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 :)

Subtle Alterations Can Change Everything

July 15, 2015 Sherri Rice

This project required a simple slipcover, but we made a few other changes that resulted in a dramatically updated couch - makes for a great before-and-after! Before...

... a well-loved couch, sturdy, but in need of an update.

As with any renovation project, we started with the structure, before we did the cover. The couch sat quite low to the ground, so, based on the starting seat height, we determined that the width of a 2x4 would be enough to raise the seat height to a standard 18". My client's father built three frames of 2x4s to raise the couch . Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture, but there was one for each end, and one for the middle that the frame of the couch rested on. It made a big difference, both in appearance and function!

Once the new seat height was established, we could construct the new cover. Dropcloth was the fabric of choice, which provided a neutral backdrop for patterned pillows to come. We decided on a simple, traditional slipcover style...

August Blues - Dropcloth slipcover after

A completely new look! The other "structural" change was the addition of new custom inserts for the back cushions. We increased the size slightly over what we started with and filled them with cluster polyfill for resilience. The smaller, rectangular cushions (not pictured here) were also replaced with new down inserts.

August Blues - dropcloth slipcover arm after

Just piping trim and a simple, tailored skirt (with a corner pleat that didn't get pressed quite right :/).

Subtle changes for a fresh, new look for more years of comfortable use :)

Sherri

The Chair with Two Left Feet

April 30, 2015 Sherri Rice

...or When a $5 Craigslist Chair is Just a $5 Craigslist Chair :) This is a story about a chair...

I thought the corner of our front room (my office/furniture holding room) needed a little something, a chair specifically. I like wing chairs for the height they bring to a seating arrangement, so I went to Craigslist to see what I could find. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a chair whose primary job was to fill a space and look good (with a slipcover, of course), so when I spotted one nearby for $5, I contacted the seller about details and we went to have a look.

The seat cushion was attached, not my favorite, but the rest of the chair seemed ok - sturdy enough, the fabric was in good shape, and it didn't smell funny. So, we took it... I mean, it was $5! And, I soon realized why it was only $5...

When we were loading the chair, I noticed that one of the back legs had been put on wrong. Well, that would be an easy fix. Once we got it home, I attempted to fix that rogue leg and realized that both back legs were the same, as in they both belonged on the same side of the chair. And the legs were plastic, not wood :/ And then (yes, there is more!) I looked more closely and noticed that both front legs also belonged to the same side of the chair. Who makes a chair like that??? And who pays money for a chair like that? Ahem...

Well, I didn't get around to slipcovering it for awhile and eventually that chair got moved to the bedroom. And then I noticed that my favorite chair (not the one with two left feet, but another one that actually was a great Craigslist find) was being used to hold the Professsor's clothes - what?! So, the Craigslist chair promptly got moved to his side of the room , so I could use my favorite chair for actually sitting in! And then, finally I had time to make a slipcover :)

I used a chunk of dropcloth, and added some leftover white piping. I didn't have enough fabric to make a long skirt to hide the wonky legs, but since the chair's new job was to hold clothes, I figured no one would notice. And here it is...

August Blues - Dropcloth Sliipcover After1

Whew, much better, even if it is actually as off kilter as it looks in the picture! It now blends perfectly with the rest of the bedroom decor and is beautifully serving it's purpose.

August Blues - Dropcloth Slipcover Close-up

Now, the lesson to be learned could be "buyer beware when shopping Craigslist" and that's a great lesson. However...

August Blues - Dropcloth Slipcover After2

...I'm going to go with the Nester, who says "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful."

Can I get an "Amen!" to that?

Sherri

P.S. And can I just ask, can we make clothing-holding chairs a thing?? Because, I'm pretty sure we all have them... ;)

It's a Vintage Revival

April 16, 2015 Sherri Rice

Sometimes the right thing comes along at the right time, even if it wasn't quite what you originally had in mind. Such was the case for my client with this pair of vintage chairs. In perfect shape and at a great price, they filled the need for a couple of chairs for a sitting area.

Now it was time for a new look, something a little more neutral to show off the wonderful cushions she makes (see her shop here). So, she chose dropcloth and went with the 10 oz weight, which was perfect for the simple style she wanted. And, here is the After...

No piping, and a waterfall skirt give this chair contemporary, clean lines.

I wrapped the existing foam cushions in new batting and gave them an underslip before putting them in their new covers.

To manage the curve of the front and back, I followed the original seam lines with my fabric panels.

And now this pair has a new lease on life!

Have you found anything vintage for your home lately?

