Pretty Woman

So, it's been, ahem, quite a while since I started this blog and made one post, but I'd like to be better at  that.  So here is what I made today.

I was going to yoga the other morning, and spotted this suede ottoman on the street corner.  I decided to temp the garbage picking gods and vowed that I would give it a new home and new life if it was still there when I got back.  Like Pretty Woman.  My ottoman is Julia Roberts in this scenario, by the way.

This is how it entered my life:

And this is how it looks now:

Truth be told, it originally wasn't in bad shape, but when you bring something into your house with no context of where it was, you just have to do something about it. I still have more plans than just a simple muslin cover, but those will have to wait. I used an old curtain panel that my mom gave to me last year, but that served it well as the panel was thick and had a lining sewn in already.  This works nicely in structure, size, and simplicity

Total project time : 1 hour

Total cost: $0

1. Your curtain panel should be big, so you'll start by draping it over your ottoman so that it hits the length you want it on 3 out of your 4 sides

2. Make sure your fabric is face inside out so that she you pin, you are pinning the inside parts that you will sew. On those three sides, begin pinning where you want the creases of your cushion to sit. Keep it taut, so you'll get a clean seam with the finished product.

3. When all four sides are pinned, go back to your side with the long fabric and measure the same distance from top of the ottoman to the bottom hem that it was in the opposite side.  For me this was 14 in.  Mark with a pin where the fabric runs parallel to the top of the ottoman. Take the cover off the ottoman and measure this distance, including 1-2 inches for seam allowance. I measured mine at 16 inches, drew a straight horizontal line, and then I began cutting off the excess fabric. 

4. When your form is cut to size, it's time to sew up the insides to give the slip cover structure.  First you will need to sew a hem I  the part you just cut off.  All three other sides should already be hemmed (the beauty of using a curtain!)

If you're anything like me (and I'm sorry if you are) you can eyeball a straight line to sew the corners that you pinned before when it was draped on the ottoman, or if you're smart, you can measure the straight line and pin it down.  

5. This is the point at which you should try the cover on your ottoman again, just to be sure that you've sewn it to fit and make adjustments where necessary.  Once all four corners have been sewn, you'll have extra fabric in the shape of a triangle that will be of no use to you in this project, so you can cut off or serge if you are using fabric that frays easily. 

6. Once you have cut the excess from all four sides, flip inside and fit on your ottoman!  I have more plans to paint the wooden legs or possibly try some dyes on the fabric, but I'm thrilled with how easy it was to make a treasure out of this trash!

Thank you! I made it.

... five little words that I hear myself say more often than I realized, until someone pointed it out to me recently. I've tried (and failed) multiple times to maintain a blog about my sewing exploits, but the bottom line is, sometimes it's just hard to keep up with it.  What I've realized recently, however, is that while I do sew all the time,  I also create many non-sewing things as well.  Essentially, I'm attempting to broaden my scope with this blog by posting about all of the many things I make.

I guess I didn't realize that the frequency and extent to which I make many of the things I have is unusual until I started paying attention to how many times I utter the aforementioned phrase.  I'm proud of that.  I come from a long line of DIY-ers, and that's one of the traits I couldn't be prouder to possess and share with others.

The first project I want to share on the blog today is one that I've been mulling over in my mind since I received these incredible pieces of dry coral in December from a dear friend who has been living in Hong Kong for the last year (Thanks, AG!)  Knowing me as she does, she gave them to me and said, "I know you'll make good use of these!"  I couldn't have asked for a better souvenir.  She was right.  Of course I would do something with them... but what?

I've tossed around a few different ideas in my mind, until one day at work, it struck like a lightening bolt-- color block them.  Dip-dye them in a water based paint.  Can't believe I didn't think of that sooner!  So here's what I did this morning.  They're all ready for their next life (of which I shall post when I get there.  I all ready have the next phase in mind, but I'm just looking for the right materials).

Step one:  I mixed up a few different acrylic paints to make the colors I wanted.  Next I diluted them a bit so it would be easier to absorb.  What I didn't anticipate is the ombre effect that the more diluted paints gave to the coral.  It's actually amazing.

Step two: Dipping those corals.

Step three:  Laying them out to dry.  I honestly have no idea how long it will take for them to dry.  I have never worked with the coral/acrylic paint combination before (I know, you're all thinking "But why??")  I'll keep you posted on what they look like when they're dry.

Completely simple... completely awesome.  I'm excited.