Hey old chair, we've got you covered!

​As a yard sale find, this "chair" began its life as part of a sectional sofa.  The rest was hauled off to the dump.  By salvaging this segment, we were able to convert this ugly throw away 
into a lovely armless chair.

Those dirty dogs take our favorite pieces of furniture & turn them into chew toys!  How long does one hold on to their damaged chairs before they are tossed or fixed.  I wont tell you how long this client waited, yes I will -- she waited for the "ultimate" damage before getting them repaired & slip covered.  

See our video for simple repair techniques to salvage that savaged chair.
Old Chair Repair - YouTube Tutorial

Everyone wants to learn how to make parsons' chair slipcovers.  Styles vary but basics are easy to adjust .

Our YouTube video will give you a guideline for creating your own slipcover.  All chairs & all people are different, allow these instructions to serve as a model for your own interpretation and other styles of chairs that may feel neglected -- Momma,  you'll be "sew" happy!

See this & other helpful videos on How to Love Your Home's YouTube channel.Parsons Chair Slipcover Simply Sewn

In this DIY, it is specific to creating cording.  The French, flat flange is made with the same method, excluding the cording inside the fold. You adjust the size of the flange according to your desired look. When sewing the flat flange, you will be sewing the fold opposite the instructions for the cord.  That would be; using the measuring line on your sewing machine to create the depth of your flange.

The fabric being cut on the bias, gives the cording flexibility to curve around corners.  If you cut it straight, your cord will be rigid and have trouble taking the corners smoothly.  

I like to use my hands as measuring tools, #1 you don’t have to keep track of a ruler or yardstick, it is always at hand (ha ha)- #2 you don’t have to manipulate something around the fabric and #3 historically;  that is how the world came up with many of the measurements that we use today….I love the history lesson.

Three fingers, index finger to middle finger is about 3” ( give or take, on the average woman) it is a good guide and that is how wide I cut my cording.  FYI: the average length between the tip of your bent elbow to the tip of your middle finger is about 18”, so it is easy to eye basic measurements using your arm…double it and you have a yard.

The photos show you how to connect cording strips together, so you have a smooth, continuous strip of fabric to cover your cord.  Most fabric stores sell different widths of cording to put inside your fabric.  I pooh-pooh that idea.  I go to the hardware store or general merchandise store to get this…clothes line, twine, cotton rope…it depends on how thick I want it, but I never buy it by the yard.  It is just too expensive.  I don’t use the heavy fiber rope.  It is too hard to cut and connect because it is so stiff   Cotton clothes line or rope really works best.  If laundered, it can snap back into place when stretched over the piece of furniture. 

Using a zipper foot, have your stitches line up with the edge of the cord inside the fabric that is folded over.  For the French, flat flange use a regular foot. I don’t pin this because the fabric, being cut on the bias, stretches as you sew.  It really is a good thing, as you will see when we attach it to our slipcover.  I usually leave about 3” of fabric at the beginning of my cording strip, so if I need to connect it with the other end, I can have that piece to cross over the other end of fabric and cord.  You shall see. 

Another trick, is to never cut the end of the cord before applying it to the slipcover.  I have been in a pickle over not appropriately projecting the cording length and this gives me the opportunity to add more fabric if necessary.  It is much easier to do this than to connect that cord on the inside, because the stretching that takes place during the whole project can separate and be unsightly.  Always come in with a little extra effort before you begin your project, instead of having to trouble shoot a problem afterwards . . . preventive sewing medicine.

This post is a we did in April of 2012.  It has always been one of our favorites.  We hope you can make one of your own.  See the links at the end of the post for some other create Easter egg projects. Won't they look great in your paper mache' bowl?

You will need:

Shredded Paper (I shredded my own from about 30 pages from an old book - brown paper sacks work great too!  Be creative, don't spend a lot of money)

Plastic bowl (I got mine for a $1 at Dollar City - I didn't have anything with a good, round shape - you could use any plastic tub you already have)

Plastic to cover the bowl

Rubber band to hold plastic in place over the bowl

Tacky, white or clear glue - mixed half & half with water

Paint brush - wide

Begin:

Cover your bowl  with plastic wrap (I cut a trash bag piece to fit) & apply a rubber band to hold tightly in place

Dip your strips of paper into the glue/water mixture and  place onto the plastic covered bowl. Cover the bottom and sides completely. I placed 5-7 strips at a time.  Once I got the first layer on I brushed it with the glue mixture.  You will need to apply multiple layers to make it thick enough to stand on it's own.