Sherri

Dressed Up Dining Chairs

December 26, 2014 Sherri Rice

Happy day-after-Christmas, or Boxing Day as it's known in Canada (and other Commonwealth nations)! I am home in a quiet house with the boys, while the Professor takes his family out to check out the sales. It was a good Christmas, in spite of a couple of us having the flu (yay for Tamiflu!). I hope you enjoyed your Christmas as well. I was hoping to share this project with you before Christmas, but flu happened and Christmas came anyway, so here it is now :)

I have done a number of projects for this client over the last few years...

Those chairs are among my most pinned projects! Dropcloth has been the fabric of choice, so we stayed with it for this project for the dining room. Here are the chairs...

There are 4 side chairs and 2 arm chairs in the set. These chairs have great sentimental value, so my client wanted something special that would blend with what we had already done. We decided on a gathered skirt with horizontal pleats, like this...

August Blues - Antique Chair with Ticking Skirt

But, it was a challenge to make the ruffles go all around the back because of all the spindles. And, since the seats were just wood, my client requested a little padding for the seat area. And here is the after...

I made a pocket for 1/2" foam to be inserted in the seat area (the foam can be pulled out so the rest of the cover can be washed). The ruffled skirt attached to the back part of the seat with tabs and velcro. Grosgrain ribbon joined the ends of the skirt.

The side chairs required a slightly different treatment at the back, because of the additional spindles that jutted out from the rest of the back...

The gathers and pleats were such simple, but pretty details!

It was fun to set them up in my kitchen :)

Don't you think they fit right in? Special touches for some special pieces :)

Sherri

A Walk on the {elegant} Wild Side

October 17, 2014 Sherri Rice

I have been in the slipcover business for just over 3 years (when did that happen?!?) and this project was my first opportunity to work with linen. I wasn't avoiding it - it just wasn't what my clients were choosing. And now I think I am in love :) I love the organic texture and drape that just can't be duplicated. And now I have a couple more linen projects on my list :) So, let's have a look...

We started with this antique wicker loveseat that had belonged to my client's grandmother (always a great place to start!)...

The red upholstery was not original ;) But, it wouldn't work well under the lighter colored linen, so we decided to take it off and I did a not-fancy upholstery job with a couple of layers of dropcloth to give us a neutral base to start. No, I am not going into the upholstery business!

Ahh, much better!

Then the fun began, with these ingredients...

... neutral zebra-print linen and a collection of vintage buttons. My client just wanted a simply-styled cover, so I came up with this...

August Blues - Finished Loveseat Slipcover

Sweet and simple. The cover was shaped around the posts and closed with the mis-matched buttons and tabs. The bottom edge was finished with a simple blind hem.

My client also requested a bevy of throw pillows for the loveseat and other places around the room. She included a solid, rustic linen for this part of the project. Time to play!

The largest pillows (20") were done in the solid linen, with a zebra flange and french pleats at the corners.

The 18" pillows were done in the zebra, with looped button closure using mother-of-pearl buttons I had on hand.

Yes, that is a functional closure (one of my pet peeves is pillows with buttons that don't work - weird, I know ;) ).

The lumbar pillows were done in the solid linen, with a center panel of pin-tucks and more zebra flange.

Just an fyi - the down pillow inserts came from Cutting Corners. They have stores in Dallas and Fort Worth (and a few other cities), but we weren't making a trip there, so I took advantage of their FREE shipping (and they have a Design Pro discount if you are in the design business). The inserts got to me within a couple of days and worked great (no, I don't get any compensation for this - they just give great service!). And, yes, order them 2" bigger than the intended size of your covers - it really makes a for a nice, plump pillow.

And there you have it - a little wild and a lot elegant :)

Do you use animal prints in your home?

Sherri

Designer Couch 2.0

July 25, 2014 Sherri Rice

If you have been following me on Facebook or Instagram, you may have gathered that we have been out of town. We enjoyed an 11-day road trip through much of the Southwest, including the Grand Canyon and other spectacular sights. It was a GREAT trip; I will try to share more about it in another post :) Just before we left, I finished another slipcover project. This one was a 2.0 of a project I did a few months back. My client wanted to try a different look on her couch. So, here is the original Before...

... and this is how it looked after we added new down envelopes to the seat cushions and made a new slipcover (details here)...

So, this time around, we did a dropcloth version of the slipcover...

Lighter and brighter! My client chose 8oz dropcloth from Sherwin Williams; they washed up beautifully soft, but seemed to have more variation in texture than the Lowes ones I have used more often. We did a tall skirt again, and top-stitched the seams.

August Blues - Dropcloth Slipcover Front

From the front - soft and inviting. And look at that gorgeous dough bowl! My client has a great eye for mixing antique and vintage pieces in a way that is fresh and comfortable.

Perfect for summer (and finished just in time) :)

Have you done any projects with dropcloth lately?

Sherri

P.S. Linked 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.

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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