Master Designer

May 24, 2013 Sherri Rice

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...

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 ;)

I ♥ Slipcovers

May 6, 2013 Sherri Rice

Happy Monday! Bit of a rough start over here this morning - I have a cold, sent one boy to school slightly under the weather, and the beagle gave us a scare by escaping from her harness during her walk this morning. But, she's back and now we are proceeding with our day.

Just wanted to pop in to say I LOVE SLIPCOVERS!! Ok, that's not news, but here is a great illustration why...

This chair had a large coffee spill on it the other day. I gave it a little Spray and Wash, threw it in the washer, sent it through the dryer and look...

Good as new! Try that with upholstery ;)

Have a great week!

Sherri

It's a Saturday Six (?)

May 4, 2013 Sherri Rice

Well, this was supposed to be a Friday Five, but yesterday was kind of a full day, so I'll do it today :) Here is how the week went... 1. Monday we spent the morning visiting the neurodevelopmental optometrist with our oldest and found out how much vision therapy could cost :( I guess we have some decisions to make. But we also learned that his prism lenses have done their job and he is no longer required to wear them.

2. Tuesday, my Mom and I got to deliver and install six dining room chair slipcovers. Here is a sneak peak...

The client was happy :) And we got to take home another chair and fabric for the next project.

3. Wednesday was a catch-up day - laundry, errands, prep the sewing room for the next project, etc. Ever need days like that?

4.Thursday I made 20 yards of white piping and brainstormed ideas for these next chairs. And, since all work and no play is no fun, Mom and I visited The DIME Store - I found the cutest mushroom pincushion...

... and Mom got a feather print like mine. Then we went to Scrap Denton and I was able to donate a large bag of my fabric and batting scraps - woohoo!

5. Friday was kindergarten field trip day - we spent an enjoyable few hours at the Frank Buck Zoo in Gainsville. If you are in the area and have littles, it is really worth the trip! The best part (besides hanging out with my youngest) was the blue-tongue skink that they showed off during the program - those were my Mom's nemesis during our time in Australia all those years ago, so it was fun to see one again (picture here)!

Then, the evening was date night! The best part about that (besides hanging out with the Professor, without the boys in tow) was discovering that our local Fuddruckers now carries the Napa Valley Salad :) Have you had it? I first tried it 4 or 5 years ago in Great Falls, MT and have been WAITING for it to be available here.

6. And now we come to Saturday... Our youngest was supposed to have soccer pictures, practice and a game this morning, but he has come down with something "coldish", so we stayed home. And truthfully, I don't think anyone minded. We love to watch him play...

... but our last few Saturdays have been very busy, so it has been great to have a more relaxed day to get caught up (and write blog posts!).

We have really been enjoying having my parents here from Canada for a visit - the boys like to share their stories with them and we love the company and extra hands :) How has your week been?

Happy Saturday evening!

Sherri

Dressmaker Details

April 24, 2013 Sherri Rice

Let's talk slipcovers... I know, finally, right?!? The slipcover project I have been working on for the last while has got me thinking about slipcovers and the details that can really make them special. This current project has a lot of details!

I remember when I was first introduced to the idea of using clothing construction and embellishment techniques on slipcovers. I was reading a magazine article (in Country Home, maybe?) about a homeowner who used a lot of slipcovers in her decorating and the article highlighted all the "dressmaker details" on those slipcovers (ok, now I have to go look for that article). I think I had made a few slipcovers by then, but they were really just a means to an end at that time and not particularly enjoyable to make (good thing that has changed!). But the ideas of using these special sewing details stuck in my head. Fast forward to today and, thanks to years of practice sewing clothes, they are one of my favorite things to add to a slipcover project :)

Here are some samples from past projects...

Button closure with top-stitching along the edge...

August Blues - button closure under the arm

Another button closure, this time under the arm, with contrasting piping...

Contrasting knife-pleat trim...

August Blues - piping, grosgrain trim, and contrasting knife pleats

Lots on this one - contrasting knife pleat trim, piping, and grosgrain ribbon!

Ribbon tie closure under the arm, with piping trim around the opening...

Ribbon lacing down the back...

Tiny ruffle trim with piping...

August Blues - ruffle skirt with horizontal tucks

And a ruffle skirt with horizontal tucks (this was inspired by a little girl's Easter dress!).

So, look at the details on your clothes and perhaps you will find inspiration for your own slipcover! Please feel free to browse my Facebook page and website for more ideas. I've also gathered ideas from all over the web here :)

Happy Wednesday!

Sherri

P.S. I'm working on redesigning my website - I'll let you know when it's ready ;)

Just popping in...

April 18, 2013 Sherri Rice

...to say hi! And wow, what a week - I am continuing to pray for Boston, and now for West, TX.

And I am not forgetting about this little blog, I'm just in the middle of a large slipcover project and I'm "in the zone" (does anyone say that anymore?) and these days are relatively free from other distractions (well, besides laundry, meal-making, shuttling kids, etc.) so I am just going to go with it. See you on the other side :)

Sherri

P.S. If you are struggling with your craft today, just. read. this... (and bookmark it so you can come back to it whenever you need to). You are welcome :)

I'm Back!

