Stop staring and start sewing!

My guest bath mini renovation and a polka dot shower curtain

 I'm still feverishly (at least it feels feverish) sprucing up the house but have avoided the downstairs/guest bath since our oldest daughter was using it and I just didn't want to deal with all of her stuff. Well she moved out in the spring so I started making plans. Then recently we decided to have a party at the house so I knew it was time to implement the plans.

While I'd prefer a complete renovation including new tile, toilet, sink, etc. I knew I just needed to keep things simple and inexpensive so I decided on new paint and hardware and some fresh decorations and it made all the difference. I spent just under 75.00 and the results were dreamy.

 

Here it is before. It was somewhat charming but all the colors were starting to feel very garish to me and I really wanted a more soothing bathroom experience.

  

 

I chose Behr Wheat Bread for the color and, while it was a bit darker than anticipated (there is no natural light in this room at all), I really love it a lot. It's amazing what a difference 32.00 can make to a room.

 

 

Here is the new color with new decor. The mirror was brought downstairs from our bedroom and it provided the final pizazz I was trying to find. I love it in here.

 

 

And here is a different view. In my dreams I'd prefer some natural wood shelves but I was trying to avoid a "project" in here so I opted to return the white shelves to their original position. I ditched all the red fixtures though. They were really starting to make me nuts.

 

I opted for basic hammered black hooks and knobs to keep a more classic look. I think I spend about 25.00 on a new double hook near the shower (that does have black with soft aqua colored knobs but it works), a small hook near the sink, and 2 new knobs for the vanity doors.

 

For the shower curtain (which hides the glass door that I hate cleaning) I used this lovely classic polka dot print and it gives the room some whimsy without been too loud. 

 

Here's the hem detail. I added an 8 inch ruffle topped with the chair ribbon from Renaissance Ribbon. I steamed the daylights out of the ribbon with my iron before sewing it in place (it contracts quite a bit from the heat so I always pre-shrink it that way). Sweet.

 

I re-arranged some artwork and bought some fresh grey towels at IKEA (I splurged on this 7.00 towel and a hand towel for around 4.00).

 

 

My goal for this spot is to eventually build in a shelf since it backs up to the guest room closet (we'll just steal the space there since it's not used much). The storage will be great.

 

 

 

And here's one last look. I'm in love with this room and since I even gutted all the crud from under the sink and in the medicine cabinet, it's actually pretty sparse and easy to keep clean. And all for around 75.00. 

What is Periscope? Come over and see!

If you haven't discovered Periscope yet, you're missing out! Periscope is a live streaming video mobile app and you can download it and then watch your favorite people live. I will warn you that it will use your data minutes if you're not tapped into wifi (found that out the hard way!).

I've been doing live tutorials and chats include quick sewing tips and tutorials, chats on sewing for money and having an etsy shop. My goal is to do the tutorials in a better format on my youtube channel but for now you can watch on Periscope and chat with me while I'm talking! I'm @jonagiammalva on Periscope so c'mon over and visit!

My Shabby Chic Design Board Challenge for Chairish

I received an email from Holly at Chairish.com asking if I'd like to take part in their latest design board challenge and I said "Yes!".  Chairish is an online store where you can both buy and sell beautiful items for your home. They have everything from large furniture pieces, rugs, and chandeliers to small wall hangings, fabrics, and even wallpaper.

The theme of this challenge was Shabby Chic (take a peek at all the goodies in their Shabby Chic section at Chairish) and they sent me pictures of items that are currently listed on Chairish and I used them (and more) in my design board. I love the Shabby Chic look but I love to throw in some unexpected items too so I couldn't pass on the map and nature prints (or the Coca Cola crate on the table!).

This is a room I would love to call my own. Hop on over to Chairish and enjoy shopping for some one of a kind treasures for your home. Everything on my design board is over there (except the floor and flowers, you're on your own there).

A huge thanks to the folks at Chairish for the invitation! That was fun!

