Saturday Sewing

Saturday the garage sales were horrid. My 8 year old and I must have hit close to 15 garage sales. We came home with a pair of shoes for her. That's it!  Friday, I swear every garage sale was sporting '80's home decor and craft projects from  over 2 decades ago, with modern day prices. Why oh why do people price their crap so high?  Not even good crap.

The first garage sale I hit on Friday looked like they were cleaning out mom's  house.  I picked up a couple of cheap frames for .25 each and found  close to 5 yards of cotton duck cloth/material in black, white and a pale green... for .25! The sign said "fabric pieces 5 for .25."  What a steal and  crazy! I was super excited. Around Christmas time last year, I made a play car mat for my nephews and back then, I remember buying some cotton duck cloth/canvas at JoAnn's for about $8.50 a yard.  When I saw the duck cloth at the garage sale, I knew immediately what I would do with some of it. I had a plan inspired by many, many home decor blogs, and by some pillows that I spotted in a Ballard Designs Catalog.  One of the latest decorating crazes I noticed, is French Grain Sack Pillows. I have seen them everywhere in the blogging world, on Etsy and in home decor magazines. I knew I could create the look much cheaper, and put my own spin on it.

So armed with my practically free duck canvas, my sewing machine, a cutting wheel, a paint brush, painter's tape, Exacto knife and some Maroon colored Ceramcoat acrylic paint,

I got to work on Saturday making some throw pillows for my family room sofa. I knicked my finger with the cutting wheel, but my hands were spared when it came time to using the Exacto knife. It isn't my project until I have bled on it, I decided.  When I was done sewing and cursing, then began the fun part of painting a design on these pillow covers.  I knew I wanted some simple stripes, but what else?

 I settled on a fleur de lis... very French.  I found a clip on the Internet, printed it out and then took my Exacto knife and made a stencil out of it. Using blue painter's tape, I created some stripes.

The inspiration for the next pillow came from a French song. I could not get the song Aux Champs-Élysées out of my head... so the street name Champs-Élysées,  made it's way onto a pillow.

I free handed the lettering with a set of new paint brushes that I picked up at a garage sale... I wish that I had just a slightly nicer set as it was difficult working with the fabric and the paint... oh well.  Now every time I see the pillow, I start humming the song Aux Champs-Élysées and it puts a smile on my face. My first year of college French - many moons ago, my french professor taught us this song and we sung it multiple times throughout the semester. 

The third pillow I just decided to write "Maison No.23" on it. Maison means "house" in French. The number 23? Well It's for my birth date... I also free handed this one and I like how it turned out for the most part.  I have one more pillow that I will paint, but am not quite sure what kind of a design I will incorporate.

Anyway, it's kind of fun  feeling my way through this home decorating maze and finding what I like and what I want to try out.

I am kind of obsessive that way. I pick up a new hobby and run with it for a few years, then I am onto the next thing. Just ask that hubby of mine that has endured my many interests for the past 16 years!

Who doesn't love toile?

So I finished the little French Chair.

I did the usual of priming it and then painting it with Heirloom White. I glazed it a bit, but you just can't really tell with the lighting in this picture.

However, to me it still feels like it is missing something.

I am thinking of painting it a deep red instead, to match the red in the toile - what do you think - repaint it?  Keep it the same?

So just where did this love for toile come in?  A couple of years ago, I was on the hunt for some chairs to put in my music studio for clients to sit on when they come for a consultation, or for students to use while waiting for their lesson. I found a set of cherry stained dining chairs at St. Vincent de Paul for $14.00. 

 I didn't bother to refinish the wood since it seemed fine to me, but just changed out the upholstery in the chairs. 

 After I completed that project, I still had some toile that needed to be used up.  Feeling inspired by other's decor blogs, a month ago I made these throw pillows out of the left over toile and put them in the chairs in the family room. 

 Then of course there was the toile embellishment on the end table I recently redid.

I thought you might like to know where I put it.

I am still working on accessorizing and adding more to that area. The cute little owl, I picked up at the thrift store for .75. The lamp was one that was in another room that was not being used. The candlestick was white, I painted it black. I plan on doing something interesting with the lamp shade, but am not quite sure yet.  I am still mulling over that one.

Linking to All Things Thrifty and Mustard Seed Creations.