Interesting Items

I have recently become intrigued by two interesting items.  LET'S DISCUSS!

Item One is this fancy paper from Paper Source described as Lokta paper.  The colors and patterns are very beautiful, and several of them are right up my alley.

This one, with the teal and the gold mums is gorgeous:

And this one reminds me of a tone-on-tone version of the famous Orla Kiely stem print:

I am thinking of using one of these to line the backs of my built-in china cabinets.  I really like the look of having a pop of color at the back of a cabinet, and using paper seems like a fun way to do so.  Like this:

(Via)

This project will also necessitate the reorganization of the contents of the china cabinet, which is something I've been wanting to do for a while.  So....yay?!?!?!  What do you think?

Item 2 is this decorative wall paneling from Ballard Design. 

I am really strangely attracted to this!  I love how it looks in the photo above from their website.  I already almost purchased this three times.  What would I do with it????  I think I have an idea for it, but I am going to let it marinate in my brain until I am more sure.  If I'm still thinking about in in 2 weeks, then I am allowed to buy it!  That's the general rule. 

What items are you intrigued by???   

Surprise!

Well that was a pleasant surprise!  As you may or may not recall, I decided to try to make a slipcover for a chair that my cat destroyed.

So last night I took my fabric and I draped it:

Cut out side pieces:

Pinned it together:

Sewed it and turned it right-side-out, and guess what happened???

IT WORKED!!!  I made a pretty nice slipcover!

Believe me, I'm just as surprised as you are!

I sort of can't believe it worked.  Even the sides and seams turned out pretty nice!

Right now it has two random pillows from my closet-of-pillows (the green one is from Ikea and the cream one is from Target).

You know I am scouring the internets to find fabrics to make some more pillows to go on this chair!

You might be wondering how I knew how to do this.  The honest truth is that I didn't.  I just thought about how it probably worked, then I tried it.  This time, it happened to work!

YAY!  HAPPY!

Quiltervention!

Guys, I need a quiltervention!  I thought I was getting pretty good at quilting!  So I decided to test my skills to see if I was good enough to start on my dream Modern Crosses quilt.  You remember, this one:

I tried to make a practice square using some fabric leftover from The Hat.  It didn't turn out so great.  My square is not square!

Any tips?  I wonder if it's just a matter of practice.  I have only been sewing for a few months.  Oh well. I'll try again soon.... maybe listening to this song will help?  (Are "Intervention" jokes allowed???)

Pillow Alert!

Remember the cool super hero fabric I got last week?  In honor of San Diego's Comic-Con (not really) I made a cute comic book pillow for my son's room!

It's just a rectangular pillow with an envelope closure and 2" flat flange around the edge (my new usual).  I think it came out pretty cute!

STOP TALKING ABOUT PILLOWS -- WHAT ABOUT COMIC-CON?  Did you know that the whole cast of Game of Thrones was here in San Diego this past week???  I was so close to them!  It's possible we went to the same Starbucks or whatnot!  I work but a few blocks from the convention center.... we were so close.....

HAT ATTACK!

Did you know I make hats now?  ME NEITHER!  It turns out they are pretty do-able.

My sister found these directions from Martha Stewart and asked me to make her a reversible sun hat.  I read the directions and thought:  I think I can do this?

As I showed you before, I found some cute fabric at Rosie's (A HAPPENING PLACE!!!) and went to work.

The hardest part was printing out the patterns.  The hat is in three pieces -- crown, brim and sides.  The patterns are bigger than you think and my computer kept scaling them to print on one page so it was not working.  Luckily, my sister was able to print out the patterns correctly and send them to me.

Then I cut the patterns out and tried to tape them together.  It was very difficult!  I went back to the web site to read the comments for tips.  Apparently, I wasn't supposed to cut them out before putting them together.  OH WELL.  But I did find this pic on Martha's craft department's blog, which was a helpful reference.  

Making the actual hat was simple after that ordeal.  As suggested, I added fusible webbing to the brim so it wouldn't be floppy.

Well, HERE IT IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Cute, right?

And, it is fully reversible to the solid side, so you can wear it Robin Hood style:

Blossom style:

Dutch tourist style:

Or Vacation Sombrero style!