Make a canvas of your favorite state

I'm in the process of decorating some new shelves and really wanted a pop of turquoise in a couple of spots. I'm also trying to add meaningful items as I spruce things up so these state canvases were the perfect solution. I'm an Oregon native (my ancestors were among the first 50 wagons on the Oregon Trail), but we truly love living in Arizona (even though the move 20 years ago was supposed to be temporary) so I included both states on my shelves.

I got these 2 slanted 8 x 8 canvases at Michaels and they are terrific because they can sit anywhere on the shelf without having to lean against the back of the shelf. They were 7.99 each (but I had a coupon). The acrylic colors I picked are plain old white (in satin) for touch ups, Apple Red 2901, and Patina 2951. I got a few new paint brushes too.

First I found silhouettes of the states on Google images and sized them to around 6 inches across using Adobe Illustrator (you can probably do the same in Gimp or any other graphic editing software). Then I used some tracing paper (the kind used for tracing sewing patterns) between the canvas and the printed page and traced around the state with a pointy pen).

Here's the canvas after I traced on it.

I carefully painted within the lines and ended up needing 3 coats of paints to get it really covered.

I traced a little heart over our cities and painted the hearts red.

I love them!  They look perfect on my new shelves and make my heart happy.

Yay! Such a simple and fun project.

Our new old vintage pendant lights - goodbye fan

We've been going hot and heavy on the home improvement front and are finally putting the finishing touches on some rooms. The dining room is the most recent room to get the final seal of approval from me and that's because we finally removed the ordinary old fan and replaced it with some terrific, glamorous pendant lights.

Last fall I happened upon these two beautiful vintage lights at an outdoor antique fair and snapped them up for 40.00 (we tried to get them for less but she held firm and I really wanted them so everyone left happy that day). The seller said they were the last pair she had retrieved from an old Hollywood home and I was smitten with the glamorous potential I saw in them.

 When we finally decided where they would go (at first I thought the kitchen but I'm glad we waited so I could stew over the plan in my head for awhile) I knew they needed a little sprucing up. This Rust-Oleum hammered paint in silver was exactly what I had in mind. After a couple of coats they looked gorgeous and ready to go.

 We bought the hardware for hanging them and it all cost under 30.00. Then it turned out we didn't need the hooks because they were included in the swag light kit (we just couldn't see them right away at the store).

 Joey got to work on the wiring and did a fantastic job. Part of the reason it took me so long to replace the fan in here is because of the way the builders had placed the hole for the fan so close to the vent. It made me nuts because it really limited what I could hang there since I didn't want something that blocked the vent. I probably would have picked something different (and sooner) if I hadn't had to factor in the vent location. But we kept the original hole and capped it with the canopy kit and it looks fantastic. And then with the hooks we were able to hang each pendant evenly centered over the table.

 I love them. They put out about the same amount of light but it's now focused on where we need it and it's a much softer look. And they're just darn pretty.

 Here's a close up. The glass was pretty fragile and detailed so I was very careful while washing them because the inside had lots of pockets and nooks and they were pretty dusty. But I was sure to place a cushy dishtowel at the bottom of the sink so they wouldn't hit the hard ceramic sink if I sadly dropped them (I didn't).

 So here are my before and after pictures and you can see why I love them so much. They are so special and unique and really are the icing on the cake after all my work in this room with the curtains and slip covers.

Here's another view. This room is so soothing and dreamy now and it makes me so happy to just stop and stand there looking at it (which I do a couple of times a day). The fan will be used somewhere else in the house since it's a good fan and we can replace one of the cheaper fans in the kids rooms with this.

And here's a picture of how dark and sad this room used to be. It was our tv cave (the tv was on the wall you can't see but you can see Skate sitting there watching it). When I see this picture it reminds me of how sad I was at the time and how dark everything felt in our lives. Sometimes home improvements are born out of life improvements aren't they? When things got brighter I wanted to express how much happier and sunnier I felt. I think I've done that.

 

And I have been doing a lot of sewing lately so don't think I'm trying to turn into a home improvement blog (but we have been doing some great stuff here and I can't wait to share more of it)! Have a great week and keep on sewing!

