Up-cycled Chair #2

   With the Arts North Studio Tour date approaching fast, I am back working on the soft furnishings projects after taking a break for a few weeks and doing some decoupage and yard work!

    I have 8 total chairs planned for the studio tour.  They will all be for sale during the tour and hopefully they'll all sell/find new homes with fellow blue & white lovers!

   Each chair is carefully chosen for its style, condition and sturdiness.  I give them a much needed makeover with paint and gold leaf, and then reupholster the seat AND sew a washable slip cover to go over the seat!  I also coat each frame with at least 2 layers of "Crystalfin" poly acrylic, to protect the paint finish and whatever gold leaf I might have applied.

   This way, the person who buys the chair has 2 options for using their new piece of furniture - and can wash the slip cover if someone gets messy during a holiday meal!

   Chair #2 has a fairly deep seat so I also sewed a small lumbar pillow for support, out of the same slipcover fabric.

   Since all my fabrics are in the same blueberry blue color way, the different patterns coordinate well together!

 I decided, after painting the frame and reupholstering the seat, that the chair needed more detail.

Sometimes you have to stand back and give the piece a good look over, halfway through the project, to make sure its

turning out as imagined.

No big deal making a few changes here and there, as long as it turns out like you wanted, in the end!

Since the seat was so deep, I added a lumbar pillow in the same fabric as the slip cover.  Its washable linen-cotton canvas.

 I thought you'd all appreciate a "during" photo of its paint make over.  I use chalk paint as a primer now!

And since I prefer to use my own durable acrylic paints in my own colors, I then paint the rest of the chair the old fashioned way.  

The final finish is then coated with 2 coats of poly acrylic.

 Sewing wavy scallops with piping was hard - not sure

I'll do them again! ha!!

 Adding the gold leaf...really added character and

a bit of cottage bling!

 Slipcovering the seat.

I removed all old upholstery and changed out the padding to new/fresh stuff.  

I abhor stapled upholstery and only use upholstery tacks.

I then cover the bottoms with a layer of white muslin, also tacked in place, with my logo sewn into the center.

The original with seat upholstered and frame painted, before I added a white accent and gold leaf

Spring Sewing Projects

Please join me at TPP Blue & White Bash!

Hello Spring!

(at least in our minds, if not reflected in the weather)

Every spring I draw up a list of home projects to complete and hope to get as much accomplished as possible and this year, having designed and printed through Spoonflower, a grouping of my fabric designs, I am hoping to sew up some slip covers!

I love the look of linen slips on furniture - it has such a summery feel.

And now that I have designed over 106 Swedish Gustavian-inspired blue & white fabrics, I am ready to begin the make over.

Eventually I will have wallpaper printed too

and redo my dining room.

But, one thing at a time!

I've also become obsessed with designing tea towels and they can be found in my Spoonflower shop

LilyOake on Spoonflower as raw, unfinished fat quarters for you to bind off as you please, or as finished (prewashed, ironed and edges bound) in my ETSY shop, LilyOake on ETSY

I add more every day.

I design more every day!!

 I am so happy to be joining an amazing group on The Pink Pagoda with her Blue & White Monday linking party!

I wait for each one she hosts so I can see what my fellow blue & white lovers are doing!  I've also got my eye on a couple of her blue & white vases and am deciding which ones to purchase for my cottage!

Check out her online shops and indulge yourself in her art or china - its a look that will never go out of style!!

And do check out the other links to fabulous blogs...I guarantee you will be inspired by their great ideas!