Project pile up

Does this ever happen you? You have a project you wish to start and you realize that to be done properly you need to tackle something else first. The trouble is you can't tackle that until you do another thing (or maybe two) and just give up in disgust.

Recently my husband declared loudly that a major priority would be to finish the library. It is a room just inside my front door that was temporarily set up as a bedroom for my stepson. The bed was one of two matching twin beds from my little girl's room and it is still there.

I recently chose the paint for my little girl's room and posted about it. It seemed smart to leave the other bed downstairs until the painting was done. My mother in-law's visit derailed that paint job so it is still not done.

You see, months ago, I mentioned not painting that room because there is a useless door to the bathroom on one wall. I was told that it wasn't going to be closed up until we redo that bathroom.

I just want the walls painted so it doesn't look like something out of a gothic romance any longer.

Last night the genius handyman says, "Aren't we going to close up that door before painting?"

It was his birthday so I did not strangle him.

My restoration project for an old friend

Last year I arranged a meetup with two of my high school pals in Old Town Alexandria. One of whom was my boyfriend for most of high school and some of college.

I was that girl who only hung out with guys in HS

Steve said he had his mother's 1940s ad poster that he wanted me to mount to a canvas and "antique". The little girl is his mother.

I told him  that I would not be a party to ruining this fragile piece of art and that he needed to take it to a restorer. Somehow I ended up coming home with the badly damaged poster and a project to do something with it. Luckily, I really like his mommy and she was super nice to me as a snotty teenager.

I procrastinated, did some research, procrastinated, bought a few supplies, and dreaded the whole process.

Did I mention that it was badly damaged? It had been folded several times and rolled tightly in a cardboard tube. The only thing more damaging would have been a lit match.

I started with a 48 x 60 canvas, distilled water in a sprayer and deacidifying spray.

Restorers repair tears in paper using special Japanese paper to strengthen the tears. I decided that it was so far beyond my skills that I would simply make sure I did not damage it further and ensure that everything I did could be undone.

I dampened the paper with the deacidifying spray and distilled water to relax the fibers.

In some spots the fibers were stretched and it was impossible for me to have it lay perfectly flat. I was using archival wheat paste to glue it to the canvas.

I covered the wet, glued spots with felt and weighted them with books.

I needed a spare hand but the project only took a few hours.

There are a few "bubbles" in the paper but I could not get them flat without further damage.

Next I deliver it and implore them to get a sheet of acrylic to protect it. You hear that Steve...acrylic!?

Block printing tutorial

I bought this vintage middle eastern block about a year and a half ago and have been dying to use it.

I finally found a worthy project. It involved printing a yard of cotton twill as a part of another project that I promised soon.

To start you need to measure your block and see how that translates to a pattern that works.

I marked off the spacing I wanted for the first row and then offset that by half for the second row. It is a good idea to get this spacing figured out by printing on paper first.

For the "ink" I used red oxide heavy body acrylic paint and a bit of fabric medium. I mixed it and rolled it out on an old palette but it is properly done on a piece of glass. The roller thingy you see is called a brayer. It is a hard rubber roller and I have had it since college. Many times, over the years I have been tempted to pitch the brayer but the memory of its unusual expense at the college art supply and the two stinkin' times I used it had me holding on and I am glad I did.

It is important roll a layer out so that it goes on you block evenly.

It took me some time to get the feel of how much to ink the block. I was using too little at first. Then, about halfway through, the block got a bit gloppy.

gloppy

I simply wash and thoroughly dried it to continue.

My project will require just a bit less than the one yard and the first three rows of printing were not ideal so I can cut them off. It took me an hour to do one yard but I got much faster and more precise by the end of the run so a larger piece would not be too hard.

My bank account is relieved I did not go for the Robshaw fabric and I still got some hand printed fabric.

I can't wait to try this again.

I have a plan

I have a plan to fulfill my January goal with the supplies shown here. I have all but one item needed for the project so my husband is on board.

The leg and bracket are items that I have had for 15 years waiting, procrastinating and unable to decide on the best use.

It will be my first pin to Linda's group Pinterest board " Project Procrastination...Finish the unfinished"

The irony is that it took me two weeks to get around to pinning this. Stay tuned and I promise to have a full how-to on this project in a few days.

Another-It's about dern time project and DIY

I procrastinated on this project for almost two years. I bought woven wood shades and wanted to line them before hanging them in my west facing family room. Sorry there is no before photo. I still had ugly mini-blinds from the builder.

Keep reading there is a how-to below.

First, let me ask...does anyone have any tips on how to photograph sunny windows? Anyone?.. Beuller?

The four windows are the only natural light in the room and the get sun all day hence, the need to line the shades.

