#WorkroomWednesday

January 31, 2018 Sherri Rice

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

Going to the Lake...

September 29, 2016 Sherri Rice

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

September 21, 2016 Sherri Rice

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

French Mattress Cushion Tutorial

July 24, 2015 Sherri Rice

August Blues - French Mattress -style Cushions

I promised this post some time ago, after I did these cushions for a client...

... French mattress cushions! I finally got around to making my own, and now I have the tutorial for you as well :)

For this project, I made a new cushion for a bench/trunk that lives by our front door (you can see the space here, with the original cushion). As soon as I had a chance to work with the feedsack fabric from Decor Steals, I knew that was the fabric I wanted to use for this new cushion.

Please note: this is not a slipcover! You will not be able to take the cover off the cushion once you have constructed it.

So, here is the step-by-step...

Start with getting your cushion materials ready. For the "stuffing" I used the 3" foam cushion I already had (I think my client's cushions used 2" foam, so use your judgement) and 1" batting to wrap around it. I trimmed the foam down to be slightly smaller than the space it needed to go and cut the batting like this:

...the piece of batting with the notched corners will wrap around the sides of the foam, to meet the top piece. You can use spray adhesive to tack the layers together to make it easier to insert it into the cover later, but I managed fine without it.

Next, make a basic boxed cushion cover...

... top and bottom, and four sides. It may be tempting to wrap the fabric around your cushion to reduce the number of seams you have to sew, but you do want the seams at all the edges - it helps get the right look in the end. Match your stripes if you need to. Sew your pieces together like usual, but leave one long side open...

Now, insert the foam and batting "sandwich" into the cover. This takes a bit of work, depending on how big your cushion is. The important thing is to make sure that you have the batting covering all the way up the sides of the foam and that everything is lying smoothly. You will not be able to go back in to fix it after this point.

Then, hand-stitch the open side closed...

Now comes the fun (but labor-intensive) part that makes these cushions unique - the hand-stitching and tufting!

You will need sturdy thread and a longish needle. I used the thread I usually use for sewing slipcovers, doubled. I also used a straight needle - it might be possible to use a curved needle, but it seemed like that might be more awkward. It might be worth experimenting with. Anyway, these stitches are what makes the cushion so here is what I did....

Start at a corner and firmly knot the thread so it won't pull through. The basic technique is a running stitch through the top and sides of the cushion. My stitch length was about 1/8" - 1/4" and I spaced the stitches on the top about 1 1/2" apart (with the stitches on the side staggered in between). My stitches were about 3/4" - 1" on either side of the edge seam. You can measure your stitches to start, but soon you will just be able to eye-ball it; and you will be thankful for relatively even stitches later on ;) Time for a picture :)

I put the needle straight down from the top in order to grab some of the batting (and maybe the edge of the foam) inside and then angled the needle toward the side panel and pulled it through.

Your top and side stitches will be staggered. Pull the thread firmly and continue down the edge. I started my stitches on what would be the bottom of the cushion to establish the rhythm/pattern of the stitches. The edge should end up looking wavy and kind of "fat". Depending on the depth of your cushion, you may want a stitch or two along the vertical corner seams, too. Lots of hard work for your fingers!

Once you have finished going all the way around the bottom edge of the cushion, flip it over and start the top edge. The stitching pattern will be the same, but the key to getting an authentic French mattress look is to line up the top and bottom stitches along the sides (and this is why you want your first row of stitches to be as even as possible)...

... This is what gives that "channeled" look around the edge. Go all the way around the top, knotting the thread securely as you go. Edge stitching done!

Now, give your fingers a rest - tufting is next!

First, mark where you want your tufts to go - I divided the cushion into three, to give me two rows of tufting. Yes, math is involved, since you want you tufts to be evenly spaced across the width and length of your cushion. I marked with pins on the top and bottom (because your tufts need to go straight through the cushion), but you can use chalk or pencil or whatever will be invisible once the cushion is finished.

I used a long upholstery needle (about 5" long) and strong thread, doubled (you could use upholstery thread, but I found it too slippery to knot securely to make the tufts). My thread was about 20" long, after doubling - this was enough length to go through the cushion twice and be able to be knotted. So, put your needle straight through the cushion, making sure it comes out close to your marking on the other side.

Make a 3/8" - 1/2" stitch and pull the thread back through to the side you started on. Pull thread/stitch firmly and knot it securely. Note: consider how much tension you put on the thread, since you will want all your tufting indentations to be pulled in the same amount. Get another length of thread and make another stitch through the cushion, making an X with the first stitch; pull and knot securely.

