Fabric: Let the sun shine in with sheer fabrics

Nothing says summer like soft sheer draperies billowing in the wind; it just makes you feel cooler.   Sheers, as they are referred to, are most often used as a second layer to draperies.  They soften the light, provide a small amount of privacy and can hide an ugly view outside.  The fabrics used are soft and drapey and include cotton, silk, linen, voile and even polyester.  However, today’s sheers are not the ordinary white curtains your grandmother used.  Far from it!  The selection available today feature patterns that range from soft florals to bold geometrics in colors or tone on tone embroidery.  See if any of these decorating ideas will work in your home.

• Consider using a sheer fabric with a golden tone to cast a lovely glow in a dark room.
• Drape fabric over a pole for a simple, no-sew window treatment.
• Sheers added to a four poster bed (or just two posts) will create a cozy and romantic spot.
• Replace those heavy winter drapes with lightweight sheers for the summer months and don’t worry about privacy.  Throw the doors open and let the sun shine in !
• A sheer overlay makes a pretty tablecloth.
• Add an extra layer to your shower curtain.  This will hide the tub enclosure but still let the light in.
• Use the leftover fabric to wrap a winebottle.  Simply tie a ribbon around the neck of the bottle and you have a beautiful gift presentation.

Sheers are an affordable way to change the look of your room in minutes.  Enjoy the soft breezes of summer now and, when fall arrives, choose a fabric with subtle embroidered leaves, for instance.

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Home Decor: Rock-a-bye baby fabrics

Is there anything more delightful than decorating a nursery for a little one?  Perhaps you have a new baby in your home or your newborn has very quickly turned into a toddler with likes and dislikes of their own.  Whatever the reason, decorating a child’s room means you can pull out all the stops–anything goes—there are no rules.  As with any other room in your home, there are some guidelines to follow to insure a room that is safe, functional and visually appealing for your son or daughter as well as for yourself.

Fabric

There are literally dozens and dozens of fabrics made specifically with children in mind.  For example, you can create a sophisticated french retreat using a toile fabric for bedding and window treatments.  Add a coordinating check and floral pattern for a true french country look.  Or maybe your little one prefers something a bit more whimsical such as Covington’s fun balloon print.  This bright and colorful fabric can be paired with multiple solids to create a happy environment for any child.  Try to think outside the pink and blue box and choose unusual color combinations like pink and lime green, turquoise and brown or even a soothing all neutral color palette.

Furniture

Function and safety are first and foremost when it comes to choosing furniture for your child’s room.  Before purchasing any items for your child’s room check with the Consumer Protection Agency (http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/chld_frn.html) and their safety guidelines.  You will need a bed, dresser, chair, shelving and rugs.  All these pieces will add personality and color to the room.

Paint

Use a low VOC paint to reduce the amount of fumes and toxins that could be released into the room over time.  This is one time when the color scheme you use does not have to coordinate with the rest of your home.  If your little one wants an all purple room, go for it.  A room with painted dragons on the wall…no problem.  Polka dots and  stripes ….ok with me. 

You get the idea…..let your child have a say in what their room will look like and they just might learn to keep it neat and tidy.  (OK I can dream can’t I?)

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Home Decorating: Seashells by the seashore

As we can all tell by the weather, summer is really just beginning and it is not too late to add to your summer decorating.  Nothing spells summer to me more than pretty seashells collected on the beach and piled high in a hurricane jar.  But there are many ways to bring this iconic symbol of summer into your home decorating.

• The stores are full of mirrors, candlesticks and lamp bases covered with real or faux seashells.  Check out this lamp from Lamps Plus.  How pretty on a bedside table!  Pottery Barn even sells bags of shells for those of you who do not live near a beach (or just don’t like sand stuck between your toes) as well as lots of other sophisticated beachy accessories.
• Fabric is a perfect way to add a touch of sun, sand and shells to your home.  Fashion a couple of pillows from this Robert Allen fabric for a cool summer feel.  Quick and easy summer projects such as easy to sew window valances, a border on bath towels or crisp summer bedding can all be made from fabrics featuring shells and other symbols of the sea.
• Furniture with shell motifs can add a whimsical as well as traditional touch to any room.  In fact, the shell is a very popular symbol found on Queen Anne and other furniture styles.
• Accessories are a fun and easy way to highlight any season, including summer.  Place a large conch shell on top of a stack of books to remind you of that vacation at the beach.  A fun project with the kids is to glue seashells around picture frames for photos of last year’s trip to the Bahamas.  Or you can simply fill large jars or hurricanes with all the shells you have collected over the years as a  fun reminder of past trips.

