For the chair

It seems that I have passed on some of my love for old things to at least one child.

Kara, my eldest, keeps appropriating my precious finds. This chair cost me a mere two dollars at a garage sale years ago. 

It was quickly recovered and then served as a dog chair downstairs at our last house. It's been sprayed for fleas many times and lately washed with a gentle bleach solution. The rain hit it often and possibly even the rottweiler and some native birds have sat in it. 

But now it serves as a cushion holder in Kara's bedroom. She claims she is taking it when she moves out shortly along with some of my other vintage bits and bobs. 

OK. I've agreed but only because I have too many. 

The latest batch of cushions were made from recycled skirts - one from a swap and the other bought at the thrift store - and filled with brand new inserts gifted by a friend who bought the covers cushions but didn't like the fact that they were so plump. 

The map at the rear is a piece of printed fabric found on the net and turned into a throw with a backing of fabric from Ikea.

Working on ....

Cushions for an elderly couple who have just had their lounge repainted a soft shade of green.

The sashing mimics the wall colour and the idea for the Japanese influence was their big Japanese fan above the settee.
I'm having heaps of fun.
Hope you are too.

Recovered travel pillow

photo credit

From one of these in blue to one of these in red (did I mention red is NOT her favourite colour?)

with the flip of some stretch fabricwhich has been in the stash for 6 or 7 years, a little badly sewn shirring thread pulled up to gather everything in the right place and some embroidery thread to pull the ends together.

Definitely not another like it on the planet!

(flowers courtesy of the florist daughter!)

Thankyou Beccasaurus

I love this fabric because it reminds me of my Mum who I am sure had curtains very similar to this in the blue colourway.

Fortunately the lovely Beccasaurus (for the full story click on her title) thought it was horrible and threw it in the bin.

But then when she knew I loved it she rescued, cleaned it and sent it on.

Now it is living it's third life: first - curtain, second - stool cover, third - cushion.

I love it. Totally.

Only trouble is, the colour does not suit my decor, so after I savour it's flavour for a bit more it will move home yet again to the house of a dear friend who will totally love it.

Thankyou Bec.

You totally made my day.

Front.

Back has zipper inserted under deep overhang.

 

Yay. I feel free!!

Well. It is finally here! 

The new doona cover,

pillow slips and pretty cushions

curtains where there previously were none and a new cloth for under the TV to tie it all together.

Yay!!!

I feel free.

Now lets see what else needs doing.

My creative space - not a diversion!

That's right. 

This time the work is not stopping me from doing the bedroom set because it is part of it.

But really, it is still stopping me because I'm a little scared of finishing it.

This is just an 80x80cm square of lining fabric that has been shirred roughly every ten centimetres from left to right and top to bottom.

I just roughly wound the shirring cotton on the bobbin and used a 2.5 stitch length.

The curtains are of the same fabric as this as is some of the applique on the doona cover.

It is cheap lining fabric fromSpotlight chosen because it was the only fabric in the shop with the exact right shade of burnt orange that DD2 wanted.

Unfortunately DD1 likes it so much she wants me to make her one soon but that's OK because it is very fast to do unless you count the constant changing of the bobbin.

I'll admit that I made this more than a week ago but as it is the only piece of work on the go that you have not seen I thought I would share it with you.

For more creativeness head over to Kirsty's.

The $19 makeover and reveal

I so wish I had remembered to take some before photos for you but all I have is a quick shot of the original curtains. I made these for my friends spare room about three years ago. The match the bedcover really well even though they are just scraps of curtain fabric sewn together.

Anyway this was the sort of colours that were in this room before I arrived today for a quick makeover.

This incredible bunk bed was made by the grandfather for the arrival of his two grand-daughters who are to spend 6 weeks here before and during school holidays. 

The man is a wizz with any power tools and has a mind that doesn't accept defeat.

He is intending to make his resident grandson a similar contraption but with desk, etc under it.

