Make it work. Upholstered bed.

The last time I checked in I was blowing off some steam about some roman shades I was making. When I started the project they were going to be plain roman shades.   I ended up with juuuuuust enough fabric.  Sewing a pocket for a wooden dowel was not something I wanted to deal with.  As a result, I decided mid project to make them relaxed roman shades.

I should have taken a minute and re-evaluated the situation.  I had put off starting these for a long time because making roman shades is...a bunch of straight lines and ironing.  Add pinning to that list if you include a blackout shade.   So...so...so boring. When I finally got the urge to start I didn't want to stop.  I wanted to get it over with.  As a result, I ended up with a variation of balloon roman shades.  When they are done right they are awesome.  Unfortunately, mine were obviously would-be-plain-roman-shades-trying-to-become-relaxed-roman-shades-but-ended-up-mostly-balloon-roman-shades....mostly.  I thought I could live with it because....they weren't terrible.  But something wasn't right.

Two of the three shades.

The third and largest shade.

Mom And Me Brainstorming Session Commence.
We both agreed they were fine.  There were some missed opportunities in finishing them to look...right.  I am really trying to graduate from crafty/amatuer hour to polished in the things I create.  All that work I put into them and.....and they looked DIY.  Kind of cool but kind of...unpolished.

Mom and I spent some time brainstorming some ways to fix the issues we found with them.  If we had found a brilliant fix I would have been all for it. Unfortunately, nothing felt right or excited me.

THEN........

I swear we both had the same idea at the same moment.  "Upholster the bed in that fabric."  (You were thinking that too, weren't you??)  I had planned to upholster the bed from the get go.  I was going to do it white with black trim which I knew was a terrible idea with a two year old sleeping in it but I had convinced myself that mine would magically remain white.

This is the bed I have in Whit's room:

It screams, "Make me pretty!", right?

After my mom confirmed we had enough fabric I tore those shades down and started ripping the seams.  I had them taken apart in no time flat.  Then Sean and I worked together to cut the headboard shape out of Luan.  He screwed the Luan to the bedframe. He included support pieces along the curve and along the bottom.  Being only 1/4" thick, Luan is flimsy!

Headboard

Support Pieces

After we had that done my mom came over with her arms full of upholstery tools and materials.  Check out the size of this spool of welt!


Sean took the kids to school and we got started around 8 am.  We took a short lunch and were back to work.  When our planned delayed naptime came around we were on a roll so I let Whit skip her nap. We got that thing DONE at 5!

Whitney checking out our progress.

I love it.  It uses the floral pattern in a great way.  I learned some upholstery tips today and actually contributed instead of just learning. Best of all....it looks polished!  My mom is a pro so it has nothing to do with me but still...it's polished!

Whit got to watch us put it together and so she feels like it is extra special.  She loves it which makes me love it more.  B is already planning how we can make his "bed more handsome".

Creation and Celebration

There hasn't been a lot to blog about.  I used to blog to keep my mom up to date on my creative ventures while I lived 1000+ miles away.  Now that I see her all the time I feel a little silly saying LOOK WHAT I DID to the few of you who still read my blog.  Perhaps if I created tutorials things would be different.  Today I have something close.  I finally have a project that feels pretty much all me (rather than a combination of DIY tutorials I found online) and doable by others...plus I SCORED today at Goodwill and I need to celebrate it.  My husband did a great job of acting excited for me...he gave me a verbal high five if ever there was one...but I know in his heart he really doesn't understand the fantastic-ness of a great deal on fabric.

First, my project.  My good friend Priscilla works hard to support my creative addiction and love for made gifts.  I love her so much for it.  For my birthday last year she showed up with a few made gifts AND.....a large bag full of leather goods that she thrifted.  I mean....good friend, right?  I have had those leather goods in the back of my mind ever since, just waiting for inspiration to strike.  I almost made some leather bracelets but I couldn't come up with anything cool enough worth making....that's pretty much all I had come up with until yesterday afternoon!  I saw this bag years ago and loved it:

via

I used the tutorial to make the tote but in a solid color (best beach bag ever).  For whatever reason, yesterday I got this image of a bag with that fabric and saddle colored leather.  I went to my bag o' leather from Priscilla and found this purse:

Snip snip snip....

I cut the leather bottom pieces of the tote from the body of the bag (each 5.5 x 12 inches).  The straps were long strap of purse cut in half.  I sewed the finished edges of the strap to the outside of the tote and the raw edges to the inside of the tote.  Each side of the tote has a finished edge and a raw edge.  I cut two 11x13 inch pieces of the striped Ikea fabric.  I then cut each of those in half and set them about .5 inches off and sewed them back together.  Once I sewed the fabric pieces to the leather I assembled it just like a typical tote.  It includes a liner.

It didn't take too long and I love it.  if I had a bigger purse to cut up I would have made the bag a little wider but otherwise it is great.  This morning Whitney (my 2 year old) saw it and wouldn't let it go.  She took it to school with her.  My girl.

