Friday, November 27, 2009

MISSING THE 'KIDS' FROM DOWN THE STREET

Miss Paws
Miss Scout
And Mr. Kenyon

It's just not the same with them all gone. I spoke with Kim yesterday. She called while on the River Walk in San Antonio. The dogs are traveling well, though I am sure they all want to get to St. Simon's sooner rather than later. Kim's mom was flying into San Antonio yesterday and will drive the rest of the way with her and the dogs.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

WHITE LINEN SLIPCOVERS

I finished last night and just got home from delivering these white linen slipcovers. The good thing is, they are washable; so if the unthinkable (cranberry sauce or red white, eek!) happens, my client can wash it right out. I don't think the grandkids will be allowed on the furniture tomorrow, though, just to be safe!



Over all view of the sofa, 2 wing chairs and the ottoman.
The sofa with its extra large pillows.
I did a 2" pleated ruffle on the 3 throw pillows.
The skirts on the sofa and ottoman are gathered just at the corners.
The ottoman also got a short skirt.
The wing chairs are a slightly different size, though to look at them, you can't tell. Luckily, my client pointed it out when I was there cutting because I, for sure, would have just cut one, made two the same size and just now when I was putting everything on, I would have found out I screwed up. I've done it before and it isn't fun.
All the pieces, except of course the ottoman, got buttons up the back, though none of them had to be undone to get the slipcovers on. They just look cuter that way.

Hope everyone has a wonderful and yummy Thanksgiving!

Monday, November 23, 2009

BELLA RUSTICA IS LEAVING TOWN


Today's the day. The movers are packing Kim's house right now. Tomorrow she begins her cross-country journey to her new home on Saint Simon's Island, Georgia. Since she'll be traveling with 3 large labs, she'll be taking her time. Coronado just won't be the same with her gone. I'll miss all of you!


I delivered these cushions to Kim last week, but this chair was off being repaired. I wanted to get pictures before the movers packed them.
Flat-flange welting in contrasting fabric.
Same for the back cushion.
This is an example of not-enough-of-either-fabric to make two complete cushions. So each got welting in the opposite fabric to at least make them look like they go together. Both fabrics are Sunbrella and will look great on Kim's new porch.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

GOING AWAY SLIPCOVERS



This is a partial post of the slipcovers I am doing for Kim before she leaves for Georgia next Monday.




This little ottoman is mostly used by Paws (her 14 year old lab) to get on and off the sofa. I cut the top piece and she had it printed with the fleur de lis. Then I made the slipcover.
This ottoman is at the foot of her bed and serves the same purpose. After I made this one, Kim decided she'd rather have a gathered skirt, so I took this tailored skirt off, took it partially apart, added the extra fabric and lining, and gathered it. I just forgot to take a picture of the new one.

This small chaise got two new covers. The skirt on this (not visible) is tailored and short.
Back view

This is the other fabric (with the gathered, to the floor skirt) and you can see the size better with Scout on it. This is her chaise.

The #3 is for Kim's 3 'kids,' Paws, Scout and the newly adopted Kenyon.

This slipcover is the first time I have ever made a skirt and not lined it. Instead of the 'normal' 2 1/2 times fullness for the skirt, it is just 1 1/2 times full, which is also a first. I was actually pleasantly surprised and pleased with the result.
The back side of the chair. I think Kim has decided to paint the legs black.

The rest of the photos will have to come later, as the other 2 slipcovers are not finished yet. Kim is having the inside back of the light blue linen one printed with an image (yet to be determined) and then, at the last minute added another for the same chaise (a larger, people-sized one) and I have basically run out of time as I have another job that must be finished by Thanksgiving. Those will have to be mailed to her in Georgia.

Monday, November 16, 2009

LEE JOFA BEDDING

Those who know me know I love color. However, these are not those colors. And I am not crazy about pattern in large amounts. That being said, part of what makes what I do fun is all the different fabrics I get to work with. I don't have to love what I'm sewing, though it is more fun. For this client/job, I was working with a designer. He worked with the client on the choice of fabric. I just make what I'm given. I am rarely involved on the fabric side, just the fabrication of whatever it is they want.
The designer had the headboard reupholstered. I made the pillow shams, the long bolster, the coverlet and the bed skirt. I am unable to quilt fabric, so Michael had the fabric quilted locally and then I made the coverlet. Next time, I will seam the pieces first, have it quilted and then cut it to size and finish the edges. Sewing it was quite a challenge.
I think this is the longest bolster I've ever made. Again, a challenge because sewing a 48" zipper into a 'tube' of fabric that is only about 7" in diameter is kinda hard.
The client was very happy with the completed project and that's what's important.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

PINK DENIM!

Even more than white denim, I LOVE pink denim. And it is so perfect for a little girl's room! Girls may be made of sugar and spice, but having a washable slipcover is still a smart thing.
Those covered buttons I love. And in this case, although they do work, they are strictly decorative.
I got this pink denim in the fabric district up in LA about 4 years ago. The bolt had approximately 60 yards on it. I've used it on several different jobs over the years and am sorry to say that this slipcover took the last of what I had.
The little Tutu Monkey who I made the slipcover for.

I delivered 4 different jobs yesterday, so the next several posts will all be of new slipcovers and bedding.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

ANNOUNCING - MY HOW-TO DVD SERIES!!!


I am so excited to tell you about my latest project. Finally, after years of thinking about it, I am releasing a series of how-to videos. I love the idea of teaching and passing on my knowledge. Sewing is a dying art and I don't want to see it become obsolete.

The first in the series will be How To Make Pillows and will include instructions for making a knife-edge pillow, a self-welted pillow and a ruffled pillow. From cutting out the fabric to making welting and installing a zipper, I will show you, step-by-step, how to do it. I think it makes all the difference if you are shown how to do something. And with your own DVD, you can watch over and over until you get it. Each DVD will be crammed full of tips, shortcuts and ideas to make sewing easier and more enjoyable. You will also be able to e-mail me with specific questions or concerns. Even if you don't sew yourself, this will make a great gift.

I have also decided that one day a month, randomly chosen, I will donate 100% of sales that day to Sustainable Seas.


The pictures below are example of what I'll be teaching you.

Welted pillows
Ruffled pillow

This How To Make Pillows DVD is set to be released during the first week of December. Order it today at the pre-release price of just $50. After it is released, the cost will be $60.

The entire series will cover:

bedding- duvet covers, pillow shams with mitered flange, bed skirts

Shades- Roman, London, flat-fold, relaxed

ottoman, benches, stools, chair seats

dining chair slipcovers

occasional chairs

wing chairs

chaises- one- and two-arms

sofas, sectionals


Here's the deal- order the entire series now and the Pillow DVD will be included as a gift. The cost of the whole series is $400. You will receive a new 'class' every 6 weeks for 1 year. To order this, you need to go here.





Sunday, November 8, 2009

COMING 11 NOVEMBER 2009



Just a small hint of what's coming!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

Things have been very busy these last few weeks. I have been cutting slipcovers like crazy, including several for my friend Kim, who is moving to St. Simon's Island, Georgia in just a few short weeks.

I am also working on a new project and will be making a HUGE announcement very soon!





On top of all that, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to go up to Beverly Hills to see and hear Mike Dooley, AKA The Universe, read from his latest book.

The picture is a bit blurry (anyone know how to fix this?) but who cares? I mean, it's Mike Dooley! Seriously, it was well worth the time and the drive home in almost total fog. That sucked, but I did make it in one piece and without driving off the road, which would have been very easy to do as I could barely see it to begin with.


The pictures below are of Deb Hodge's latest creation.



As with everything she does, they are beautiful, amazing and so clever! The belts can be worn on your hips or waist, tied to the side, back or front. She'll be at Blissfest in Arizona this weekend.



I haven't been blog-hopping as much as I'd like. I apologize to all those blogs (and bloggers) I love that I haven't been able to visit.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

A LITTLE OF THIS THAT AND THE OTHER MARKET PLACE IS FINALLY OPEN FOR BUSINESS!!!

I began adding items for sale into my market place blog today! There is also a link to my shop under my profile picture. I have lots of goodies to add, so be sure to check back often.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Halloween 1989, Barcelona, Spain.

