My cells are on fire...I have been working diligently on a bunch of things...all the little things that I have scattered around...stuffed in all the corners of this house! Gonna do's...well, I am finished with a lot of them BUT...right in the middle of all the finishing up of things I decided to do something absolutely ridiculous...I think it is my impetuous nature that made me do it...sometimes you just want something so bad!Remember this little chair? Yes, Miss 1982 pink wing chair... the one you could get in the Sears Home Catalog...WELL! I was sitting...taking a break...and I kept hearing this little voice....."I wanna be cute...I wanna be something besides 1982 pink!" "Slip covvver meeeee...."
"But I am not ready to do that" I said to her...she just kept nagging....so I finally gave in...
How do you make a slip cover? Can't be that hard...so I searched the World Wide Web and I found this blog...www.missmustardseed.com This lady is absolutely amazing...she is the Decor Goddess! and she makes all her own slip covers...and they are gorgeous...but she didn't really give a lot of detail...yet! She is going to do an entire slip cover tutorial series soon...in the mean time, Miss 1982 was having a conniption...
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| www.missmustardseed.com |
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| www.muchtodowithnothing.com |
In fact I got so excited, I ripped down my drop cloth curtains...washed and bleached them...and as soon as they were dry...I raced them upstairs...grabbed my new "I will not cut anything but cloth" scissors and a box of pins and went to town...
When I got home...I made piping...ties for the back...and got on it...sewed everything together being extra careful to double sew every seam...this Baby is gonna last forever! I even used the upholstery thread...it is impossible to break! I got her all together after 4 hours of my little sewing machine sounding like a machine gun the whole time...ZIP...ZIP....and the GRAND FINALEEEEEE....
Wow...it seemed so easy...it went together so well....I followed the directions...BIG SIGH...My Honey liked it...I give up...guess I just wasn't meant to sew...I scrubbed all the wax off the floors instead...I know how to paint and I am painting the floors instead of sewing...well, the next day...she was still there looking at me and she looked so much better in her crooked white dress than she ever did in pink velvet...soooo....I tried taking her new dress apart but the upholstery thread was not coming out...I had to cut all the seams to get it apart... I sat down...prayed a little prayer to my Almighty God and asked Him for the gift of patience...
For a solid 7 days...I carefully measured...cut...fitted...smoothed...measured again...every waking moment I wasn't at work...it took me three tries...taking her apart...fitting her back together...and each time my Honey's response? "I liked it the first two times, my love..." and so on... I think he was sick to death of hearing the sewing machine day in and day out...especially when he was trying to watch a movie....when a really good part would come on he would get really close to the screen, turn around and look at me...smile a little smile of indulgence...and I would glare back daring him to say a word! LOL!
and here she is in all her glory...
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| Drop Cloth slip cover |
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| I still have to add the ties to keep the back closed |
Yes, Louis has already claimed her as his own...he has not gotten off the chair all day...
I learned an amazing amount....I bet I could do my other chair in one afternoon and have it come out alright...but my brain is still on fire...smoke is coming out of my ears...I think I think in circles...not in squares and this did me in! I was all consumed...obsessed...it was all I did and all I thought about for an entire week! All in all I am happy with it for now...it was a learning process and I discovered I really like to sew! This, of course, like everything else in this house? is waaaay beyond my skill level...I am no Miss Mustard Seed but her ambition seems to inspire me...she said her first one was terrible! and mine is far from great quality, lol! I am glad that I am a stubborn kind of donkey because she is so much better looking in white! on to the couch...
You have a pair of "only cut fabric scissors" too?
ReplyDeleteheehee I keep buying them and my kids keep finding them. grrr.
The chair looks fabulous! I am so jealous - I can sew up a storm, but I don't know about slipcovering anything.
Good job!
It looks brilliant! Good for you for taking a break when you got frustrated and going back to it with determination. You're right, the next one will be easier. Hmmmmm, maybe I'll attempt our sofa. You are an inspiration yourself!
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteThat chair is beautiful !!!!!!!! I love the sweet ruffle at the bottom. Should you wish to take a journey to KC, I'd let you slip cover my 2 matching little wingbacks. I think they're related to your chairs. Perhaps separated at birth ?? You continue to amaze me with all your skills and talent.
Take care,
Vanessa
I am so glad you ladies liked it! It was so hard for me...Skippy Mom could you please run over here and teach me to sew? it seems so easy at first but it is a major skill! I admire women who can whip up even pillows...and I am so thankful for my "cut only cloth scissors"! lol!
ReplyDeleteDaisy? the break was a good thing...I was almost in tears! I learned that it is incredibly important to MEASURE...which is very tedious to me but I am so excited to do the couch with my new found skills! lol!
Vanessa? I don't think you would want me to sew anything of yours, I am, absolutely, a Dilletante! lol! But now that I slowed down and took my time...learned what it is about? there isn't going to be a piece of 1980's furniture that is safe and if you want I can show you step by step how to do it, I still have another one! It is relatively easy once you SEE what it needs! one 20 dollar drop cloth for both chairs...and the fabric is beautiful!
Thank you all so much for your words of encouragement!
Looks good! I dare say you won't miss the pink. If you do you can say hello when you have to wash the slipcover.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Daisy. When I start making mistakes in quilting, or sewing, I know it is time to stop for a while. Maybe hit the chocolate:)
You made the comment that everything else was way beyond your skill level. I bet you thought that at every step of the way. You studied up on the gardening, refinished more than half of your house and you have slipcovered furniture. I'd be willing to wager that you will get the rest of the stuff done in time. If you are anything like me, you will finish and say, "hmmm, it needs something"!
I think you are absolutely right Donna! is a house ever finished? lol!
ReplyDeleteYou quilt and sew? Oh Donna...can't you just move up here next to me? AND I still have to do a post on your pictures you sent me! If I had you up here you could make my house as beautiful as yours! I know...greedy girl...big sigh....and I don't think I will ever miss the pink, hee hee!