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 ;)

Traditional Meets Preppy, with Color!

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

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

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 :)

Inspired Parsons Chair

I finished this project a few months ago - please ignore the Christmas tree in the pictures :) My client brought her chair (that she had already painstakingly stripped of its upholstery fabric), beautiful lightweight linen fabric, and an inspiration picture. Mmmm... more linen :)

Here is the inspiration picture, provided by the inimitable L.S. Slipcovers of Houston (follow them on Instagram for more inspiration!)...

LS Slipcovers Parsons Chair Slipcovers

Amazing, right?

Here is our version...

August Blues - Parsons Chair After

I decided to self-line the linen so it would support the design better. And, of course, all the fun is around the back...

August Blues - Parsons Chair Back View

My client requested covered buttons for the back, the perfect finishing touch...

August Blues - Parsons Chair Covered Buttons

A timeless design in a timeless fabric.

August Blues - Parsons Chair Slipcover

There may be more of these coming (I may need to get one of those covered button making machines!) :)

Sherri

New Life for a Nursery Rocker

We are all back to work/school after Spring Break (if you follow on Instagram, you will have seen some of our adventures), and it is good! This project is a great example of how a little creativity can prolong the useful life of a quality piece of furniture. My client had an adorable rocker that she had used in her kids' nursery. It was custom made locally, and was a great piece that she was hoping to save for her kids to use for their own families. But she didn't want it to just hang out in storage. Here it is...

August Blues - Chair Before

You may have noticed that this chair has legs, not rockers. My client was able to remove the rockers and replace them with pretty legs. Now this chair can go anywhere an extra seat is needed!

My client chose linen for the slipcover (I believe it was Snow Glynn Linen from Covington). She requested a gathered skirt and piping trim. And here it is...

August Blues - linen slipcover after

The gathered skirt was perfect for the curvy form of the chair. It was finished with a blind hem.

August Blues - Arm Front

Reminds me of this chair I did in dropcloth...

Augusst Blues - Inspiration and Inspired

Because of the curves, we opted to do a zipper down the middle of the back, concealed behind a faux button placket...

August Blues - Button Placket

The linen just seemed to need mother-of-pearl buttons :)

August Blues - Button Placket

Now the chair has grown up and is ready for it's new place in the guest room.

August Blues - Before and After

Do you have a chair, or other furniture piece, you can repurpose?

Sherri

P.S. Linking up here :)

More Linen Loveliness

August Blues - Before

Linen has been the fabric this fall, at least in my workroom. And I am not complaining! This time, the project was slipcovers for a pair of Ethan Allen club chairs with attached back cushions and the matching ottoman - well-loved, but in need of refreshing...

My client chose a creamy white weighty linen - Glynn linen from Covington. This linen has a beautiful weight and comes in lots of colors. I pre-washed and dried it, and then got to work. Here is the after (pillow is mine)...

August Blues - Linen Slipcover After1

This linen covered the high-contrast print better than we anticipated, so an underslip was not necessary. My client loved the double corner pleats I had done on a chair for my Mom, so we did the same here. And I left them unpressed to add some feminine flair to the simple design.

August Blues - Double Pleats

As these chairs may go back to their printed version at some point, we left the back cushions attached, and just covered them all in one piece.

August Blues - Attached Back Cushion

And now these pieces are ready to take their place, just in time for the holidays.

August Blues - Linen Slipcover After2

Do you have any linen pieces in your house?

Sherri

Trying Something New

Today was {mostly} a day off, so my Mom and I could have some much-needed girl-time. My family all lives in Canada, so these days are few and far between - we take advantage of these opportunities whenever we can! But, I wanted to quickly share this project; it was a continuation of this ensemble project. Yes, more linen was involved :) My client has a special bench in her entry that needed a little padding (it's made from a large, antique door!). She had a long cushion from Ballard Designs that just wasn't the right size, so we took this opportunity to make something to fit exactly. And she wanted a cushion for the back, too.

The style she was looking for? The French Mattress look - rustic linen, with lots of hand-tufting. And here is the result...

French Mattress -style Cushions

(the bench in the picture is my own)

August Blues - Cushions4

August Blues - Cushions

August Blues - Cushions2

It was a lot of work (both cushions were 6' long! Many thanks to my Mom who helped manage all the length while I tufted :)), but once I got into the rhythm of it, it went more quickly. And my client was pleased with how they turned out. So, now I think I need one for myself (and then I may include more of a tutorial, when I think ahead to take more in-process pictures :)).

What do you think of the French Mattress look?

Sherri

P.S. My client sent these pictures of the cushions installed at her house :)

August Blues - Cushions Installed3

Isn't that a gorgeous bench?

August Blues - Cushions Installed 7