ANOTHER SUNBRELLA SLIPCOVER

I have made more slipcovers lately with Sunbrella than ever before. This family has 2 young children and a dog, so the benefits that make it a popular outdoor fabric, make it just as appropriate for indoor use.
All of the pillows have a different fabric on the front and back and a contrast welting, which makes it seem like there are 10 pillows instead of just 5!
I took this shot so you could see the different fabrics.
The chair got a new slipcover, too. Another of the reversible pillows looks great on it.
Button-back. I was able to cover the buttons with the stripe running down the middle so that it matches exactly the stripe down the back. It makes the buttons virtually disappear.
And last, but not least, I made a cushion for the breakfast nook bench in the kitchen.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

THE KIDS' ROOMS - DEL MAR HOUSE

Of all the window treatments I did in this house, I think this room was my favorite. I liked the colors best in here. The fabric is actually Sunbrella.
They had the wall custom-painted using the blue and green of the fabric.
I did white roman shades for these windows. Originally, I was going to try and make shades that matched the stripes on the wall, but it proved impossible and would really have only matched when they were down. White seemed like a better bet. Easier, too!
And, of course, there had to be matching pillows for the bed.
Even the shower curtain matches the draperies.
This is the little boy's room. I think he was about 3 at the time and was into the beach. His mom had surf boards painted on his walls.
The window treatments were made with denim and I used rope at the top. I actually got the rope at West Marine, because it was strong enough to hold the weight of the fabric. I made a lot of buttonholes on these panels.
The large window.

Monday, October 26, 2009

LUXE - PHOTO SHOOT




If you've ever had your home shot for a magazine, you know first-hand how the reality of the room or rooms and what shows up in the magazine differ. This house is in Del Mar and I worked on it for over a year. The two rooms I am showing you here are the guest room, which made the magazine, and the master bedroom, which did not. Since I wasn't at the shoot, I do not know what rooms they actually photographed.


This is the guest room and the shot that was in the magazine.


This is how the bed actually looked. I guess they felt the red pillows were too much and replaced them with much more neutral colored ones. At least for the shoot.

View from the bed.
At one point, my client decided that the puddle was too much trouble and asked that I shorten the draperies. (I took this at the installation before I altered them.)
The draperies, the bed drape/canopy and the bathroom were all the same fabric. It was kind of a textured sheer, not horrible to sew on but definitely not my favorite kind of fabric to work with.


All the pictures below are from the master bedroom.

Flanged pillow
Lots of pillows on the bed.

The sleeping pillows hiding behind the shams.
This is in the master dressing area.
In the master bathroom. I also made a cushion for under this window, but that came later and I may not have taken a picture. Or it is someplace else, since it was done at a later date.

Next post - the kids' bedrooms.

Friday, October 23, 2009

LILY, HIBISCUS OR PLUMERIA?

This is my current business card. Although I love the polka dots and the color, I have never liked this card. It has to do more with the card stock than anything else, but whatever the reason, I want to change it. Again. Of course, it doesn't help that I had to write on it.
I am contemplating using, as a logo, a flower. I love plumeria and I love pink, but is this the flower for me?
I like the rain drops (okay, water from the hose) on this blossom and it's a lighter pink.
The calla lily is so elegant and simple.

The stargazer lily is pretty spectacular.
I do love hibiscus, too. And there are many colors to choose from.
Back to pink. Both these hibiscus shots have been posterized in photoshop. Or is unaltered better?

I looked up the meanings of all these flowers I am considering:

calla lily - regal or beauty
stargazer lily - ambition
plumeria - perfection
hibiscus - old royalty and a bringer of great power and respect

All have wonderful meanings. Another thing to keep in mind is once the image is shrunk to fit on a business card, it loses some of the impact. Is it better to keep it simple and elegant or more colorful? I really like both. How can I decide? What do you think?


Wednesday, October 21, 2009

AND YOU THOUGHT I LIKE COLOR


The other day, Rita sent me a picture of a very colorful piece of furniture. I thought, wow, that's even bright for me. Then, while blog surfing, I came across a blog called Pretty Far West. She had a post about this shop in London called Squint. All the pictures below are from their catalog/shop.



Love Seat

Lamp shades
Sofa
Wing chair
Chandelier

Cabinet

As you can clearly see, nothing is safe from being covered in colorful fabric. I would love to see them in person, but London is a little far to go. All I can say is these pieces make what I consider colorful seem to be relatively plain, dull and boring!

Monday, October 19, 2009

CHAIR CUSHIONS, MORE PHOTOS WITH ED AND FOG

I delivered these chair and ottoman cushions on Saturday. It was quite a change from the old fabric, which was a silk plaid in very muted grays and browns.

Instead of self-welt or the flat flange welt, which is what the old covers had, my client chose to go with a small braid trim.
These are in the same house, but different room. I did these a while ago, but since my client picked them up at my house, I had not seen them on the chair.
I used a contrasting silk for the flat flange.
Onto Ed and more old pictures. This was taken (I'm pretty sure) in Madrid in 1988. It was a test and I do not remember who the photographer was.
These next two shots are from a Greek sweater catalog and pretty dorky. This was probably also done in 1988. And I forget the other guy's name in the shot. Since these were photographs of the actual tears, there is nothing written on the back.
The Greeks were totally into head wraps at the time. Every single shot of me on this job had something on my head.
The other model in this photo is Jim Wilkinson.
And last but not least, we have had some serious fog the last several days. Saturday morning when I left my house at 4:50a to walk, Coronado was completely fogged in. Later it cleared up, briefly, and then rolled back in mid-afternoon. I took this photo in Del Mar as I was driving to my cousins' house Saturday around 5:45p. When I drove home around midnight, the fog was thick and driving over the bridge was very disconcerting because I couldn't see anything. Luckily, at that time of the night, there weren't many cars on the road. Kind of scary, though.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

A LOVELY, UNEXPECTED, GIFT

Sweet Maija sent me a present! When I got home yesterday, it was waiting for me. The little girl isn't me, but she could be.
Even the back is lovely.
I love this sticker! It was on the outside of the wrapping paper. Like I'd EVER say anything mean about anything Maija made.

So thank you, my sweet friend. I love my gift. It is now hanging on my very over-crowded bulletin board. I seriously need another one.

Friday, October 16, 2009

YOU'D THINK I LIKE HALLOWEEN

This is me, in about 1978. My picture was actually on the front page of the Atlanta Constitution. The face painting was done at an art fair.
This is about 1984. I can't remember why I had my eye painted.
And this was last June, at Disneyland. Apparently, having my face painted is something I've always liked!
Remember these photo booths? The summer I lived in Wildwood, New Jersey, I worked in the boardwalk mall and this booth was across from the sea shell shop where I worked. When it was slow and they had no customers, I'd go over and they'd take my picture. It always made people want to have it done when someone else was doing it. This was my 'sweet' picture.
This was my not-so-sweet shot. Funny, I don't even look like the same person. I was 19 and look about 12.
Halloween my freshman year at the University of Tampa. I was an angel and this is when I learned to never put glitter in your hair. It took months to finally be gone.
You can read on the bottom of the polaroid what this was from. I wish I had found this picture before I had to do my mask for the mask swap. It might have helped me out. I do not remember who the guy is. Just someone on the shoot.
And this is the mask that Nicole made for the mask swap at Atistic Affaire.

It's obvious that I like to dress up and to have my face painted, but, believe it or not, I really don't like Halloween. I'm not sure why. I think I've decided it's the colors that I don't care for and somehow that makes me not like Halloween. When I break down each aspect of it, candy, costumes, ghosts, witches, etc. there is nothing I don't like. That just leaves the colors. Strange, I know. I am probably the only person who doesn't like it. Oh well.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

TULLE GIRLS

I've been experimenting with my girls. This, so far, is my favorite. It isn't photographing as pretty as it is in person. I ran out of the aqua tulle, which is why the top of the skirt is white. I actually love it like this. This is the smallest one I've made. She is about half the size of the original pink one I made back in June.
I used the other vintage button from my grandmother on her body. For this one, I just painted the mannequin white before using aqua glitter.
Black beauty
Giant pearls, pink/white paper and a mix of black and silver glitter cover her body.
This green, in person, is much brighter.
I used a green and white toile to cover her body and then a green glitter and hot pink pearls. Again, she is more beautiful in person.
It is hard to see, but this tulle has silver already in it. This one was a little hard to work with, tough not as bad as the organza was. I did have to use band-aids to protect my fingers, but they didn't bleed this time.
Silver glitter and large 'diamonds' complete this girl.