On to the SCORE.

I went to a fabric store in Valdosta about two months ago and found almost all the fabric I am going to use in Whit's room.  All I knew going in there was was pink and mint.  I didn't have much of a clue beyond that.  Brady's room, however, has been planned since before we had our house but I haven't actually bought any of the fabric for it!  This is my pinterest board dedicated to B.  This picture pretty much sums it up minus the blonde girl:

via

Most of the plaids I have found are too expensive or not exactly what I want.

My mom is cleaning house and donating a ton of fabric to Goodwill.  I ended up taking a load for her.  When I go in to Goodwill I scan the furniture, home goods, and art.  Anything made of fabric overwhelms me in thrift stores.  A sea of red t shirts not organized by size...?!! I shut down.  Today I checked the fabric section.  Much more digestible.  I'm glad I did!!!!

Just finding those three in one go would have been a jackpot.  Each piece is of considerable yardage. Jackpot. Guess how much they were?  Guess.  $5.  Total.  $5!!!!!!  JACKPOT!

If it wasn't annoying to have music on web pages I would insert Celebration by Cool and the Gang right here.

This is the plaid I was most definitely going to include in B's room.  It was the inspiration for everything I plan to do in there.  Boom.

This plaid is my second favorite plaid and was probably going to be included somehow.  This is a loose woven fabric...tons of it.

This is just a bonus.  How could I not?  I think it is fleece.  It is thick and soft.

Now I must get started.

Any Kaffe Fassett fans out there?

If so, fabric.com is having a 15% sale on their Kaffe Fassett fabrics.  Sweet!

Magical

Check out these magical fabrics I found on Fashionable Fabrics.  I would like to incorporate at least one into the babies' bedroom.  I have them both in my cart but I can't figure out what to do with them and don't want to become someone with tons of fabric that I like and don't use...a collector.  Good Lord, I love the purple/black fabric!  I don't think that one will fit in anywhere in my house, color wise.  But I don't care b/c I love it.  

Around the World by Alexander Henry

Good Earth by Alexander Henry

A post worth reposting: Danielle Oakey Interiors

I am catching up on all the blog posts I have neglected to read while I have been addicted to The Hunger Games.  I finished this afternoon and I am going through some withdrawal.  Fortunately, they are super fast reads so the time you spend with the characters is not as long as other series...I hate the feelings that come when you finish a book or books you have really enjoyed.  Sad.

It's ok though.  I was totally cheered up by Danielle Oakey Interiors' post today....well, she didn't write it today...I read it today. She featured products by Trina Turk.  COLORFUL AND EDGY.  I love.  Check out Danielle's post and check out a few of my favorite Trina Turk fabrics.

this not fabric but a rug.

All fabric photos from Decorator's Best.  Rug photo from Danielle's post.

Cool fabric site.

I love discovering/being referred to new fabric sites....especially when they have tons of fabrics I haven't seen over and over and over.  I spent the latter part of B's nap exploring Fashionable Fabrics.  I am mostly looking for fabrics I can use in B's room...or just some inspiration for B's room.  I am having a tremendous amount of luck.  Here are a few I bookmarked:

Similar to my feelings about the plates picture from this post, I think this is sweet and pretty but it probably wouldn't make the final cut in my home.

I guess I got the small thumbnail of this one.  I love the color yellow and the pattern...so I guess I like everything about it!

I love the combination of colors in this fabric.  

I really love this elephant fabric but I don't have any commitment to elephants...I just love how they have patterns in the silhouettes.  

Kaffe Fassett

Kaffe Fassett is a name my Mom has said to me many times over the years....but it was usually in the same sentence as needlepoint, quilt, or knit.  None of those are something I do.  (I knit a little but only recently.)  Also, I am always drawn to his books when I see them around my parents' house.  They are so colorful! But when I see the word needlepoint, quilt or knit I close immediately.

I am visiting my parents in FL right now and my Mom brought some design books from their house in GA down for me to look at while I am here.  Kaffee Fassett again.  Ok.  I give in.  I looked.  I love.  My Mom knows me too well.  It only took me my whole life to listen up about this one.

I went to his website after looking at one of the books.  Not only does he have amazing color combinations but he also does every pattern in at least 5 colorways.  Incredible.  Every combo is joyful and happy.  I am not sure I have ever seen emotion in fabric quite like I do in his fabrics.  They are truly art.

One thing I love as well is the quality of the design of his flowers.  There are so many floral designs that use such cheesy looking flowers.  It drives me crazy.  His large floral patterns are beautiful.

This stripe makes me vibrate.  it is so exciting.  This is probably his wildest color combo....here is one a little more subdued but equally amazing:

His fabrics just move me.  Beautiful.  I have to own some.  

Ok.  I have nothing left to say.  Let's just watch.