More Design Fever: Pillows

It has taken me awhile to wake-up this morning. I suppose that my grogginess could be due to the usual Monday malaise. Or perhaps residual fatigue from a weekend afternoon of yardwork. Or maybe...just maybe...

...it's because I completely redecorated my office in 48 hours.

Do you remember this? I posted this "before" photo this past winter as part of my "winter renovation" project. However, as I confessed last Friday, my winter renovation turned into a spring affair. A spring affair that started and ended (well, mainly ended) during the past three days. (translation: I've been busy!)

I won't go into the whole makeover this morning, but I definitely will start with the pillows. Though they were not the first project in the renovation, they are the most colorful.

Now, like with most of the designing I do, I tried to stick as much as possible to repurposing things I already had. And these pillows were no exception. A good friend of mine handed these pillow forms off to me at least a year ago, where they've been quietly collecting dust in the basement since.

Though neglected, I knew that the pillows would come in handy eventually--and Friday was the day.

Now, my top choice for a renovation would be to completely reupholster the sofa, which, unfortunately, is a task that far exceeds my skill level. Therefore, Plan B was to ditch the back-rest cushions that came with the sofa (furniture we inherited from my hub's parents) and replace them with these hand-me-down pillows.

But first I had to cover them.

Since it is spring, I wanted something that was fresh and light. And something that I could create from my box of fabric scraps. So after some cutting and stitching, I came up with these covers.

At least half of the fabric you see is actually from my old clothing--a pair of khaki trousers that never fit, for instance, and some old shirts in coral and blue. The other half come mainly from fabric remnants I've collected from the craft store over the years for pennies on the dollar.

The final result, I think, turned out better than I planned. The cushions are extremely comfy, and the colors and design are perfect for the warm months that stretch ahead. Best of all, I got a totally new look for a bargain!

What do you think of my renovation so far?

The Thrift Store Chair: a marital feud

husband: Where are you going?
me: The thrift store.

husband: (with anxiety in his voice) Why? What are you looking for?
me: Nothing. I'm just browsing. You know--for fun.

husband: The last time you were "just browsing," you came home with the ugliest set of shelving I've ever seen. Remember those?
me: Yes. I remember you making me take them back.

husband: Because they were awful.

Later:
husband: I knew I shouldn't have let you go. I hate this chair.
me: How can you hate it? It's great!

husband: It reminds me of the dentist's office.
me: Pfff. You never even go to the dentist.

husband: You need to take it back.
me: No.

husband: You know, it doesn't even go. It looks out of place in here.
me: It goes just fine. I'm the one with the design sense around here--not you. Besides, why do you care?

husband: I'm just saying I hate it.
me: You'll get used to it.

husband: I'm serious. Tomorrow. You need to take it back tomorrow.
me: (with a long sigh) Alright. I'll take it back. If you hate it Soooo much, I guess I have no choice.

That was three months ago. I think I've won the battle. Don't.Tell.Craig.

Toasty, Trendy, Last-Minute Project! (and it's super simple!)

It is five days before Christmas and I have not...

...wrapped any of my presents
...shipped any packages to relatives living far away
...finished making gifts for friends and family
...eaten enough holiday cookies
In other words, if there was a Holiday Procrastinators Anonymous, I would be the chairperson. Fortunately there are a few projects I have up my sleeve (get it...sleeve! ha ha, I'm so clever) that require little time and virtually no skill.
Like these adorable no-knit armwarmers. They were formerly sleeves on a sweater I don't wear. With a few snips, and a quick stitch, they became my newest favorite thing to wear to ballet class.
And with tank tops.
And to recommend as a last-minute handmade gift for friends, sisters, and hipster moms.
Armwarmers are, indeed, popular this year, but you don't need to trek to the store (or don a pair of knitting needles) to get, or give, the look. You just need an old sweater, and a pattern from my store.

As for the other shopping, wrapping, crafting, and cookie-eating...well, you're on your own. I have enough to do.

Classic

I tried ribbon. I tried ruffles. I considered satin and silk. But everything just looked wrong coupled with this old ribbed sweater I've been carting around for years.

And then I tried wool. Herringbone wool, to be precise.
The wool was from a thrift-store pair of trousers I bought several months ago. I never intended to wear the trousers (believe me, they were Not the cutest...), but instead saw potential in the fabric. Little did I know that they would turn another one of my bland sweaters into one of my new favorite cardigans.With elbow patches, of course. There aren't nearly enough elbow patches in the world today, don't you think? I'm just doing my part...
The style is classic. Cotton and wool hand-stitched together--what could be more versatile and timeless than that? And easy. The panels at the top of the sweater are just laid directly over the original knit. And the pockets are imposters--really just strips of wool pretending to be functional.
This particular sweater is a grayish-blue and brown, but I also think that cream with tan would look fantastic. In fact, I might just have to hit the thrift store sometime soon in search of that combo.
And as with all of my sweater makeovers, this one was very nearly free.

