Monday, September 23, 2013

How to Sew a Bolster Pillow in Less than 3 Hours

Hi Everyone,

Several months ago I made these Chevron/Ikat Pillows for my daughter's bedroom, but shortly after completely her bedroom I sold those fun pillows.  The pillows gave the room a shot of color and although I naturally gravitate toward neutral colors the room felt remiss without that  small pop.   So, the other day I made my biweekly trip to Hobby Lobby with coupons in hand and  I thought for sure I would buy that exact same fabric that was previously in her room, however I immediately noticed this fun fabric.  What a great jolt of color it would be in her bedroom!  I purchased about a yard and a half along with some cute ribbon details and put it to the side til I knew I would have a moment to complete.  I did not have 18X18 down inserts, but did rummage around and I found a bolster insert and thought  it might be a great opportunity for me to share with you all, if interested, how I sew boslter pillows. So here we go~

Supplies Needed~


1.)  Piping.  This particular piping was premade, but piping with coordinating fabric would give the bolster a pretty custom look.

2.)Decorative Trim. Unfortunately I did not have enough of this cute trim and had to scrap my idea. I was short 3 inches.  Lesson learned measure around your bolster insert not just once, but twice.

3.) Ribbon.  I purchased a spool of each of the ribbons. You will not be needing much of these ribbon  details.

4.) Ribbon for End Pieces.

5.) Tape Measure.

6.) Scissors.




 
Accurately cut a rectangular piece.  My bolster measured 20 inches x 32inches.  Measure from end to end and then wrap your fabric around the pillow form to determine the length.
 
Place the ribbon about 3 and half inches away from the ends and securely pin in place.  Also pin the piping to the end piece.  Notice the placement of the piping and ribbon on the fabric. 





Now pin the end pieces to your fabric.  My end pieces meaured 4.5in x 32 in.  I measured the radius of the  bolster to determine the width.



Stitch an opening, just a hair larger than the width of the ribbon and thread the ribbon through the opening. Make sure to double hem to give the pillow a nice clean look and prevent fraying..  Stitch the ends together, but be careful not to stitch the opening closed.



Now pull the ribbon and tie a bow at the ends to secure.  Its as easy as that, really!  I inserted a zipper, but this is not nessasary since the pillow will easily slip over the insert through the end before the ribbon pulls the fabric together.








Now you will probably see way too many pics of the completed pillow in her room:)












I really love that just one interesting, colorful pillow can make all the difference in making a room complete and unique. It doesn't take much time, energy or money and can be changed on a whim~the beauty of throw pillows.
As always Thanks for Reading this blog.

 If you like what you see you can follow me through PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, or HOMETALK.

Have a Fabulous Day

XOXO,
SK
 


Tuesday, September 17, 2013

A Holiday and Halloween Bunting Project

Hi everyone,

I feel it in the air..cooler mornings and cooler evenings.  I love the fall, especially after a long hot summer, I look forward to snuggling on the couch, under a blanket and drinking hot chocolate.
We  are also seeing the leaves falling off the trees, the signs of Fall and also a time of excitment for my daughter who exclaims almost every morning "how many more days til my birthday now?"  Her birthday falls a few days shy of Halloween and as you can imagine it is such a fun time in our household. We started preparing for her birthday and we are thinking we will host in our home this year.  I tell ya, it was a tough decision.  The thought of 15 or so little girls running around and trying to entertain can be a little daunting, but I figure, if I plan some fun games and hopefully have a few activities outdoors it will turn out just fine.  We usually mix in Halloween themed activities for her birthday and well this year there will be no exception.
So in preparation for her party and the ensuing holidays I put together this bunting project.  I started with scraps from my previous post, Slipcovering An Old Worn Chair and cut out Triangles, 14 to be exact. 


I used Black Acrylic Paint and carefully stenciled "Happy Halloween" in several fonts to keep it fun and attached the linen scraps with cotton. I wrapped a narrow strip of fabric around the cotton and stitched as close to the cotton as possible so there would be no movement {another idea for a no sew project is possibly using mini paper clips to bind the fabric to the cotton.}

I added branches from the backyard and we painted them black for another spooky element along with cutouts from black cardstock found at Joann.






Sorry, another view of the different fonts.



But wait, before you click away...This Halloween Bunting Project is reversible just in time for Thanksgiving. No need to change out Bunting Projects or put away your hard work just yet.  Just turn your fabric on the opposite side, being sure to keep in mind stenciling the first letter "h" in "Happy Turkey Day" starts on the "n" in "Happy Halloween"  Confused yet, sorry I couldn't seem to word this more clearly:)

 


Have a Fabulous Day and Thanks for reading my Friends.

XOXO,
SK

 
Linking up with~ http://too-much-time.com/, http://www.lizmarieblog.com/, http://www.itsoverflowing.com, http://www.attagirlsays.com/, http://myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/, http://tatertotsandjello.com/


Monday, September 9, 2013

Slipcover for a Ladies Office Chair

Hi Everyone,

Do you have one of these black office chairs in your home.  We just happen to have three...I guess I had one before we were married and my husband had a couple.  They are great chairs, very durable and comfortable, however, they just are not that attractive.  I really should give a couple to Goodwill and replace mine with  an upholstered piece, but in the meantime these slipcovers will be just fine.  This also gave me an opportunity to show those of you that would like to tackle a slipcovering project on your own with very little money and time.

