Slipcovers - Lots of Ideas! Chairs and More

Slipcovers are magic!
They can change the look and feeling of your room with just a quick change.
If you are making them yourself, you will finds some tutorials among the many links
that I have posted on my slipcovers board on Pinterest.

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For me, since I am better with a hammer than with a sewing machine, it would have been much easier to just reupholster the dining room chairs.  Slipcovers can actually be fairly easy to make, although if you are more skilled a sewing you ca make them  more constructed. I didn't know if I would want to have the chairs with the fabric that was on them again, so I chose to do slipcovers. It is also a great idea if you are trying to keep the chairs' fabric looking good and you want an option that can be easily removed and washed.  For me it was mostly that I wanted a white chair cover, which would allow them to be washed as needed.

~ Thinking of Weekend Projects & Some Relaxing

As I'm thinking about a little decorating for Valentine's Day, I remembered a post about a beautiful set of dishes that now belong to my Sweet Daughter. So here is a little repeat of that one for you.

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Most of my “old” blog friends have heard the story of how I turned down this beautiful set of red transferware dishes that had belonged to my husband’s grandmother. Not once or twice, but a few more than that. It was quite a while ago. No one in their family wanted them so we were given a chance to have them. Sometime later the set was offered to Sweet Daughter, years before she had her own home, and she happily accepted them. A few years after that, I was sorry I had turned them down. They are so pretty, so vintage, and so charming.

Johnson Bros. England, English Chippendale

I kept them for safekeeping for a several years and used them just like I owned them. By now I had come to appreciate them much better. So I thought maybe Sweet Daughter would forget about them or decide she didn't want some "old lady" dishes from so long ago. But when she bought her first home, she was quick to take some of the dishes to their new home. I still got to keep some. When she recently had a party, she needed a lot of dishes and the red transferware was called into duty.

It was rather interesting how many of the ladies oohed and aahed over those dishes. A few of them had been collecting the same dishes as well. But what they all loved best was the fact that the dishes had traveled through time and family. They had belonged to Sweet Daughter’s great grandmother and that was special to others. It’s a treasure whether you knew the relative or not to have a continuation of your family in your home.

Usually I bring out these lovely old dishes because the red is so perfect on Valentine's Day. This year I'll miss them except for the very few pieces I still have. Lesson learned.

~ See Y’all Soon ~

Donna

~ Dining Chair Upholstery How-To Part 2... The Top Front

There are two different ways that I did the front top of the chairs even though they were all cane backs. The ones that came from the thrift store in the last post were so cheap that it didn't matter if I stapled or glued the fabric and trim to them. On the other hand, I did not want to do anything that could damage the wood or cane of dining rooms chairs, or be too difficult to remove later on. So they did take a little longer to do.

For the black and antique white chairs, I made the template to the size of the back, cut the fabric, fit it to the back and used a staple gun to attach the fabric to the front of the chair. You will use the same wood on the inside of the cane that I showed you in the last post, and here.


After that you can hot glue or fabric glue the trim in place to cover the staples or brads holding the fabric. Really easy!

But for the dining room chairs I needed something different. These chairs have been changed over a dozen times through the years. Sometimes with splurge fabrics or just as often with a sale or bargain fabric. This time I found a fabric I loved that was already quilted. I knew it would stay for a longer period of time. But it still couldn't be permanent nor did I want to harm the wood of the chairs. My disclaimer is this, pros who do upholstery for a living probably do not do it this way. But it was perfect for me!

Since the fabric was quilted I did not need to add a layer of batting as I would have done with either method to give the fabric some cushion and body. After I cut and played with the fabric until it fit the inset area perfectly allowing an inch all around, I turned the edges and stitched around them.

The I taped the fabric gently to the front and I carefully sewed the piece on to the cane by taking tiny stitches to from the front which would not show to a more wide and probably messier look to the back. It was covered up with the fabric as I showed in the last post so it didn't matter what it looked like on the back. This is made easier by the fact that the cane has the holes in it of course.

Hope you all have a great weekend,
~ See Y'All Soon

~ Bee Design On Dining Room Chairs

I promised to come back and show how the bee design was created on the back of the dining room chairs. The dining room has changed since this, but I kept the fabric from the back of the end chairs in case it could be used for something else.