Make a reversible hat!  It is easier than it looks!!!

More Fabric OMG MAKE IT STOP

I got more fabric.  I know!  I was not supposed to buy any fabric in the month of July.  BUT I DID!  Oh well.

The difference is that these fabrics are needed immediately for specific projects.  So it's different than when I just buy fabric because I love it (looking at you, 1001 Peeps!).

Here is the haul -- all from ROSIE'S CALICO CUPBOARD (A HAPPENING PLACE!!!).

SIDE NOTE:  Every time I go to Rosie's (well, both of the two times) someone else is in there who has come straight from the airport and talks loudly how whenever they go to San Diego, their first stop is Rosie's.  Really????  Not Mario's????  Whatevs!

FIRST, for my son's room, I got this very cute tough comic book print to make him a bolster pillow!

NEXT, for a reversible sun hat I am trying to make for my sister, I got this cute pastel print with a coordinating solid!

AND FINALLY, for a friend moving into a new house, I got this super glamorous fabric and a coordinating solid to make her a nice pillow!  I was told the pillow was going on an electric blue chair and that the style in mind was "art deco."  Nice, right???

FINISHED PRODUCTS TO COME!!!!!!!!  As always, I'm right on top of that, Rose!

New Bedroom!

Remember how I've been wanting to do a mini-makeover of my bedroom?  Well, I did it!!!!

Here is the before shot:

I wanted the room to be more tailored and less soggy.  Specifically, I wanted to change the curtains, duvet cover and pillows.

CUE THE 1980's MAKEOVER MONTAGE!

House Cleaning Scene from Revenge of the Nerds

During the montage (in which I wear denim overalls and a painter's cap), I got some Joel Dewberry "modern meadow" fabrics and went to work making curtains and a bolster pillow.  I also got a new white duvet cover from the Ikea.  A friend told me all white linens are the best!

SIDE NOTE:  Do you remember the episode of "Sex and the City" where Miranda gets new sheets for her bed?  They show her removing the sheets from the packages and putting them directly onto her bed!  Without washing them first!  That always really grossed me out.  Don't you wash bedding before you apply it???

OK get your eyes ready for a surprise because here is the room now!!!

Welllll, I guess it's not a DRAMATIC difference, but it is a difference nonetheless!

I am really liking the graphic bolster pillow on the all-white bedding:

And the crisp, tailored drapes!  I made sure to hem them up 1/4" from the floor so they didn't puddle.

What do you think????  Do you even notice a difference?

I might change things around a little more here and there, but I'm much happier now!  Do you love it or what???

THE DISHES ARE DONE!

It's true!  The chevron quilt is done!

And I think it came out pretty darn cute!

Here's a detail of the corner.  For the quilting, I just did horizontal lines.

The quilting came out kind of interestingly.  This would make a cute play mat but it also works as a quilt for watching TV or resting quietly (my two favorite activities!!!).

Here is the back, with one chevron:

.

Here is the quilt with the coordinating pillow -- front:

And back!

All in all, a success!  I am very happy with how this quilt turned out and I hope my nephew likes it as well!

Now, what about those other items I'm working on....  the bedroom makeover, the intimidating upholstery/slipcover project, and the HAT?

You know what I have to say about those:

I'm right on top of that, Rose!

This movie has so many life lessons!

D.I.T.s

Remember the counselors in training (C.I.T.s) from Camp North Star?

Well now I have D.I.T.s!  DRAPES IN TRAINING!

As you may or may not recall from my last drapery related project, it is very important to train one's drapes.  That means you arrange them in nice folds, then tie the folds into place for a few days to lock in the foldy freshness.

The navy chevron drapes are in training as I type.

That means that a post about my redecorated bedroom is only a few days away!  Can you feel the excitement????!!!!?!?!?!?!

FIG CAKE!!!!!!!!

I don't have any quilt updates yet.  I am doing the quilting part, and it is going verrrrrrry slowwwwwly.  I  do hope to be finished with it over the weekend.

So........ remember when I mentioned I was making a fig cake?  Yes?  No?  Well, here it is!

Before cooking:

And after!

