#WorkroomWednesday

Hello, friends!

Yes, this blog actually works -- the writer? Well, she's generally working on other slipcover things, so this space sometimes falls further down the list ;)

Today I wanted to give you a little picture (or a few pictures) of where the slipcover "magic" happens. Like many slipcover makers, I work from home, which, I will confess, is definitely part of the appeal of this job. And while our house is not overly large or fancy (by North Texas suburb standards), it does permit me to have the space I need to get most jobs done. 

So, let me give you a tour (I tidied up a little for you)!

We have a two-storey house, so when you come, you will see our front room where I have my "office" and where you will bring your pieces that you want slipcovered. My actual sewing space is upstairs in what is meant to be a game room, and this is what you would see if you came up up the stairs...

I love this little area! Clients don't generally see this, so it's mostly for me (and my family, as there are bedrooms up here, too). It serves several functions: it anchors the room as my business space, it provides a space to design slipcovers and/or think through the next step of slipcover construction, it's a great spot for a lunch break, and (this is the best part) most of the furniture easily moves out to provide backgrounds for photos. In case you are wondering, most chairs that are getting slipcovers will get moved up here - anything too large to be easily moved stays downstairs, and then I get my steps in :)

If you turn to the right just a bit, you will see my actual sewing space.

This space changed a lot when Mary came to work with me - having two people working in the space meant thinking it through differently. Floating the large table in the middle was a game-changer!

There are two sewing "stations"...

... the large machines along the half-wall (where the stairs are), and...

... and the smaller machines tucked in the corner by the window. I love the big windows!

Storage is important! These bins contain supplies designated for specific projects (and they can be labelled with dry erase marker if needed). The peg board is a must, as is the board to keep track of projects (I framed some fabric - the glass acts as the dry-erase board).

I love this table! We have had it since our previous house in Canada, where we had a dining room big enough for it (this is the Norden table from IKEA, but I guess they used to make it bigger - ours measures 86" long x 39" wide without the extra leaf!). Someday we'll have a large dining room again - in the meantime, it makes an excellent cutting table. Especially when you raise it up with bed risers, and cut plywood to fit the supports underneath to get storage for fabric rolls -- game-changer!

And that's my space!

I really enjoy making slipcovers, but it's ever so much more enjoyable to have a space that works. It's not perfect (it doesn't have double french doors so furniture can be brought straight in - that's for another house!), and will be adjusted as my needs and equipment changes. But, for now it makes me smile and that's mission accomplished!

Where do you work?

Sherri

Let's Add Some Color!

Many of the slipcovers that come through the workroom are understandably in neutral tones. But, every once in awhile, we get to play with color. This was one of those projects (and I got some pictures against the new navy wall in the workroom!)...

The chair is a Pottery Barn Teen chair that my client found at a consignment store. I don't have a "before" picture. but it came with a white velvet slipcover that my client was ready to move on from. She considered a variety of fabric options, but eventually settled on this red cotton duck. It was a great choice!

She just wanted to mimic the original slipcover, so we did, keeping the short, kicky skirt to show off the pretty front legs.

This spring I hired a workroom assistant, Mary (she is amazing!) - this was one of her first mostly solo slipcover projects and she did a great job!

And that bird pillow! You may have seen them on my Instagram or Facebook accounts, available through Pillows For Good. I have a few of them in my own home and they are a fun, versatile accent in all kinds of places!

Do you use red in your home?

Sherri

Working Under The Radar

Hello, there!

I feel like I'm having to learn this blogging thing again, it's been so long since I last posted. If you are new around these parts, welcome! It may have been quiet around here, but my sewing machines have been humming - I have so many projects to share with you, so let's get started...

I did this project a few months back. It started with two chairs and grew to add four more. We started with a pair of these classic arm chairs...

...added four more curvy side chairs, and refreshed them all with simple white cotton duck slipcovers...

So fresh and clean-looking! Here are some details...

(Aren't those pretty chairs?)

Simple slips for some classically beautiful chairs!

Sherri

P.S. Pillows by Pillows For Good.

Finally, for us...

If you have been following me on social media for awhile, you may remember that we purchased a new couch back in June. Well, it was a new-to-us couch, found through the 5miles app - have you ever used it? We (ok, I...) had been looking for awhile, and when I saw this Pottery Barn model, clean and available locally for a great price, and the seller was able to deliver it, SOLD! Here she is in all her red-flowered slipcovered glory...

When you are looking for pre-loved pieces with the intention to slipcover, it opens up lots more possibilities ;)

In this case, I really wanted to "neutralize" our family room. We LIVE in that room - play, read, watch TV, my husband's work desk is in there (artfully cropped out, because -- Professor ;) Someday, a real home office space for him...), it opens to the kitchen, you get the idea! It's a busy people space and I needed the decor to be quieter. Quieter now looks like this...

Much better than the navy we had before, and definitely an improvement over the red flowers! I found a brushed denim for a great price here, and with the impending deadline of hosting guests, ordered it in faith without seeing a sample. The fabric came and turned out to be almost the exact color of our paint in that room, perfect for the neutral, quiet look I was aiming for! I got lucky - if there was more time, I definitely recommend getting samples to make sure you are getting a color that works.