Build your own DIY cutting table for your sewing room

I get a lot of questions about how I made my big cutting table and it's so simple you'll be amazed. It's got a big work surface (80" x 60"), oodles of storage, and it goes together quick and easy.  No power tools needed!

Here's my supply list:

* 2 Hollow Core Interior Doors 80" x 30" (about 28.00 each)

* 4 Omar 36" long Shelves from IKEA (or similar shelves) (24.99 each)

* 2 Omar 18" long Shelves from IKEA (or similar shelves) (18.99 each) (these are optional)

* 3 Mending plates (w/ 4 holes each) (about 1.00 each)

Assemble your metal shelves so they are all at the height you need (the whole shelf unit is 36" high but the lower shelves are usually adjustable).  

Secure your doors to each other using the layout picture below.

Place your doors on top of the shelves (mending plates facing down) and center it so the edge of the doors hangs over by about 4" all the way around.  You are done. I've never had mine shift off because the doors are pretty heavy (but we don't live in an earthquake zone and the boys aren't allowed to wrestle in here). My husband has climbed up on the table to install our new lights and it's crazy solid.

Here's a closeup of the center mending plate (I took this picture under the table, it was tricky).

Here's the top. It's the perfect width for one of those big cutting boards. I really love this work surface.

The 18" wide shelves are optional. I pull mine out and stuff big boxes of fabric under there.  You might want to leave one out (or both) and maybe put a trash bin at the end if that's where you do most of your work.

I had a similar table a few years back for my fabric store and it was nice but smaller than this new one (and we made it much more complicated than necessary). I still get questions about it but honestly, the new one is better.

Here's the same room with new everything (floors, paint, lighting, curtains, everything!) and our bigger table.

It's my happy place.  I hope you found this to be helpful!  Let me know if you make one, I'd love to see pictures.  Keep on sewing!

Make a self binding table square...or napkin...or anything

 This is a really fun and easy project and if you love perfectly mitered corners then you will adore this tutorial for a self binding table square. I love mine!

 You can use this concept for a table square, table runner, napkins, anything that's square or rectangular. I'm making a medium sized table square to go under my cake stands and once I'm done it will be 21" x 21". A good way to figure out your finished size is to add the dimension of the smaller one to the dimension to the bigger one then divide by two and subtract the seam allowance.  18 + 26 = 44 (both heights added) then 44 ÷ 2 = 22 (divide by 2) then 22 - 1 = 21 (subtract total of all seam allowances). I hope that makes sense.

 To get started you'll need to mark sewing lines on all of your pieces. I'm using disappearing ink which will wash off with just a dab of water when I'm done.  I use these disappearing ink pens all the time so if you haven't tried them grabbed your 50% off coupon and treat yourself to a wonderful new sewing tool. If you're using a pencil make sure you don't get your mark beyond the 1/4" seams allowance where it will end up showing when you've finished.

The center piece (with the bird on it)  is 8" smaller than the big piece (the bottom and binding) so divide 8 in half and mark the big piece 4" from each corner edge.

 Then on the wrong side of the center piece make a mark 1/4" from each corner.

 Now, work with two opposite sides and pin your center fabric so it's between the marks on the larger binding fabric (just scrunch up the larger piece of fabric underneath until your sides reach each other). Starting on the small corner dot, stitch across each side starting and stopping at the dots (don't stitch all the way to the ends). Use a 1/4" seam allowance. Be sure to backstitch as you start and stop.

 Here's a closeup of what it will look like. You can see the fabric is right up next to the blue line underneath and I've stopped stitching at the blue corner dot.

 

Now you're going to sew the other two sides. You'll need to "scrunch" the larger fabric piece underneath and pin the un-sewn sides of the center fabric to the un-sewn sides of the larger binding fabric (make sure the fabric is between your markings like you did on the previous step. You can see a closeup of a corner below. Be sure to move the underneath fabric out of the way so it doesn't get caught in your stitches.

 

Stitch from dot to dot (be sure to backstitch again) but leave a 3" opening along one side for turning your fabric right side out.

 

Here is a closeup showing how the stitches meet at the dot but don't go past it.