If the fabric is flat you could do this in a few different ways. But this is upholstery weight and has texture to it.

After you find a design that you want to use and have it on your computer, you can print it on iron-on transfer paper. Then using small scissors, cut around the design.

As you can see I did not cut out all the white areas inside the design. There was enough white in the fabric to make it work anyway. Of course it didn't show the white as much as in the picture which is enlarged for you to see the details. It also is a delicate design and would be much more difficult to work with if I had cut out all the inside parts.

Lay it out, and iron it on. That easy!

See Y'all Soon!

~ Dining Room, Raise the Ceiling Trick

(Repeat post from 2007. Dining Room)

This is a great trick and the results are beautiful
when you have a room that could use a little lift!
I'm going to take some new pictures
of the dining room. But this one is good for now!

Here is close up picture of the ceiling.
At the top of the wall is embossed paper,
trimmed on the top and bottom with small molding.

Measuring and cutting the angles for the molding on the ceiling was a bear! Makes you love trim carpenters. We had lots of bad cuts trying to figure the angles, but kept at it until if fit.

The first part of the ceiling next to the wall is painted the same white as the molding so that it lifts the eye up without stopping at the usual area of wall meeting ceiling.

Never worry if you don't get the perfect color the very first time in any room! I had to test the green color a few times until the color "lifted" the ceiling. Too dark and it looked closer, too light and it didn't have the depth it needed. The same green is used in the faux transom over the doorway, and repeats on the ceiling in the next room.

The columns were moved into the corners after I removed them from the other side of the dining room. Now they look like older salvaged pieces, even though they are only about 20 years old. I liked the way they looked here and just left them.

I spent the entire day at Sweet Daughter's house while the gutters were being installed. At least got to see Project Runway which she recorded for me since I don't get Lifetime. I also watched Sara Richardson who is such a talented designer. Otherwise, daytime TV could drive someone batty!

Paint projects soon to show!
See Y'all Soon!

~ The Yellow Gold Stripe Dining Room

The room I fell in love with. By Paula Prass

You can see the before and after, and the process here on Paula's site.

On Twitter, I saw a tweet by a designer and followed it to her blog. And I found this picture of one of my most favorite rooms ever. She was discussing how the same picture was being used in a book without giving her any credit. Now that just isn't right. Of course when I used her as my jumping off point several years ago for a dining room makeover, I did show her room picture on the decorating site I belonged to, but I did not mention her by name. Sorry. This is the beautiful work of Paula Prass.

Be sure to go by and see how Paula transformed this lack luster room into a charming cottage dining room!

I feel so in love with this room, it is the one only time I really did just flat out borrow so many ideas from another decorator. When I saw her dining room, it was so familiar to me and my tastes that I wanted to move right into it. So I did the next best thing and recreated lots of her ideas.

What I thought would be the easiest part was finding a pretty stripe fabric, but that proved to be more difficult than I thought it would be. The colors were all wrong or the weight of the fabric wasn't right. I finally found the perfect one, and from there I was off and running.

The walls were painted in a two tone yellow/gold stripe with a metallic glaze over the top of the darker stripe. It was warm and really inviting in a room with no windows. The ceiling was changed by adding molding to make a mock step-up effect, and then was painted the same colors that were on the walls.

The chairs were reupholstered in the stripe fabric and then I made a bee design on the back of the end chairs. Yes, that idea came from Paula as well.

I had to deal with the problem of having no windows since Paula had such a wonderful idea for her window, and the white was a very needed design element for a break from all the color in the room.

This room did however have French doors leading to the morning room. So I made simple panels of white on white damask with a black top valance.

The dining room stayed like this for a little while and I totally loved it. Since redoing it, the panels and pillows have found their way to Sweet Daughter's house which is the most fun way to rationalize changing my decorating. I saved everything when I made changes just in case she might wish to use anything when she was making her nest.

Today the dining room has very deep gold walls, but not the same, and everything else has changed except I kept the furniture and the original watercolor painting by Sweet Husband. Then I found the fabric that the chairs are upholstered in today, and a new love affair began. Yes, the fickled heart of a decorator falling for a fresh new line. That lime green and brown is still here, and I don't think it is changing any time soon. Although I'm toying with moving the dining room to the little used living room area, and making the dining room just a little sitting area.