Replace all of your 4th of July decorations with this symbol of summer and your home will be decorated for the rest of the season.  That leaves plenty of time for you to visit the beach to collect more shells!

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Making Slipcovers (part II)

Making a muslin pattern before you cut out your fabric can save you time and aggravation in the long-run and help you make a perfectly fitted slipcover for a cushion.

• Measure the cushion: length, width, and height (depth). Cut out pattern pieces from the muslin according to your measurements, adding a ½ inch for the seam allowance all the way around. If you plan on putting in a zipper, you must take this into account.
• For most sofa or armchair cushions, you will have three pattern pieces: top, bottom, and the side strip.
• Pin fit the muslin pattern on your cushion, adjusting as needed.
• Remove the pattern and machine baste it together.
• Try it on the cushion and adjust for fit.
• Once you have made any necessary adjustments to the pattern you are ready to cut out your fabric. Carefully remove the basting stitches from the muslin and use the pieces to cut out your fabric. Insert a zipper if you have planned for one.
• Sew your fabric together, just as you did for the muslin pattern.

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Making Simple Slipcovers (part I)

Slipcovers are an inexpensive way to perk up old chairs and sofas. Slipcovers are easy to make with a little experience. I recommend that you begin by making simple covers for dining room chairs or simple cushion covers for armchairs, before you tackle something more complicated.

Although they are not that complicated, a nice looking slipcover for a sofa or armchair requires more experience than a cushion cover. As you can imagine, dealing with the arms and the back of a couch or armchair can be tricky.

Slipcover basics:

• Accurate measurements are a must; more on easy ways to be accurate in my next post.
• Choose lighter weight fabrics than you would for upholstery. Medium-weight cotton, linen, denim, light-weight canvas, and drapery fabrics are great. Some lighter weight upholstery fabrics will work. Remember that florals, plaids, and stripes require more fabric because you must match the patterns.
• Pre-wash or pre-shrink (steam press) your fabric before you cut it out. You do not want to go to all the trouble of making slipcovers which look great, only have them shrink and become unusable the first time that they are washed.

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Home Decor: Decorating with our fine feathered friends

You have probably noticed all the birds that can be found in decorating over the last several months.  These little feathered creatures are popping up on fabrics, accessories and artwork and it looks like this trend is here to stay.

Fabrics

There are literally dozens of fabrics available that depict birds of some sort.  You can choose high end manufacturers and pay several hundred dollars a yard for hand embroidered and hand loomed fabrics; you can choose low end and affordable cotton fabrics with a stamped design or the best buy of all, quality fabric that will withstand the test of time when it comes to fading, shrinking and durability.   The fabrics can be whimsical and fun or rich and traditional in design.  Use these fabrics to fashion accent pillows, chair cushions and drapery panels or go all out and upholster an entire chair.

Accessories

Birds of all species can be found on dinnerware, vases, artwork, lamp bases and candles.   A pair of beautiful pillows placed on your sofa can be enough to update your room with this idea.  Placing a candle in the powder room is a sweet way to introduce these little guys to your decor.  A beautifully embellished pillow like the one pictured will add sparkle and personality to a side chair.  A collection of beautifully framed bird prints hung in the entry of your home is a nice way to greet your guests.

As with any trend, don’t overdo it.  Choose your fabrics and accessories wisely and you can enjoy the sweet touch of a bird without the mess that goes along with the real thing.

