Fresh Couch

June 27, 2014 Sherri Rice

Hi there! I'm just wrapping up a couple of projects before I take a vacation break. And I LOVE how this one turned out :) Remember these projects?

Matelasse Wing Chairs

Dining Room Chairs

Well, this time we worked on the couch in this client's formal living room (I have to say that she has the most beautiful home!).

It's a Calico Corners couch in a classic style. My client was just having some difficulty working with the green color. And she wanted to update the look a little. She contemplated several fabric options, but settled on a great choice - Pottery Barn curtain panels in a weighty linen-cotton blend (these are similar). She pre-washed (and dried) them and they worked very well :)

Isn't that a beautiful room? And there is the couch, newly dressed. My client also removed the original skirt so we could do a shorter version - just enough to let the dark legs peak out.

Corner pleats and tailored arm covers.

And then we tried out a pillow that my client had made...

I know she is playing with several other pillow fabric options :)

In the end, the best result: "It is exactly what I wanted!"

One more project to go...

Have a great weekend!

Sherri

P.S. When I am not hanging out with my family or sewing, I am enjoying these new home design pleasures: reading The Nesting Place by Myquillyn Smith (aka The Nester) and watching Fixer Upper on HGTV. You must check them out if you haven't already - so much inspiration!!

P.P.S. Linking up here :)

Grain Sack Desk Chair Slipcover

June 12, 2014 Sherri Rice

Here is a simple project with a great fabric. My client sent the chair and the fabric and said "Surprise me!" That's just all kinds of fun :) Here is the chair before; a simple upholstered desk chair with arms...

And here is the After...

August Blues - Desk Chair with grain sack slipcover

The fabric is grain sack fabric purchased from Decor Steals, a daily deals website. It is a wonderful weight and has great texture. When it is offered, Decor Steals typically sells this fabric in a variety of colors, in 3yd pieces. My primary goal was to keep the design simple to let the fabric shine :)

August Blues - pleats at the curve of the arm

I treated the arm like an English roll arm, with pleats where the arms curves.

I matched the stripes all the way down the front. And wrapped the front skirt piece around the front of the arm.

I kept the back simple, adding a zipper at the back corner to make it easy to take off. And matched the stripes around to the back...

We opted to top-stitch the seams, instead of adding piping - keeping it simple!

I finished the bottom edge with a simple blind hem.

August Blues - desk chair grain sack slipcover

A pretty perch for productivity :)

Have you made anything with grain sack fabric?

Sherri

Old World Couch

June 7, 2014 Sherri Rice

Summer has officially started at our house. The boys had their first day off from school yesterday, which is why this post did not get posted yesterday. We started the day with oatmeal chocolate chip pancakes with maple syrup, which, I have to say, were quite yummy (I think, because part way through making them, I realized that I forgot to do my usual 1/2 oil, 1/2 applesauce trick and did the full amount of oil instead)! The Professor took the boys out in the morning to do some errands/activities so I could get some sewing done. Then, because there were REPEATED requests for an ice cream treat when they came back, I quickly pulled together a summer chore chart, so that ice cream treats could be earned. They boys were quite enthusiastic about that; we will see how long that enthusiasm lasts :) So, now I get to show you this project (some of you have already had a peek :)! Not only is it a great before-and-after, but together we were able to bring my client's vision to life. And she had a very clear vision, so all I had to do was put the slipcover together :)

Here is the couch before...

It was a solid Norwalk-brand couch that was just in need of a fresh, new look. So, here is the after...

It's a new couch!! My client wanted an "old-world" look, so she and her husband picked this great mix of chenilles - a solid, an animal print, a burgundy swirly pattern, and a burgundy and gold geometric (the paisley cushions she already had). Since this is a busy household with boys and dogs, we pre-washed all the fabrics. And while I was putting the slipcover together, she found that great rug that pulls all her colors together - it was a Home Goods find :) !

