Designer Couch Make-over

August Blues - Tulips

Good morning and Happy Valentine's Day!

It's also a happy day because I have a new slipcover project to share with you :) Lots of in-process pictures for this one, so bear with me.

Here is the before...

August Blues - Couch Before

A 30-year old designer couch (which has been reupholstered at one point) - solid as a rock and a very classic style. This is a couch worth investing in! My client had several concerns we needed to address - her dogs (you will see one later) like to lounge on the couch (especially when no one is home ;) ), she was feeling like the color was a little too green, and she had a pair of chairs done with linen-style fabric slipcovers that she wanted this couch to blend better with.

August Blues - Side Chairs

This time she wanted a simpler look - topstitching instead of piping or flange trim. And she picked a gorgeous brushed cotton canvas from Pottery Barn - it's a little more pricey than regular cotton duck or canvas, but SO nice to work with.  It washed up beautifully, with minimal shrinkage, and is a great weight for a simple piece with few details.

Oh, the other issue we needed to deal with were a few "leaking" feathers from the down seat cushions. Well upon further investigation, the "few feathers" was actually this...

August Blues - Feathers

The fabric encasing the down was completely disintegrating! It's really amazing she only noticed a few feathers leaking out. Time to call in the big guns!

We ordered new down envelopes for the seat cushions (the back cushions were in much better condition; they just got new undercovers to catch whatever stray feathers might happen to escape). My client selected a 25/75 down/feather blend, and when they arrived they looked like this...

August Blues - Down Envelope

The structure of the cushion (minus the original feathers!) just slides right in there and zips closed. Well, "slides" might be simplifying it a little - it takes a little work, but this is what they look like after...

August Blues - New Down Envelope

So much better! Now that is something I can work with :)

Instead of piping, my client wanted top-stitching, sort of like a Restoration Hardware look. So I purchased a new top-stitching foot and it works great!

August Blues - Topstitching Foot

Ready for the After?

August Blues - Couch After

Look at the loft on those seat cushions! We tried them out - I could happily sit there for a long time :) And we did a tall skirt this time (part of the simpler look, and it matches the neighboring chairs). Here's a little closer look at the topstitching...

August Blues - Topstitching

And one more view...

August Blues - Action Shot

... photo-bombed by the doberman :) They have a pair of them, and they are the gentlest, most well-behaved dogs - when I was on my knees measuring for the skirt, they came to investigate and we were eye-to-eye and they were so sweet. I'll be doing some crate covers for them next :)

So, there you have it!

Just a housekeeping note: my next project is underway and I am booked pretty solid for the next few months (and I even have a project booked for the fall!!). For that reason, I will need to take a break from taking new orders for a couple of months - I don't want my waitlist to get too long! If you have talked with me about a project already and you are on my waitlist, we will be proceeding as planned. Otherwise, stay tuned - I'll be working as fast as I can and will open up the waitlist again soon, hopefully before the summer :)

Have a great day!

Sherri

P.S. Linking up here.

Monday Housekeeping

Happy-Monday

(source)

Happy Monday! Or maybe the "happy" depends on how your team did yesterday? ;)

In any case, I have a few things to share with you before I get back to work...

1. Speaking of work,  I have the best clients! And I am busy :) As I am working through my waitlist, family responsibilities are ensuring that I maintain part-time hours, but I am doing my best to streamline my processes to make the most of the work hours I have. I will be taking some time off this summer, so if you have projects in mind, let me know and I will add you to my waitlist and let's get those projects done!

2. I learn something new with each project. To complete this latest one (which I hope to show you soon), I needed to order new down envelopes for the seat cushions (see why?)...

augustblues on Instagram - feathers!

... a down envelope goes around a foam core and together it makes for a very comfortable cushion. If you want to add a luxurious touch to your slipcover project, down envelopes are a great option for a very reasonable price. This is what they look like...

August Blues - down envelope for seat cushion

The foam slides right in there! Let me know if you want to explore this option for your project (I'm eying a few pieces in my house that could use an upgrade)!

3. August Blues is now on Instagram! I'm just starting out and still figuring it all out, but you will find me at augustblues :)

augustblues on Instagram - Maple Scones

I posted these yesterday - Maple Scones (which were easy to make and delicious, by the way!) with the recipe from here.