Slipcovers are a great sewing projects to complete around the home, since they are afforable and very doable for novice sewers, like myself. They also can be customized to your liking with the addition of buttons, frills, pleats, zippers, clasps...ect. Just like this old leather desk chair that was outfitted with a buttoned " top" and frilled "skirt" perfect for a ladies office chair.

Below picture is the After

 
 
 

Step 1~  Take your fabric and preferably a cotton duck, or drop cloth fabric and pre-wash and dry.    
               Make sure to press your fabric well.

Step2~  Drape the fabric over the back and also the front and secure with  pins around the curve of the furniture piece.


Step 3~Sew the pieces together and trim the excess fabric. Press open the seams. I chose to use a decorative stitch on the seams, but piping is also effective.



Step 4~Make sure to double hem 1" the bottom of the slipcover and sew as close to the edge as possible.




I chose to add buttons to the back for a fun detail~

 
 
Now onto the seat cover.  I  sewed two separate pieces, but one can easily create one piece.  Just pin around the shape of the seat and back of the seat and stitch together.
 
 
Step 4~  I draped the fabric over the seat in the same fashion as the seat back and trimmed to  size.      Make sure to pleat the fabric in the corners to better fit the  shape of the seat.  My seat was circular, so in the corners and sides I pinched the fabric and pinned in place.  The gathers I hand applied and stitched to the seat cover.
 
 







Please visit other posts for slipcovers I have completed in the past few months, here and here.


Thanks for reading!

XOXO,
SK

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Painted Candlesticks

Hi Everyone,



In my last post, My Tips for Creating a Vignette a pair of candlesticks are nestled in the corner.  These candlesticks were originally painted a metallic gold and although I liked them I felt they needed a little makeover to go with the general color scheme of our home. So I repainted them with chalk paint, acrylic paint and  a dark wax.
 
Pictured~the candlesticks on the left





My sister gave me these candlesticks a couple of years ago. They were leftover items from a project she was working. I was hesitant at first to take the pair since I wasn't sure it would fit the decor, but a little paint completely changed the look and now looks like it belongs in our home.

Pictured~The "Before"

 
Below are the products I used~Amy Howard Chalk Paint, Annie Sloan Dark Wax, and a mix of Folk Art Acrylic Paint.


It took three coats of the Amy Howard Chalk Paint to completely conceal the gold.  All four of us tackled this paint project, my youngest at  almost four loving the fact that she could use a big girl paint brush to paint on something other than paper.


 
 
I allowed the Chalk Paint to dry completely before adding my acrylic paint mix to the details already in place on the candlestick.  The acrylic paint dried quickly and I was able to apply the wax in all the crevices with a brush to achieve the distressed, antique look.
 










So a one day project with many helping hands transformed a very gold metallic pair of candlesticks to a distressed, weathered look, far more fitting for our home.

Thanks for Reading, my Friends.

XOXO,
SK

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

My Tips for Creating a Vignette

Hi Everyone,

 



Wouldn't you agree vignettes, or groupings make a room or space look more polished.  A well styled vignette on a dresser, table in a foyer or an occasional table adds a beautiful decorative touch and brings the look of a room together.  You can add books, photos, flowers , vases, art to create a mood in your home. Here are a few tips I use in my home~





1~Create a vignette around a light source, especially in a foyer.  I like tall lamps on either side of a dresser for symmetry, especially in a formal space. I don't think two lamps are necessary in less formal spaces.

2~Use color in a few objects that is coordinated with the general color scheme of the room.  I used a distressed red box, since I do have a few objects in  my home with red accents.

3~Vary the height of your interesting objects on the table.  On my table I have two 32 inch tall lamps and the rest of the objects vary in size and height on the dresser.  I generally use books as part of a vignette to add interest and also height to smaller objects.

4~Create Balance and Depth.  By that I mean don't place all your objects in a straight line without any thought.  A great way to add depth is lean a piece of artwork against a wall and with balance, group objects in threes. This odd rule of numbers is visually appealing especially with the use of a tray to keep your objects looking organized.

5~Try to include fresh flowers, topiaries, something green to your design.

Those are my tips for creating a pretty vignette.  What are some of yours?  Do tell, please.

For more ideas on creating a Vignette check out My Pinterest Board

Thanks for Reading and have a Great Day!

XOXO,
SK
Linking up with~

Monday, September 2, 2013

Sewing an Easy Doll Dress~Tutorial

Hi Everyone,

So a few weeks ago I sewed a cute lampshade cover in one of my daughter's bedroom and had some left over scraps.  I put together four identical doll dresses for the girls and their cousin.  This is such a great way to use up all those scraps..No waste here.
Really this is a very easy project to put together, especially for those novice sewers.

1~ Cut your fabric in this general shape~from the top of the neck line to the bottom of the dress is about 12".  This is just a doll dress so it doesn't have to be perfect.



and cut another piece in a rectangle to sew to the bottom of the dress. This piece will have the ruffle detail. Make sure to zig- zag around all the pieces to prevent fraying if you do not own a serger.



3~Sew a small pocket around the neckline for the ribbon. Make sure the pocket is large enough to easily pull the ribbon from one end to another.



4~Take one of the rectangular pieces and by hand add a ruffle by pinching the fabric. This little ruffle should be in the center.



5~stitch the back and front together sewing as close to the edge as possible. Trim all your pieces and turn right-side out.



6~Hem your dress and pull the ribbon through the folded pocket and there you have a sweet dress for your little girl to enjoy.






Hope you enjoyed this tutorial and use it to make cute dresses for your friends and family.
 Have a fabulous day!
XOXO,

SK
Linking up with~http://www.homestoriesatoz.com/,