Polka Dot Play: Slipcovering Glider Cushions

As you know, if you've checked in at all here at Design-Aholic recently, we've been working on finalizing our baby boy's nursery.  Last weekend, I took an extra day off to make the labor day holiday a 4 day weekend.  I mentioned last week I got a lot done, but unfortunately, lost all my energy during the week and didn't show you anything!  At least now, I can finally unveil the recovered/slip-covered (depending on how you want to view it) glider cushions!

First, since I'm proud of myself, here's the "after":

Do you recall the "before"?  Dirty, plain light blue fabric.  While the slipcovers were constructed well (maybe even better than mine) the ottoman was a joke.  Some things you improve, some things stay status quo.  At least the overall looks MUCH better than it did when I bought it with my friend Annie (check out her blog here, at Confessions of a Navy Wife.)

So, to get started, I cut two squares of fabric from my humongous piece of polka dot fabric that would work for the size I needed.  (seriously, what was I thinking?  I could cover two more full ottoman sets at LEAST with the amount I have left!!! I think I got something like 4 yards of 54" fabric?  Good thing it was a STEAL...)

Then, I removed the blue covers from the cushions (which just sit in the chair form, aren't snapped, banded, or otherwise actually attached to the frame) and laid them out on my wrong side up polka dot fabric.

I laughed a little when I saw the backs and bottoms of the cushions were just hand sewn together...

There were two cushions to slipcover- the back, and the seat cushion.  The back was more or less a square, but had the trickiness of needing the loops to hold the cushion to the frame sewn in.

Let me just pause here a minute.  Did I even mention to you that I haven't pulled my sewing machine out in months, and now I was planning to tackle making my first slipcovers?  No?  Well, yes, I was petrified.  The last thing I made were these straight seam orange curtains, and these envelope fold chevron fabric pillows... For some reason, winding the bobbin, sewing rounded seams instead of straight... all these things gave me the heebie jeebies.  I don't know why I was so scared.  Really.  I think I was most concerned about getting the tread all tangled up in the insides of the machine because I did something small and stupid.  But, alas, reading directions helps!  Even though the poor translation of these Janome instructions made us laugh the first time I used the machine, months back, this time was serious and I had to pay attention to what they said... Outcome?  It worked.  Just fine.  Now I'm not scared.  End the pause.

I attempted the back cushion first, and it went relatively well.  I left the bottom seam open until I tried it on the cushion, and fit it to the chair.  When I realized it worked, and was finished with my happy dance, I sewed the bottom cushion closed.

The rounded edges of the lower cushion posed a slight problem for me, but going slow with the foot pedal, (no, I guess this was not the autobahn) it worked out.  For this cushion, I had actually traced the pattern with a pen as well as pinning it, so that I had a guide to work by.  Since the fabric is so heavy duty, it doesn't show through at all, and me being scrappy, I had just used a ball point pen anyway to do the tracing.  :)

Is it just me, or does this look like a piece of toast?  No?  I'm just pregnant and hungry you say?  ok, fine...

Sewing this cushion together at the back (the last seam) was trickier than the first because I hadn't left much excess fabric to work with.  After some help holding it properly from Z, a broken nail, and some severely sore and tired hands, the cushion was closed (but looked like crap on that back seam) and fitted to the chair.  Shhh, don't tell anyone how bad the back seam was.  :)

Anyway, even though the nursery isn't being re-assembled yet, we're already enjoying the glider.  It's still in the family room, and I just love the polka dot fabric.

And, as a nursery checklist reminder, the following projects still need to be completed:

- Chair rail added above the beadboard (in progress today, weeeeeee!)
- Baseboards added to the floor (in progress today, weeeeeee!)
- Furniture (well, the crib at least!) to be built
- Furniture placed (dresser is in the garage still, and yes I "won" the one I saw on craigslist!)
- Artwork Hung

... The curtains are finished, I'll share those with you soon too... Here's a sneak peak:

Here's the mood board, again, for the eleventy-billionth time:

And, to my (really, my sister's) sewing machine, I'm sorry to have doubted you.

So there's the recent progress... We're getting there, and so is the final baby countdown.  As of today, I'm now 35w1d... time is closing in on us :)

Recovering a Glider Ottoman: Polka Dots

I was excited to have energy this weekend, but I'm disapointed at how fleeting that little bit really is...  Sunday became the day to do some of our first nursery projects (9 weeks now, we should get moving!)

My first project- one to really dig in and finish wasn't small- well, the piece itself is small, but the project wasn't!  Today I recovered the ottoman that matches the glider I purchased for the nursery:

I've recovered furniture before... in fact, these two projects, Tiny Footstool, and the Grey bench should have given me the practice I needed for this project.  I should tell you though, that Dutalier, the manufacturer of our glider, really makes quality product, which made the initial dismantling more difficult than expected!

