Covering My Sofa: One Pillow At A Time

WIth the help of a free online video, I decided in early May, that I could recover my sofa.

How it started: After a flurry of spring cleaning, my sofa, with its sad, worn, age soiled upholstery stood out like the elephant in the room. We either needed to replace the ugly-but-comfy sofa or cover it with something, anything! more permanent than layered sheets. About that time I happened upon a video that made covering a pillow look soooo easy- with piping even!

I watched that video by Threadbanger a couple of times and it gave me the guts to try to give that old sofa a make-over. After all, what is a sofa but a collection of pillows? If I could cover one loose pillow, surely I could do a bunch. Since it showed one pillow being made in less than five minutes, I had wild hopes I could finish this project while hubby was off to Canton for three days. A cinch! and wouldn't he be surprised?

aha ha ha *gasp* aha ha ha . In three days, I had ONE pillow completed. ONE!!!! My sewing skill level was thread a needle and go in and out.

Really not all that confident I could do it, I had decided NOT to buy fabric but to use what was on hand - a bolt of about 13 yds that cost five dollars at an estate sale. I knew it wasn't nearly enough so I would have to make the bottoms and backsides out of some muslin I already had, the end pillows out of blue and cream plaid, the piping out of an old sheet and forget about matching the pattern. I used heavy cloth clothesline bought from the Dollar Store for the piping. My idea was if I did ok, well, later I could do it again with good stuff.

Regrets: Knowing now that it is a major labor/time intensive project and that I'm not anxious to do it again, I sure wish I had invested in enough fabric in a fabric I loved (I don't particularly love this) to have enough without supplementing with muslin and to match the patterns. The sheet made ok piping covers but I don't know how long it will hold up; however, the dollar a bolt for the clothesline for piping was a winner. The contrasting end pillows? Those I love...

It took about three weeks, not three days -silly me. I found myself chanting, "One potato, two potato, three potato, four..." as I stacked up the pillows. Finally I was able to say "NO MORE". I managed to finish it right before my 83 yr old mom came to visit. She loved it! (and at least it's fresh and clean) Total cost? Less than ten dollars.

Next Project: I've got my eye on that old stained drop-leaf coffee table. I KNOW I could have it painted blue by the time my hubby returns from Canton next month. What do you think? Would I like the design on the fabric better if the coffee table is a matching blue? Indecision: Would it be better in a cream that matches the sofa with blue accessories? I think the blue with accessories in the natural wood and cream and that berry would look better with the floor. Maybe blue that chips away to rich cream underneath and some wood peeking through? ARGHH! I never know what I will like best. Help me.

Here's the video that inspired me.
They make it look soooooo easy.

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Who Do You Feed First? The Woman Or The Child?

Click & Taste Photo

You're running on empty, your body needs fuel - immediately if not sooner; however, a deadline is pushing you to the limit. A quick sugar-fix is instinctive and you know it will give you the surge you need to keep going. There's the leftover homemade banana pudding in the frig, just a quick bowl, add a shot of caffeine and you're good for another three hours.

So, do you grab the quick and easy because it's -well, quick and easy - or do you opt for what your body needs, real nutrition, maybe a rich soup that fills the senses with aroma and goodness plus a hunk of freshly warmed bread? And yeah - follow that up with caffeine and chocolate?

This happens to me often, especially when I'm working from can-to-can't on pieces of furniture to go off to the antique market (Canton). I know what I should do but still, I often feed the child in me. So what do YOU do? Feed the woman, feed the child, feed both??

Recipe: I've used this 'nana puddin' photo in an earlier post and have had requests for the recipe. It's the Original Nabisco Nilla Wafer Banana Pudding Recipe, always available on the box. Since I have only guys with huge appetites, I double the recipe for the pudding and triple the recipe for the topping. I've experimented and you can't substitute with instant pudding mix, nor any other brand of wafer and get the same raves.

My Fair Lady:Turning A Plain-Jane Country Table Into A Stunning French Beauty

(Click on Photos to Enlarge)I thought it might be fun to walk through the steps that turning a found piece into treasure involve for me.
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I started with a nice, sturdy antique/vintage half-moon table with good lines. I was immediately taken with the details on the legs - and the curvy, feminine shape. Still it wasn't a table that worked everywhere or that lended itself to many uses.


