabric I have chosen is a rather large print so you will also learn

how to match a print at the seam.

Okay ladies you have one week to get your supplies ready

Lets start slippin'

I swear I have OCD

It occurred to me recently while looking at old projects

that I so have crafter's OCD!

I will rip things out over and over till I get all my seams to match.

I get such a high when I can get the pattern on the fabric

to match when it crosses over a seam.

I get really excited when I manage to carry the pattern

on the fabric from the top of the piece of furniture

seamlessly down the entire piece

The best part is when the piece is complete. 

I have such a feeling of satisfaction knowing all the little

places where the pattern lines up perfect.

I bet the average person wouldn't even notice if they

were off by a 1/4" or so.  But for me they need to be dead on.

Now if I could carry my OCD qualities over to my housework ...

From Trash To Treasure

Admit it, we all have that one piece of furniture in our home

that is a bit on the dated side. 

It may be the the fabric is a bit worn,

the print of the fabrics screams 1990's, 

the shape/styling of the piece is out of fashion,

but for one reason or another we hold on to the piece of furniture.

We may hold on to it because it is an heirloom piece

passed down to us by a beloved relative.

Or it is the perfect size/shape for the room

and you just can't find anything better to fill the space.

That is the is the story of the above love seat.

Scatter back sofas are no longer the big trend in home furnishing as the once were.

The brushed velvet fabric now appears more "crushed" in areas.

Not to mention that years of wear and tear have left areas on the cushions and arms literaly bald.

The home owner wanted something a little more contemporary.

She wanted something with clean lines and a bit less fussy.

I took the two seat cushions and turned them into one.

I also created one long cushion for the back which was tufted.

The homeowners were pleased with the outcome.

What are your thoughts?

The Peacocks Are Home To Nest

The Peacocks have found their nesting place!

I have a love/hate relationship when it comes to doing multiples of anything.

The pros are as follows:

1. You have already worked out the kinks so the second one will go faster

2. The second one will be easier than the first

3. double the number of pieces double the pay :)

The Cons :

1. They must be identical

2. They must be identical

3. They must be identical ... well you get the point

So now the challenge was to not only match the pattern seamlessly

down the front of the chair;

but it's partner had to be "identical".  

Eeeek!

Well after one to many sleepless nights the peacock chairs were completed

and dropped off at their new nesting spot. 

My customer was thrilled to say the least,

after all they were identical just as she had requested :)

This post has been linked to the following parties:

Shabby Nest

my uncommon slice of suburbia tuesdays-treasures

I'm excited to share that this project was featured on Pink and Polka Dot's

fridays-featured-slipcovers

The Chair

So in the previous post green with envy or is it just the cording, I posted a photo of a chair I slipped for a client.  This particular chair I have coveted ever since I completed.  My husband and I combed craigslist for what seemed like years to find a chair similar in style and shape.  The above is what we were able to come up with and we love it!! It is a Federal Period Wing Chair circa late 1700's.  The chair measures in at 46" tall and 32" wide, you would never think finding a chair taller than 43" would be so hard until you try to locate one for yourself!

This is the room where our new chair will reside.  It is the first room you see upon entering our home.

Gotta love our empty bookcases ...lol!

Above is a photo of the fabric we are going to slip the chair in.  I just love how great it looks next to our area rug  This project is going to be a bit of a challenge as I will need to fill in all the spaces formed by the channel back upholstery. 

What's the best thing you've scored on Craigslist?

Green With Envy (Or Is It Just The Cording)

Have you ever completed a project for a client and thought, "Geez I wish that was mine!"  Such was the case with this chair.  Even before I slipped it I was in love with the shape of the piece.  It is a large chair with graceful lines that seems to swallow you up when you sit in it ... I LOVED it!  I was in such despair when I delivered it to the client; I thought I will never find a chair this great for myself.  Good news it took over two years of combing craigslist daily and scouring antique markets but I was able to find myself a similar style chair.  Check back later and to see the pics of my new chair which is in need of a little love) and hear the story behind this truly fabulous find :) 

Leave me a note I’d love to hear about your hard to part with projects!

This post has been linked to the following parties

somedaycrafts whatever-goes-wednesday



Happy Thanksgiving!

As usual I am a bit late getting my post up, but it is so worth the wait.  I have been slammed with work...YEAH... and have had very little time for much else.  I want to share a photo of my latest slipcover project.  It is this great chair that we used wool to slip it with.  The only problem was the wool stretched causing me to have to rip it apart about half way through.  AUGHHH!  I started over using a lining fabric behind the wool to give it more stability and the results were awesome.