Great ideas for tiny spaces.

So the bed was painted in light blue for grand-daughter 1 and trimmed in strong purple for grand-daughter 2.

But I came along and thought the bedding colours were all wrong.

A blue dolphin doona cover that had originally belonged to my oldest for the purple lover and that adult grey-brown colour for the pale blue lover.

The chest of drawers had slips that matched the grey-brown look to cover them.

What is a girl to do if she thinks it's not quite right but offer to do a quick makeover.

The offer was accepted so last night I madly washed the new-from-the-oppie blue vintage sheets and then proceeded to rip and sew until all the really weak areas were gone. It took two single sheets to make the top of this cover. The bottom is left overs from something that belonged to the grandma I think.

We tend to share stuff around here and I don't always remember where things came from.

Today I had to do a mad dash down to the shops for milk for breakfast so I took the opportunity to pop into the oppie to get extra props for the room.

$13 later I had 4 soft toys, enough blue fabric to work two pillow cases from and a new doona cover in lilac and pinks for the younger one.

Everything got washed and dried while I struggled with my machine to finish the blue bedding.

Then it was over to the house to set up the beds and work out what else needed doing.

After another trip to the oppie and then parting with $6 more. I had enough to complete the makeover just in time before the family came back from picking the girls up from the airport.

I added a white cane chair from my bedroom topped with a thrifted blue sheet ($1) which is there to protect the new cushions (50 cents each!).

A pretty lace runner from my house and a $4 cream doona cover thrown over the curtain rail and tied back with scraps of blue from the pillow cases.

I would have liked to cut the doona in half so that the frills were in the middle and each panel could be tied back but I know the grandma well enough to know that she would prefer to have the complete cover for another day.

She is a very grateful and resourcefully frugal woman and I know that it will not go to waste.

I am really happy about this super fast makeover and got lots of kisses which I think means everyoine else is too!

Happy, happy, happy

Kate from Foxs Lane suggested we tell the world our reasons for happiness today. 

I have to say my number one happiness today was learning how to crochet ric-rac which I learned from Kate's very own tutorial. It is so simple. I've made it using some thrifted cotton I picked up last week.

And can you beat these gorgeous cushions at only a dollar each. I didn't even know their price but I knew they were mine as soon as I saw them.

So creamy and rich in their crochet.

They are dfinitely keepers.

I am also very happy that we can get secondhand clothing here so cheaply. Many ideas here for me, my daughter and friends.

And I am happy for the lovely small circular cloth my friend dropped on my lap this morning.

And above all I am happy for having such wonderful company to enjoy every Friday morning.

Such great friends whose company inspires with it's intellectual, spiritual or trivial content depending on our joint moods. 

I never fail to have been lifted emotionally when I part from them.

My creative space

Yup, I sewed two seams and filled a calico cushion insert. Now for the hard part - I have to decide which of all my myriad of fabrics to use underneath this beautiful tatted doily for the cover. Wouldn't you think life could be easy just for once?

More creative spaces here.

PS I seem to have joined the myriad of sites having notices posted for insecure sites.If you know how to resecure these sites and you are able to let me know, please do.

Thankyou Mr Yahoo!!

No energy sewing

What do you do when you want to create but have absolutely no energy?

You cheat, of course!

That is, you use already finished goodies to make your item.

This cushion was made with part of a curtain sample that already had overlocked edges. All I did was cut the correct size for covering this old cushion and french seam the two long sides together into a pipe. Push the insert in, grab a couple of posties rubber bands to hold the twisted ends and finish with some ribbon from the stash. And Hey Presto! You have a classy cushion to give to a friends grandchild.

The other granchild thinks she doesn't like girly things so I made the ultra easy jeans leg bag for her from the base of her granfather's worn out jeans. Again a quick french seam for the base, a couple of belt loops with old o-rings slipped on and a thrifted belted for the strap. Too easy.

And perfect for teenagers pressies.