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Fabric: How to use gingham in your summer decorating

Not sure exactly what gingham is?  Remember the blue and white checked apron/dress Dorothy wore in “Wizard of Oz”?  That is gingham.  And in days past it was used to make little girl dresses or picnic tablecloths.  However, this fresh and crisp fabric is making a sophisticated comeback in the interior decorating world.

How can you use gingham in your decorating?  Well take a look at some of these ideas that are guaranteed to add a light, summery feel to your home.

• We are all familiar with the red and white gingham used in picnic baskets, outdoor tablecloths and napkins.  How about surprising Yogi Bear and making your “picanick” (as Yogi would say) a bit more sophisticated with a black and white gingham basket and linens!  Green gingham will provide a fresh and cooling feel to your picnic.
• How cute are these gingham plates?  They will add a summery feel to any meal.
  

  photo by Geoffrey Sokol

• Replacing those thick and heavy chair cushions with a gingham fabric for the summer is a sure way to lighten  the feel in your eating area.
• Gingham curtains are a staple in a country interior but they can add a lighthearted feel to a bath or kitchen area in any style home. 
• As you can see by the plates in the photo, gingham is available in many colors from soft pastels to urban chic black and white.
• How about  a crisp black and white lampshade like this one offered by Ballard Designs.  You could use this in an informal eating area, a relaxed family room or even a covered porch area.

Gingham is a very affordable fabric so if you try something and you don’t like it, no need to panic.  But I am confident that you will enjoy the light and fresh feel this summery fabric will add to your home.

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Upholstery Tools

Every craft has some tools that make the process much easier and the finished product more professional looking. Upholstering is no exception.

If you are going to be using upholstery nails or tacks, a special magnetic upholstery hammer is really helpful. The magnetic tip holds a nail in place while you start it into your material. If you have ever struggled to hold a nail in place while you hammer it without hitting your fingers, you know how handy this tool could be.

If you are going to be stretching webbing, a special web stretching tool is almost a must.

If you are really into do-it-yourself upholstery, a tool kit of basic upholstery tools can be a great buy. Online Fabric Store carries two upholstery tool kits, both from C.S. Osborne.

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Decorating has gone to the dogs–and cats, and birds and fish etc.

We love our pets.  And when it comes to decorating our homes we are not shy about showing our love for our four legged friends (as well as our swimming and flying friends) through the use of fabrics, wallpaper and accessories that reflect our favorite animals.

Many fabric manufacturers offer several options when it comes to fabrics that depict dogs, cats, fish and birds.  You can choose whimsical patterns for a child’s room or sophisticated and regal patterns highlighting the important role animals play in our lives. 

 

Perhaps your favorite pet is something a bit more exotic such as a gecko, parrot or koi fish.  You are in luck as there are fabrics that show these cute (?) little guys as well.

There are many ways to use these fabrics in your home.

• Accent pillows will add a playful touch to a den, family room or bedroom and express your love for your pet.
• A cornice board upholstered in one of these fabrics is a subtle way of showing you care.
• Bedding and window treatments in a child’s room is a fun way to let them enjoy their favorite animal even if it is not a pet.  There are fabrics depicting horses for the equestrian in the family and elephants and monkeys for those who dream of exotic vacations.
• Cover a lampshade or small footstool for a touch of whimsy.

With all the unique accessories, fabrics and wallcoverings available, there is no excuse for forgetting your favorite pet when it comes time to decorate.

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Books on Upholstering

Reupholstering your old furniture is an inexpensive way to obtain a brand new look. Upholstering may seem daunting if you have never tried it before, but with a little knowledge and practice your pieces can look professionally redone at a fraction of the cost.

The following books show you how to upholster any type of furniture. I like these books because they give you step-by-step detailed photos of a project in progress.

Matthew Haly’s Book of Upholstery: Projects, Tips, Tricks, and Techniques

Singer Upholstery Basics Plus: Complete Step-by-Step Photo Guide by Steve Cone.

Upholstery Techniques Illustrated by W. Gheen

Complete Upholsterer by Carole Thompson

Reupholstering at Home: A Do-It-Yourself Manual for Turning Old Furniture into New Showpieces by Peter Nesovich

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