See Y'all Soon!

~ Thankful Thursday

Cara, the fabric in the Dining Room is by Robert Allen. I don't have the name handy anymore. But I'll try to find it. You can see all of his fabrics in swatches at robertallen.com There are a lot to look at! So I didn't find it when I took a quick look.
It is a beautiful fabric, and I still really love it.

Kathy, yes the porch floor is still painted the same. It might have some changes in the near future. But it will be pretty much the same. There are just a few changes I want to make. It will pretty much stay the same though. Right now the furniture is still piled on top of each other, and it needs some attention. It' on my list.

It's tough not to be thankful when you walk outside and it is this perfect. Clear skies, warm, and just plain fabulous. That's OK, you can rub it in when we are running into the air conditioned spaces as it heats up very shortly.

I finally purchased a car yesterday. A quite sensible one again, another Camry. Although I've looked half-heartedly for a couple of years, I had no choice this time. My sister is flying down to pick up my old Camry for her granddaughter. This makes me happy because I could give them a great deal, and someone will appreciate that it only has 45k miles on. A little ol' lady must have driven it. I think the mindset of the country had me a bit frozen about spending money.

Funny that the prices have actually gone up since I started looking semi-earnestly in Sept. Not the same incentives to the dealers from the company as before. I did however get it for that same lower price, but at a different dealer, using my 6 month old quote from dealer #1. Dealer number 2 met the quote even though the first one said they no longer could. So of course I'm thankful that it didn't cost me more.

So a little tip for car buying is to save all your notes and quotes when you are looking. One offer might turn out to the best one, even if you don't use it right away. The rebates change almost every month, so sometimes they won't honor what they quoted a month earlier.

Also take your camera! I took pictures of the car I wanted, the wheels, interior, etc. And this gave me the proof of what I wanted. It wasn't a big deal, because I never buy a bunch of stuff loaded on a car anyway. We are simple people with not much need to try to impress.

I knew someone must have found a table and chairs like Sweet Daughter's at a yard sale or flea market for a lot less. For some reason those kinds of bargains are much harder to find here. And I'm very happy for you. I can truthfully say that even though I paid a little over $100 more than Debra, I am still so thankful that I found it at that price. It's probably more likely that you really good bargain hunters are willing to go to yard sales, and I don't. So you deserve the better deals.

I love taking pictures at these big markets, because it is impossible to remember everything you see. And I totally forgot about this area and had intended to come back that way and look more closely. Looks like a few good things just waiting.

Sweet Hubby found this frame. Actually the painting is a very good quality original. I'm sure it is not a listed artist, but I'll find something to do with it.
The frame is going to be painted white. I think it will be so pretty in a soft white.

We also finally made it over to the Barn & Stable in Lake Alfred. My good friend Kim
of Daisy Cottage, talked about this wonderful antiques store years and years ago, but we just never got around to going. We were so surprised! For this area, the prices were exceptional. Sweet Hubby had his truck and was so ready to load it up, but I didn't find anything completely perfect that we really needed. We will be going back though!

If you travel to the middle of FL and stop by the Barn, you might want to drive a couple of miles into the town and have lunch at the Lake Alfred Cafe. Excellent food.
We highly recommend dessert as well. Like the triple chocolate cake and carrot cake. But like grandma should have made! I know the Barn has a tea room where a lot of people eat, but if you are in the mood, drive a little bit down the road.

Thank you for stopping by & for your kind comments.
See ya' soon!

~Seeking Wisdom

This is where my Blog Journey began last year, Welcoming Wisdom. The crèche is left up until the day of the Magi's Visit. It is the first thing to come out for the Holidays and the last to be put away.

What better time than Winter to look within and seek Wisdom? It's a natural instinct to slow down. Although we don't hibernate, it sure seems like everything around us, and within us, tells us to live more slowly and quietly. Some people are almost afraid of silence, but I love it. Not as much as the sound of the ocean or the song of a loved one's voice, but the stillness is beautiful. Of course long term as some monks and nuns have lived would be a bit too much for me.

