This is the way my table runner should look (minus the wrinkles of course) not like this (click here).  This runner was a snap to make.  I just cut it to size and hemmed up the sides.  Here are a couple of pictures of new pillow covers I made with the leftover material from the runner.  They were quick and easy to make too.  I followed the tutorial I found on Rae Gun Ramblings.  The very talented Marissa made the cutest pillows.  Her tutorial was well written and easy to follow.  It took me a bit more than ten minutes to whip these out but I will make all my pillow covers this way in the future.  Thanks Marissa! 

     My pillows are pretty wrinkly too.  They get a lot of usage which is why I made them, but I would like them to stay nice.  Guess I can’t have my cake and eat it too.  Here is a picture of the whole couch.

     It looks more summery in the living room now.  It also looks more casual with the ticking.  Do you notice something a little different than the ottoman I reupholstered in the lower right hand?  My husband is working on a project for me.  Sorry, this is all I’m going to reveal for now.  I know, I know, I’m a meanie (just ask my kids).

  This week I’ve been putting some finishing touches on a big project.  Here’s a little sneak peek.  I needed some black and white fabric to make new pillow covers.  I just had plain black and plain white fabric on hand, but as you probably know by now, I love black and white patterned fabric.  What’s a girl to do?  Paint the fabric of course.  I first measured my pillow form (bought at Ikea a few years ago).  Then I cut a piece from the white fabric for the back and a piece from the black fabric for the front.   Below is a picture of  the supplies you will need.  In addition to fabric paint, you will need a brush, something to protect your work surface, a stencil or stamp, painter’s tape, and an iron.

     I had to run down to Hobby Lobby to get some more fabric paint.  I didn’t have enough from my silk screened pillows (here).  I painted two pillows for this project.  I used about a bottle and a half of the paint for both.  I really love this paint because it doesn’t smudge (much) or bleed.  I had this brush on hand so I used it.  I haven’t experimented much with painting fabric so I am not sure if there is a better way to do this, but it worked for me.  I didn’t have a paper plate on hand to squirt the paint onto so I just used a corner of the garbage bag.  You will need to protect the surface you are working on (below) because while this paint doesn’t bleed under the stencil, it does bleed through to the back of the fabric.

     You don’t have to worry about ironing your fabric just yet.  Just put your stencil on top.  I centered my stencil on my fabric but if you have a stamp or a more random type of stencil you can just start where you want.

     I used painter’s tape to secure the stencil in place.  I lightly loaded my brush and then “pounced” the paint along the stencil lines.  I had to go back and do a few spots.  It was a little time consuming but I wanted to make sure there was an even coating of paint. 

     After I was done painting, I carefully peeled the stencil off.  I had a few little mistakes but I used the corner of a wet sponge to wipe them off.  Then I let the paint dry.  The package instructions states that you need to let the paint air dry for 24 hours.  To set the paint, use a dry iron.  I had mine set on medium.  I was supposed to use a pressing cloth but I forgot.  You need to wait at least 72 hours to wash your painted fabric after that.  Hand wash in cold water. 

     When my fabric was ready I pinned right sides together and sewed.  Here is the first one.  I’m still working on the second one.  Painting the material is a bit time consuming but I am really happy with how this one turned out.   I am even more happy that two new pillows only cost me a bit over $2.00.    As always, thanks for stopping by.  I always enjoy swapping ideas with people that don’t  roll their eyes when I start talking about decorating.

     This ottoman has been shuffled around from room to room in our house.  It came with an overstuffed chair and a half.  We have never had the room to put the two together. The ottoman has usually been used on it’s own.  It is the perfect size to use as a bench to round out a seating area.  It is also the perfect size to sit at the foot of  a bed.  Currently, I am using it as a coffee table in my living room. 

     Above is the ottoman in it’s original state.  I made a slipcover for it because I wasn’t digging the purple in my brown monochromatic room.  You can see pictures here.  My sewing skills are… evolving.  I never liked the sloppy and ill-fitting look of it.  I tried to convince myself it was shabby chic but it was pretty much just shabby.  One day I decided I didn’t want to look at it any more.  I thought it would be a quick and easy job to reupholster this ottoman (it was).  I don’t know why I didn’t just reupholster it in the first place.  Sewing the slipcover was frustrating and time consuming and totally not worth the effort (kind of how I feel about cooking).  Reupholstering was as easy as one, two, three.

 One.  I cut the skirt off because I wanted the legs to show.

     Two.  Decide on a fabric.  I had this fabric leftover from various projects, but wasn’t sure which side of my material I wanted up.  The picture on the left is the right side.  I liked how the wrong side better. 

Three.  Stretch the material and staple it to the frame. 

     I could have gone on and added trim.  I did think about a beaded fringe along the bottom but decided that the floral pattern was a big enough statement.  I don’t know if this ottoman is going to stay here for long but for now I am much happier, especially since it didn’t cost me anything but an hour and a half of my time.

     The weather has been pretty nice (for February) for the last week.  The sun has been shining and it has been warmer, making me think that maybe the Groundhog was right and we will have an early Spring.  I was inspired to make some brighter and fresher pillow covers to welcome Spring.  I made the covers double-sided.  I didn’t make the covers for the green and white pillows in the back.  I bought those at Ikea a couple of years ago.  

     I made the flowers with felt and scrape material.  I attached them with fabric glue.  I learned how to do the flowers from Autumn over at Design Dump.  Here is a link to her tutorial.  They were quick and easy to make.  They were low cost too.  I spent about $15.00 for everything (I already had the white material.  It was a curtain panel I wasn’t using anymore.).  Here a couple of close-ups.  

     So, I was feeling pretty happy with the weather and the happy pillows.  I was even thinking about pulling out my flip-flops and then this happened.  

     I guess I will hold off on the flip-flops and keep my boots out for a while.  I just hope this year is not like last year.  We had snow showers until the end of May!  Hope your corner of the world is a little brighter and warmer than mine.

     In one of my design classes my instructor  told us that nothing humanizes a home like fabric.  So, for the past year I have been trying to play around with adding color, pattern and texture around my home with fabrics.  There has been a lot of trial and error both in coordinating fabrics and teaching myself how to sew.  All in all it has been a lot of fun.  There really isn’t a cheaper or easier way to spice up a room than with fabric.  The fabric on the pillows in the first picture came from Calico Corners.  It was in the clearance bin priced at $1.00 per yard.  There was just under one yard left so I bought it.  I knew I wanted to make pillowcases for my bed but there wasn’t enough for two whole pillowcase.  I found a sage green pillowcase I no longer used and took it apart.  I sewed the green on one side and the floral on the other.   Now I have  two new pillowcases for a grand total of $.96.    I got the chairs in the second picture at a consignment shop for $50.00.  I repainted them and changed out the fabric on the seats.  The fabric was $5.00 per yard.  I already had the paint and primer, for a grand total of $55.00.  The chairs were a bit of a pain to paint so stapling the fabric on the chair was definitely the easy part of that project.