Industrial Chic

Wow!  I've been working and working on projects but only have one to share with you today.  Not to long ago, I went to the Goodwill Outlet store and picked up this lonely little chair.

I had a moment of nostalgia and the price was right.  It reminded me of the chair my dad had in our garage when I was growing up.  My sister and I spend many hours pushing each other around in it and spinning ourselves silly! 

Well, I had many rounds trying to clean up about 20 years of dirt.  Finally, I thought what this chair needs is a little slipcover.  So, into my stash of fabric I dove.  After a few pins, a couple of cuts, and a few stitches,.....drum roll please........

Love to know what you think.  I'm sharing this over at:

  

 

Can't get enough of...chairs?

I've been so busy doing the fall family fun stuff that I haven't had time to do any projects.  So, I thought I would post about my very first auction purchase two years ago. 

I cannot tell you how nervous I was going to my first auction.  So many people, auctioneers talking sooo fast.  The original piece of furniture I intended to bid on I realized was just too big.  When I previewed the auction a day early I didn't even think to bring a tape measure.  Never fear, the day was not lost.  I walked away with two Italian chairs with that oh so cool mustard yellow 70's velvet fabric at $25 for both.  So, I walked away with two chairs that I really had no idea what to do with.   

At the time, I hadn't really ever done a project other than sewing lined panel curtains.  Just thinking of reupholstering the seat covers seemed to terrify me at the time.  So what else to do but use a sheet to make slipcovers for them.

Here's the before and after:

Before

 After

Before

 After

They had made great occasional chairs.  I believe this was the first project that prompted me to keep going and decorating.  Do you remember your first DIY project?  What was it? 

I'm linking up with:

Dressed for fall

Well, here is my final fall decorations.  I've dressed up my living room with lights, leaves, pumpkins, pillows, and blankets.  I am ready for a chilly night curled up on the couch with a hot Chi tea and a good show! 

I've gotta show you the slipcover for my ottoman and some pillows I sewed.  I couldn't resist this tweed plaid suiting.  My work clothes consist of comfortable cottons that allow me to clean, play light sabers, hide and seek, as well as much more.  I guess I wanted something to feel dressed up and polished:)

Let me tell you that working with this plaid was a bear!  The plaid is not square but rectangular.  Therefore, I had a time of it matching up the ruffle.  It took an extra trip to JoAnn's fabric and a few choice words when the kids weren't around.  But after a little perseverance, I got it done. 

Anyways, on to my dust niches, I mean, art niches.  I'm not sure why they decided to cut out 2 holes in the wall so high up.  I have to drag out the 8' ladder and climb almost to the top step to reach up here.  Needless to say, they don't get dusted like they should.  I decided I would make myself start decorating them for the seasons.  Here is what I came up with:

In the top picture, I made that Ballard look alike sign.  Here is what Ballard's looks like

Here is a close up of mine:

Okay, it's a little larger, but I had a gigantic space to fill.  What do you think?

Well, there you have it.  My fall decorations in a nutshell.  If you have any suggestions for some tweaks here or there, I would love to here them!

I'm linking up at:

Hooray! Hooray!

I finally did it!  I got that chair done.  Check it off the list.  I took some pictures during the process to share.  If you read an early post, the chair was this color:

At first, I wasn't up to reupholstering yet.  I did the next best thing.  Enter the slipcover:

I loved how it turned out.  I would have kept it like that forever but the smell just would not leave this chair.  So, I had to do this:

The diamond tufting was playing head games with me.  It looked so complex.  How could little old me do that?!  Well, I pulled up my sleeves and got to work. 

           

The tufting wasn't nearly as hard as I made it out to be in my head.  It took twenty buttons.  It was a little tricky here and there.  I redid a few buttons to try to get the best diamond tufts I could.  This is what the back side of the chair looked like without the final fabric.

The hardest part of this chair upholstery project was using curve-ease, otherwise known as pli-grip.  Much to my dismay, I found that my stapler was to wide to staple on the curve ease.  So, I had to use the old fashioned way, using upholstery tacks and my tack hammer.  The back didn't quite turn out as I imagined.  You can't tell by the photo but the top isn't very crisp.  But, as they say, it is as good as it's going to get.  

                  

Lastly, I had to wrestle with making the seat cushion.  It was a little tough using this fabric.  I used a linen fabric from JoAnn's apparel section for about $7/yd with my 40% off coupon of course.  Since this chair will only be sat on occasionally, I went for the cheap route.  If I wind up having to put an upholstery weight fabric on later, at least I will know what I'm doing and may even splurge on nice fabric.  I am 99.8% done.  I just have to add the double welting around the bottom and front back of the chair.  I couldn't wait to post about it until then.  So, without further anticipation, drum roll please...........

I'm linking up to the following parties (I'll be editing my post throughout the week to add parties.): Blue Cricket Design

  

New Look for French Settee

I love french furniture.  I have admired this settee from Wisteria forever. 

With the the low, low price of only $1,399.00, I know you're thinking how can you not get it.  Right?!  Well, the pay for a stay-at-home mom is not in monetary currency just emotional currency.  So, I always scan Craig's list for furniture.  I stumbled across this settee for $112.00 just after Christmas.  It isn't quite like the one above or the other antique french settees I've drooled over that are way out of my reach.  This was as close as I think I will be getting.

                       

My mom had given me $100 for Christmas.  So, really it only cost me $12 plus tax.  Once I got it home, boy did I have plans for it.  Then, reality hit that maybe I just should start with a slipcover instead of tackling reupholstering it.  I have a problem with fabric commitment.  So, I made a slipcover of white canvas.  Before this, I had only made a chair slipcover that I have already posted about here.  This one was my second and seemed much easier for some reason.  Anyways, here is the end result:

Now that I have lived with it for a while, I think I am ready to tackle reupholstering it.  I was thinking of sanding down the wood to get the look of the Wisteria settee above.  My biggest dilemma is what kind of fabric to go with.  I am thinking of chocolate velvet or an inexpensive linen fabric if that exists.  Please any help, ideas, and/or advice regarding the wood and/or fabric would be appreciated.  Before you mention it, no I have not reupholstered the chair.  It has foam and batting on it but I'm still procrastinating.  I'm linking up with :

   

Edited to add link parties.