 

Your larger fabric will be big and loose like this.

 

Now fold a corner so the raw edges meet up together and place a ruler along the fold. Draw a straight line from the fold to the dot where your previous seams met (a drew a dot on the outer fabric to make it obvious). Do this on all four corners. Don't draw all the way to the raw edge because you won't be sewing to the raw edge, you'll sew between the dot and the folded edge.

 Sew between the dot and the edge (remember to backstitch).

 Cut away the extra fabric.

 Now press the center fabric's seam allowance toward the larger fabric. This will make the next step so much easier and cleaner.

 Here's a close up of the un-sewn opening after it's pressed.

Now reach in and, starting with the corners, pull the fabric through the opening.

 Here's the opening after you've turned it inside out. The previous pressing step made the binding fabric nicely folded on that edge and ready to stitch shut.

 Press your table square and make sure that opening fold is just the way you want it so it blends in with the rest of the binding seam. Top stitch around the binding, pivoting at the corner seams where it's nicely mitered. Now nobody will ever be able to tell where that opening was.

 Here's a picture of the stitches underneath.

 Now press your table square smartly and place it somewhere you can enjoy every time you walk by it.

 

Pretty!

These make great gifts, especially for newlyweds or house warming gift giving.  You can use this method to make a cute set of napkins (make the big square 19 x19 and the small square 15 x 15 for a nice sized napkin), or a table runner for a baby's dresser. The ideas are endless!

Make your own pillow insert for cheap

I had a customer request a pillow insert that is 24" x 16" and it's a bit of an oddball size so I don't have one in stock. I looked into it and they're at least 17.00 on average and I thought wait a minute....

I went to Walmart and picked up a regular old pillow in "medium support" style for 4.88.  This is the standard size and it's 17 x 26 inches. 

I cut the end open.

Removed the polyfil stuffing.

And then cut it to the size I needed plus the seam allowance (16 1/2 x 24 1/4 since it already had a seam at one end).

I stitched up each side and a little bit on each side of the end.  I left a decent sized hole to stuff all the polyfil back in.

I grabbed my cheapo scissors and trimmed off some of the polyfil at the end (I'll keep the excess for a pin cushion or softie project).

Then I stuffed it all back in making sure I got it into the corners.

I pinned the end shut but put the pins about 2 inches from the edge so the fluff wouldn't get in the way while I was sewing. All of my seams are obvious but since it's going inside a pillow cover it doesn't matter. 

Bam!  It's exactly the size I needed and cost less than buying it even at a wholesale price.  You can do this with any size of insert you need.

Give it a shot and let me know how it works for you!

 

Make a pillow cover with an invisible zipper (no pins needed!)

I'm going to show you how to make a smart and fabulous pillow cover with a truly invisible zipper!

Few things bring me more satisfaction than a well done invisible zipper.  I see lots of tutorials for pillows with zippers and some call them "hidden zippers" but it drives me crazy because the zippers are behind the obvious fabric folds and there are seams showing the whole length on each side of the zipper (just a pet peeve of mine).  It doesn't have to be that way!  Installing an invisible zipper is no more difficult than sewing regular zippers (I think it's easier actually).

Here are the two pillows I've made recently.  The top one is awesome.  The bottom one has a poorly installed invisible zipper.  The two big differences were 1. ironing the zipper coils first and 2. getting my sewing machine needle as close to the coil as possible while sewing.  I'm going to take you through those steps as well as others to get a great finish!

First, let's talk about invisible zippers.  Invisible zippers are actually labeled "Invisible Zipper" (it's not just the outcome of the process, it's the actual name).  On the left is a regular zipper which has exposed teeth and a square-ish zipper pull.  On the right is an invisible zipper and you can't see the teeth at all plus the pull is long and tapered. Invisible zippers cost a little bit more but the great outcome makes up for the small price difference.

Now let's talk about zipper feet.  Your sewing machine probably came with a zipper foot like the one on the left.  This one will do the trick if your machine has the ability to shift the needle over to the side. The notched areas underneath each side enable you to get your zipper closer to the needle (but not all the way which is why you need to shift your needle over).

