A Simple Slipcover

I had found a really nice footstool at a local Goodwill store - nice size and height to sit on for big tushes like mine, plus the casters worked perfectly and even the fabric was in perfect condition.
But unfortunately it was a burnt orange velvet from the 70's palette!  ECH

Luckily, footstools are a snap to recover or sew a quick slip cover for.
Since I have kitty cats who sleep on everything, I always slip cover my furniture for ease of laundering.
A slip cover for this was a no brainer.

I wanted something simple but with some feminine gathering, even though I was using one of my more masculine stripe designs, SIGNE STRIPE in pale blueberry and white.
I had it printed on the linen cotton canvas, which sews well and launders well too!

It turned a nicely made, but very ugly footstool into something I can proudly place in any room in my home for use.
Did I mention my entire house is this shade of blue so anything I slip cover will fit in, in any room, as needed!
Saves money and also allows you to have functional, pretty furniture without cluttering up a small cottage with too many pieces.

Laundered and ready to cut!  Signe Stripe in blueberry, on linen cotton canvas from my Spoonflower shop, LilyOake.

Adding readymade piping.  I know color is a bit off but they also somehow worked well together and it saved me time, which is precious to me nowadays.

Piping in place, all I had to do is hem the gathered skirt.

Simple readymade piping and a gently gathered skirt did the trick.

The complete footstool slip cover, awaiting its first use.

Experimenting with Pillows

Pillows seem to be the perfect way to change out the look of a room instantly without spending too much money or too much effort.

You can use the same filler but change out the covers by season (or not - mine are year-round!).

Its also a great way to live with a new look for awhile before plunging headlong into a decor flip.

For instance, I am experimenting adding some pale pink to my all pale blue and white interiors, to add color and warmth.
So far its working really well and I achieved the look just by using pink floral pillows from my own line of fabrics,available on Spoonflower:  LilyOake on Spoonflower

With the studio tour a few weeks away, I have had to make some realistically-based decisions on which projects I can get done and which will have to be in the fall tour.
I'm not going to kill myself to get most of the painted furniture done - if I was at home everyday, that wouldn't be a problem.  But I work outside my home for someone else, 40 hours a week, which leaves creative time limited, on top of housework, kitty care, a large yard, significant other care, laundry, cooking....and freelance design work too, besides sewing.

One thing I will try to get done is the dollhouse donated to me by a neighborhood family who were cleaning out their garage and decided it needed to go!  It sat for years, unloved and ignored and I seemed the best person who could bring it to life again.
Its getting a new paint job on the outside, with blue and pink WP inside, in every room!
(I'll blog about that later)

Meantime, pillows have dominated my world these past 2 weeks.  I completed the six heart-shaped pillows and do they look CUTE!
With Mother's Day the weekend after my art studio tour, I do hope they sell out (what a spectacular gift for Mom!!).
But I also did some larger throw pillows for sofas and chairs.
I added two more 20" square pillows and three 16" x 26" rectangle pillows.
All in cotton linen canvas, which is my favorite Spoonflower fabric!

So here they are, in all their glory!
I have more yardage on order so I can take commissioned orders and also to stock my ETSY shop.

Rosewitha Stripe on aqua linen cotton canvas

May Day Summer Roses on basil stripe linen cotton canvas

Rosewitha on peony stripe linen cotton canvas

16" x 26" linen cotton canvas pillows

Picnic at St Hubert Priory Gardens in sorbet pink

Cathleen's Heart in blueberry blue, on linen cotton canvas 20" pillow

Picnic at St Hubert Priory Gardens and Cathleen's Heart

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!