In other related holiday news, can you believe that we only have a couple weeks left of this holiday season? I have a few more crafty ideas up my sleeve for Christmas and New Years...and then it's on to other crafty ideas for 2010! (you didn't think I'd stop making things just because the holidays are over, did you? Because that would be crazy. Crazy.)

As always, happy crafting!

Consider making this classic design for yourself or as a gift this season! Click here to learn more about this pattern.

Shimmer

It is true that in my teenage years I used to wear t-shirts and baggy sweaters almost every day during the winter. And...wait for it...thick wool socks with sandals.

And at least once a week you would catch me sporting a sweatshirt to school. A sweatshirt. Unflattering in every possible gray and shapeless way.
Now, you can't blame me too much for my poor fashion sense. I do, after all, live in one of the most casual states in the Union. And style was different during the 90's. Girls didn't wear dresses and heels. At least not around these parts.

And certainly we didn't wear ruffles.
Oh My how things have changed. Somewhere during the last decade I (re)discovered my frilly side. It had been dormant since my childhood. Once awakened, I can't stop it. All I want to do is wear pretty blouses and sparkly jewelry.
Fortunately for me, the powers-that-be in the fashion world agree that it is high time for a little femininity. Of course, they'll charge you an arm and leg for their frills....
But believe it or not, this lovely top cost me less than $10! I started with a stretch camisole that was collecting dust in my dresser. You know the type I'm talking about--lycra, paper thin, found everywhere in the lingerie section of retail stores....
Then, with about a yard of this pink champagne colored satin and a lot of ironing into pleats, I transformed said stretchy cami into a dressy top, perfect for layering under sweaters and for wearing to parties.
Long gone are the baggy sweaters and long-sleeved tees. Hello to girly pleats. Layers and layers of them!
And you, too, can transform a stretch camisole into this blouse for just a few dollars. All you need is a little patience with the iron, a sewing machine, and some shimmery fabric. And of course my pattern, available in my online store (click here!).

I, for one, am very happy to have upgraded from shapeless to shimmer.

Hope you all have a great Monday! Come back tomorrow for some handmade holiday packaging ideas!

Where Originality Lives

This is the time of year when we start to pen our holiday gift lists--the emails and sticky notes and scratch papers that catalog the things we want and the things we need. And of course the things we will give to others.

Certainly I am a fan of this process. For the record, I sent my gift list to family members two weeks ago. And I keep thinking of new things I want to add to the list: Aveda lip gloss...an amber-colored lamp...pretty new design books.... I frankly love the festivity of giving and receiving gifts.


However, I can’t very well close out a series on being original with a Christmas list. Because being an original doesn’t start with the question “what do you want?” but instead with “what do you have?”

I’ve read a lot of answers to this question lately on Facebook as my friends daily list the things they are thankful for in this month of thanksgiving. It is undoubtedly a good practice--noting the things we have in our lives that bring us joy.


But beyond the art of simple appreciation there is also the adventure of reinventing and reinvesting the resources we have into new things. You’ve heard me refer to it as the new Midas touch during posts last spring, and I’ll likely keep talking about it until next spring. Because I know with conviction that there is a world of possibility lying dormant in our closets and our under our beds and tucked into our garages.

It is where originality lives.


It might come as no surprise to you, then, to learn that this year’s annual handmade holiday series (starting in about a week) will place a heavy premium on uncovering the original creations hiding in our nooks and crannies. The revamped sweater and upgraded shoes. The patchwork pillows and sparkly surprises. All starting not with what do you want?, but what do you have?

(note: the above photo is probably Not where originality lives, but it was so pretty I couldn't resist...)

And so I suppose that originality won’t end tomorrow, but will keep going into the holiday season and beyond.

Thank goodness, because I could really get used to this theme...

Adaptation

I've been very distracted lately with design projects. I'm not sure why this happens to me. Maybe it's a genetic disorder. Or some kind of syndrome. And although normally it complicates my ability to focus on important things like...say...work, sometimes it comes in handy for illustrating a point.

And the point, naturally, has to do with originality since this is the final week (sniff sniff) of our series on Being an Original. During this final week I want to focus on one of my favorite themes: creatively adapting our existing resources to fit a need.