4. Also, if you are a regular here, you may have noticed a new link on the sidebar. If you are thinking of trying out your slipcover skills and feel like you need a little guidance, check out the link at Custom Slipcovers By Shelley. She has made a great DVD that will walk you through the process in a low-stress, but professional way. She has lots of great tips - I got it when I was just starting out and I learned a lot! FYI - this is an affiliate link, so it helps out my bottom line a little, too, if you click through and make a purchase ;)

And now on to work... Have a wonderful, productive week!

Sherri

Snow Days and New Office Space

August Blues - Boys in the snow

I trust this finds you warm and dry this December day. We are currently enjoying Day 2 of what will be 3, and possibly 4, days of staying home due to icy conditions in our area. It looks like snow, but it really is ice - you can walk on it without breaking through to the grass.

And this ice is everywhere! Some have lost power - thankfully we have not, and our heating system is still working :)

We have been filling our days with a variety of activities. The boys have been going for walks and playing in the backyard. The Professor and I decided to start a mini kitchen renovation yesterday (see a sneak peak on Facebook). And today I made Monster cookies (similar to these) and made one of these for Maggie, the beagle (I used corduroy and flannel from my fabric stash). All activities have been cancelled for tomorrow, so maybe I'll start that slipcover project that has been waiting...

So, I also wanted to share the update of my new office space before I get into Christmas stuff :)

The front room of our house (the room you see and walk through when you come in the front door) is supposed to be the dining room. But, we have never used it as such - we just never needed that kind of space. So, it has served a variety of uses. A few years ago it looked like this...

August Blues - Front Room

... kind of a library/piano room.

Then, when I decided to start August Blues, it seemed like the best place to set up my sewing space. And it looked like this...

August Blues - Sewing Room

And obviously, this was taken before I really started working ;) Mostly, it looked like this...

August Blues - Sewing Room IRL

... which was usually, mostly functional. But, I got tired of seeing this when I came into the house each day and it was difficult to accommodate large pieces of furniture. One day, a client brought a chair-and-a-half and it's matching ottoman. The Professor and I were visiting with the client and her husband in this room (I tidied up first!), with her pieces in there, too. And I realized it just felt TOO crowded! So, I began to re-think how my workspace was situated in the house.

First, I moved my sewing space upstairs to what had been our playroom (you can see more about that here). That freed up this front room space for more of an office space, like this...

August Blues - Office

Much better! The front door is just to the right of this window wall. And I think I would like to see a wing chair in place of the smaller chair ;)

August Blues - Window Wall

August Blues - Buffet Wall

The "new" blue buffet in it's place...

August Blues - Front Door

You can see how the space leads into the family room beyond...

August Blues - View to familyl room

And from the stairs...

August Blues - Office from Stairs

I love working in this "new" space! And I have left room for larger furniture pieces to stay here while I work on them (small pieces can be moved to my upstairs workroom). And it's much more pleasant to walk into the house and see this :)

So, stay warm this evening, friends!

Sherri

Workroom Reveal

Finally done (mostly :) ) - my new workroom! Remember the "before"?

August Blues - Playroom Before

This upstairs room has been the boys' playroom. It has undergone a bit of a transformation and here it is now...

August Blues - Workroom Reveal

It needs a few finishing touches, but it's functional and working here is definitely a pleasure :) Let me show you around (I'm in the middle of a project, but I tidied up just for you)...

August Blues - Workroom Table

This table is actually the Norden dining table from IKEA. We purchased it for our last house which had a large dining room. Until we have another dining space that is suitable, it makes a great cutting table! The skirt is just stapled to the bottom of the table top. It makes for great (hidden!) storage underneath.

August Blues - Sewing Machine Station

These are the two machines I have had for years, since August Blues 1.0 with my mom. And the bench works really well for moving between them (the table and bench were both Craigslist finds). I think the pegboard needs a little something...

August Blues - Window View

See the trees out the window? Almost like working in a tree house :) These curtains have found a home in all of the houses we have owned - first they covered closets in our bedroom, then they curtained the front window in our front porch. I was so excited when I remembered I still had them - they are perfect for this space!

August Blues - Storage with Clock

On the other side of the window I created this little storage area. We have had the shelf forever, but the bins are new (from Lowes). They hold fabrics. The hat boxes and clock are also from IKEA. The curtain to the right conceals a yet-to-be-organized storage area for my personal fabric and craft supplies.