The stories of the Three Astrologers/Magi, followers of Zoraster, have always intrigued me. They are so full of magic no matter which biblical version you read. But it's the symbolism that I like to celebrate each year, the reminder to seek Wisdom and the Gifts of the Heart and Spirit.

The last celebration of the Christmas season is one we look forward to because it is time of French Onion Soup! Since we don't eat red meats, I make it with chicken broth instead. I'm sure it's lighter tasting but after all these years it taste perfect to us. I made homemade chocolate mousse and whip cream topping this year, too. I was looking for a lighter dessert, but by the time I added the heavy cream, I don't think it was light in calories. But it was organic! LOL and very good.

Do you get all antsy when guests are coming to dinner? Lots of people do. This is casual. Whatever is there is fine, it's done with love for my little family. I hope I never get antsy about what to put on the table ever again.

I am still longing for the simplicity of white and silver settings. So the chargers were very simple silver, the white dishes I love, and don't love because they chip like crazy, tarnished silver pieces and white roses.

So I'm Hoping and Praying and Wishing
for a New Year
of Wisdom and Peace on Earth,
For You and All of Us.

*Are We There Yet? - Light a Candle

Have you seen the outstanding, wonderful kitchen with red cabinets that are the work of Kim at One Woman's Cottage Life1? I stopped by for a visit this morning and Kim posted a hearfelt note about her house. This is my post in honor of Kim, and the light she brings to the world.

When you come by to visit here, you only see the really after, after shots. I make sure everything is just right, and it is very selective photography. There is most likely some stack of stuff waiting to be put away just out of the camera shot. It's been like more like that since last summer. And some of the house cannot be shown in show & tell time! It is still in need of tons of work.

We are certainly not done yet, even after 20 years!

I was positive so much would be done by the end of last year, and tore up lots of areas in the house during spring, even the whole backyard, so we would be ready for the work to done. Then I found out about a serious health issue, and all that stuff stopped since I had to mend after surgery.

You know what, it doesn't matter quite as much now. I'm not sure what lessons I needed to learn, but if I ever doubted there is no place like home, I certainly know it now as an absolute truth, for me. Home is with my loved ones, a space that I cherish and nuture, as it does me.

You might have guessed that "It's a Wonderful Life" is one of my all time favorite movies. When George starts kissing and hugging everything falling apart in his house, I have a good cry. I understand how he feels.

When I first started writing here, I was posting some lovely picture, which of course was only what I wanted to be seen. The family room was full of boxes and stuff as we were again in the middle of something. My sweet, darling daughter walked by and saw the picture and had a good laugh. She thought it would be good for me to take a picture of the mess and post it! Not today, I'm not as brave as Kim.

We could move to a newer house, with nothing to do. But it just doesn't feel right. One day there will be no more big projects to do around here. And it will be great, but for now, back to my list of things to do. Are we there yet? Not done, but we are there, home.

*Dining Room - Rosey Glow

It looks like there is such beautiful light in this room, later in the day at least. This is the afternoon sun shining in from the living room, and flowers from Valentine's Day.

The dining room has no windows, and is located in a typical way for the houses built at this time, in a pathway to everywhere. If you have a room like that, the best thing to do is decorate in a way that you can love it anyway. The feeling is comfort, breakfast or holiday dinners, it isn't too fussy.

Things that changed in this room since the last redecorating adventure.

* Painted the ceiling green, we added the molding last time.

* New wall colors taken from the rug, purchased on Ebay. One of my favorites we have found.

* The walls were painted a medium, rich golden pumpkin and then glazed with two shades of lighter ochre golds.

* The living room silk drapes were moved in here and I changed the attached valance using the same green toile that is on the chairs.

* The chairs were reupholstered in the lime/light olivey green toile and a solid of the same green. The end chairs are skirted and are upholstered on the backs, front and back sides.

* The dining table and chairs are the same ones from Thomasville that I purchased over 20 years ago.

* We also installed new molding at the entry to the dining room, and the molding around the French doors mimics that. I haven't taken any new picutres of that side yet.

Still a couple of things to do in here, but mostly it is done!