I have gotten the construction down to about 4 hours from the 10-12 the first one took me. These are smaller, which also helps. They still use about 150 yards of tulle though.

I have been advised, by Ed and Jose, that I need to sell these dolls. If I can part with them, they may be going on the auction block soon!

Monday, October 12, 2009

LOVELY WEEKEND

After breakfast at Kono's in Pacific Beach, we took a stroll down the Crystal Pier. Notice the marine layer still hanging on.
Ed, me and Jose
Ed dipping his feet in the cold Pacific Ocean. Before we even left PB, the sun broke through and we had blue skies.
Ed and Jose on Coronado Beach. Ed actually went in and SWAM! For longer than 2 seconds! He thinks the water is warmer here than in Portugal. I do not agree. Jose was a little smarter. He only went in about to his waist. Like he said, he's used to the Mediterranean and after that, most water is too cold.
Yes, Ed is somewhat of a Greek god, without being Greek!
After the beach, we had lunch on the sun deck at the Del. What a lovely way to end a very nice weekend. And the best news? Ed is moving to LA! After living overseas for the last 20 years, he is finally moving back to the States. He and Jose both have some great ideas for my business. By training, Ed is a graphic designer and Jose is in advertising. Oh, the possibilities!

Today may be a holiday, but it is back to work for me.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

STILL LOOKIN' GOOD

After all these years...

They don't really have Mexican food in Portugal, so last night we went to Miguel's and this morning I am taking Ed and Jose for breakfast burritos, something neither have ever had before! After that, Ed thinks he wants to go to the beach and actually go in the water. Is he nuts? The water is cold and, so far this morning, it is overcast and not warm yet. I told him to have fun, but you couldn't pay me (well, maybe a LOT of money) to get in that water. Not without my wet suit and probably not even then.

Friday, October 9, 2009

MY FRIEND ED

This picture was taken in June 1988. We are on a boat heading to some Greek island.
This is my friend Ed. I have not seen him since February 2000. He lives in Portugal and is LA for two weeks. He is coming down to visit me tomorrow. We met in 1985 or 1986, in Chicago, working on the movie "She's Having A Baby." We were shooting at the Limelight and when I arrived on the set, I looked around, found the best looking guy in the place and went over. That was Ed and we've been friends ever since. We lived in Madrid and Athens together and I've visited him in London, Paris and Lisboa. These days he is more on the production side of the business, but, like me, if someone wants to book him for a modeling job, that's not a problem. I am so excited to see him this weekend. There are surprisingly few pictures of us together, otherwise I would have posted some others. We'll just have to take some tomorrow.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

COLORFUL HOUSES OF CORONADO

This is (now, was) my favorite house in Coronado! It was featured on HGTV several years ago. The inside is just as colorful and there is nothing that is safe from being covered in paint. And by nothing, I mean nothing. The frig, stove, toilets, everything has been painted. I guess some people (neighbors, but who asked them?) weren't crazy about all the color.
They have now toned it down. Personally I liked it better before, but this is still nice and colorful.
Closer view of the front of the house. Love the bright pink chairs on the balcony. And the bright green posts, well, for any of you who don't already know, that green is my favorite color and has been since 1968!
Even the sidewalk is painted!
A 'Painted Lady'
The house next door to this one is also a Victorian, but it is only cream, so it did not qualify for this post.
Just the front door of this house is painted in pretty lilac. (This is the house that got the orange slipcovers.)
Only the window trim is painted, but I think it adds so much to an otherwise not-so-interesting house.
Love the green gate!
So pretty!
A bright blue house.

I am always walking or riding my bike around the island, so I see all the houses and the ones that really stand out to me are the colorful ones. I may have missed a few others, but these are the ones I really like.

Monday, October 5, 2009

COLORFUL SLIPCOVERS FOR FALL

I've just come from delivering two different jobs. This first one was to Orange Blossoms. The rusty, peeling, white iron bench was in need of a cushion. Peggy, the owner of the shop, decided on black and white polka dot with hot pink welting.
The pink absolutely makes the cushion pop!
Oscar seems to like it, too! No matter what we did, we could not get him to sit for the picture.
Look familiar? This is just a reminder of what the original chair looks like.
My client decided she wanted new slipcovers for these chairs. I did predominately white covers back in June.
Back view. No buttons this time.
The pair of chairs in her living room. She has already told me she is on the lookout for a winter fabric. This time I got smart and made a permanent pattern, so I don't keep needing her chair to make the new covers. I may be a little slow, but I eventually figure these things out!

Friday, October 2, 2009

HAUTE HANDBAGS

Finally, I got my copy of the new Haute Handbags! Deb Hodge's yummy bags are on the cover!
It couldn't have happened to a nicer, more gracious, more talented woman! I am so proud of her.
A close-up of some of the details that she uses in her bags. With silk ruffles, matching charms, burlap straps, Deb's bags are so recognizable. Her style is distinct and beautiful! The charms are made by the lovely Rita.
Another unique idea for putting a photo on a bag.
She can put ANY photo you wish on a bag. And Rita can make a matching charm. This picture is a vintage shot of Coronado. How adorable is that?
Another view of the cover shot. The starfish bag is my favorite.
And not only is Deb in this issue, but Val Hebert is as well, with her amazing felted purses.
Each bag is a piece of art. She makes them from recycled wool sweaters.

As you can plainly see, we have some really talented people here in Coronado. I am so happy that both Deb and Val are in this issue. Do yourself a favor and pick it up today.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

OF FRIENDS AND FOOD OR EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY!


The following pictures were all taken at restaurants that Sandy and I went to while she was in California. Some have shots of food or drink, but mostly of people. I didn't do so well at Artistic Affaire with taking pictures of people. This, I guess, was my way of making up for it.




Acting like a movie star at a place on Melrose in West Hollywood called Taste.
Sandy with her champagne cocktail (what all the big stars drink!) having her Hollywood moment.
The next night we had dinner at Shutters in Santa Monica. This was my yummy drink. Love the color! And it tasted good, too!
I didn't manage to take any people pictures here, but Denise Hahn was kind enough to drive us around Hollywood, Venice Beach, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills so Sandy could get a real feel for the area. Our dinner ended with sunset behind the Santa Monica Pier.
On Tuesday we went to the World Famous San Diego Zoo. This lovely peacock was strolling around. We tried to get him to show his tail feathers, but he was more interested in eating whatever it was that was on the ground. Still, he was quite beautiful.

An adorable koala bear. He was a little guy and didn't even look real.


Tuesday night we went for dinner in La Jolla at George's. Gina drove down from Oceanside and the 3 of us enjoyed a delicious meal.
Another yummy margarita!


I had spaghetti with clams.

And I ate all of it!!


Me and Sandy at the restaurant. Unfortunately, on the drive over to La Jolla, the fog rolled in and there was no sunset to see.

The next day, Wednesday, we met at Miguel's in Coronado for a San Diego bloggers lunch in honor of Sandy. This is me and Debbie, having our own movie star moment.
Dana, Valerie and me. Those of you with eagle-eyes may have noticed that my hair is curly in these Miguel's pictures. It is a very rare thing for me allow my curls to come out. I much prefer them straight.
Sandy and Jackie

It was quite an adventure with Sandy. She is safely back home in Toronto and it all seems like a dream now. I am finally caught up on posting from Artistic Affaire and the days following.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

PART TWO OF PART TWO - MORE SWAP AND GIFT PHOTOS

This is the canvas I made for Jenny Lor. Her colors were black, cream, tan, bright pink and her decorating element was clocks. I chose to use black, cream and pink. I had a bit of trouble but in the end, I was happy with it.
Me and Jenny with our respective canvases. (Why am I always so much taller than everyone I stand beside?)
For the mask swap, I made two. This is the full face mask, that ties on with tulle ribbons. The black feather boa is not attached to the mask. It is just meant to be worn with it.
This is the second mask. It looks like she can't see because the petals of the flowers are covering the eye holes. Actually, you can see through them. Your eyes are just not very visible to anyone else. This mask is on a wand with ribbon streamers.
Full face mask wrapped in the boa.
Hold-in-place mask.

I made my dolls for Sandy, Maija, Kim and Bryanna.




