During this unprecedented time of social distancing to slow the spread of the coronavirus, facial masks are essential for those leaving home to visit grocery stores, gas stations, work, and anywhere else they will encounter other people. Though not mandatory for the general public, wearing a mask protects both the wearer and those in the surrounding area from respiratory droplets. The CDC has advised the use of nonmedical cloth so that N-95 masks may be used by health professionals and those at serious risk. If you don’t already have a face mask but have cloth available, you can easily make…
Once upon a pillow, I decided it was time to dress up the bed. I decided on shams and it gave me pause to think. What exactly is a “sham”. Further, I realized that there are shams, and there are more shames. Like Bubba Gump shrimp, you’ve got European shams, king shams, cushion shams, basic pillow shams…sham, sham, sham shammity sham! In my mind they’re all just pillows, and I had simply merged them into my brain as one lump sum. Well, they’re not, apparently.
So ya wanna do your own upholstery… Awesome! Go for it! You’ve got chutzpah! Upholstery isn’t rocket science. But a hasty approach could spell doom. With a few basic tips, you could avoid a reckless ride down Epic Failure Boulevard and a costly stay at Wasted Days Motel! (Been there, done that, got the T-shirt!) In this post, we’re not going to learn HOW to upholster, rather, we’ll look at some things to avoid, a few flair tips for points, and maybe just a hack or two for good measure! It’s Upholstery 101, and I promise there won’t be a quiz.
So you REALLY want to restore a fainting couch. Well welcome back! If you didn’t catch Part 1, read on. In Part 2, we’ll explore the rationale for my fabric choice, briefly explore the tear down process, and how I chose the fabric. Demo is the love-hate part for me, and you’ll soon discover why. Might be the same for you. Tell me some of your beastly tear downs in the comments. Love with no judgement here. On to the project, Her Majesty the fainting couch awaits!
Episode 1 The War Ensues Good scissors for sewing are a thing to not be trifled with. A long time ago…1995 to be exact… in a marriage far, far away… a husband recklessly chose his wife’s good scissors reserved for sewing to strip conduit. 12 stitches later… True story. Married a smarter man who respects the good sewing scissors. Good man. A simple tool And they are; but look closer and you’ll marvel at their design. Let’s take a look at this “cutting edge” technology and learn why if you sew, good scissors matter.
Congratulations! You’ve just purchased (found, or were gifted, had dumped on, had left behind, etc.) a be…a…u…tearful couch/love seat/chair/vintage settee, again…etc. And you absolutely…HATE IT. So, the million dollar question where to start when you choose upholstery fabric. The answer is, I don’t know, because I don’t know what’s right for YOU. But, I do have what you need to know to make some informed decisions. Don’t forget to check out my recent (still ongoing) series You Made That Outta What? to help you sift through different fabric types to get a handle on their strength, versatility, and appropriate usage. Whether you’re having…
Of all the projects we post to our Pinterest, this particular one has gotten a whole lot of attention. So, in response, I’d like to first thank Robin Vines Smith for the original publication, and offer an update based on a similar project. Like Robin said, most people think adding a pocket to a garment, retail or otherwise is simply not possible or too difficult. Fact is, adding pockets to a garment isn’t all that difficult. To be truthful, it’s easier when your garment has a side seam. But you can do this with a little tweeking even to a…
Of all the projects we post to our Pinterest, “Adding Pockets to Any Garment” has gotten a whole lot of attention. So, in response, I’d like to first thank Robin Vines Smith for the original publication, and offer an update based on a similar project. Like Robin said, most people think adding a pocket to a garment, retail or otherwise is simply not possible or too difficult. Fact is, adding pockets to a garment isn’t all that difficult. To be truthful, it’s easier when your garment has a side seam. But you can do this with a little tweeking even…
If I had your endless attention, I could really go deep on the subject of any fabric. Since I don’t, I’m going to do my best to just keep you entertained and teach you a little history while we’re there. No NO!! Don’t run away! There’s no quiz or paper due, I promise! So riddle me this. How are Jacquard/Damask Brocade and the modern day computer directly related? Wait, what? Yes, they are. And you’ll have to read on to learn how.