I was a little hesitant about getting a light color in such a well-used space, but it washes well and does so much for the room, that it is worth it.

I kept the slipcover design simple, partly because I had a deadline ;) A waterfall-style skirt saved some seams and eliminated several additional yards of piping.

All ready for some serious family time (and guests)!

Do deadlines help you get projects done?

Sherri

It's a Whole New Look

This has been a BUSY fall and this little corner of the interwebs has been neglected, so it's time to catch up on what I've been up to!

This was supposed to be an early spring project, but the fabric gods conspired against us and we had some fabric delays. In any case, here is where we started...

... two arm chairs and four side chairs. My client got a great deal on this set, but the chairs weren't quite her style, so slipcovers to the rescue!

We had previously slipcovered a chair and ottoman in a great textured, white linen/cotton blend...

... The plan was to use the same fabric for the dining chairs. Well, the fabric that the company was currently shipping was not the same as what we had used before. There was much back-and-forth, and she finally decided to just go ahead with the "new" version. It was still white and textured and had a similar weight, but was much softer and more "drapey." Here are the afters, starting with the armchairs...

The weight and drape of the fabric dictated simple lines, with just a bit of piping. But, there's always opportunity for a little more detail on the back, since that's generally the most visible part of a dining chair...

(oops, should have pressed that skirt a little more!) Buttons and loops, with just a bit of top-stitching to keep everything in place :)

The side chairs required a little more creativity - my client wanted the wooden backs covered (as if they were upholstered), and wanted the slipcovers to be in two pieces. So, this is what we came up with...

Short skirts and top-stitching, instead of piping, this time.

The shape of the backs of the chairs required a different strategy for the placement of the buttons...

Just a bit of a peek-a-boo leg ;)

Now her set feels more like her style, with the bonus functionality of slipcovers!

Sherri

Going to the Lake...

There is nothing quite like lake living (or, so I am imagining - I've never lived by a lake!). My client had a well-loved pair of chairs that needed a new look for their new lake home...

They are sturdy and have a classic shape. The pair was destined to anchor (see what I did there?) the ends of a large dining table. And here is the after...

This fabric was a perfect choice - a linen/cotton blend with a spa blue stripe (and, yes, this fabric has also showed up here and here). We chose to design the slipcovers with a waterfall-style skirt so the stripes wouldn't be interrupted by seams.

And I fit it so no closure was needed - it just slides on and off.

Now these chairs have a fresh new look, perfect for their new home at the lake!

Is lake-ing part of your summer tradition?

Sherri

P.S. The pillow shown for styling is from the Pillows For Good collection - a perfect match, don't you think ;)

From Thrift Store to French Beauty

You know I love a good before-and-after :) Well, this is a great one!

My client found this chair at a thrift store for a steal. Although it was orange, it was in great shape and she had a vision for what it could be.

By the time she brought it to me, it was all beautifully painted and ready for no more orange! She chose gainsack fabric with the navy stripe, and added a stencil to a piece of the grainsack for the cushion top. And here is the after...

What a difference a little paint and fabric can make - hard to believe it's the same chair! My client did a great job of the painting, and the stencil was a great choice to make it a one-of-a-kind piece...

There was a tiny bit of upholstery on the arms, so we made sure to cover that up as well...

(those arm covers just fasten with velcro underneath)

And I couldn't resist topping it off with a Pillows For Good pillow, just because :)

Now I know who to go thrift store shopping with! Have you come across any good finds lately?

Sherri

It's a Birthday!!

August Blues Slipcover Studio is 5 years old this month!! 

It's hard to believe 5 years has already gone by. It goes quickly when you enjoy the work and are able to stay busy. I truly have the best clients - to all of you, thank-you!! And I look forward to many more collaborations to come.

So, it's not a birthday without a little celebrating, and this time I get to give the gifts :) There are two ways to celebrate with me;

1. Buy a pillow cover (or 2 or 10...) - from now through September 15, all the pillow covers in the Pillows for Good shop are $5 off. Just use the code 5YEARS when you check out. $10 for every pillow cover sold will still go towards Empowerment Grants for refugee families in Iraq (then you get to be a giver, too!). And, as standard procedure for all things August Blues, all the pillow covers are washable and dry-able, so they do your family good, too. If you need a farmhouse pillow fix, this is your chance!

2. I'm giving away a one-of-a-kind pillow cover! I took the classic navy grainsack stripe and mixed up the stripes a little for a little twist on the typical pillow. And, as always, it's washable and dryable and $10 will be donated (this include the pillow cover only - it is sized 18 x 18" to best fit a 20 x 20" pillow insert). 

To enter to win the pillow cover, find the post with this picture on my Facebook page or my Instagram account and leave a comment (I will count one entry per username). This giveaway will run until Wed. Sept 7 at 8pm CST. And, yes, it's open to Canadian friends, too!!

Birthday parties are fun, but they are best when celebrated together. This business is truly a gift to me. Thank you to all of my amazing clients, and all those who follow, like, comment, and share as I take this journey - I can't do it without you!

With my deepest gratitude,

Sherri