You can see how we mixed up the fabrics - I took careful notes to make sure all the right fabrics ended up in the right places :) And then we added 4 different kinds of trims to the pillows...

Two kinds on the couch (plus the animal print piping) and two more here...

...and here (it's hard to see in the picture, but this pillow was an off-the-shelf one that we added trim to to dress it up)...

And the best result? My client said, "It looks exactly like the picture I had in my head!" Mission accomplished :)

Oh, and my client? She blogs over at Sassie Aspie Mom; if you have been around here for awhile and you check out her blog, you will see that we connected over more than fabrics and slipcovers :) We both agreed, it's been a God-thing.

So, today is Day 2 of summer, and we are off to enjoy a geocaching adventure with some neighbors. Have a wonderful weekend!

Sherri

Friday Five

May 23, 2014 Sherri Rice

Happy Friday! It's been awhile since I have added anything here. Not for lack of work, but just not much to show, since I need to spend my time sewing (and looking after my family!). But, today I thought a Friday Five would be fun, so here we go... :)

1. Going to the dogs... I was going to give this it's own post, but there's not much to tell, except that dogs can have their own slipcovers, too! My client had a couple of large crates that she wanted to have blend into the decor a little more. So we had just enough fabric left over from this job to do this...

Top-stitched to match the couch :)

2. And what would a slipcover for dogs be without a quick peak at the buddies that live at our house...

This one is beagle through and through, but with very intense eyes, so she always looks quite serious.

And this one is our senior dog - going on 14! We have had her since she was 13 months, and she is the Professor's first dog :)

3. A conversation about dogs and slipcovers inevitably leads to laundry (at least in my house!), so I am SO EXCITED to report that these beauties (here and here - and this is not a sponsored post - Lowes has no idea who I am ) will be arriving at out house in 4 days! My mother will attest to the fact that our dryer has been in need of replacement for several years (yes, years!), so we will now have a pair that will work reliably and will have a larger capacity to handle all your fabric washing needs :) And did I mention we have the SMALLEST laundry room ever? First world problem, I know, but it is in the process of a little make-over, which I will show you, if we ever get it done ;)

4. In other exciting news, our oldest has been taking pictures with an old phone that he likes to play with. And I love what he is capturing! Here are some samples...

(Good thing I cleaned the bathroom!) These are unedited by me, except to add the watermarks. I can't wait to see what else he does!

5. And speaking of our oldest, we are embarking on a new therapy adventure with him, starting later this summer. We are very excited about the possibilities for him, but it has meant much communication between us and the therapist, and with the school, to set things up for the fall - part of why I have been a little absent from this place :)

So, Happy Memorial Day weekend, everyone - may it be a great time of remembrance and fun :)

Sherri

P.S. I have some great projects coming up - chenille and tassels, grainsack, and linen (not all the same project ;P )

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 :)

CUTE Boudoir Chair

April 18, 2014 Sherri Rice

Happy Friday, Good Friday, that is! Just finished another project, and dropcloth came to the rescue again :) The goal with this latest project was to tone down the bright colors of this really cute boudoir chair...

So that's what we did...

You know I couldn't resist having a little fun with this one :)

Tall skirt with box pleats...

And there was a little photobombing going on...

I think she was waiting for me to put HER chair back in it's spot!

There were some curves to be accounted for, and my client opted for just top-stitching...

And with all those curves, the back had to have something special...

All dressed up and ready to go!

Have you made anything with dropcloth?

Sherri

P.S. You can see more of my dropcloth projects here and here :)

P.P.S. Linking up here.

Joy in the Fog

April 2, 2014 Sherri Rice

April is Autism Awareness Month, and if you have been following for awhile, you know that our oldest has autism. He is one of the now 1 in 68 kids (and 1 in 42 boys!) who is given this diagnosis.

I caught this picture the other morning, on our way to school. I LOVE that every morning, our oldest skips/runs all the way to school. We have to remind him to slow down and check for traffic, etc., but really, that is SOO much better than having to fight to get him out the door. He really enjoys school and we have been blessed with a great school for him to go to.