The foot on the right is a foot specifically for sewing invisible zippers (this one is from my Juki so it's got a higher shank but the grooves will be the same on a lower shank foot).  If your needle can't be adjusted to the side you need something like this because it allows you to set the zipper right under and next to the needle without having to move the needle.

If you don't want to invest in an invisible zipper foot quite yet you can get this plastic one, pictured below, made by Coats. They're a lot flimsier than the metal ones of course, but for 2.50-ish it's a great way to see if you like the grooved foot before buying a metal one.

  

Besides a suitable zipper foot, you'll need the supplies below:

1. Two fabric squares cut the same dimensions as your pillow form.  My pillow form is 18 x 18 and I cut the fabric squares 18 x 18 so I get a finished cover of approximately 17 x 17 inches.

2. One invisible zipper at least 4 inches longer than your fabric pieces (my zipper is around 22-24 inches long).

3. One Elmers-type glue stick.  I use the stuff that is purple before it dries.

Your first step is to unzip your zipper and iron the coils so they lay as flat as possible (this will enable you to really get your needle up next to it).

Here's a picture of one side of a zipper before and after ironing.  I really applied a lot of heat and took my time to really get it to "uncurl" and lay flat.  

Lay your zipper on one side of the fabric and mark both sides of the zipper about 1.5" from the end of your fabric. The zipper pull is face down when you mark it (more detailed picture next).

Here's an example of how your zipper will lie when you start gluing it in place (yes glue!).  I've zipped this one up partly so you can see that the zipper pull is face down.  You'll need to unzip it completely for the next few stages.

Glue along the whole edge where your zipper will be sewn.  Place a piece of paper under it so you don't get glue on your ironing surface. The glue dries pretty quickly so have everything ready when you get started.

Once you have the zipper pressed in place along the edge you want to heat set the glue with your iron.  Just set it on top of the zipper and press and it will dry the glue enough to hold it while you work with it.  I've used glue for a long time but it was my friend Cristy Fincher who showed me you need to heat set it with your iron (it changed everything for the better!). If the glue is drying before you can get to this part then do this process in two parts (glue half way up, set your zipper, heat press and then glue the rest of the way to the end and repeat the process).

This glue seriously holds!  So much more accurate and reliable than straight pins.

Now flip your glued part over on top of the other fabric piece (like the picture below) and repeat the glueing process on the edge of this piece.

Make sure your edges and the marked lines match up.

Here's what it all looks like when the zipper is glued and heat set in place.  You're ready to sew!

Place your zipper under the zipper foot and adjust your needle so it's right next to the coil.  Don't start stitching at the very end of the pillow piece but start about 1/4" before the mark you made.  Backstitch and start sewing the length of the zipper.

Stop stitching just 1/4" past the other side of the mark you made at the other end.  Backstitch.

Now repeat that process on the other piece of fabric.

Place your fabric pieces right sides together and pull your zipper in so it's no longer hanging off the end of the pillow pieces.  Don't pull it all the way shut.  Now you're going to finish stitching the length of the zipper side.  Pull your zipper "tail" up and out of the way.

Now dab some glue on the un-sewn corners.

Heat set.

Here are both ends (folded so you can see both). They are glued shut at the corners and the zipper "tails" are out of the way.

Now use your marker to make the sewing line on each end.  Draw a straight line from the end and go past the end of the zipper stitch by 1/2".

Move your zipper foot over to the other side, adjust your needle over so it's on your line, and stitch along your line past your zipper stitch.  Backstitch.

Now cut the zipper tails off (use cruddy scissors for this).

Cut both ends of the zipper off.

Open your pillow and press your seam.  Isn't this lovely??  Once you've pressed this seam you'll need to unzip your zipper about halfway down the length of the pillow (or you won't be about to get your hand inside your pillow to turn it right side out once you've finished stitching all the way around it).

Did you remember to unzip your zipper?  Good. Now fold your pillow back together (right sides together). Glue and heat set the edges of the pillow pieces all the way around the perimeter.  Keep your edges even and lined up neatly.

