Monogram-Ready

It's always fun to update family heirlooms for a new generation. We revisited a familiar design for this project (see here and here), but used a different fabric. First, the "before"...

So pretty! Linen, pleats, and allowance for a monogram were the requests. So, my client chose ivory linen from Gray Lines Linen (Home Furnishing linen in HF0027), which I found to be very similar to Glynn linen from Covington. And here is the "after"...

(Sorry for the poor picture quality - rainy days don't make for good picture-taking light!))

We used covered buttons, of course :)

Yep, love me some covered buttons! I opted to stop-stitch the the seams to ensure that they would always stay where they needed to be, even after washing.

And the monogram? Will go right in the middle of the seat.

These will be so pretty around Grandma's table!

Sherri

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 :)

Blending Old with New

What do you do when your husband's favorite chairs keep mysteriously migrating to the breakfast table? And they don't really "go" with the rest of the style of the room? You slipcover them, of course :)

My client's husband has a pair of these beautiful vintage Hitchcock chairs that are his favorites (I love the gold trim and lettering on the back!). 

Rather than continue to move them back to another room, she decided to embrace them and have them slipcovered to go with the chairs we had already done...

Now they blend with the rest of the room, and, as a bonus, are a little more protected from daily wear and tear. Win-win!

We used Fritz fabric in Sky, as we had with her other chairs...

... and kept the design simple, except, of course, we had do to something with the back ;)

I used buttons that were similar to the ones I had used for the other slips, but this time I chose an antique gold color, to go with the gold details of the chairs.

A simple blind hem on the short skirt finished them off (and I added ties in strategic places on the inside, so the slips stay in place on the slippery wood).

I love it when favorite pieces can continue to be enjoyed, even when style preferences change!

Sherri

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 :)

A Family Affair

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 :)

Of Leaping and Launching!

It's time for my word of the year! I typically talk about this earlier in the year, but because my word this year has a particular context, I wanted to wait just a bit. So, my word this year is...

(full disclosure: I had posted this word by my desk for several weeks before I realized that this year is, in fact, a leap year - yes, because I am on top of all the things!)

Leap follows my word last year - Faith. It's appropriate, I think. Maybe it's my age (and we'll leave that right there), or where I am in my journey through life and faith, but lately I've been feeling like it's time to step out and take action. So, this year, I am leaping :)

As a family we have started the year with a couple of leaps - we got a new dog...

... and have made the move to join a different church family. While changes and adjustments are always a little tricky, both of these leaps have already proven to be just what our family needed. And so, I am moving on to a leap of my own...

It is with great pleasure and excitement (and a little nervousness) that I am announcing the launch of...

(Many thanks to Caitlin Powell Design for adapting my logo!) 

Pillows for Good is a little piece of my heart. From the early planning stages of August Blues Slipcover Studio, I have hoped to be able to give back/pay forward the gift that this business has been to me and my family. Skip ahead to last year and the revelations about the refugee crisis growing across the Middle East grabbed my attention like few news stories ever have. I read everything I could get my hands on and, while I worked on slipcovers, listened to webinars from key organizations who are working in that part of the world.

I was introduced to the work of Preemptive Love, in particular. Their philosophy of waging peace in conflict zones (Iraq, Iran, and Libya) by loving first and meeting the needs of the people they come in contact with, resonated with the faith perspective I grew up with (you can read more about their story and work here). There were other connections for me, but when I found out they were providing Empowerment Grants for families whose lives have been torn apart by conflict, I knew this was the opportunity I had been waiting for. There are several things about these grants that I love: the grants come out of relationships that Preemptive Love staff have developed with people they meet, the businesses that these grants fund are specifically designed to support and meet needs in the larger community, and the relationships are ongoing so follow-up happens naturally (read some of the stories here).

So that's the "For Good" part. The "Pillow" part is also good :) Pillows for Good is my little shop that sells pillow covers for your home. And not just any pillow covers, these are REAL LIFE pillows --> family-room pillows, pillow-fort pillows, sick-days-on-the-couch pillows, my-dog-sleeps-on-my-pillows pillows, because they are completely washable and dry-able in your home machines. All the fabrics are pre-shrunk and will just get softer and more comfortable with use. I  have specially selected farmhouse-style fabrics that are sturdy and beautifully timeless and simple. Patterns are yard-dyed (woven into the fabric, instead of just being printed on) and mostly natural cottons and linens. Because, this is how pillows get used at our house (and maybe at yours, too?)...

So, what is the connection between pillow forts and refugees in Iraq? I'm so glad you asked! $10 for every pillow cover purchased will go towards an Empowerment Grant. My goal (yes, deep breath, I'm putting it out there) is $1000 by the end of the year - if you are doing the math, that's 100 pillows!!! Yep, a little nervous about that. But, I guess that's why they call it a Leap :)

So, will you join me? Purchase a pillow cover (or two!), share this shop with your friends, let me know what kinds of fabrics you would like to see... I need to do this, but I can't do it alone. When I think of blessing another mom on the other side of the world with a business of her own, that will allow her to feed her kids and send them to school in spite of all they have lost, I get shivers and can't wait to write that check!

So, here's to leaping (together), loving first, and waging peace!

Sherri

P.S. I will still be doing slipcovers ;)