August Blues - new Juki

Here she is - I'm still getting used to her, but she is a hard worker :) The table on the right is where homework happens in the evenings. It will be replaced with a smaller, rectangular table that fits the space a little better. And just for a dose of reality...

August Blues - Playroom Disorganization

Yes, this is the sad state of the rest of the room. I did take over half of the boys' playroom - my youngest watched me measure the space out and then reported to Grandma that he now only had 9' of space to play in! Never fear, I have a plan for this space, too, and it does include the toys and space to play ;) I will share it as soon as we get it finished (and you can hold me to that!). I think the boys will be quite excited when they rediscover their toys :)

One last view...

August Blues - WorkRoom2

MANY thanks to the boys for agreeing to share their space with me and to the Professor for all the help and heavy lifting he provided (do you know how much that Juki weighs?)! And now I need to top up my coffee and get back to work (I am now booking projects for January)!

Have you made a workspace just for you?

Sherri

P.S. I linked up here :) Check out all the other great projects!

A Celebration

I hope you have had a chance to enjoy this Labor Day weekend! I spent some time "laboring" today, but I am also celebrating - August Blues Slipcover Studio has been in business for 2 years!

One never knows for sure when going into business for yourself how exactly things will go. But I can say, God has been good and I am so happy to be doing what I am doing! In my first blog post (ever!)  8 months ago I wrote about Growth. I can can certainly see that growth has been happening - projects have been coming in more steadily, I am getting referrals, I can upgrade my equipment, I am re-thinking my workspace to make it "work" better, and my waitlist is telling me I am booked through to Christmas!

August Blues - Parson's chair in dropcloth

So, on this day I send out my deep thanks to my amazing customers (especially to Tonya Adam of When Pigs Fly, who took a chance and was my first customer - see her Parson's chairs above), to the Professor for letting me fly with this dream, my boys for putting up with the chaos and "Mom needs some work time," to friends in real life who have provided encouragement, and to friends and followers of this blog and on Facebook who have spread the word. And mostly, I thank God who blessed me with these skills and the opportunity to put them to use  - it's truly a gift!

Happy Labor Day!

Sherri

New Website!

Hope you are having a good weekend!

I just wanted to pop in to let you know that my new website has just been launched. I am SO EXCITED!!! I apologize if you have been trying to access it during the last few days - we had some technical difficulties (ok, I missed a little step along the way :/ ).

Anyway, please check it out here...

Thanks for joining me on this journey!

Sherri

Friday Five

Hello there! How has your week been? I don't know where mine went; well, I guess I do - we have all been under the weather and it finally caught up with me. Yay that it's not strep throat, boo that I have a sinus infection, yay that it was caught early. So, onto the five...

1. I have been working on an amazing slipcover project. It's for a pair of wing chairs and I can't wait to share it with you :)

2. I have also been working on redesigning my website at augustblues.com - now I'm just waiting for it to be launched on the web. I'll keep you posted on Facebook in the meantime!

3. In other slipcover news, I entered this contest, just for fun. There are some REALLY talented seamstresses around, so it's very inspiring to see all the entries. These are last year's winners - amazing! Wish me luck!

4. Oh yeah, our boys have one more week of school and somehow our youngest is already looking like a first-grader - how does that happen? I think our oldest is just ready to be done school - praying he can last 4 more days!

5. Ok, I'm having trouble coming up with 5 things (I guess it's been that kind of week), so I thought maybe you would enjoy a picture of our dogs...

August Blues - beagle

August Blues - chihuahua

Yep, kind of how I feel today ;) Tempting though it is, I will carry on with my day - going to mail my contest entry, do a bit of sewing, and then attend a couple of year-end parties at school :)

Have a great weekend!

Sherri

Master Designer

Just popping in to say... did you notice the new button on my sidebar? The fancy blue one? I can across this when I first started following blogs and thought if I ever had a blog, I would add it. Well, I came across  it again the other day and now I have a blog so I could use it :) And I was able to figure out how to add it - even better! This concept comes from Darlene at Fieldstone Hill Design and it goes as follows...

MD-manifesto-400w1

Isn't that great? If you would like to add this buttton to your website/blog, click here and follow the instructions. And while you are there, take a look around Darlene's blog - lots of gorgeous eye-candy!

Have a great weekend!

Sherri

P.S. I have been working on some great slipcover projects, but I am thinking I will enter some of them here, so will need to wait to share them until after the contest is over ;)