Now use a 1/2" seam allowance and stitch all the way around starting at the zipper edge.

Rather than pivoting at the corner, just stitch all the way off the edge (but backstitch at the spot where you would've pivoted).  Then start sewing again on the next side (again backstitch at the spot where the two stitches intersect).

Once you're done sewing snip your corners off.

On the corners near the zipper you'll want to trim off a little of the seam allowance on the side too (this will give you sharper corners here).

Start turning it right side out and poke your corners out (you can use a chopstick point or something similar to get a good corner).

Lay your pillow cover flat and press your seams open as much as you can.

Here it is, nice and finished and ready to be stuffed.  Nice clean lines, a discreet zipper, and you didn't use one pin the whole time.

 Squish your pillow form up and stuff it into your new, beautiful cover.  Take care to stuff it into the corners too.  Now zip it up.  Isn't it pretty?  Pat yourself on the back now.  Do it.

Now you can enjoy them forever.

Let me know how it works for you!

 

New parsons chair slipcovers for my dining room

 I've been focusing most of my sewing/decorating focus in my dining room lately.  I'm getting desperate to have things finished instead of "in the process".  A few more things and I'll call this room done.  But covering the chairs was the biggest part of it so it's quite an accomplishment and I'm ready to show it off.

A couple of years ago I was watching Season 3 of Sarah Richardson's show on HGTV and fell in love with the dotted fabric on the kitchen chairs (pictures here).  Unfortunately for me, the fabric is over 30.00 a yard.  Ouch.  When I saw this Birch (like a barkcloth texture) Ikat Dot Nova Grey home dec print from Premier Prints I had a feeling this was just what I was looking for.  I bought a yard just to check it out and it's absolutely perfect.  It's grey with creamy dots so the overall effect is a perfect "greige". I have more here in my Fabritopia store and it's only 12.99 a yard!  Each chair has taken about 1.5 yards so it's been a very reasonable and beautiful solution.

 Here's what I started with.  I bought 6 of these parsons chairs from a Craigslist add for 65.00 (plus they threw in a table for free which I used as a desk for awhile then got rid of).  They are comfortable and the fabric was in good shape so they looked fine with everything but I wanted them to look super fine.

I looked all over for a pattern and ended up purchasing one but I didn't like all the extra pieces (I knew with some pleats and corners it could be simplified and still look smart). I took the process nice and slow with the first one since I knew I needed a good pattern in order for the other 5 to be easy.  I used muslin for the pattern pieces and started sewing, seam ripping, and sewing again until the fit was nice.  I started with the seat.

 I then added the seat back and worked hard to get the pleats at the top corners nice and tight and made sure the seam where the two pieces met was low enough to not pull apart from the pressure of someone sitting but high enough to not look baggy the rest of the time.

 When I added the back piece I knew it would need to open up a little in order to slide onto the chair (it's wider at the top than the bottom). The pleat opens about 7 inches from the top so it's not baggy.  I wasn't careful to match my dot pattern with this back piece but if fixed that on the other 5 so you can't really see the seam (and this one goes against the wall where nobody can see the back!).

 I wanted the skirt to look finished but still be soft looking and these gently flared pleats did the trick.  Plus the piping gives it a smart finish.  This first one was a little droopy at the front of the seat so I raised the pattern up in that spot for the rest of them.  I'm okay with the first chair being less-than-perfect (it took me awhile to get to the place in life!).

 

I just made a simple, but crisp, bow to pull the pleat together in the back.  I considered a button and loop, a frog closure, hidden hook and eye...but finally settled on the bow.  I really like it.

 So here's my room at this point and I couldn't be happier.  It looks like somebody cared enough to take care of the details.  I'm shopping for a new light fixture next.

 And Joey found these HENRIKSDAL chairs for the end of the table in the AS IS section of IKEA.  They were half price and are a close enough match that I don't know if anyone will even notice the difference one they're covered.  I'm working on a pattern right now and will be able to make it available to others since these chairs are easier for folks to get.

 That's all! 

 

Have a great week and keep on sewing!!!