Fall is For Knitting!

Now that the temps are dropping, I turn my attention back to knitting.
I put it away in warmer months because there's so much other stuff to do outside AND who wants a ball of hot, wool yarn in their lap?  lol

There's nothing more relaxing for me right now, in between office work and house projects, then to sit for 30 minutes in the sun on a quiet Sunday morning and just knit.

Here is a current new project, color coordinated with one of my pillows I designed.  I didn't plan that, it just happened.  hahaha
The pattern's name is ELVIE in blueberry, printed here on the eco canvas.

ELVIE in blueberry, on eco canvas

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

Slipcovered Thriftshop Chairs

      As usual, I blog sporadically!  But I did want to show you both my new slipcovers in one go.
I have been quite busy sewing and planning out new projects.

      This newest slipcover I completed 2 days ago, using my pattern "Theodora" in white.
The floral pattern is a soft blueberry blue and easy on the eye.  Again, I used the linen-cotton canvas fabric available from Spoonflower.
      Here is a link to  Theodora  in my shop, Lilyoake.  Its available in 17 different fabrics, 2 types wallpaper, and gift wrap!

      I am participating in the Arts North Studio Tours in September and need to have things to sell to the public, who might be touring my studio and looking for items I design and make.
I decided slipcovered chairs were a great thing to offer and began scouring Goodwill stores for sturdy, undamaged one of a kind dining chairs which I could paint, upholster and make slipcovers for.
       Every chair I offer will come with new upholstered seat PLUS a removable/washable slipcover, giving the chair more versatility!

     The easy part was painting the frame and sewing the slipcover - the hard part will be pricing them to sell, without cheating myself out of my time, supplies and hard work.  Isn't that always the case for an artist? 

The chair with the upholstered seat, in Caroline blueberry