jcaroline

Dick and Jane FINALLY!

Remember a lifetime ago when I said I would have the photos and instructions for the Dick and Jane Crib Set on the web? Finally. Have a good weekend.

Dick and Jane

Well, I don't have an update on the affectionately named "pee chairs".  No fabric here yet.  But my pneumatic staple gun arrived, so I am armed and ready! 

In the meantime,  we are running the ad shown on the left in the May issue of Martha Stewart Living in the Marketplace Section featuring Michael Miller's Dick and Jane fabric.  It hits newsstands April 20, I believe.  Shawn at Michael Miller put together what I think is the cutest ad I've ever seen!  So buy the magazine and then buy hundreds of yards of fabric.  You can even skip buying the magazine, if you prefer.

So to follow up last week's sewing frenzy, I decided to make a crib set out of Dick and Jane fabric this week.  I made the quilt yesterday and Maribel is sewing up a bumper and sheet as we speak.  I'll shoot pics of it this weekend and hopefully, display it Monday.  We've become a little baby bedding factory.

I'll put together how-tos on the pieces also.  The pieces are pretty easy to put together- I think they are do-able for a beginning sewer.  Besides, is the baby going to criticize your work?

Project Finished, Office Not Cleaned

Okay, so I decided to sew on Friday instead of clean up my office.  But I think you'll be pleased with the results. I finally finished the hobo bag that a certain How About Orange person had been bugging me to finish.  She had sent me pictures of the hobo bags from Target, so I improved on those with some Modern Flora fabric and some interfacing.  I had finished one bag, but realized that my pattern was pretty poor.  So, I cleaned up the pattern and made another one.  I especially like my piece de resistance, the little knot I added on the strap.  Oh, you'd like to see that a little closer?  Well, then..

And I've already written up the tutorial here.

I have another furniture re-do in the works that I think is coming along quite well.  Hopefully, I'll have that to share on Wednesday or Thursday.

Another Furniture Redo

I warned you that I bought some other items on my Goodwill shopping spree.  These nightstands were $5 a piece and were not in too bad of shape.  They were spray painted black, and though I appreciate the former owner's design aesthetic, black is not an easy color to cover.  So I painted several coats of primer and paint.  Then I decoupaged Michael Miller's Orchid Feeling Groovy fabric on the drawer fronts and top, replaced the hardware to get these demure little numbers:

Oh, you want to see inside the drawers?

How about that little bit of Keylime Clown Stripe goodness?

I'm working on a tutorial as we speak.  But I didn't want you to miss a minute of admiration.

(A little encouragement through your comments does wonders- the tutorial is here!)

Floor Pillows

My mother made these pillows at least two weeks ago and I had never taken a picture!  So here they are, on my den floor.  I had visions of buying foam and making cushions from scratch.  Then we were at Ikea and these 28" x 28" pillows were less than $10 a piece, so I ditched my grandiose plans quickly.   I do have a tutorial on pillows and on cording, so go for it.  I have found I like them very much, as they give me a place to lay down while Olivia plays.  Thank you, Mother.

Speaking of which, I shot these pictures on Sunday, but I had a little trouble.  Somebody couldn't stand not being in front of the camera.

So I shot some pictures of her, which satisfied her need to be photographed and then I could shoot the pillows.  And normally, I do keep her clothed, but she had been outside playing in a puddle.

In all its glory

(Update:  I wrote up a very general tutorial for the chair here.)

I'm obsessed...

I'm obsessed with my chair.  I've made myself do some office work BEFORE I start on it again today, because I can't stop!  However, I am very proud and since my mother isn't here to offer constant encouragement, I'll show what I've done so far.  Saturday I stripped the chair naked and cut the fabric.  I believe the chair looks even worse with no fabric.  You've got to love how that foam turns funny shades of yellow and orange.

No, it doesn't really sit on the ground.  I took the legs off and spray painted those white.  So I worked on it about 5 hours on Saturday and a good part of the day yesterday and....

Here it is during one of my many fittings (you'll notice the right arm is pinned on the right-- I took that up).

Here is my assessment of reupholstering so far.  Using the existing fabric as a pattern is an absolute must.  Pay attention to where the fabric is going to be on the chair to match patterns.  (Note the leaves at the center back and top of the chair.  Whooppee!)  I don't think the work is difficult in terms of sewing techniques, but it is difficult in messing with big masses of fabric and wrestling the chair to get the cover on (and off if it doesn't fit the first time, which it probably won't).  When I sewed those two huge seams where the cording is, I always started at the center back and sewed to the ends.  That way if my fabric starting shifting it wasn't going to shift by inches by the time I made it all the the way around the chair. I sewed those seams in at least four parts so I could fit frequently and adjust easily.

Also, don't get discouraged as you try it on.   The fabric catches on the foam and until you get it adjusted all the way around the chair you are convinced that there is no way that it will ever look like anything.  Just remember you are going to further beat that fabric into shape by stapling to the chair frame (which hasn't been done yet in the picture above).  So I would call it very aggressive sewing.  You can't be scared to pull on fabric and seams until they scream for mercy.

This afternoon I will work on the cushion, which I think will be the second hardest part.  And then from there... smooth sailing (I hope).