I have one thing to say about this.  YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is just the same old Summer Cake from Smitten Kitchen with green figs instead of strawberries.  But I actually think it is better!  Because in the strawberry version, the berries bake down into the cake and make a jammy like substance.  But with the figs, they stay on top and caramelize all up sort of crispy yet gooey.

VERY DELICIOUS!

Just Trying Some Lite Upholstery

OK, well I decided that I'm going to try a "simple" upholstery project.  I have no idea if this is going to work!!!

Here is what happened.  For the past 6 months or so, I have been looking high and low for a comfortable, cute, affordable armless chair that fits into the living room.  I have not been able to find one.  I thought I found one at Ikea.... took it home, put it together, and realized I HATED it!  Luckily, they have a very nice return policy.

Meanwhile, in my garage, I have an old Target "Dolce" armless chair that is the perfect size and shape for the room.  The fabric, however, is not so great.  My cat fell into a hard-core love/hate relationship with the chair, so the seat is covered in black & white fur, while the sides and back have been clawed to shreds.  NOT CUTE.

PRE-cat image:

Now that I am a crafty DIY human sewing machine, however, I decided that I could take this grody chair and "make it work" Tim Gunn style.  (Here he is expressing his look of concern)

So I cleaned up the chair as best I could (de-furred it, steamed it and Febreezed it into the next century) and decided that I could try to make a slipcover for it!  Perhaps I am deluding myself, but it doesn't seem like it would be that hard????  We'll soon find out!

As luck would have it, at the end of June, Joann's was having a super-sale on upholstery fabric -- 60% off!!!  So I scored 4 yards of Waverly Mariko at a very good price!

When it was shipped to me, I realized it was a very thick, textured chenille fabric.  Could be interesting!!!

I'll let you know how this turns out!

Pillow News

Even though I am not yet done with the coordinating quilt, I made a quick pillow to match and I think it turned out super cute!

I just pieced together some of the leftover squares and made this two-sided pillow:

OH CRAP I FORGOT TO ADD THE PIPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  PILLOWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On a Diet

Guess what - I'm on a diet!  No, not a food diet.  Do you even know me?  I love food.  I'm baking a fig cake right now for no reason -- no one in my family likes figs.  OH WELL!  I guess I will have to eat the whole thing.

I'm actually talking about a fabric diet.  My husband told me that I'm not "allowed" (LOL) to buy any fabric or crafting/sewing supplies in the month of July.  Luckily, he told me about this in June, so I was able to make some last minute purchases!

Let's take a look.....

First up is some Joel Dewberry Modern Meadows fabric in Herringbone.  This is going to be the drapes in my bedroom!  I'm going to try to finish those soon.

Next is one yard of Joel Dewberry Majestic Oak -- I love this pattern.  I don't have anything in mind for this yet.  Any suggestions?

This is a collection of fat quarters of Amy Butler solids.  I just like these colors so much -- there are like seven different shades of green!  I'm thinking of making a color-blocked quilt or something???

Back to my non-food diet.  I guess this will have to tide me over until August!

PROGRESS IS BEING MADE!

No, it is still not done.  But, I wanted you to know that progress is being made on the chevron quilt for my nephew Henry!  I had to lock the cat in the bathroom.

So far I have finished the quilt front and back.  The front has six coordinating chevrons:

And the back has one off-center chevron to break up the white:

Back when I was pinning the squares together, I decided to alternate which corners the pins went in.  I thought that would make the chevrons look "fun" and "jumbled" but it actually did the exact opposite and enabled me to make sure all the prints faced the same direction!

So all the pennants are facing the same way:

All the ducks are in a row:

The green stripes are all vertical:

And the turquoise stripes are all horizontal!

MAGICAL!!!!  I'm glad my idea was so wrong that it was right!

Now I just need to quilt it and bind it (that's what she said?).  For the quilting, I'm thinking of doing horizontal lines.  Sort of like this:

(Photo source)

I'm sure my lines won't be that evenly spaced.  We'll see!  Hope it gets done soon!  I guess that will happen when I get it done.  It's not going to "get done" on its own.  OR IS IT?????  No, probably not.