The blue fabric was the victim of a horrible recovering job (I purchased the glider chair and ottoman at a garage sale in a nice neighborhood by our house).  They just stapled blue fabric OVER the existing dirty upholstery!  So while the first layer of fabric came off easy, the second did not.  Using the best tools I knew, I pried about 150 staples out of the cushion until there was a clean (enough) layer to work with.

(yikes!  The fabric was just trying to JUMP off this ottoman because it had been done so poorly!)

(surprise!  There's another layer of fabric under there!)

Turning it upside down allowed me to remove the cushion much easier

Conveniently, the black mesh covering had holes cut out for where the screws held the top to the bottom

Take a look at all those staples!

Then, finally was the *easy* part: laying the fabric out, cutting to size, and stapling the new fabric around.  The corners were tricky, but I did them the same way I have on my other pieces (they have two folds rather than the typical "professional" way of having one fold on each corner.)

I left the black mesh backing on so that the screw holes would remain visible, thus making screwing it back together easier.  And also, I left a small amount of the old fabric and staple lines on the underside.  It just wasn't worth prying them ALL out.

(picture with flash...)

(picture without flash... in a poorly lit room...)

I'm pretty happy with the results, and glad that the chair/glider itself just needs the cushions recovered, which should be made quick work of with the sewing machine.

A full shot of the glider, which is next:

Until then, I leave you with a few more progress sneak peaks of the nursery-to-be.  Oh, and let me just tell you that we DID purchased the following today:

-  40 ft of beadboard
-  Chair-rail to cap beadboard
-  Baseboards (for the 3 carpeted bedrooms!)
-  Olympic NO VOC paint in PPG color "Lime Green":

Z filled holes, sanded, and painted the ceiling today.  Now we're really on our way!  I'll be hitting that green (in more ways than one!) paint up this week.  :)

Tons of small holes were filled, and the closet doors were removed...

...which left some really hefty holes that required wood fill, not even spackle would do the trick on those bad boys!

Baby steps to the finish line, but it feels like we're on our way now.  I can't wait to see the paint up!

Thanks for stopping by :)

I miss you chairs...

Ever since last weekend's debacle with missing out on those $5 chairs, I've been pining over chairs of similar style: low back, upholstered, and totally updated.  After not knowing anything and re-vamping a Louis XVI chair back in October, I've learned so much about how to re-upholster. 

Anyway, here were the chairs.  Yes, they were $5 each, two for $10.  And no, I did not come home with them.  I'm sure they were purchased within a few minutes after I left them.  (Turns out these are called "Cane Chairs" and I've found them ranging in serious dollar amounts.  Dang, I really should have gotten them now!  Humph!  I even saw a pair sell for $4410 by a designer who just added new upholstery!)

The goal for these chairs was to clearly refinish them, but add them in front of the fireplace (you know, in the grand plan of eventually drywalling over that H frame brick fireplace we have, and adding the tv over that...) as another seating area in the living room.  Z just wondered where we'd put them NOW even.  Remember, the garage is 25% taken up by the wood flooring we've already purchased, and 75% taken up by crap and to-do projects.  Oy.  Don't remind me.

But, because the loss is still on my mind, I searched for some great inspiration that when I do come across another great pair, I'll 1. have the room (assuming we go for that SUV in the next month or so) and 2. I'll have a definitive plan!

So, without further ado, here are some inspirational photos I scrounged up on Google Image search. Enjoy!

 1

I love the rustic fireplace, and the white upholstery.  I doubt it would stay that way in my house with two crazy dogs?!

 

 2

Here's a fireplace shot.  Kind of what I was going for.  While I'm not crazy about the chair's print, I do like the set up and the wall color.

  

 3

Crazy!  Yes, I love the bold color.  Too 70's lime for me, but wow, what a statement :)

  

 4

This room appears very formal, but I really do love the double chair set up.

  

 5

 Another soothing shot.  The colors are so nice.  Spa like I tell you!

  

 6

 While the shape, and all over upholstery is great, the pattern is probably too bold, unless in the right room with pared down accessories so the chair could shine!

  

7

I don't do much with wood tones, but it's an option...

  

 8

 Another well put together room- I love that the red chair is played off in the red art above the fireplace.

  

 9

Love the wall color, and the linen color on the fireplace.  White upholstery again.  See comment #1.  sigh.

  

 10

This I could live with!  White painted distressed wood?  Linen fabric?  Yes, and yes!  Me likey.  And, look at those nailheads trimming it out!

   

 11

eh, not really fond of the combo here (too contrasty for my taste, or else it's a bad photo) but I do love that white.

 

 12

 Another one of my favorites.  In fact, this one may be part inspiration for the new master re-vamp.  Whenever I get around to that.  :)

 

13

Ooooh, silver pleather, and white?  yum!

14

The yellow and black is a classic statement.  Kind of like my yellow wreath on my black front door.  :)

 

15

Super funky, but I love the white paint!

So, that's the idea.  What's your favorite?  Have you scored a great chair deal, or otherwise, and then made it your own?  Do tell!

And word to the wise- after thrifting for a while, I suggest having easy access to a vehicle to take your potential finds home.   Less disapointment that way :)