Time to Lighten Up

May 27, 2016 Sherri Rice

Sometimes it doesn't take a whole slipcover to make a big difference in a room. In this case, my client knew that she just wanted the backs of her dining chairs covered.

The leather seats were in perfect condition and, of course, were perfectly suited for dining chairs, so we just needed to come up with a new look for the tapestry-style backs.

She chose a brushed denim in Natural that was a great complement to the dark leather and wood of the chairs.

We kept the look simple, with top-stitching along the "boxing" around the edges of the back.

But, then, of course, we had to make the back interesting - it is the side of dining chairs that you see most.

Covered buttons with loops, and top-stitching to finish it off.

Now my client's dining room has a new look, without compromising the function (and isn't that a beautiful room?).

Sherri

P.S. In spite of what my random blog posting schedule would indicate, my amazing clients are keeping me hopping! I just booked a project for October, so I only have a few more spots until the end of the year. Just an fyi... ;)

P.P.S. Linking up here :)

Traditional Meets Preppy, with Color!

April 29, 2016 Sherri Rice

Many of my projects end up capturing more of a neutral style sense. And, while I love me some neutrals, it's fun to mix it up with some color sometimes.

My client already had a base of neutrals in her home, so she was ready for color to more fully express her style. Kelly green was her color of choice for the first couple of projects: a large ottoman and tailored tablecloth...

She opted for green duck cloth, with white piping trim, and large box pleated skirts...

It took a lot of fabric, but it's so worth it to have full pleats!

A layer of Dacron over the top softened the tufts...

(and then there were these two scoundrels, who made it very difficult to take pictures that day - tails everywhere!)

(Thankfully, Max has had a haircut since then!)

The second project was another large ottoman for a more formal space.

This time she chose a textured linen/cotton blend in a muted teal...

...with a band of natural linen/cotton for the accent (which, apparently, perfectly matches her couch!). Again, we did full box pleats for a luxurious look.

I top-stitched the band to keep the seams going the right way.

This fabric was sturdy enough that the top did't need any extra padding to minimize the tufting.

Perfectly fresh for spring!

Sherri

Lovely Linen

March 16, 2016 Sherri Rice

My client is in the process of building a new house. So, a furniture refresh was in order, of course :)

We started with her wing chair...

... in great shape, just in need of a new look. My client chose the same linen/cotton blend that I used here. It was a great choice...

We kept the look tailored, with a short straight skirt, piping on the cushion, and top-stitching everywhere else.

The top-stitching was tricky around the "telephone" arms, but my client was pleased with how they turned out, so that's all that matters ;)

Now it's all ready for it's new home!

Fyi: the cover on the pillow on the chair is the Indigo Engineer's Stripe from the Pillows For Good collection - head over here to see more fabulous farmhouse pillow options :)

Are you planning any spring refreshers for your home?

Sherri

P.S. Linking up here :)

A Family Affair

February 26, 2016 Sherri Rice

I recently completed a couple of small projects for a mother and daughter. Each project gave me the opportunity to try something new :)

The first project was a slipcover for an ottoman for the daughter - I had previously slipcovered this settee for her...

Here is the ottoman before...

She requested dropcloth (incorporating the seams for a bit of a rustic look) and sent a picture for inspiration. Here is the after...

I intentionally made the skirt just a little on the long side (just like the inspiration), but I kept the insets in the corner "pleats" just-to-the-floor length so they wouldn't bunch up when they hit the floor.

I was able to incorporate several original dropcloth seams in the top and in a couple of the side panels (first time to do that, and I think it makes for a fun detail!).

The skirt had a small flange inset in the seam to mimic the seam treatment around the top...

It all adds up to a new look for a favorite piece!

Next up were new slips for a couple of Parson's chairs for mom. They had slipcovers, but she wanted floor-length skirts instead...

She selected a beautiful natural-colored rustic linen/cotton blend (this was a new-to-me fabric). It washed up nicely and was a great weight for slipcovers (it will be making an appearance again!)....

She requested a simple, tailored fit...

Mini-piping trim and a blind hem around the skirt finished them off nicely...

And here they are in their "home"...

What a beautiful space!

Have you tried something new lately?

Sherri

P.S. Just a heads up that there are new fabrics coming to Pillows for Good shortly :)

For the Love of Ticking

October 16, 2015 Sherri Rice

I'm back! I took a bit of a longer-than-anticipated break from blogging, but as you can see from this new website/blog, it was for good reason :) If you have been following along on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter you have seen that I had the privilege of collaborating with Caitlin Powell Design to work through a re-branding process. And this new site is one of the results! Other pieces will roll out in the next few months. This branding project has been on my to-do list for some time, so it was great to spend some time and get it done right :)

And, now back to slipcovers!

I love ticking! When my client sent me this picture...

... and said that she wanted it done in ticking, I was all over that! She chose a black ticking from Fabric.com. So, when you change toile to ticking, this is what you get...

My client wanted a slightly looser fit, which worked great for the shape of this piece - no zipper closure was required.

The ticking complemented the track arms perfectly.

We chose to use a micro-cord for the trim - it was enough to finish the seams and highlight the lines of the piece, but not big enough for the stripes to make you cross-eyed.

A short skirt shows off the pretty legs.

This was a beautiful piece to work on; a little stripey update was all it needed :)

Sherri

P.S. Linking up here :)

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 :)

Making Well-loved Pieces New Again

June 12, 2015 Sherri Rice

August Blues - After, Chair and Ottoman3

I wanted to share a couple of pieces I recently completed that belong to the same household as this chair and ottoman...

My client had purchased a little extra fabric, so we did two more pieces - a large ottoman and an antique rocking chair.

The ottoman is affectionately knows as the "gypsy pad" and it has become a great place for the dogs to lounge. Here is where we started (after the pleated skirt in a third fabric was removed)...

We used the same denim as before, and changed up the style a little...

You can see the unusual shape here...

I used the three "lobes" of the ottoman as a guide to decide the size and spacing of the box pleats...

Now it will blend perfectly with the other pieces in the room!

There was a little fabric left, but not quite enough to do the next piece, so my client found a coordinating striped piece to do her antique rocking chair. The chair has been in the family a long time! And for good reason...

Isn't that a beautiful chair! Underneath the slipcover is a almost-mustard-color velvet, which was still in great shape, but just didn't go with the rest of the room. So, now it has some flirty pleats...

... and matching covered buttons ( I got to use my covered button-making machine - works great!). And then, I had to play with some back details, too...

August Blues - Rocking Chair Back Details

Familiar pieces all dressed up and ready to continue to serve the family :)

Sherri

Trying a New Denim

May 20, 2015 Sherri Rice

Sometimes our beloved animals are hard on furniture - can anyone relate? My client brought this chair and ottoman that had had some unwanted attention from a cat. And, somehow the tapestry fabric did not handle the attention very well. But, the chair was still very comfortable and had great lines, so slipcovers came to the rescue.

English roll arms and a rolled back? Yes, please!

My client wanted something in a natural color, that was also durable and washable for life with animals. We selected the bull denim recommended by The Slipcover Maker. And here is the After...

And here is the pair...

A simple design, with piping and knife pleats around the bottom.

August Blues - After, Chair and Ottoman2

The rolled back is such a elegant feature, I think...

I really like this fabric - it is sturdy, but soft enough to be able to work it around curves and fashion details like the pleats (and the price is very reasonable). I would definitely consider it for our home, if I thought I could get away with such a light color ;) Note: the shrinkage is about 6"/yd. so make sure you allow enough fabric for pre-washing!

Do you have a favorite slipcover fabric?

Sherri

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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