Sandy's doll
Bryanna's doll

Maija's doll
Kim's doll

Friday, September 25, 2009

ARTISTIC AFFAIRE - PART TWO - THE CLASSES, SWAPS AND THE GIFTS


The first class was taught by Lisa Kettle. I think I may have been the only person in the room who was not familiar with her or her work. Now I am and I love it! This is the bug I made. I chose to put her tutu on her head instead of in the traditional place. I thought if I put it on her waist, the polka dots wouldn't show.
This is the 'shadow box' that the bug was supposed to be glued into. I decided not to put her in because I think the styles are too different. I love the picture that went in the background.
This was the third class of the evening, taught by Ruth Rae. This is not what we were supposed to make, but I knew that I would never, ever wear a fabric cuff (just me and my dislike of most jewelry.) So I improvised and made a small wall hanging. This is where I used the lace from the goodie bag. I couldn't use it on both sides because of the glue Kim used. It was too hard to gather it and sew it on, so I used another trim on the right edge.
Our second class was taught by the fabulous Julie Haymaker Thompson. As with all the classes, everything we made, even though we all started with the same pieces and parts, was different. Mine is actually not quite done. I want to add (probably) the word 'GROW' to the top where there is a big, blank space.
This adorable charm was made by Bryanna as a gift to all who participated in the Mask Swap.

This charm is from Jessi. The front is a tiny version of the invitation for Artistic Affarire and
the back is a Barbie Doll and says 'Fall in LA'. It was very sweet of her to make me one, as we had never met before. She is just delightful and so bubbly and full of energy. I have always heard so much about her and am glad I finally know her.
This wonderful hanging was done by Jenny Morgan as a thank you for being in the Soul Canvas Swap.
A close-up of the bird on the top of the canvas that Jenny Lor made for me.
The whole canvas. Jenny did the quote in a very unique way - Lines from the quote are on the sides and bottom as well. I love it! Thanks Jenny.
This a a close-up of the pinup girl on my amazing apron made by Holly Stinnett. It is such a cool gift.
A larger view of the apron. Sandy commissioned Holly to make it for me. I love the colors, I love all the design elements she used, I just love the apron. Thanks to both Sandy and Holly!
This is the mask I received the in mask swap. It was made by Nicole and it is simply unbelievable. The details, the workmanship are all, well, unbelievable.
A close-up view

Thursday, September 24, 2009

FINALLY--ARTISTIC AFFAIRE, PART ONE



Well, I just dropped Sandy at the airport. It has been a very long 6 days. I don't think we really stopped at all. I definitely need a vacation from this vacation!

Since so many have already posted their pictures from Kim's lovely event (and because I didn't take as many pictures as I thought I had and those who know me know I do NOT like fall colors which made taking lots of pictures very challenging for me,) for today's post I am just posting pictures of the room and of Maija and Sandy.


This is what awaited me when we arrived on Saturday morning at 8:30a. As always, Kim does not overlook a single detail.
Goodie bag on the chair back. (The lace around the whatever-you-call-it came in handy for our last class.)
I took this photo first thing, when the sun was coming in the window and from the front, it was just a dark blob. From the back, you can actually see how beautiful it was. I just never remembered to take it from the front later on when the sun was no longer a factor.

The room before the madness, I mean the classes, began.
Maija and Sandy
Me and Maija
Me and my roommate, Sandy.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

ARTISTIC AFFAIRE L'AUTOMNE

I am off tomorrow morning to Los Angeles. I am picking Sandy up at LAX at 11a. Let the fun begin!!!

Next week, Wednesday, 23 September, in honor of Sandy being here, we are having lunch at Miguel's at 11:30a. Check Deb's blog for more info.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

RALPH LAUREN BLUE AND WHITE FLORAL AND BLUE AND WHITE STRIPE

This floral print reminds me of a delicate china pattern.
The back side, with buttons.
The back of the slipper chair. No buttons needed and would probably look kind of silly. Some styles of chairs really don't lend themselves to having buttons.
Front of chair
The chair got two different slipcovers, so my client could change up the look of the room.
A lot of times clients aren't sure if having a gathered skirt on one piece means they must have them on all the pieces. In this room, the loveseat has a gathered skirt and the chairs both have tailored ones. There really are no 'rules' when decorating your home. I say, do whatever you love, and who cares what anyone else thinks!?!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

TIM IRVING ART PHOTOGRAPHY AND FRENCH CHARMING GIVEAWAY



A few weeks ago, Karyn hosted a giveaway and I was lucky enough to have been chosen the winner! To enter, you had to check out the etsy site of Tim Irving, choose the 2 photos you'd like if you won and then let Karyn know you wanted to be in the drawing. Simple enough, right? Well, I won! And the 2 photos above are the ones I picked. They arrived last week and I finally got frames from Michael's for them. Now I just have to figure out where to hang them. Thanks again Karyn and thanks to Tim.
I love them!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

MORE OF THE EVER-POPULAR WHITE DENIM SLIPCOVERS

I delivered these slipcovers yesterday. Although I love and prefer gathered skirts, I definitely don't prefer making them. This skirt took 12 widths of the fabric, which is a lot. I kept sewing and sewing and gathering and gathering. This was all going on 2 weeks ago when it was so stinking hot, and working was very challenging. My workroom faces west, which means the afternoons are brutal for me.
My client ask that I do buttons on the throw pillows.
The chair and ottoman
Back of chair. The sofa back is the same, but it is against the wall.
Close-up of ottoman
The new living room. The old fabric was also denim, but dark blue and light blue and the back cushions had light blue denim on one side and a blue and white toile on the other. The room now is much fresher and clean- looking. As almost always happens, once you do one thing (or, in this case, 3) everything else seems tired and in need of changing. The rug may be next in the process. I don't slipcover rugs, though, so for that she's on her own!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

PHOTO SHOOT FOR BETTER HOMES & GARDENS AND WHITE DENIM SLIPCOVERS

This is, obviously, the before shot of the chair. It is quite old and, I swear, the seat cushion (not pictured) weighs 20 pounds. I can't figure out what's inside to make it so heavy!
If you look very closely, you can see how much the sun has faded the chair. It is much darker on the deck and as far up the inside arms as the cushion sits.
These pictures were VERY hard to take, as this room is on the 3rd floor and it was quite sunny. I couldn't get the flash to work because it was so bright. Anyway, I apologize for the quality, or lack thereof, of the photographs.
Taken from outside on the balcony.
My client made this small throw pillow to tie in with the window seat (not visible) cushion.
My signature button-back.

This home is being photographed today (Thursday, 10 September) for Better Homes & Gardens magazine. That's why I was in such a rush to get them done. My clients were running around, trying to get everything ready for the stylist, who was on her way yesterday and for the photographer today. I am hopeful it won't be an entire year before this issue comes out. I'll let you know.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

PRETTY PINK LAMPSHADE

I decided to make this lamp shade from scraps of fabric and a pinkish gimp I had. I had in my mind what I wanted it to look like. This is sort of what I was thinking. I used a pink feather boa because the trim I wanted could not be found.
This is the shade on my lamp in the living room. It so did not match anything in my living room, but I didn't care. At some point I added the boa at the top, too. After about a year, I finally moved it to the bedroom, where it went a little better.
This is the lamp that inspired the one I made. I wanted trim more like the one on this lamp, but never found anything even remotely similar. Even though I do not like the black and red color combination, I still really like this lamp shade. Actually, the lamp, as well. This picture was taken in a shop (the name of which I can't remember) up in Petaluma.

Monday, September 7, 2009

FRENCH EMBROIDERED LINEN

This fabric was ordered from and came all the way from France for these slipcovers. My client inherited the furniture from her parents and it was in desperate need of updating.
I also did the window seat cushion you can see to the left.
Rounded chairs, my favorite! Oh, that's right, not so much. Definitely needed buttons to get it on and off.
The sofa

Button-back, although they are strictly decorative to match the chairs. This client has since moved to France to live. I think this furniture was given to her sister who lives in the States.

What you can't see is while I was cutting these covers, Allison's kitten was 'helping' me. He was under the chair and/or sofa and when I least expected it, he'd pop out, pin me good and scurry back under the furniture. I left was lots of pin holes in my hands. At least with dogs, you can put them in another room. Cats, on the other hand, well, they aren't so easy to control.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

HONEST - I'M THRILLED

This award was given to me by Val.
The 'rules' for this award are to (1) link back to the person who who gave it to you.