After basecoating it with a very neutral sage, it looked like the above photo. Ok, but lacking strong eye-appeal. Truth: This table was a wall flower. My husband notched the back of the table in order to create a great backsplash to the table. (He's soooo handy!) Instantly the table has more significance and possibilities for it's use began to expand.

Read More on DIY Project Page

In Time For Mother's Day: BEST Online Free D.I.Y. Fabulous SPRING WREATH Video I've Ever Seen!

A spring wreath, made of an assortment of loose flowers, is soooo fabulous, so wonderful, soooooo colorful that it takes your breath. After watching this step-by-step video by Mark Ballard, you'll be as convinced as I that you can make it for pennies on the dollars. More than that, you won't be able to wait to try it. Trust me on this, there's none online better.

From Mark, (Thanks Mark!) you'll learn

• How To Organize Your Colors Before You Begin
• How To Balance Colors Within The Wreath
• How To Create A Focal Point
• How To Keep It Natural
• How To Keep It AIRY
• How To Taper Off The Spray
• AND SOOOOO MUCH MORE!

Run Here Fast as Your Mouse Will Take You.

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D.I.Y. : ADD-A-CORK To Create Wine or Bottle Stoppers From Old Crystal Knobs, Billiard Balls, Finials

Recently, I used an old crystal doorknob for a stopper for a bottle filled with pink colored water. It worked perfectly and I liked it so much that I started thinking of ways to really use them... and other items as stoppers. I was thinking particularly about the fragrance bottles I have that are missing stoppers; but, a little research and I realized that somebody (and maybe lots of somebodies) had already beat me to developing this "stopper" idea.

I think you'll agree these are waaay creative uses - I was especially taken with the billiard ball stoppers - clever gift idea! Father's Day is coming up soon and there might be other hobby-related things that might work perfectly for the men in our lives. Fishing lures? Golf balls? Still thinking here... An ornate metal doorknob stopper could be monogrammed for a personalized and soooo elegant wedding or commemorative anniversary gift.

And the bottles don't have to be wine bottles? Maybe salad dressing bottles? Fragrance bottles?
Bubble Bath? Linen Waters? A neat bottle of something with a special stopper would be a great gift basket starter...

Here's a link for buying already made with great variety and good prices! Knob Stoppers

And here's a link for D.I.Y. stopper-makers. (like me) :) This shows a step-by-step tutorial with photos for adding corks to your toppers. Click here

As Pretty As I could Make Them...

I now have the antique crib settee and the washstand below listed.
I don't think I could have given the bed up but I have a wicker one
that's a little larger (I think) that I'm going to keep. I think I
previously about how thrilled I was to find it in my hubby's shed
when all this time I thought he had sold my bed at Canton. I just love
these as settees - isn't it inviting and just... divine?!?!?

The washstand , you can see a bit below,
is in whisper soft pink ( so hard to
photograph because, truly, it's barely there). Outside
in the Texas sun, it's so pale that it appears white - not
pink at all. I did something new with the colors and it's
so "fresh". I whitewashed the trim in the palest apple
green, very diluted, and it's amazing how much doing that
added to it.

Click any photo to enlarge

Click any photo to enlarge

Click any photo to enlarge

Click any photo to enlarge

Click any photo to enlarge

Here's a peek at a few pretties I've listed -I hope you enjoy seeing them - some are really previews because I don't have e'thing listed yet.

Since there is much, much more to be listed (I've been painting lots of furniture) I'm going to add an eBay To Go Link to my auctions on the side bar.

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Eco-Housing: Greener Than The Jolly Giant's Thumb!

First!!!! Take a good look at the living treehouse!
The latice work? - That's the trunks
of the trees rooted in the ground.
Amazing!?!?!

My Rant:
When politicians scold the populace (thee & me) about the environment, eco-housing, eco-thrift, & our eco-lifestyle- it always gives me pause begging the question - "Just how green can their BIG houses be?". "Awwww," I say to 'em, "Go Live in a Treehouse!".

Recently I tripped over this very "Green House" - one I'd love to have as a fun little nook. Just think of the romantic potential this has. Sigh... Candles, flowers, a loaf of bread and .....

Read more about it at Arborsmith Studios. Obviously, this is a MAJOR D.I.Y. project.I think all the politicians who preach to us while living in those mammoth homes that eat up our resources in huge gulps should go live in one- not near this nice, either.

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