March 24, 2013 Sherri Rice

Wow, I did not intend to stay away so long! But, all three boys were sick (yep, hubby, too, and not all at the same time) and then we had Spring Break and this week I had a project I just had to finish. And so here I am :) This latest project started with 4 of these...

I saved the covers to send back to the 80's ;) These cushions belong to a vintage settee that is going to reside here. And this is what those lovely cushions looked like inside...

Inside all that cotton batting was what felt like an insert with springs - never worked with that before! I replaced the outer layer of batting with new and gave them inner covers (to make the slipcovers easier to put on and take off).

Nice to have a fresh start! And this is the fabulous fabric that my client chose...

Isn't that amazing, quilted and all! But it had a huge pattern repeat; fortunately my client was not concerned about the pattern matching from cushions to cushion. Since there were two seat cushions and two back cushions, I just cut the pieces so that the pattern would run all the same direction when the cushions were in place. Here they are, completed...

Much better!

If you are local, you can see these cushions in action at the new DIME Store opening in Denton. Their grand opening is April 5 and 6 and it's going to be great! I had a sneak peak when I delivered the cushions and I know I will be back to check out the finished store - they are going to have some great handmade wares :)

Have a wonderful week!

Sherri

This brought to you by... Dropcloth!

March 1, 2013 Sherri Rice

Every project/piece that I do has a story, it seems. It's part of why I started this blog, to tell the stories, because it's the stories of the furniture (and people!) that make this work so much more than just repetitive manufacturing. So, Facebook followers, you may remember this chair from a few months back...

A lovely antique rocking chair with a dropcloth slipcover (and those pleats!). Well, that rocking chair lives in a living room with this chair (also from awhile ago)...

An Ethan Allen chair with new ruffled slipcover, also out of dropcloth. Turns out that this chair has a relative who also resides in that room, a matching Ethan Allen couch who was feeling a little left out of the new-dropcloth-slipcover-loop. So my client decided to remedy that (see the matching chair peaking in from the corner?)...

Yes, it was time (it does have cushions - they were just removed before I got there). Sturdy and comfortable, but it was needing a fresh look. I love the rolled, tight back...

My client wanted to stick with the dropcloth theme and the ruffled skirt, but chose the 10oz version of fabric, since the couch is used much more often. My best friend for this project was my new ruffler foot - it worked great with the dropcloth and saved me a whole lot of time and frustration :)

Also new for this project was the extent of the cushion "rehab" required - I ended up removing not only the original fabric of the cushions, but also the inside muslin cover and the outer layer of Dacron. I replaced that layer with new Dacron and made new inner covers. Here they are with their new dropcloth slipcovers...

Fresh and clean and square! As with the chair, my client opted to go without piping for a simpler look.

The great part about this slipcover story is, not only did my client get a new slipcover, but she graciously allowed me to try something new - this was my first pin-fit on-site project. The couch stayed in her home, I went there to measure and pin-fit the piece, and brought it back to my place to sew it together. Having tried this, I think that my preference is to have the furniture with me when I construct the slipcover, but when that is not possible, pin-fitting on-site is a great alternative. Are you ready for the "after"? (Please excuse the quality of the pictures and the wrinkles - this was a quick install!)

It's a little wrinkled from being transported and a little less tailored than I usually make, but the client was very happy with the new look (the cushions had already been in use for a week, since I had brought them back to her earlier).

I attached a little velcro underneath the back roll to ensure that the shape of the rolled back was maintained.

There was a lot of ruffled skirt, so it felt a bit like a ball gown when we were putting the slipcover on!

My client was very pleased with how the slipcovers have lightened the room and I got to try a new technique. Sounds like a win-win to me!

Have you tried doing something a new way lately? How did it feel? How did it turn out?

Have a great weekend!

Sherri

A Slipcover Project and Fabric I Love

February 1, 2013 Sherri Rice

Yes, this is another slipcover project, finally! And it was a great one to start the year with. My client brought this adorable chair awhile ago, and we have taken our time to find fabric for it. It is quite petite and very curvy. The existing fabric was in good condition, but was not the style my client was looking for.

We considered several fabric options, and eventually settled on a Robert Allen remnant piece I had picked up from a local fabric warehouse a few months back (it looks like it might be a 2008 pattern, but I can’t find anything else to identify it). Fortunately, there was just enough fabric to match the largest pieces (I added white cotton duck for the piping and decking). The fabric washed up perfectly and had just the right amount of “give” to accommodate all the curves. And here she is!

I was initially concerned about how the curvy panel that runs from the arm up the side of the chair would work, but it was shaped just right and ended up working quite well. The client requested a simple skirt to finish it off.

There was no easy place to hide a zipper closure, so I opted for buttons down the back.

Originally, the fabric caught my eye because I loved the juxtaposition of the swirly paisley on the herringbone weave of the fabric. Now I love how the paisley design on the buttons echoes the paisley in the fabric!

Here are some other pieces I have done with Robert Allen fabric…

Print or solid or textured, so far I have really enjoyed using Robert Allen fabrics. They can be a little pricey (I guess you get what you pay for), but if you look around, there are deals to be had :)

Are there particular fabrics that you enjoy working with?

Happy Friday!

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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