Continue with the rest of your tufts, being careful to pull each tuft so it looks like the others.

Tie the last thread and rejoice that you are done!

Here is what my cushion looks like in its new home...

Are you ready to add a little French style to your home?

Sherri

P.S. If you have any questions, or if there is anything I can clarify, let me know in the comments :)

Polka Dots and Ruffles

April 30, 2014 Sherri Rice

Oh, I'm just over here having some more fun :) I've had some scheduling kinks, so I decided to take advantage of the in-between time to tackle a project that has been on my to-do list for some time.

I purchased this vintage chair through Craigslist a few years ago...

I loved the petite scale and the pretty curved legs; not so much the pink and minty green upholstery. So, it was time for a new look. I had a white matelasse bedspread that had a spot that I couldn't get out, and fortunately there was just enough fabric to use it for this...

I loved that I could use the scalloped edge of the bedspread for the bottom edge of the slipcover!

Fast-forward to life now and this cute white chair was not so white anymore, and it was sort of floating around the house looking for a "home." Then I found a great fabric remnant and thought of this chair right away. It took me a little while to get around to making the new cover, but now she's done and looking super cute! Are you ready for some cuteness overload???

I usually take my "cute" with a little more subtly, but this just had to be done :) And I love that it looks like a completely different chair!

Ruffles? Couldn't resist!

Ballet ties? Oh, yes I did :)

And it had to have the white trim to show off all the curves...

I can just picture this in a little girl's room, layered with pillows and stuffed animals - if I had a girl, that's exactly where it would go. But, it's all boys here, soooo....

... this little beauty is for sale! If you are interested, here are the details:

price is $275 + tax
includes the vintage chair and the custom slipcover
the only change I have made to the original chair is to make a brand new seat cushion insert
this slipcover is washable (I believe the fabric is cotton and it has been pre-washed)
the chair measures: 26" wide, 17" seat height, 32" back height, and 29" from front to back
this is for local pick-up only (I am in Denton, TX)

Here is a close-up of the fabric - it's kind of a dusty (hard to photograph right - it's not as bright as the pictures) aqua blue with ikat polka dots - fun!

So, if you are interested, e-mail me at sherri@augustblues.com and let's find a great new home for this beauty :)

Sherri

P.S. Linking up here :)

Wingchair Slipcover 2.0

December 29, 2013 Sherri Rice

Twas the night before Christmas (well, it was actually the day of December 23...), and all through the house, a sewing machine was humming (and it wasn't a mouse... thankfully!). Yes, I did quickly finish one more slipcover project just before Christmas. And I love how it turned out!

If you have been following me for awhile you may have seen this chair before. Here is the before...

I love this chair! I purchased it through Craigslist a few years ago. The list price was $30. When I contacted the owner to arrange the purchase, someone else was already coming for it. When that sale fell through, she told me I could have it for, get this, $10!! Down-filled seat cushion and all! The scale is great for our house, it is comfortable, and I really like the unusual flared arms.

My first slipcover for it was made of dropcloth...

August Blues - Wing Chair dropcloth slipcover

(see more dropcloth slipcover projects here)

It has worn quite well, but since I moved the chair to our family room, it is getting more use and, therefore, more wear. And I was ready to do something new with it. I picked up some fabric this summer and finally had a chance to put this new slipcover together...

It's a different look for the chair, and I love it (have I said that enough, yet?)!

The chair has a story and the fabric does, too. I purchased a sample of this fabric when I was considering fabric for the family room curtains a couple of years ago. I decided to go with a different fabric and didn't think about it again. Then, this summer when I was shopping at Colorado Fabrics in Denver, what did I find but a roll of this fabric! Sold! It is Richloom Bircham Printed Cotton Twill Drapery Fabric in Cottage. It is a great weight for a slipcover.

The slipcover followed the original upholstery, with a single piece side panel...

...and a simple back piece with corner zipper.

It was getting to the end of my sewing day, so I just went with a simple straight skirt, thinking I might add something different later.But, once I got the slipcover on, I decided I quite like the simple look for a change :)

Yep, it just might be one of my favorite projects this year :)

Did you do any last-minute projects this year?

Sherri

P.S. Linking up here...

and HERE and HERE.

Snow Days and New Office Space

December 7, 2013 Sherri Rice

I trust this finds you warm and dry this December day. We are currently enjoying Day 2 of what will be 3, and possibly 4, days of staying home due to icy conditions in our area. It looks like snow, but it really is ice - you can walk on it without breaking through to the grass.

