#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.

Crisp and Tailored

My client knew exactly what she wanted for this next project - tailored, white slipcovers. The only thing that changed in the course of planning was the size of the project - we started with one sleeper sofa, but then she purchased the same sofa in a non-sleeper version to replace a sectional that just wasn't working for them. 

Unfortunately, I don't have any "before" pictures, but both of these pieces are "Axis" style couches from Crate and Barrel. She chose white 12oz duck cloth and this was the outcome...

We opted for no skirt, just taking the slipcover almost down to the floor. And I think I am a fan of those simple track arms :)

This one is the sleeper - I treated it the same as the other, but installed a zipper around the seat deck to make it easy to access the pull-out bed without removing the whole slipcover.

Just very simple. But, those throw pillows! My client has the best collection - every time I install a slipcover, she brings out all these perfectly mixed-and-matched pillows - wait until you see the whole room!

Such a great space, made lighter and brighter with the white slipcovers...

A perfect summer look, just in time for the Texas heat!

Do lighten your home for summer?

Sherri

Time to Lighten Up

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!

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 :)

Craigslist For The Win

When my client first contacted me about a slipcover project, she had a particular chair and ottoman in mind. When it came time to discuss fabric options, she had found this chair and ottoman set on Craiglist and wanted it done instead. But this was no ordinary Craigslist find - these were Quatrine pieces, in like-new condition!!

The only issue were the red slipcovers - not my client's style. But, that's an easy fix ;)

She had another Quatrine piece that had a pique-type fabric, so she was looking for something similar. We landed on a beautiful white linen/cotton blend from Gray Line Linen. Once it was washed and dried, it had that great pique texture that she was going for!

She knew she wanted knife pleats all around the bottom. And, to mix things up just a little, we used white denim for the piping.

Here's a close-up of the texture of the fabric...

English roll arms are always a classic feature...

We finished off the project with little slips for a couple of footstools. This time we used the denim for the main slipcover and did the pleats in the linen/cotton blend (this shows the before and after)...

A new look more in keeping with my client's style :)

Sherri

P.S. Linking up here :)