bricolagelife

making stuff: it's the slipcover!

my big project was completed last week and here are the photos to prove it.

on the left you see the fabrics i used, gleaned from the sale tables at vogue in evanston. i hadn't been "new fabric" shopping in years and found this old fave a bit diminished from it's former glory. but the sale tables rule. on the right you see the finished slipcover. and pillow covers (with zippers!).

what i learned (the hard way) on this project:

:: sale fabrics are awesome deals but can be lacking in certain important aspects. mine came with dry clean only info but no fiber content. expect some surprises if you buy the bolt. this buff colored heavy ultrasuede-ish fabric was unrolled in the back room for measuring before i bought it. when i opened it at home i discovered about a yard of staining on the wrong side at one end and lots of damaged selvedge. at this point i wasn't too worried... i have a lot of experience working around these kinds of issues from years spent using second hand materials almost exclusively. but i would definitely examine the goods prior to purchasing next time.

:: measure. measure. measure. then trust your gut. in all of the research i did before shopping for fabrics the estimates for yardage seemed excessive to me. one site calculated a total of 12.5 yards of 50 inch wide fabric were needed for a two cushion love seat, another calculated 19 yards. having only worked with the fabric i had on hand in my own slipcover projects, i was a novice at estimating how much to buy in advance. but i was certain i'd used less than 8 yards on my own love seat at home. the bolt pictured above measured 11 3/4 yards at 54 inches wide. i crossed my fingers and bought it.  before i cut it i was very worried, but at least 2 yards were left over at completion.

:: if you stink at math this project will be daunting. if things don't fit properly, snip out the seams, remeasure, trim and sew again. forge ahead. if i can do it, you can do it.

:: even tho it might make good sense in theory, do not use upholstery fabric for this project. it is too heavy for the manipulations necessary in slipcover construction. use a canvas or denim weight cotton instead. it is durable but still soft enough to bend to your will.

:: use a new denim needle in your sewing machine. this makes the stitching so much easier.

this possibly useful information comes to you exclusively from the diy queen of learn from my mistakes.  

hope it's helpful :)

see what i see: pears still life five ways

 

 

 

 

1. digital in artificial light

2. digital in dim daylight

3. digital macro setting in natural light longer exposure and editing

4. digital thru the viewfinder

5. polaroid sun 600 lms with expired film (scanned)

this is how i amuse myself when my wonky knee won't allow me to go for a walk.

it was a beautiful indian summer day.

found photos :: cloche

happy friday! 

polaroid week

its polaroid week at flickr.

worth a look.  

big flavors: fish curry with a side of irony

i was making my favorite foolproof fish curry with lemon rice yesterday for some special dinner guests when an interview with sylvia earle on npr disrupted my reverie. she has a point, i thought, as i coated my ocean cod in turmeric and sea salt.

food for thought. how ironic.

a belated halloween greeting (and a story)

it is so hard to be four years old. to plan your costume and be so pleased with the thrift store results that you can't wait until 6 pm for people to get home from work. you want to wear your costume all day and you want to get that free candy you've heard so much about. so we went out. and no one answered the doorbells we rang. which accounts for the sad face on this little "town caller". 

we tried our neighborhood grocery store after this initial disappointment, where we had to explain to everyone we encountered what a town caller is; "you know, the guy who says eight o'clock and all is well...?"  it's amazing how many people never heard of this. had they never read a book of nursery rhymes? 

then that first clunk of wrapped candy hitting the bottom of the empty plastic pumpkin eased the distress and confusion a bit. it was painful watching his youthful expectations being squashed by reality. oh my dear, i thought, there is so much more of this to come. 

but by bedtime all was well. his sugary dreams had come true. and we survived many more halloweens after this one. each one was bittersweet. for me this little photo encapsulates them all in one moment. it sits in a frame where i pass it everyday. and even tho we don't celebrate halloween anymore i can find myself right back on that chilly sidewalk with that adorable boy whenever i stop to look.

so, a happy belated halloween to all who still celebrate. 

or feel the effects of a sugar hangover today. i remember that, too.

making stuff: it's the math

my brain is not math-friendly. that's the trouble here. i measure twice. i draw diagrams, reassure myself with a calculator, measure again (you may notice i have three measuring devices at hand on my work table). not until all these steps are complete do i cut (there's nary an inch of fabric to spare). then stitch... and still i come up six inches short on the side panels. thank goodness for gussets.

i'm still sewing (and measuring).

i find i am not alone in my struggle.

happy weekend!

found photos :: photographer

if you would like to collect found photos, too, visit snapatorium. 

nice finds: kootoyoo crocheted granny square ring

seriously. every so often i see something so simple, clever and brilliant all at once it takes my breath away. this was my reaction to kirsty's crocheted granny square jewelry. this ring is my new favorite thing. and if you hurry, you might just be lucky enough to get yourself one here.

if you haven't seen the digital version of the finished quilt project yet (also by the amazing kirsty) go now. it is gorgeous.

see what i see: the golden month

 

 

a friend told me that where she lives they call october the golden month.

that is so lovely.  and true.

i'm still sewing... results by saturday (hopefully!).