I just love it when I save myself and my clients money. If you love Pinterest as much as I do, you will find everything from gorgeous refurbished furniture and hand crafted decor, to food recipes and landscape ideas. One of the wonderful things about this site is that if you click on something you love, it will take you to the site that it came from and most times will give you a tutorial or information on how you can achieve the same thing. As a mom of 5, I think this is just awesome! Not only do I save a lot of money by making things for myself and my clients to cherish for years to come, but I also get a sense of accomplishment as I do it. My children have seen me do this many times over whether it be making my own drapes out of discounted fabric and a simple flat bed sheet, or an area rug out of a canvas drop cloth. I am their roll model right now. Things they see me do today I hope they will try tomorrow!
On the subject of being thrifty, lately I've been in a "French Mood". I love their food, their music, and especially vintage textiles such as French Grain Sacks and French Typography.
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| My most recent French Typography work using a overhead projector, steady hand, and a gorgoues French graghic from my favorite graphic site, The Graphics Fairy. The bottom is painted in Miss Mustard Seed's French Enamel |
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| Gorgeous Queen Anne Leg, my first attempt of using the left over MMSMP Grain Sack and clear wax over the French Enamel, gave a soft pillowy effect. |
What I don't particularly care for is the high price tag that ususally goes along with such beautiful decor. One of the hot fads right now is upholstering furniture with the antique French Grain Sacks. I myself, love to do this, however my budget doesn't allow for the "real" grain sack which come with a high price tag of $40 and up for one sack. You can find these grain sacks on Ebay or Etsy. I recently came across another opportunty to use my faux grain sack upholstery on a settee purchased at an Estate Sale. It is a early american style settee with worn out upolstery in a not-so-flattering maroon.
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| It was in perfect conditipn, just needed a a little sprucing up! |
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| Transfering images onto fabric is super fun and easy with using the Citra Solv method. |
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| My first Citra Solve transfer, I'm hooked! |
After transfering the images on the 3 top cushion fronts, I sewed them up into simple pillow like forms hand stitching the last side in a semi primative way to give it a authentic grain sack closure. The bottom cushion was a bit more of a challenge as I have never made a box cushion cover before. Again I hit the net, and found a tutorial on just how to do it. I simple used the old covers as a pattern and in no time I had my bottom cushion. The last step was to use my grain sack stencil, which I made a while back using a straight edge and a utility knife. I added the stripes on each top pillow and on the ends of the bottom cushion.
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| The French Grain Sack Settee #2! (see Settee #1here) I painted the wood frame in Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint "Linen", distressed the edges used a mix wax for aged lovliness. |
Since the big Dining Room set found a new home this week, I worked extra late hours on a replacement. I chose to do more of a French Cottage sitting room instead of another Dining Room set. Along with the Queen Anne coffee table I painted in the French typography, I also added 2 end tables using the same MMSMP French Enamel and Grain Sack on the drawers with tops being refinished in a dark walnut.
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| Queen Anne Side Table in MMSMP French Enamel with the drawer in Grain Sack. |
And that's how my very "frenchy" week went! I got a lot done, and am very pleased with my thrifty efforts. This very fun, very gorgeous set can now be seen and purchased at Knott So Shabby!
Have a blessed week everyone!
