27 February 2010

Trash to Treasure

I really should stop bringing this stuff home.
But how can I resist? We wanted another chair for downstairs and here was this little beauty on someone's curb, hoping and praying we would stop by for it. By the way, Hero found this one. Just another reason he is my hero - he supports my habits.
I do not think this is a color found in nature, but it was quite popular in the 70's. Good bones, clean, not stinky (a bonus!). I can make it work.

I love using canvas drop clothes! Great color, fun texture and inexpensive! Love that!
This is the third slipcover I have made. I have learned a few things along the way:
1. Buy more fabric than you think you need. Man, it goes quick. Oh, and have lots of upholstery thread, too. It is thicker than regular, so get a bunch.
2. Wash the fabric before you cut it up. Then when you wash the slipcover in the future, it will still fit.
3. If you go for a little slouchy look, it is much less stressful than a tight fit.
4. Use the hemmed edge on the drop cloth for the finished hem on the bottom.
5. Spots that do not quite fit right just need a pillow.
Things I still have a tendency to plow right through and wing it:
1. Corners with more than two pieces of fabric coming together. I am sure there must be a good way to do them, I just have not mastered it yet. Ugh.
Whenever I sew, I hear my grandma's voice telling me, "The back is just as important as the front". Rats. That means I do go back and fix things I do not want to fix, clean up the underside and do a good job on the part that faces the wall. But I am not a perfectionist at all. I think a few lumps and crooked seams give it character and looks lived in and loved. Yeah.


It fits! I love the ruffle on the bottom. Totally makes the chair. And although this one took way longer than I thought it should, it was not too hard. I just plowed through those icky spots.
And hopefully, I will not find any of it's friends on the curb.

1 comment:

  1. That is amazing! I am so impressed. It looks professional.

    ReplyDelete