Monday, July 26, 2010

MAKING CHAIR COVERS FROM OLD VINTAGE LINENS

A month or so ago someone asked me to talk about my chair covers which I have been sewing for what seems like 100 years!  Last night I FINALLY FINISHED the last bottom so now I have 24 complete sets.  I cut up my grandmother's pillowcases (remember the ones you had to iron) used old doilies, old lace and hankies and made the chair back covers.  The bottoms were made out of pieces of fabric and tablecloths were cut up for the skirts.  I had a huge basket of those battenburg tablecloths in the basement in a holding pattern needing to be ironed.  This was never going to happen!  Guess what?  That basket is now empty and I am glad! 




 I cut up maybe 10 or so table cloths and used this fabric mostly for the skirting around the bottoms.  I bought 2 large plastic containers to store all of them.


HERE IS WHAT YOU DO: Using a piece of newspaper or tissue paper cut out a PATTERN like your chair back.  This is what you are going to use to cut out the pillowcases.  Some pillowcases are fancy on the top and some have more work at the bottom so you will be deciding where to cut off the extra according to the design.  Remember you will be appliqueing an old doily or hanky or lace or whatever on the front of the cover also according to the designs.  You should do this  after you slit up the sides so that you can get into it!  The slit is also necessary to open it up to accomodate the metal chair.  If you have taken some off the top you will want to round it off to fit the chair.






You can make a pattern for the chair the same way and then cut a pattern for the skirting by measuring the length from the chair seat to the floor or shorter if you like!  I made the skirting on the fronts go further around than in the backs and YOU MUST LEAVE AN OPENING ON EACH SIDE FOR THE CHAIR LEGS THAT CROSS.  The opening should be at least 6 inches.  I measured the front about 14 - 17 by 40 inches of fabric which I pleated as I sewed it on.  The back skirt was about 14 - 17 by around 30 to 36".
Another words, they weren't all the same and I wasn't hung up about that!

Frankly, my sewing machine is from the 1970's and wasn't being nice. I was using a zigzag stitch and it wasn't doing very well at the end in places.  I am not a perfectionist so I didn't mind that.  I hope these ideas are helpful!  You can do this even if you haven't sewed a lot!

My tea party is in 2 weeks ....so now on to cleaning the house, touching up the garden after major hail and deciding on the the menu - this will be FUN!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

IT'S TEA TIME IN THE BEATRIX POTTER TEA GARDEN!

Today I set a little table up for you in my Beatrix Potter Tea Garden.....I took this picture through my screen window from the upstairs!  This is a big deal to me to have
the garden go across the back yard and sides
as I have been working ton this for a long
time and now it is one year old.







Miss Tabitha, Mr. Jeremy Fisher, Mr. Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddleduck all were celebrating the arrival of a new birdbath in
the garden!








Some little mice scampered about for a drink of the cool water...it's going to be hotter today for sure!


I have 24 total chair backs covers - made from my grandmother's old pillowcases on which I have sewn old doilies.....These 4 are in purples.....I will be showing you all of them next month!