Chair Makeover

   It has been a while since I've posted here. I try and post fairly on my Facebook page, which you can find here. It is an easy way for me to post pictures of projects as they come up but sometimes a project just needs more explanation than what can easily go into a FB post. That is the case for this project. I did my first upholstery project! I love how it turned out. I only wish that I hadn't waited so long to actually complete it.

   I found this chair on one of my trips to Goodwill. I love shopping at Goodwill. So many things to be found that you never knew you needed. I saw it and immediately knew I had to have it. Yes, it was worn and the cushion was pretty gross looking but I saw so much potential. I'm glad I went with my gut and bought it. For $7.99 I figured even if it turned out to be a disaster, it wouldn't be a big deal.

   I headed out and bought some black spray paint and some upholstery fabric which cost me maybe a total of $12. I googled and found lots of different chair makeovers to get an idea of what I was in for and then dove it. My chair came apart fairly easily. It had some screws underneath the seat that secured the cushion to the frame. I took those out and removed the seat. There are a few different types of seats. Mine had springs underneath it that were in pretty good shape so I didn't need to replace them.

    I removed the fabric which was a heavy velour type cloth. It reminded me of the really ugly 70's couch we had growing up and was an equally unappealing color. There were tons and tons of staples holding it on but I managed to pry them all out. The great thing about the ugly fabric was that it was so thick that it actually protected the foam cushion and batting really well. It looked practically new and the cushion was still very springy and comfortable so I was able to reuse it.

    I cleaned up the frame and sanded down some rough edges before painting it. It took about 2 coats to cover it well. While it dried I recovered the cushion with my fabric and added my own ton of staples to secure it to the spring frame. Once the chair had dried completely I secured the seat back on with the screws I removed and had a brand new beautiful chair.

     It is so comfortable and looks great in my living room. This ended up being so much easier than I imagined. Partly because the chair itself was in really great shape, it just needed a little love and some vision of what it could be. 

Convertible Cowl Scarf

       It's scarf season! They actually called for flurries in my area today. I'm definitely not ready for that yet. Could we just have an extra long fall and super short winter? Probably not going to happen, but in the mean time I have plenty of stylish ways to keep warm.  This is a convertible cowl scarf. I love how versatile it is and it will definitely keep you cozy.

                   Worn down.

                    Worn doubled up.   

                     Worn as a hood.  

              

                   With the weather changing so quickly from one minute to the next, versatility is a must. If you are interested in ordering you can email me at laceybeals@live.com or you can message me on my Facebook page. 

Winter Headbands

  Today it is 90 degrees again. Two days ago though, it was a wonderful fall temp of the upper 60's. Like it or not cooler weather is on its way. Fall is probably my favorite season. In honor of those cooler temps ahead I'm bringing out the winter headbands. I make these in two different styles.

    The first is a solid wide headband with a removable flower. They can be made in most any color.

    The second is a decorative style with a criss-cross pattern on the top. This version does not come with a flower but a flower can easily be added for an additional $1 at the time of purchase.

     These are typically $18 each but I'm running a sale currently so check out my Facebook page for details.

Rectangle Basket

     

  I received a custom order for a couple of rectangular baskets with a white accent flower. They were fun to make and I loved the look. These were made holding four strands of worsted weight yarn together. Anytime that you are working with that many strands it wears your hands out but it is so worth it. The bulk allows the basket to hold its proper shape and maintain its look. Price varies by size of basket.

Basket Made With Yarn

 

      As a crafter it seems like I can never have enough storage. There are always balls of yarn to be stored, works in progress, accessories, and the list goes on and on. Baskets are my go to solution because they are pretty and portable.

      This basket was made using two skeins of yarn held together. It made the basket sturdy enough to hold its shape well but was a bit easier on my hands than the T-shirt basket. You can read about the T-shirt basket here.  I have read of others who have done 4 strands of worsted weight yarn together in order to get a sturdy basket but I really don't think that much is necessary to achieve a nice result. Trust me, my hands are thanking me for only using 2 strands.

       I used a country blue yarn because I love blue and this dusty blue seemed like it would also work as a good neutral. The dimensions of the finished project ended up being 6 inches high by 9 inches wide.

More Baby Sandals

   

      My new nephew Tristan is absolutely perfect. He is completely adorable and being his awesome Aunt I had to make him some goodies. I created a pair of sandals for him that you can read about here. They turned out super cute but there was a problem. Tristan is a very long baby with extra big hands and feet. You see, I made the sandals to fit an average newborn and Tristan is above average, of course. : ) His Mom and Dad tell me that it is estimated he will grow up to be around 6'5. I have to say that must come from his Daddy's side because on our side of the family we tend to be short or barely average height. Where a typical newborns feet stop, his toes begin, and he has long toes. You can see them in action here. Such a cutie! Just look at those long legs.

     There was an easy solution to that, just make him a new pair.  So I made these. Hopefully they work a lot better for him since they are quite a bit longer. I just used one of my favorite sole patterns and then improvised the tops until they looked like what I wanted. I can't wait to see him again so he can try them out.

Crocodile Stitch Purse

   

  I finally found the perfect way to try out the crocodile stitch. I've been intrigued by it for a while but just never got around to trying it out until now. I used the Mermaid Tears Purse Pattern from the Bernat website. You have to sign up to access their patterns but they are free and totally worth it.

     As with most patterns I use I changed quite a bit. Mine is smaller and I used microfiber straps instead of crocheted ones. I also fully lined the purse and added a magnetic closure. The pattern was nice though and I plan on making a larger bag in the future. I also plan on trying out their crocheted straps as I really liked the look of theirs but didn't want it for this smaller size. I will say that the straps directions were totally confusing to me. Thank goodness they have a video posted on their site that explains how to do it or I would have never figured it out.

     Overall, I love how this purse turned out and I think there will be several more in my future. If you are interested in this one it is priced at $25. Email me or message me on my FB page to order.