(2) List 10 things about yourself that are known or unknown:

1. I don't eat read meat or pork. Actually, nothing with 4 legs. And haven't for almost 20 years.
2. I don't like any kind of beans.
3. I did not get the chocolate or jewelry genes.
4. I am a morning person.
5. I walk between 8 and 15 miles almost every day.
6. I come from a very large family: I have 6 brothers and 1 sister.
7. I won't kill a spider in the house because it is bad luck.
8. I love to do the crossword puzzle every day.
9. I can't remember to water the backyard even when I see the grass is dying.
10. I listen to books on tape while I work.

And (3) pass this award on to other deserving bloggers:


Pass this along if you like. Otherwise, just know that I think your blog is special and wanted you to know.

Friday, September 4, 2009

ANOTHER AWARD!!!!

Wonderful and sweet Laurel gave me this award, oh, last week or maybe even the week before. I am seriously behind in everything, but thought I'd better do this post/thank you before even more time has passed. Now, I got an another award, but I'll post that next time. I can't seem to do both in this one. Anyway, thank you again Laurel! I really appreciate it!

And I would like to pass this award along to:

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

A LITTLE GIRL'S DRESS


I made this dress for my best friend's daughter. At the time she was maybe 7 or 8. She is now almost 17! I always loved the details. I am obviously obsessed with covered buttons and contrast welting.


I rarely make clothes anymore. I am so used to sewing slipcovers and other home furnishing-type items, that sewing anything else is hard. It takes me an entire day to make, oh say, a pair of pajamas and it drives me crazy that it takes so long. Besides, it truly is cheaper to just buy clothes than to make them. And much quicker.


I also made this Alice in Wonderland costume for the daughter of another friend. She loved the dress so much that she wore it long after Halloween.

Monday, August 31, 2009

MORE SUN RESISTANT SLIPCOVERS - CHAIRS AND AN OTTOMAN

Again, I meant to take the 'before' picture and forgot. Anyway, suffice it to say these chairs (there are 2 in this fabric) look WAY better. This fabric is from the Sun&Shade line by Waverly.
My signature buttons are very hard to see, but they are there. Actually, because these chairs are barrel-style, I couldn't get the slipcover on without unbuttoning it. Because of the busyness of the pattern, it is hard to see all the darts and extra seams to allow for the roundness. Always a challenge, to say the least.
This is from the same Sun&Shade group, but I used the 'wrong' side of the fabric for a much more muted look. It probably looks even more muted than it really is because the quality of the picture is not so good.
The buttons here are also hard to see and again necessary to remove the cover. This chair was even more difficult than the other style. It, too, is a barrel-style, but it also has funny arms. If you look closely at the other shot, you can kind of see how the arms are two different levels. We actually tired tucking it in a bit to emphasize instead of hide the 'design' element. (I use the term loosely.) It also had a sort of tufting going on and we did the same tucking-in thing with them.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL-SEPTEMBER 1966

This is me, opening the door, on my first day of first grade. I don't think schools have that kind of doors anymore. I went to this school for 4 years, until we moved to Georgia. This school is no longer standing. It was torn down about 15 years ago to build condos.

I was inspired to post this picture after seeing Laurel's post on her daughter's first day of kindergarden.

Monday, August 24, 2009

LADDER BACK CHAIRS

Ladder back chairs are not normally slipcovered, though, as I've discovered, practically anything can be slipcovered. Or at least people think it can and then hire me to do it! Anyway, my client wanted just to have covers made for the backs of the chairs. There are existing seat cushions, which really don't match the new backs (you'll see this in the bottom pictures,) but they can always be re-covered in the future. Also, she may just take the seat cushions off and use the back covers alone.
The front view of the arm chair. I used snaps under the arms to connect the front and back. The other option would be ties, but ties are messy and there would need to be too many. Snaps work better for this type of look.
In this case, the button-back is strictly decorative. It is not necessary to actually button and/or unbutton to remove the cover. After undoing the snaps, it just lifts off.
There are 6 chairs in total, 2 arm chairs and 4 of this style. This is me being too lazy to take the seat cushion off for the picture.
You can see how they don't really match, although they do have similar colors.
These also just slip on and off and much easier since there are no arms.

Friday, August 21, 2009

THE MERMAID'S TROUSSEAU SWAP

Don't you just love the package? This is one of two (!) boxes that I received from my swap partner, Joanna. When I first saw the post about the Mermaid's Trousseau that Bryanna was hosting, I was intrigued. But also apprehensive as I had never participated in this kind of a swap before. Bryanna assured me that I would be fine, so I signed up. The idea behind it was things you think a mermaid would have in her trousseau.
As I opened the box, more beautiful packaging was inside.
A lovely star fish in place of a bow.
A beautiful starfish pin with pearls.
An amazing bottle

The bottle and star fish in their new home.
Then, yesterday, the second box arrived. It had the same wonderful packing label (which I cut off and saved for who knows what!) and was filled with more great stuff. I love the shell 'ribbon.'
A beautiful fish pin, swimming in aqua tulle.


This lovely mirror, with a pretty pink sea star and a sand dollar.
This is the back side of the mirror. So now I do not know which side to display. I guess I'll have to change it weekly.


A magic wand!
The back side of the wand. Again, which side to show?
Coral candle holders.
There were various other things in my trousseau. too. I just have to thank Joanna, again, for such lovely gifts. I had a great time thinking of things to include in her box, as well. She will do a post one of these days so you can see what she got.

And for a sneak preview, below are two pictures of the mermaid I made for her. I figured a mermaid's trousseau needed an actual mermaid.





Miss Cori, a mermaid from under Coronado Island, surrounded by some of her trousseau items.
A close-up view of Joanna's new mermaid.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

ORCHIDS








I took most of these pictures in Hawaii. In case anyone hasn't figured it out yet, I love taking pictures of flowers! And I love flowers, though I am not a gardener (I am allergic to bees) and I do not like to get my hands dirty. I know I could wear gloves, but I don't like the way they feel. A little strange, perhaps. Still, I am content to take pictures of other people's flowers. The thing I most like about orchids is they don't look real, with all of the strange shapes and colors they come in. They are truly a magnificent creation.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

MY LATEST, STILL UNNAMED, GIRL

Here she is! I am surprised there is no blood on her. I will NEVER do organza again. Way too much work and it takes far too many band-aids.
I painted the body white and then used very fine white glitter. It kind of shines like the fabric. For the jewels, this time I used a vintage rhinestone button that was from my grandmother's button collection (now mine.)
As pretty as I thought the white would be, it didn't come out quite like I was visualizing. It does look prettier in person, but the organza has a mind of its own and does just what it pleases. Also, this one turned out almost as big as the first light pink one, even though I cut the chicken wire the same size as the hot pink one. It's the organza. I used 175 yards and have 3- 25 yard spools left if anyone wants them.
My next project is to make a smaller one.

BEHIND IN EVERYTHING


I just wanted to let everyone know that I have not fallen off the face of the earth. I was out of town for a funeral. Feels like I was gone far longer than 2 days. Anyway, before I left, I participated in the Paper Tales Junque and Trunk show last Saturday. It was a lot of fun and, I think, a fabulous success! I also received one of the two boxes from Joanna, my swap partner for The Mermaid's Trousseau, hosted by Bryanna. I will post pictures from that when the other box arrives.

I also finished my latest girl and the picture above is how I had to protect myself from the organza. Both hands were similarly band-aided.
I just need today to get back in my routine and catch up on things. I have a lot of blog reading to do as well.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

HIBISCUS











I love the variety of hibiscus that exist: fancy, plain, ruffled, variegated. And the colors! I find them all just beautiful.
I took most of these pictures in and around Coronado/San Diego. Some, I shot in Hawaii. The first 2 images, which I think are the most spectacular and amazing, I actually 'borrowed' from a hibiscus web site. The hibiscus in my backyard has yellowish-orange blossoms. I, of course, wish it was a pink one.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

A MIXED BAG OF A POST

First, I delivered the seat slips yesterday. This is my client's dining room table and since it has a glass top, I just took this picture through the glass. She was very happy with her new seat covers. They did look nice and were a huge improvement over her basic blue cushions.