But, I love this picture because it represents a little of what this journey is like for our family. There is fog, lots of unknowns; and some days are foggier than others. But, there is also MUCH joy. Some days we have to fight for it (it's why I keep a list), and some days it's right there in front of us for the taking. But, isn't that what all of life is like?

So, I say my piece for Autism Awareness... because with numbers like that, you and your kids will encounter kids and adults who are on the spectrum. I was trying to put into words what I would like Autism Awareness to mean, and then I read what Kalyn Falk wrote and thought I would share her words instead...

"This is what I propose: On April 2nd, can we make two promises?

First, that we won’t pity people with autism or parents of those people. Because pity is the twin sister of hatred. It keeps a wedge between us and, trust me, it doesn’t help you see the beauty and gift that each person with autism has to offer and it doesn’t dignify that person or their parents. Curiosity, care and enjoyment might be better ways to go.

Second, could we declare April 2nd to be one day where we don’t talk about cures, vaccines, miracles or supplements? We just need one day when other people can simply accept the fact that autism exists and that the first goal should not be about how to eradicate it. As Temple Grandin, chief spokesperson for autistic people everywhere, suggests, without autism, there would be no electricity, no computers, no brilliant mathematicians or artists. Without autism, we’d be one big episode of Big Brother, where all people do is play a social game and not accomplish anything. So instead of trying to vilify autism and suggest ways that I can work harder at curing my child, would you instead like to buy my kid a Slurpee or take him out for a cheeseburger or (if you’re too scared to spend time with him) buy a gift to celebrate a parent or person who works with someone with autism?

The promise I can make in return is to remember that Autism isn’t the only thing I need to be aware of. Even though my world is coloured by this particular word, I can promise to remember that you may have a word that colours your world, and I will try to be curious and caring about that."

from “Mother of the Year and Other Elusive Awards: Misadventures in Autism," by Kalyn Falk (you can follow her here, too)

Enough said.

Sherri

P.S. A couple of links if you want more information:

10 Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew.
a great descriptive video from the Dutch Autism Association
And more of our story is here and here.

Dropcloth and Pleats

March 27, 2014 Sherri Rice

August Blues - Wing Chair dropcloth slipcover

I just finished this project. It was kind of a treat, since I haven't worked with dropcloth in awhile. I know it's not fancy fabric, but somehow working with dropcloth always feels a little like coming home. One of my first projects, when I was considering launching this business, was this chair...

...which actually was a bit of an inspiration for this latest project (you can see more of my dropcloth projects here).

We started with this...

...which apparently started out as a found-by-the-side-of-the-road chair and was reupholstered. I'd like to find that kind of furniture by the side of the road!

My client just wanted a new look, so she went with dropcloth (10 oz), and we came up with this...

August Blues - Dropcloth Wing Chair Front View

(Sorry for the slightly blurry photo - still working out the kinks with my new camera). The dropcloth covered all that bold plaid so well!!

The goal was a simple, tailored cover with pleats and top-stitching (and no piping). It's a pretty curvy chair, so fitting it was interesting. But I tried not to fuss with it too much, since the fabric has an inherently casual look anyway.

August Blues - Dropcloth with Topstitching Detail

I did something a little unconventional with the pleats around the front of the arm...

August Blues - Dropcloth with Front Pleat variation

My client requested no front arm panel, so the fabric had to wrap around. I tried doing open pleats, but, because of the curves of the arm, they stood out funny and just looked obvious in a not-good way (how's that for a technical description?). So, since we were top-stitching anyway, I decided to try stitching the pleats down. It adds a interesting detail and keeps the look tailored.

More details around the back...

August Blues - Dropcloth Back View with ties

And then I snuck in a zipper along the side to make taking the slipcover on and off a little easier...

And the matching ottoman...

A new look for a great piece of furniture :)

August Blues - Dropcloth Wing Chair and Ottoman

Have you ever rescued any furniture from the side of the road?

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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