The other issue was whether to mount them inside or hang them high and outside the window frame. Outside would have been ideal but the ceilings are 9 ft and the windows go nearly to the floor. I was unable to find any shades long enough so inside mount it had to be.

Here is the low down on how to line these. Lay the shade string side up and untie the strings. Pull the strings out of all of the loops but not out of the shade mechanism.

Cut your lining (I used blackout lining) to the width of your shade and hem or glue a 3/4 inch seam along each edge.

I used Fabri-tac glue and  even though I am generally opposed to gluing fabric it really is the best way to attach the lining to the shade. The glue is acetone based so be careful what you get iton but it is also flexible when dry which is key for this project.

This is the tricky part to explain. You have to glue the fabric in sections cutting a small slit to pull the rings through.

I start with the bottom edge and about 8 inches along each side and carefully a small amount on the sold parts of the shade in the center. You don't want the glue to glob through.

Feel for the rings and carefully make a slit. Do NOT press down to cut as you might cut the strings holding the rings in place. It is more of a snag and pull motion that calls for a very sharp utility knife.

Carefully pull each ring through and continue gluing fabric to the next set of rings and repeat until you are at the top of the shade.

Make a hem along the top with the extra fabric and restring your shade.

Make sure to tie the ends on the last ring.

 

I might have procrastinated for a ridiculous amount of time but I was still lining the last shade and insisting that my husband get busy hanging those shades!

Beefy!

I recently started work on a commission for a 48" x 60" painting. That's five feet folks!  I have got only one inch on this canvas so it feels enormous to me.

I started this way...

Propping it against the wall on wooden blocks. Not ideal. My husband, usually the voice of reason and restraint, said, "You should go buy on of those huge beefy easels."

me: They are like $200.

husband: You would use it.

The door slammed as I ran out at 8:00 to get to the store before it closed.

 The bummer was that the two art stores still opened on had small easels so I had to wait until Saturday.

I got the biggest most expensive one they had. There actually are much bigger more expensive ones out there in the world but this was fine for me. It holds up to an 84 inch canvas!

The assembly needed was another story.

Too many of some bits and not enough of others. At least I think. The directions were cryptic and we needed a microscope to read them.

We've all been there, right?

I needed to wait for my husband's help. It took both of us to finish this but I am thrilled with it.

Notice how I have plastic to protect the easel but not my craptastic floor!

Cheap chic

Last week I ordered Target's Modern Stool with a bit of trepidation. I had promised myself I would not but any more cheap furniture but The desire for an X-bench of sorts won out. It was $54 but with my Redcard discount and free shipping it was less than $44.

I pleased to find that it was not completely crappy but the pale blue velvet, while not awful, was not how I intended to leave it.

I decided to use one of my Le Lac scraps to cover the cushion.

Keeping the buttons wasn't going to happen. 

I played with the place ment of the fabric before I started stapling. As a side note, the iconic Brunschwig fabric Le Lac is lightwieght and not meant for upholstery. This little bench won't see daily use as a seat so the light fabric is fine.

The rest was super easy. I just stapled along opposite edges pulling tight but too tight.

I folded under the edges for extra strength.

Since I am the world's most impatient person, I made a folded corner as opposed to sewing it.

 The entire project took me less than 30 minutes. The only thing I do not like is the rubber foot cover/floor protector thingys. They give it an institutional feel. I plan on replacing them with something better.

I am pleased overall with the bench and for $50 total cost it is cheap chic.

Friday finds: fabric

Chiang Mai Dragon

HERE

I guess I am a little slow on the uptake. It never dawned on me that Etsy would be a good source for vintage and designer fabric. It is in the category "Supplies" which seemed like a much more boring category, so I never gave it any thought or explored until yesterday.

Vintage fabric fat quarters

HERE

The vintage fabric that I found really took me back to my childhood, reminding me of the smell freshly laundered sheets, open windows, and the sound of locusts in the summer. Pretty heady.

I just don't really have a project idea so I have not bought any.

Lee Jofa Ikat

HERE

 Much of the fabric comes in small amounts that lends itself to pillow making.

Schumacher silk damask

HERE
 

High end fabric abounds as does the grooviest of groovy vintage fabric.

HERE

Lilly Pulitzer

HERE

I had the idea to recover the much hated Indian pouf in a more pleasing fabric and I think Etsy might be the best source for something unusual.

With that idea, I went in search of more Ikat fabric and found a trove of real, woven not printed authentic Ikats.
The ones I am showing came from this shop.

 There are other sellers too. I found one with a pure silk multicolor chevron or flamestitch that was gorgeous but I can't seem to find it now.

Etsy seller Samarkand11 has many of these woven silk and cotton pieces. They are only 16-18 inches wide so they will not work for my pouf but I was thinking of a tablerunner--perhaps the easiest project there is.