Secondly, this coming Saturday, 15 August, hosted (sort of) by Paper Tales is the first annual (thinking ahead and thinking big) JUNQUE AND TRUNK SALE. It is being held from 8a-4p in a large space a couple doors down from the Paper Tales store. I will have my pillows, sea star necklaces and a bunch of other stuff. Debbie Hodge will be there selling her amazing t-shirts and dresses. There will be all kinds of other vendors as well. I'd list them, but I am not sure of who all will be there. Just come!
You won't be sorry.




Thirdly, this is Cooper. Isn't he just the cutest dog ever? He is a St. Bernard/Golden mix. He is being fostered by Kim Kelly while his family is out of the country. I couldn't resist posting his picture. I mean, what a face!

Sunday, August 9, 2009

WROUGHT IRON CHAIRS

I frequently have to remind myself that I get the jobs I do because I am able to do them, even when they are a big, fat pain. This job is one of those that I put off and put off because, though not hard, it is a difficult one just the same. The white wrought iron chair above is the 'before' picture. It does look harmless enough.
This is the 'after' seat cover slip.
The back view.
And the close-up of the ties. The bad thing is that the cushion underneath shows through in a couple of places. Oh well. It is a slipcover, not a new cushion. Anyway, the reason this job was such a pain was that my client started it herself. She went to the fabric store, got a pattern and fabric, cut everything out and attempted to make them. Problem was she didn't actually measure the seat size. The thing about patterns for home sewing is there is no such thing as a standard size for most everything. You can't just pick out a pattern that looks like your chair and have any hope that it will actually fit. And that's what happened here. So again, this was one of those jobs where I was fixing what someone else had done incorrectly. In the end, they weren't nearly as bad to fix as I had made them out to be in my mind. Still, starting from scratch is ALWAYS the preferred way to work.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

IN THE PROCESS


I thought I'd show you a little of the process of making my girls. I've really got to think of a better name for them. Any suggestions? Anyway, ever since I posed the question "Wouldn't an all white one be pretty?," I have not been able to stop thinking about it. So I ordered more tulle. In the white, though, I ordered organza. I thought it would be really pretty. Well, it may be pretty but I've torn up my fingers tying the pieces to the chicken wire. Turns out the tulle works far better and I don't get blisters for my effort.

This is what it looks like during the tying on phase. What I'm finding with the organza as well is that whereas the tulle naturally fluffs itself out, the organza does not. When I am finished with the skirt, I am going to have to go back and fluff each piece.
Kind of hard to see, but this is a shot of the inside. All those little 'bumps' you see are the knots from tying the pieces. I actually like the way the inside looks when it is all done. Not that you will ever see the inside, but it looks cool. It also shows all the work that went into making the girl.

As with everything, this is a learning process. I am trying to get it down so that I can offer a class at Paper Tales.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

VIGNETTES AROUND THE HOUSE









All these pictures are various 'vignettes' in my house. You can see the different things that I collect and that speak to me in some way or another. A lot of you asked what my house looks like now, after seeing my ex-house. Well, it isn't anything like that house in Chicago. For one thing it is about 6 times smaller. My ex third floor work space is probably larger than my entire house now. But I do live on Coronado Island and I'd would much rather live here than in cold, gray Chicago. Had I been smart, when I first moved in, I would have painted the walls more to my liking. It just never occurred to me that I would still be living here 8 years later. I do have a nice backyard and a two car garage which Grazelda has never seen the inside of. It houses all my stuff that doesn't fit in my little house. And because I essentially live in a work space instead of working in my living space, there is no need to take pictures of the rooms. All you would see is fabric and sewing machines and all the other 'stuff' that goes along with making slipcovers and window treatments.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

I MADE ANOTHER ONE

This girl is actually hot pink, but is looking more like red. In any case, she is smaller than the first one I made (15 June post, if you didn't see her) and took only 125 yards of tulle. She also took far less time. Partly because I kind of know what I am doing now and partly because I used half as much tulle.
I covered the body with black and white toile and then used silver glitter. I maybe could have used a little less glitter, as you cannot even tell what is underneath it. I wanted to use a black and white paper, but just couldn't find one that was what I wanted. I found a couple of black and cream sheets at Paper Tales, but I really wanted white. The fabric seemed the best solution.
To tie the bodice to the skirt, I used hot pink pearls. You have to see these girls in person. The impact is much greater than in a photograph.

Wouldn't an all white one be pretty?

Saturday, August 1, 2009

SPREAD THE LOVE AWARD

What can I say? I just love getting awards! This one comes from Julie at Idyllhours. I like what she said on her post about blog awards, so I am going to say something similar. It seems that some people like getting awards and like passing them on (that would be me) and some prefer not to, for whatever reason. So if you fall in the first category, by all means post the award and pass it on to whomever you wish. This one didn't come with specific guidelines, so make up your own. If you are in the second group, don't feel bad about not 'playing.' Just know that I passed it on to you because I enjoy your blog and that's enough for me.

I pass this 'Spread The Love Award' along to:

So, thank you Miss Julie Marie. I really appreciate this award and once I figure out why I can't get my sidebar to cooperate and allow me to put new things on it, I will proudly put it there.


Friday, July 31, 2009

CASA MARGARITA - PART TWO

This was the master bedroom. My closet, the size of a small room, was tickle-me-pink. My ex's closet was rubber duckie, the same color as the walls in my workroom on the third floor.
Bidets are great for washing your feet. This bathroom, once a bedroom, was huge, but the space was all in middle where nothing could be done. The house originally had 4 full bathrooms and we added this one because everyone needs 5 full baths!
The color in the bathroom was lilac. I wanted the bedroom to be lilac and the bath the aqua that's in the master. My ex wanted the bath to be lilac because the apartment we lived in before this house had a lilac kitchen with white fixtures and he just really liked the way it looked. Since I liked both colors in both rooms, I agreed. To this day, though, I would love to have a lilac bedroom.
Again, bathrooms (normal size, that is) are hard to take pictures of. This bathroom is on the second floor and has the original hex tile floor. We found a bathtub that was from 1913 in a salvage place. The house was built in 1920 (I think) so the tub fit right in.
My ex workroom. The floor was screaming green and the walls rubber duckie. The bathroom, which you can't see, was cerise. The colors on the third floor were much more intense. After a while, even the brightness of the colors seemed to fade and I remember thinking, "We need to repaint and punch up the colors." Yeah, right! This work space was about 24' x 12'. My cutting/work table was 12' x 6' x 43 1/2" high, the perfect height for me. We built the table in the room so there was no getting it out when I left.
The laundry room with under-the-counter washer and dryer. I also had another laundry room in the basement with large capacity appliances, so I could wash and dry fabric.
Exercise room.
The view out the master bedroom window. We had a fairly large yard for a city house. Of course, putting a three car garage took up a lot of that space, but with a house as large as this one was, a single car garage was silly. The house was approximately 6000 square feet. We paid $230,500 for it and then did the gut rehab, which took a year and a half and cost another $100,000 or so. Can you imagine what this house would cost in California?

Thursday, July 30, 2009

CASA MARGARITA - PART ONE



This is the outside of my ex-house in Chicago. It is in Rogers Park, which is as far north as you can go and still be in the city of Chicago. It was named Casa Margarita because of the color. In some light it looks more green; others, like this shot, it appears yellow.
The front, enclosed porch. It was only place in the house I could use the Mexican tile and not have it look ridiculous. This is a prairie-style house and Mexican tile is definitely not in keeping with the style.

This was the library/living room. The fireplace was some hideous color, so we painted it teal. What you can't see is the entire wall of bookcases and the original pocket doors.


This is the bathroom on the first floor, with the original green and white tile. This shade of pink was truly the only color that looked good with the tile. Then I found a fabric for the shower curtain that allowed me to have more than just pink and green in the room. The shot is a bit blurry. It was a very hard space to take a picture of.


The family room, with the area to the left and the kitchen to the right.
Can you find all 5 cats?


The fireplace in the family/dining/kitchen area. The flash is making the walls look less green than they really are. See above picture for the green color.
My dream kitchen, even though I don't like to cook.







Another view.
An old chest and curio cabinet I painted.
Close-up of chest top. I painted this all by hand, with no taping to make sure the lines were straight. I think I did a pretty good job, especially since I can't really paint or draw.