A need for new art, as in my case.

Take the above canvas, for instance. It was formerly a lovely Tuscan scene, painted by someone with more skill than myself. Lovely indeed, but entirely inappropriate for the design of my home. Like my inevitable future feelings for my skinny jeans, I wondered "what was I thinking?" when I glanced at the painting recently. And so I decided to adapt the canvas.

Some paint, some faux bois contact paper, and Voila! A pretty stag head on gray-blue. And even though my husband says it's creepy, I love it.

With my "stag success" (try using that phrase in a sentence today...), I moved onto another lackluster canvas. This pretty frame was once a floral scene perfect for adorning the walls of a hotel room. In other words, it was ridiculously generic.

So last spring I decided to give it an upgrade by painting over the floral motif and creating a fabric collage on the surface with remnants and spray adhesive.

Bad idea.

And then I saw this photo, courtesy of the Pioneer Woman, and suddenly I knew what Really should have been in the frame all along.

Which is steers butting heads. My husband and I are both pretty stubborn, so I figured it was a fitting image for our home. I'm the one on the right--can't you tell?

By this point I was really on a roll, so I decided to decoupage a lovely photo from a magazine onto this piece of wood.

It looked like first grade art.

Plan B, therefore, was to take off the image using some water and a knife and repaint. But lo and behold, under the pretty picture was an imprint of the opposite page, stamped right onto the wood. And I love it.

Even accidents can be more original than expected!

The point is that often what we need to create original spaces and clothing and gifts already exists in our home. We just need to practice our skills of adaptation. It all starts with the question: what do you have?

But more on that tomorrow! Cheers!

Found Treasures

We are about to enter that time of year. You know--the one where we are bombarded with a gazillion things to buy, when the stores are warm and inviting, and the commercials are calling out our names. It won't be long. Our door handles won't even be cool from the warm touch of trick-or-treaters before the holiday season comes knocking.

And as I mentioned yesterday, I am preparing for said time of year with a list of projects, and a hankering for originality. So I've corralled a few items and objects from around my home that I intend to transform into holiday treats. Want a sneak peek?



These pine logs, for instance, that have been warming the pavement on our back patio, are just begging to be transformed into holiday-illumination displays.

With belts, naturally. And candles.



And these tiny beads, which I've been harboring for half a decade, might finally find a home on a certain tank top I own that could use a glitzy holiday makeover.



These vintage toys from my childhood won't be gifted away (Never!) I promise, but I just might use their infant-sized apparel to inspire a few baby DIY projects of my own.



Finally, I have a pile of buttons crying out for a home...perhaps destined to be sewn onto new cozy bedding designed especially for cold winter days.

If you can't tell already, the theme for these found treasures--and the projects that will stem from them--is making clever use of ordinary, round-the-house items. Are you excited? Me too! More coming soon--I promise!

Until then, I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
--steph

To read other Be An Original posts, click here!

Making Do

I opened my email yesterday and was delighted to find a quick message from a friend. She had been reading my blog, and it reminded her of an old Depression-era saying: use it up, wear it out, make do or do without. (This friend, by the way, also writes “Scratch That!”--a blog about making things from scratch.)



It is true that I spend a lot of time talking up the benefits of repurposing, recycling, upcycling, and cutting back. And of course I laud these practices because they are friendly to the community, the environment, and my pocketbook. But they also help me in my quest for originality--and that is what I want to talk about today.



Now many of you already know that I’m a magazine junkie. I love the glossies--love them. Consequently I’m regularly exposed to a vast array of tantalizing images, from fashion to home design to shoes (oh the shoes...so many shoes...). And though I would happily skip to the stores to snatch up armfuls of merchandize, a) I don’t have the cash, and b) I’m burdened by a well-developed consumer conscience that persistently reminds me of the houseful of stuff I already own.

Furthermore, to pursue the acquisition of a glossy spread is essentially to be a drone. Or a clone. Or a scone. (okay...not that last one. I got carried away with the rhyming.) In other words, it isn’t very original.



What is original, however, is lifting ideas from my surroundings, and trying to envision them reborn from my belongings. Not only does limiting myself to “making do” and “using up” energize my creativity, but more often than not, I end up with designs and innovations that are better than a perfectly staged magazine page. Better because they are a) unique, and b) fashioned by my own hand.



Of course it’s very selfish of me to have all the upcycling fun, so I am happy to announce that I will be launching a new venture shortly that will bring my DIY upcycling ideas to you--right in time for the holidays. I can’t wait to share more, so stay tuned!

Until then--happy making do!