And this ice is everywhere! Some have lost power - thankfully we have not, and our heating system is still working :)

We have been filling our days with a variety of activities. The boys have been going for walks and playing in the backyard. The Professor and I decided to start a mini kitchen renovation yesterday (see a sneak peak on Facebook). And today I made Monster cookies (similar to these) and made one of these for Maggie, the beagle (I used corduroy and flannel from my fabric stash). All activities have been cancelled for tomorrow, so maybe I'll start that slipcover project that has been waiting...

So, I also wanted to share the update of my new office space before I get into Christmas stuff :)

The front room of our house (the room you see and walk through when you come in the front door) is supposed to be the dining room. But, we have never used it as such - we just never needed that kind of space. So, it has served a variety of uses. A few years ago it looked like this...

... kind of a library/piano room.

Then, when I decided to start August Blues, it seemed like the best place to set up my sewing space. And it looked like this...

And obviously, this was taken before I really started working ;) Mostly, it looked like this...

... which was usually, mostly functional. But, I got tired of seeing this when I came into the house each day and it was difficult to accommodate large pieces of furniture. One day, a client brought a chair-and-a-half and it's matching ottoman. The Professor and I were visiting with the client and her husband in this room (I tidied up first!), with her pieces in there, too. And I realized it just felt TOO crowded! So, I began to re-think how my workspace was situated in the house.

First, I moved my sewing space upstairs to what had been our playroom (you can see more about that here). That freed up this front room space for more of an office space, like this...

Much better! The front door is just to the right of this window wall. And I think I would like to see a wing chair in place of the smaller chair ;)

The "new" blue buffet in it's place...

You can see how the space leads into the family room beyond...

And from the stairs...

I love working in this "new" space! And I have left room for larger furniture pieces to stay here while I work on them (small pieces can be moved to my upstairs workroom). And it's much more pleasant to walk into the house and see this :)

So, stay warm this evening, friends!

Sherri

Workroom Reveal

October 16, 2013 Sherri Rice

Finally done (mostly :) ) - my new workroom! Remember the "before"?

This upstairs room has been the boys' playroom. It has undergone a bit of a transformation and here it is now...

It needs a few finishing touches, but it's functional and working here is definitely a pleasure :) Let me show you around (I'm in the middle of a project, but I tidied up just for you)...

This table is actually the Norden dining table from IKEA. We purchased it for our last house which had a large dining room. Until we have another dining space that is suitable, it makes a great cutting table! The skirt is just stapled to the bottom of the table top. It makes for great (hidden!) storage underneath.

These are the two machines I have had for years, since August Blues 1.0 with my mom. And the bench works really well for moving between them (the table and bench were both Craigslist finds). I think the pegboard needs a little something...

See the trees out the window? Almost like working in a tree house :) These curtains have found a home in all of the houses we have owned - first they covered closets in our bedroom, then they curtained the front window in our front porch. I was so excited when I remembered I still had them - they are perfect for this space!

On the other side of the window I created this little storage area. We have had the shelf forever, but the bins are new (from Lowes). They hold fabrics. The hat boxes and clock are also from IKEA. The curtain to the right conceals a yet-to-be-organized storage area for my personal fabric and craft supplies.

Here she is - I'm still getting used to her, but she is a hard worker :) The table on the right is where homework happens in the evenings. It will be replaced with a smaller, rectangular table that fits the space a little better. And just for a dose of reality...

Yes, this is the sad state of the rest of the room. I did take over half of the boys' playroom - my youngest watched me measure the space out and then reported to Grandma that he now only had 9' of space to play in! Never fear, I have a plan for this space, too, and it does include the toys and space to play ;) I will share it as soon as we get it finished (and you can hold me to that!). I think the boys will be quite excited when they rediscover their toys :)

One last view...

MANY thanks to the boys for agreeing to share their space with me and to the Professor for all the help and heavy lifting he provided (do you know how much that Juki weighs?)! And now I need to top up my coffee and get back to work (I am now booking projects for January)!

Have you made a workspace just for you?

Sherri

P.S. I linked up here :) Check out all the other great projects!

Welcome to August Blues - I'm so glad
you're here! August Blues Slipcover Studio strives to enable your home to better serve its purpose, by providing you with quality custom slipcovers that enhance the appearance and functionality of your furniture pieces. Established in 2011 and located in Denton, TX...Read More

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