As I said before, when you live in Chicago and the sun tends not to shine very often and winter lasts about 8 months (or so it seems) you have to do something to brighten things up. My way was to paint every room a different tropical color. All of these were crayola colors. These pictures are of the first floor, though I left off a couple of rooms. The house had 3 floors plus a full basement that was also painted using the leftover paint from the rest of the house.
Tomorrow, I'll post the second and third floors.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

GRAZELDA

Okay, here is my car, Grazelda Golf. She is one of the rarest Volkswagens ever made. She is a '96 and there are only 70 of her version. They made a total of 280, 4 different versions. As you can imagine, I get all kinds of comments about her. As far as I know, I have the only one in San Diego, which is both good and bad. Good because who would steal her? It's not like she blends in. And bad because everyone always knows where I am. I can't sneak anywhere.

So tomorrow I'll do the post with my ex-house pictures.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

COLORFUL LIFEGUARD HUTS

Colorful! And creative! They are all different shapes and sizes. All these huts are on Miami Beach. I took these pictures in 2000, but I'm sure they are still as pretty. At least I hope some city official didn't get it in his head that basic, boring, all the same color and design was better.



In case you didn't already know this about me, I LOVE color. There used to be an ad for a paint company (I think) and the tag line was, "Life is too short for beige." I couldn't agree more.

Next post, pictures of my ex-house, which was painted in all tropical colors! Hey, when you live in Chicago and it's gray more than sunny, you gotta do something to keep from going mad.

Monday, July 27, 2009

YIPPEE!!! A BBF AWARD

Julie Marie at Idyllhours created this award and her very first recipient was Karyn from French Charming. BBF stands for Blogger Favorite Friend or I think it can also stand for Blogger Favorite Find. The rules for this award are similar to all those other blog awards floating around:

Copy the award and post it on your blog.
Link it back to the person you received it from.
List 10 things you love about blogging.
Pass it along to 10 other blog pals.

What I love about blogging:
(It's hard to not just copy Karyn's list and claim it as my own.)

1. I love that I now 'talk' to people all around the world.
2. I love all the new friends I've made locally.
3. I love the support that bloggers show each other.
4. I love the inspiration that each and every one of you brings to my life.
5. I love sharing my work.
6. I love that posting can be serious or it can be silly - anything goes!
7. I love that I look forward to turning my computer on each morning so that I can catch up with all the blogs I love.
8. As Karyn said, I love that people read my blog.
9. I love how willing everyone is to share ideas.
10. I love knowing that the possibilities are endless with blogging.



Thank you, Karyn.
You have been, and continue to be, an inspiration in my life. I look forward to your next 100 posts!

I pass this award to the following blogs:


I also want to thank everyone who commented on my last post. It means a lot that you took the time to wish me well. I am happy to report that, although I am still rather sore, my back to definitely better. I've been resting it and using my next door neighbor's jacuzzi on a regular basis. I do believe another massage is in order, as well.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

I LOVE SANDALS AND FLIP FLOPS


I was going to do this post on Friday morning but I hurt my back and I can't sleep. I may have a broken rib or it is somehow out of place and your guess is as good as mine as to how this happened. All I know is I am in major PAIN. So to entertain myself, I took pictures of all my sandals. I couldn't take the pictures with my feet on the floor because I tan the color of my hardwood floors and it was hard to tell my legs from the floor. Weird, I know, but then again, so is this post!

Leather reefs
Havaianas with the Brazilian flag, a gift from my Brazilian exchange student
Leather tevas
Not quite a flip flop
Leather rose in green
and in blue
This picture had to be rotated so you could see what these sandals are. These are my favorite because they are so unusual.
These remind me of fireworks.
Boring, basic Rainbow flip flops.
Fuschia BCBG fancy sandals.
Beaded
and bejeweled
These are shell and bead and the only sandals I have with straps.
These my mother made for me. They kind of look like slippers and feel that way too!
These are the basic black reefs that I wear every day, which explains why
my feet look like this with no flip flops on.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

SUNBRELLA SLIPCOVERS AND A GREAT VIEW

This sofa is one of the hardest I've ever done. It doesn't look like it, but looks can be deceiving. What made it so hard was the shape of the back cushions, which you can't even see in this picture. Normally, the box on a cushion is the same width all the way around. Not these. The bottom is more like a bolster/wedge and so is much wider. I, thank goodness, took one of the cushions with me because I knew I was going to have trouble. Having it didn't make it any easier, but without it, the covers would never have fit properly. Even the side cushions are a strange shape. You can kind of tell from the picture that they sort of bend.
The back view. My client didn't want a skirt at all. Her real reason for wanting slipcovers is to protect her Roche Bobois furniture from her 10 month old daughter and her nearly 3 year old son. She chose Sunbrella for obvious reasons.
A closer up of the front. Ths sofa slipcover was delivered yesterday, as planned. When I was there installing the covers, a big problem presented itself. In my last post I said what a pain it is to re-do someone's work. Well, it's not a lot better having to re-do your own either.
The chair slipcovers would not go on. I didn't realize they needed zippers. Not the worst thing, but a real hassle. I had to come home yesterday and cut open the back side seam on each slipcover and then, because there is welting on the bottom edge, I had to cut through the welting, too. Putting the zippers in wasn't too bad and I kept wondering why it is I hate zippers in slipcovers until it occurred to me that the reason this was relatively easy was because there was no skirt. It's the skirt that makes it a real pain to have a zipper. In the case of these chairs, though, I wouldn't have done buttons down the back. The condo is way too contemporary and the style of the chairs would have looked dumb. I just wish I had realized they needed to be put in when I did them the first time.
You can't really tell in the picture, but the welting is the fabric from the sofa.
The last part of the job that I did have to finish yesterday was the dining chairs (6).
This is an ultra suede-type fabric, again chosen with the children in mind.
The bar stools look exactly the same as the dining table chairs, except they are smaller. It's a good thing I checked the template I cut for the dining chairs on the stools. Otherwise, I would've been fixing those as well.
My client's mother said she didn't like the 'fullness' of the skirt. I told her it was a flat skirt, there was no fullness at all and you couldn't get it any flatter. Sometimes people should really just have things reupholstered.
And now for the best part of the the whole job - the view from their condo. They live in Mexico City and come to Coronado for a couple of months in the summer. They are on the sixth floor and the view is spectacular! No matter which direction you look!
Looking toward North Island.
Lovely Coronado Island Beach and Point Loma in the distance.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

MORE SUNBRELLA SLIPCOVERS

This is NOT the job I am working on right now, but a job that I did back in December. What made this one so challenging was I had to 'fix' slipcovers that were already made. An upholsterer had done the job and had even taken the furniture to the shop (something I don't do; I cut in your home) and still they did not fit properly. The only saving grace was they were way too big.
I had to remake all the welting, which meant more fabric. And I had the designer take them apart. If I ever have another job like this (hopefully not) I will take them apart myself. I told her she needed to label all the pieces or else I wouldn't now what was what. I really should have been more specific because even though she did what I asked, instead of placing the tape in an upright position so I would know which was the top, she just slapped it on wherever she felt like. The result was I didn't know which end was up, literally.
Until I fixed them, she hated her slipcovers and was so disappointed because she had waited years to get the furniture done and it was awful. I should've taken pictures of the before just so you could have seen what the upholsterer thought was acceptable work. It boggles the mind. In the end, it all worked out and my client was thrilled.

Now, it's back to work for me so that I can get these other slipcovers finished for the installation on Tuesday.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

OUTDOOR LIVING IN CALIFORNIA - PART 2

Way back in February I did a post about how fortunate we are in Southern California to be able to take advantage of our outdoor living space. Every manufacturer of fabrics now has an indoor/outdoor line. The name most everyone knows is Sunbrella.
The nice thing about Sunbrella is it is practically indestructible. Usually made of acrylic, it can withstand sun, rain, children and pets, and still look fabulous.
It comes in a million (okay, maybe not that many) different colors, patterns, textures and price ranges. A great source is outdoorfabrics.com.
This furniture had no existing cushions, so I had the foam cut, put batting on the foam and then made the covers.
One of my favorite things about sewing with Sunbrella and other outdoor fabrics is not having to pre-wash the fabric to shrink it. It doesn't shrink, which just means one less step for me in the process of the job.

