How To Recover A Chair Seat Using A Patterned Fabric

Thank you all for your kind comments yesterday on my newly reupholstered chairs. For your viewing pleasure I have recorded a series of videos that show just how easy it is to recover a chair seat using a patterned fabric.

We made the video on an I Touch. Hmmm. The quality is ok. You can definitely tell I’ve been through the wringer lately as it shows a pretty haggard me. That’s ok, this video series is about the beauty of recovered chairs. So please, pull up a seat. :)

Step One:

Step Two:

 

Step Three:

 

 

Finally the staples are all removed and the new upholstery has been cut out. Time for a costume change.

 

Step Four:

 

Step Five:

I hope you enjoyed this video series. If you have any questions please leave a comment. 
Laura

I Finally Reupholstered My Chairs!

Way back in August I had shared my desire to recover my six formal dining room chairs. They are part of a set from Belgium circa 1890 that we had purchased while living in Germany.

This is the “BEFORE” shot. The fabric does appear to be screaming “The 90’s want their upholstery back!”

An even closer inspection reveals “Ewwwww, several stains.”

So, why did it take me so long to get the job done? One word: staples. About 200 each, per chair, had to be removed. First the black covering and then the upholstery itself. Each chair took about an hour and half to remove all the staples. Times that by six chairs. 

I dug through my fabric stash and found this gorgeous linen fabric I have had for about two years. (It is Maxfield SN93 in “Natura”.) There was only two yards. With a pattern I wasn’t sure it would be enough.

With a bit of fancy configuring I was able to center four round medallions onto each chair seat.

I love how the “AFTER” turned out! Just in time for Easter dinner.

If you have been thinking about reupholstering your chairs come back tomorrow as I will be sharing a step by step video tutorial.

Laura

My Wish For You

This was shared with me by my friend Linda. It is just to beautiful not to share with you.

 

Be blessed,

Laura

The comments are closed to observe the Sabbath. If you have a prayer request please contact me via my Facebook page.

All Things Irish~ Reel to Reel

Last Friday when I first announced that I would be dedicating several posts to the "All Things Irish" theme many people made comments regarding "The Quiet Man". This led me to think about all of the wonderful Irish themed films I have viewed over the years. I thought I would share a few of my favorites so that you may perhaps have an Irish film viewing party on your own.

1. "The Quiet Man"~ A hands down favorite. I think that this was John Wayne's best movie and I adore Maureen O'Hara.

. "Darby O'Gill and the Little People"~ A perfect feature for children. Young Sean Connery is SO handsome.

3. "My Left Foot"~ If you have never seen this absolutely inspiring film you must put it to the top of your list. This is a true story about writer Christy Brown. Daniel Day~Lewis won an Oscar for his portrayal of Christy. Brenda Fricker as his mother is brilliant.

4. Another perfect family film is "Finian's Rainbow". It is a wonderful musical starring the legendary Fred Astaire.

5. "The Commitments" was first introduced to me by Mr. Decor via a music CD while we were dating. I loved the music. He was SHOCKED to learn I had never seen the movie and I think we then watched it that same night. It is a fun watch.

6. A heavy, but none the less good film is "In the Name of the Father". It was nominated for seven Oscars and Emma Thompson was fantastic in her role as a lawyer.

7. My favorite book by Maeve Binchy is "Circle of Friends". The movie adaptation followed the novel fairly closely. I think this is one of Chris O'Donnell's best films.

8. Another great film for kids is "The Secret of Roan Inish". The scenery in this movie is just beautiful.

9. A lighthearted chick flick is "The Matchmaker".

10. Ok technically number ten is not a film, but I know you'll forgive me. I adore Irish actor Jonathon Rhys Meyers. One of his best films was "August Rush". My favorite role though is his spot on portrayal of King Henry VIII in "The Tudors". He can at times almost make me hate him. Seasons 1-4 are available on DVD.





I hope that you have have enjoyed reminiscing or perhaps took delight in reading for the first time the "All Things Irish" posts from the DTA 2008 and 2009 archives. It has allowed me to spend precious time with my family as we heal. You all are SO very precious to me. How blessed I am to know you.  


                                                   Happy St. Patrick's Day to one and all!

All Things Irish~ Festive Fare

Green is my favorite color. I love to set the table for St. Patrick's Day dinner. 

You can create mini votives by coring an apple and adding a candle.

I love the elegant simplicity of this Celtic tablecloth created with a stencil and fabric paint.

If my children are good, a leprechaun might leave a few gold coins sprinkled next to their place setting.

Continuing the simple theme is the sweet addition of a single clover into a twine tined napkin. Colcannon, a traditional Irish potato dish, is enhanced by a few drops of green food coloring.

The menu also includes corned beef and cabbage. I always make enough for corned beef sandwiches the next day~yum!

I adore Irish Soda bread. My family prefers that the caraway seed and currents not be added.

Mr. Decor loves this part of the meal. This year we might try some green beer.

The perfect finishing touch for a house full of chocoholics is chocolate Irish creme cheesecake.

Images from Martha Stewart and BH&G.

                         I hope you enjoyed this post from the DTA March 2009 archives. 

Linking to:

Designs By Gollum

All Things Irish~ Crystal

There are medieval documents that show glass making has existed in Ireland since the middle of the 13th century. Today one of Ireland's most leading and well known exports is its lead crystal. Companies such as Waterford, Galway, Cuchulainn, Heritage and Tyrone all produce beautiful crystal pieces.

