Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Taking The (Project) Leap!

Oh my gosh ~~ how is everyone? It cannot be the last day of February I mean really ~~ where is the time going?

No worries, I have had quite a few events and merchandising to get done and SO busy is GOOD. :) I was putting my blog on a little break for the time being...as anyone could see. I am looking around now and I think the look and feel of my blog needs a little freshening up for Spring....so hopefully I will roll out a new look and feel soon too!

I really need to get back into my bloggging schedule, BUT taking some time off for planning, working and creating is good too and so I hope I can share all of the ideas I have been brewing up! Ha! We shall see....huh?

How about a project? If you haven't kept up with me in Pinterest ~ please do!
Just one of many places I have been gathering ideas for the 2012 year. I recently saw a chair recover job that caught my attention. Now I have several antique chairs in my house. You know ~~ the kind, that can have the seat (and sometimes the backs) removed and recovered for a new look. Well I have 2 kitchen chairs I have had for oh ~~ 15 years. I bought them in a little antique shop in Holly , MI. That cute little town has a reputation for good antiquing and has a street named "Battle Alley" of all things! Lovely place. Visit ~ www.battlealleyaracade.com ~ I have redone them over the years, here and there and recently it was time to freshen them up. If you ever get a chance to purchase old chairs such as these that have the ability to be recovered, you won't regret the purchase. I have loved these chairs and changing the look.
Now ~~ if you have followed my blog you know I like to use, reuse and upcycle etc...so these chairs were no exception. I have three busy boys in my house and have had slipcovers from Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel over time to save the furniture! Sturdy and strong and washable ~ I just love them. I had a white cotton canvas twill one that was pretty worn out and began to tear after years of use and abuse (and washing!) and so I decided to cut it up make new with it and here is the results of the project.


Chair with old seat unscrewed....


The once wonderful slipcover now a pile of material for use on my chairs!


This is the cutting out of both the back and the seats of the chairs from the old material on the chairs. I just use it as my template so I can later wrap on the back and seat and staple gun to secure.


This is the seat ~ cut out and ready to be stapled. Now too ~ this is the Pinterest inspired portion. I saw a chair with a cute French postage stamp print on the seat, so on my seats I picked this cute French vintage chocolate print from the Graphics Fairy (see her link on the side of my blog!) to add a cute touch. Love it!

And now...(drum roll) the finished product ~~



Wha~la! Good as brand spanking new!