I am in the middle of a job right now that is slipcovers for a sofa and 2 chairs using Sunbrella. I will deliver the job on Tuesday and post the pictures soon after.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

MAGAZINES AND/OR PRESS

As you may have noticed, I have added the titles of magazines my work has been in over the years. I keep seeing on other people's blogs the magazine covers their work has been in and I thought I should have mine on my sidebar as well. If you go to my portfolio blog, you can see exactly what was in which magazine. Just as with my modeling jobs, a lot of the time I don't necessarily see the pictures. I am always on the lookout for work I've done, but with so many magazines and the fact that they are shot so far ahead of time, it is easy to miss the issue the work appears in.

Monday, July 13, 2009

AMAZING TRANSFORMATION

The original - front view
Close up of arm fronts
It's a little hard to tell, but there is a definite depth difference between the upholstery and the wood. This became an issue because the slipcover wouldn't lay properly without some kind of build up. That seemed way too complicated.
So I decided to use batting. This is the back and when I cut the pieces for this, I forgot that the outside back was much larger than the inside back, so there is a gap.
I had to actually sew the batting to the chairs, which was a bit of a pain. No, honestly, it was a huge pain and not easy to do.
I truly did have to cover all the wood that the slipcover would be sitting directly on, otherwise it wouldn't have looked right. When I am working on these seemingly impossible jobs, I frequently have to remind myself that I get these kinds of jobs because I CAN do them. It may take some creative brain power, but, in the end, I do figure it out.
Ta Da.
Like I said yesterday, the fabric is white denim with apple green linen welting and trim.
The side view.
Close up of the 1" pleated flange welting on the outside back. The skirt also has a 1" trim at the bottom.
The back with green buttons.
I am actually really pleased with how they (there are 2 chairs) turned out. I haven't even called my client yet to tell her they are finished, so you are seeing them before she does. I think she'll be happy with the result.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

A BIT OF A TEASE

Okay, this is the chair I am working on right now. I almost finished today. I just have to gather and sew the skirt on and do the button-holes and the buttons. As you can probably tell from the picture, this is another of those chairs that you wouldn't normally slipcover and this one presented an even trickier challenge: I actually had to cover the wood with batting. You'll just have to wait, though, to see how I covered it and what the new slipcover looks like. Hint - white denim with apple green linen welting.
Stay tuned...

Friday, July 10, 2009

I LOVE PINK DENIM

I made this (giant) pillow from pink denim. It is so large, that even though there is already one, the pillow acts as a padded headboard of sorts.
The pillow has a pleated flange with a green and white 1/4" contrast welting that matches the wooden bed frame.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

WHY I LOVE PHOTOSHOP

This is the original bouquet.
This is the original inverted. I just LOVE the colors now.
And for even more interest, I then posterized the inverted.
The original is very pretty.
The inverted is stunning! (This, of course, is my opinion.)
The original raspberry colored flowers.
When inverted, the flowers become green! And the background becomes much more visible and interesting.

I have to be really careful because photoshop is definitely addicting and I can spend HOURS playing. Half the time I am not sure how I got the result I end up with. Still, it is fun. Now if I could just decide what to do with all my inverted and posterized images.

Monday, July 6, 2009

SHOWCASE HOME - BANKER'S HILL

This is a showcase home I worked on with Sally Dixon a couple of years ago. When the photographer is shooting the rooms, he isn't doing it with me (or even the designers who worked on their respective rooms) and my portfolio in mind. So the picture or pictures that end up in the magazine don't and can't show all I did. It really is a matter of actually going to the showcase tour to get the full and true effect.
The slipper chair with a lace up back in the leopard fabric. I had the pillow embroidered with Sally's older daughter's name.
The bathroom was very tiny and extremely difficult to photograph. The fabric on the sink skirt and the roman shade were the same.
The roman shade was even harder to get a good picture of.
Assorted pillows on the bed.
A dog bed from the Ralph Lauren faux leopard fabric.
Close up of the bed pillows.
And since no detail is over looked in a showcase home, I also made, from a vintage chenille bedspread, a basket liner. I was even able to use the fringe from the spread.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY

I've been tagged by dustjacketattic (if you haven't yet been to her blog, pop on over and check it out - it's simply amazing, a feast for your eyes!) to list 6 things that make me happy and to pass it on to 6 other bloggers.

Ask me again tomorrow and my list may vary. Today, however, I choose these 6 things that make me happy:

sunshine
my friends and family
working for myself
living in Coronado
beauty
the ocean

I tag the following people:

Hope everyone had a wonderful and safe 4th of July!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

REVERSIBLE PILLOWS

This is the front of the pillow, with a 1" banding on the ruffle and a contrast welting to bring the green of the fabric out.
The back is the same fabric as the front, but the "banding" on the front is the entire ruffle on the back. There are also buttons from the same black and white fabric. Turning the pillow over gives a different look to the bed.
This pillow has a 3" ruffle and 1/4" green checked welting with the dark, larger scale floral print on the front.
The back side doesn't even look like the same pillow. By using a different fabric, even with the ruffle being the same fabric, it completely changes the look of the pillow. They are harder to see, but there are also covered buttons from the green checked fabric.

A lot of times people do not want to have tons of pillows on their bed. By using different fabrics on the front and back, it is possible to have twice as many pillows! The only drawback is you cannot have both sides showing at the same time. Minor detail, though.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

EVEN IN FLORENCE, SLIPCOVERED SOFAS

A good friend of mine just returned from spending 3 weeks in Italy. His friend lives in a 45 (!) bedroom villa, by himself. Needless to say, he doesn't use all the space he has. The room he does use a lot is the living/dining room. As soon as I saw the pictures, I said, "Look, he has slipcovers!"
I can't tell for sure, but the fabric looks an awful lot like a light blue denim. Even with fresco-painted walls and 20' ceilings, slipcovers are appropriate. I just love it.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

ANOTHER CHALLENGING CHAIR

This is the front view of one of two arm chairs my client wanted a slipcover for. Given the style, the slipcover has to be in two pieces.
Back view
The chair looks completely different with its new slipcover.
Tabs with covered buttons connect the skirt pieces together at the front and back corners.
Side/back view.
Because the chair has arms, I had to use snaps under the arms to keep the back cover in place.

Back view with both pieces of the new slipcover. I used covered buttons up the back, although once you unsnap the under arms, it just slips right off. Again, these buttons are strictly decorative and I used them mainly to tie the button tabs on the bottom piece to the top piece.
This slipcover is a good example of wanting a lighter look for summer, but not wanting to have the chair reupholstered.

Friday, June 26, 2009

BLUE DENIM, TOO


Except for the bleaching, everything I said about white denim slipcovers goes for blue denim as well.


This chair has a short, box-pleated skirt.
And, of course, my signature button-back closure. In this case, it was strictly decorative. I didn't even unbutton it to put it on. Still, I think it is just more interesting than a plain back.

And to those of you whose name was drawn for my 100th post giveaway, I haven't forgotten you. I have just been a bit busy. Be on the lookout for something in your mail very soon. And thanks for your patience.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

ALWAYS POPULAR WHITE DENIM SLIPCOVERS

White denim has always been a favorite of my clients. It is durable, washable and can even be bleached.


It looks good with a gathered skirt.
It looks good with a tailored skirt.
It looks nice on a sectional.
A slipper chair
and on a regular occasional chair.
White denim always looks clean and crisp.
All of these pictures are of jobs I've done in the past. Suddenly, though, I have several clients wanting white denim slipcovers. (I'll be posting those shots once I get them done.) The one thing I do not do is to provide fabric to my clients for their projects. I am not a designer and I am not going to tell someone what they like. I'll make practically anything they want, I just won't tell them what they need. The one exception to my rule of not providing fabric is white denim. I do have it in stock (actually, under my bed.) If you are in the Southern California area and need white denim slipcovers, just let me know.

Monday, June 22, 2009

CHENILLE DRAPERIES AND PILLOWS

These draperies and pillows are all made from the same chenille. What you cannot tell from the picture is the draperies are lined with blackout and are extremely heavy. So heavy, in fact, that the installer had to use heavy duty supports to make sure the rods would not pull out of the wall.
For a more modern look, I did inverted pleats. Also, being on rings is much more contemporary than the traditional traverse rod.
The pillow on this chair has brush fringe and is the lumbar-style, which is just a fancy word for rectangle.
Because my client wanted the pillows to be super fat, I used two down forms in each pillow. Not the easiest thing to do, but it achieved the look she was after. Again, you cannot tell from the pictures, but the pillows are also fairly large - 24" x 24" because the sofa is over-sized.
Closer view of the brush fringe.