Waterford crystal was begun in the town of Waterford by two brothers, George and William Penrose, in 1783. They created crystal that produced such remarkably pure color unmatched anywhere else. But due to excessive taxation the company closed 100 years later. In 1947 Czech immigrant Charles Bacik set up another glass factory in Waterford and once again began producing crystal of the highest quality.

Glass making has been around since 2 B.C. in the area of Mesopotamia. Egyptians produced glass by a method known as glass forming. Glass blowing was begun at the end of the 1st century A.D. It revolutionized glass production. As the Roman Empire increased, so the art of glass making spread to other countries.

The glass industry developed and flourished in the 13th century. It is believed the information was spread via the crusades. Venice became such an esteemed producer of fine glass that the glass makers were forbidden to leave the island of Murano, lest their secrets travel with them.

Another two centuries later in 1676 an Englishman named George Ravenscroft began adding lead to the molten glass mixture which produced dazzling clarity (clearness). It also increased the weight of the glass and allowed it to be cut without fracturing. It came to be known as lead crystal.

It is easy to understand how the process of creating lead crystal came to Ireland as England is so close by.

Ireland now produces some of the finest cut crystal in the world. Major awards such as the Stanley Cup, World Series and Super Bowl trophies have all been made from Waterford crystal at one time or another. Interestingly enough, the Times Square New Years Eve Ball is also made by Waterford crystal.

Several of the Irish crystal companies offer tours of their factories where you can view the time consuming process of creating each piece. Many pieces are still entirely handcrafted.

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                               I hope you enjoyed this post from the DTA March 2009 archives.

All Things Irish~ China

There are a few companies in Ireland that create china that is as charming and delightful as the country itself.

Royal Tara china is famous for its delicate scattering of tiny shamrocks.

Belleek china is a heavy china that is full of whimsy. Isn't this a sweet bowl for spring?



I love this vase with the Irish Claddagh image. The design originated in the fishing village of Claddagh in the 1600's. The hands clasping a heart topped by a crown represent love (heart) friendship (hands clasping) and loyalty (crown). Rings are often presented with this design with the expression "With my hands I give you my heart, and crown it with my love."



For "Quiet Man" fans, here is a china ornament based on the White ~o~Mornin' cottage located in Cong, County Mayo.

With all this china shall we have an Irish tea party in the beautiful green countryside?

We could set a table of antique linen and top it with painted tin cans holding clover and baby tears.

Or maybe lay out a quaint cloth of eyelet topped by green glasses filled with flowers.

Let's tie up the napkins with a long blade of green grass.

Perhaps we could add a bit of pink to our table as it looks so lovely with the green.

Shall we have a spot of Barry's tea or perhaps an Irish coffee?

Let's serve it with a few clover cookies.

I hope you have enjoyed this post from the DTA March 2008 archives.

Be blessed!

All Things Irish~Linen

Irish linen is considered by many to be the finest linen in the world. Linen is the oldest fabric known to man. Once again we have the Egyptians to thank for its creation. Today linen is a well known export from Ireland. Most of the flax fiber from which linen is created from comes from France, the Netherlands and Belgium. In order for linen fabric to be considered true Irish linen and carry the Guild trademark, the yarn must be woven into cloth in Ireland only.

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While Ireland at one time did grow flax and also spun the fiber into yarn, both the agricultural and spinning aspects of the creation of linen have virtually ceased production in Ireland. The yarn is now generally imported.


Once the linen is spun and woven into cloth it can be made into a number of products such as bed linens, towels, clothing and upholstery. Natural linen fabric is a light creme to tan color as show in the photo below.

The most familiar Irish linen however is bleached into pristine white fabric such as this stunning tablecloth below.

The care of linen is quite easy. Linen is actually stronger wet than when dry. It becomes softer and brighter with each washing. This is why antique linen sheets are still readily available and often sell for a dear price. Linen washes well in a machine that is not overly full. It should be line dried as heat from a dryer increases the breakdown of the fiber. White linen benefits from full sun exposure when drying. If you plan on pressing the linen it is best to do this while the linen is damp or gently mist the linen while ironing. Ironing on the wrong side will eliminate creases and ironing on the right side will enhance the sheen of the linen.



Linen fabric is wonderful in both the summer and winter. It is absorbent and can help to keep one cool. In the winter the fabric retains body heat. When wearing linen you must expect the fabric to crease. Because linen can absord up to 20% of its weight in moisture yet still remain lightweight, this makes sleeping on linen sheets a dream. You truly do sleep like a baby.

At the finer end of linen cloth you will find damask linen. Damask cloth is a weave which is quite labor intensive as it is a tightly woven cloth that features an intricate design often depicting flora and fauna.

Damask is created by a long "float"(yarn length) in which the warp (lengthwise yarn) is woven with a weft (crosswise yarn). Because of the angle of the damask weave, damask cloth reflects light differently. The appearance of the cloth will change based on where the observer views the cloth.

Here is a close up of a damask print.

Linen is also quite lovely with the addition of lace. You can often find lovely handkerchiefs of Irish linen for a reasonable price.

One of my current loves is linen upholstery. I am toying with the idea of covering my formal dining chairs in linen. Linen upholstery is actually a wise choice as linen resists stains and if a stain arises it is fairly easy to remove.

While fine pieces of Irish linen are a bit costly, it does last and have the capability to become a treasured family heirloom. Linen is a perfect choice for christening gowns and hope chest worthy housewares. A monogrammed piece of Irish linen makes a wonderful wedding present.

You can find some good deals on vintage and antique Irish linen on Ebay. I am currently watching a sheet with this dazzling monogram. It will be for the fashionista's bed.

I hope you enjoyed this post from the DTA March 2009 archives.