Press strips loosely on outside of nest to create a more "nest-like' look.  I brushed the glue mixture in just a couple spots to hold the strips onto the paper mache' bowl.

I pulled the plastic away from the bowl after 30 minutes.  I was afraid it would stick too much and damage the paper nest. Having air flow both inside and out, drying time is cut in half...about 6 hours.  If you are in a rush blow dry it on a cool setting to give it a good kick start in the drying process.

Add candy and enjoy your Easter project!

Creative Easter Egg Ideas!
Natural Dye Easter Eggs
Butterfly Eggs
Subway Art Easter Eggs
Natural Print Easter Eggs

Yes it's hot - it's August.  The heat has drained our DIY drive & we are driven indoors to dream of our Autumn projects.  We are forced to the cool comfort of our homes & are online, hacking our favorite stores & ideas.Hacking has a negative connotation, but we are here to change your perspective of the word.  In the world of DIYers we constantly looking for new ways to change our environments.  Hacking really means the Renaissance of Online Inspirational Journeys (aka ROIJ).

We hope you look deeper into our blog for tutorials & ideas (as well as our YouTube Channel) and enjoy the links below. Get your inspiration on, not your perspiration!!

http://www.simplicityinthesouth.com/
http://scraphacker.com/
http://interiorsbykenz.com/
                                                                                     http://www.queensofvintage.com/

Loving your home means tending to your garden and often that means being a couple seasons ahead.  Now is the time to plant bulbs for spring and 2012 marks the 9th Annual Collin County Master Gardener Fall Bulb sale. Nothing announces  spring or cheers our spirits like the blooming bulbs in the garden. While Dutch bulbs require too many chilling hours to be perennials in our climate, there are many heirloom, historic and adapted hybrids that will perennialize and return for many years of blooming color. CCMGA’s selections are carefully researched and chosen with southern climates in mind.Spring Bulbs for North Texas will be presented by the CCMGA at Wells Brothers Farm Store Saturday, September 22. See link below for Wells Brothers Farm Store location information. Go to Collin County Master Gardeners Association to view a flyer with detailed information and photos of this year’s selections.  Bulb orders must be received by October 1.

Proceeds from this sale benefit community horticulture and water conservation educational programs.

Questions? Call the CCMG Help Desk at the AgriLife Extension Office at: (972) 548-4232 or visit

http://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/programs/

http://www.ccmgatx.org/

http://www.wbfarmstore.net/

http://bungalowclassic.com/  Bungalow Classic was first established in 2000 bringing a fresh approach to the interior design industry. In 2003 the store tripled it's size when it moved to the to it's current location in the rejuvenated Howell Mill district in mid town Atlanta. The airy space is filled with diverse mix of antiques, furniture made with reclaimed materials, upholstery, lighting and other intriguing objects. Helping clients maintain their individuality, the look is refined yet livable with tailored sofas and chairs that are stylish without sacrificing comfort. With an ever changing collection Bungalow keeps a timeless sensibility that appeals to the sophisticated ascetic.

http://designindulgence.blogspot.com  About this site --"Design has always been a passion so I was inspired to follow my dream and start my own business 20 years ago. I live in Atlanta which has some of the best design resources in the southeast. I am married and have 2 rescue Old English Sheepdogs. I love when I get a deal....I like to repurpose on my projects....and I obsess about textiles."

http://www.homejameseasthampton.com/   Welcome to The home, james Collection, founded some twenty years ago in East Hampton as makers of exceptionally fine products for the home. Attuned to an aristocracy of time and place and event, our china, crystal and linens draw inspiration from some of the most special moments in history, and some of the most extraordinary places on Earth. References range from Captain Cook and his exploration of the South Pacific, to Madame Pompadour and the court of Louis XIV, to the beaches of Long Island’s South Fork, with their glistening white sand and beguiling sea creatures.