BIRD PILLOW and MORE

I've been working on lots of pillows.  Some are finished and some are in the works.  Below is the bird pillow I spoke about in my previous post.  The bird is from the Graphics Fairy - printed, cut out, and ironed onto script background fabric that is described more below.  

Below is a  sampling of some other pillow tops that are sitting in my sewing room - waiting to be assembled.

 Another hare on burlap . . .

an "old" pumpkin label on burlap - perfect for Fall and Halloween . . .

 . . . a large crown on burlap . . .

 . . . a nest and bird on burlap . . .

 . . . and a small little hare on canvas.

All of the graphics are from - who else but the Graphics Fairy! 

The burlap bag with fabric roses is also in progress.  It was a frustrating sewing day, with broken needles and a lot of mistakes which led to a lot of seam ripping.  But, below are the fabrics that make up the bag.

 

 A Waverly fabric with French script.

 The fabric roses made of a green linen. . .

  . . . and the burlap in the background.

Will I ever run out of burlap? 

Saturday Chair Project - After

Here's how I went from:

   

                             this                               to this  

for only $4.95!

The chair project from yesterday is finally done.   A few notes . . .

 I used a hot, dry iron for the Paris postmark from the Graphics Fairy.  Just as the video says, you can't over-iron.  If you have to tug at all to lift the transfer paper off the fabric, iron some more!

When it's transferred, it easily peels off.  But, you see the transfer paper around the letters?  :(  

 I found that after washing and drying the fabric, the excess transfer paper dissolved a little more.  At least it isn't shiny - that's the good thing!  And maybe after enough people sit in the chair, it'll blend in even more!

There she sits, stripped down to her underwear!  And then the fun part - painting and distressing.

From this . . .

to this!

Now, here's what I did and some comments on what I should have done! 

What I did:  I printed out the graphics fairy Paris postmark onto Transfer Artist Paper (TAP) and cut loosely around the design, then ironed it on.  It transferred very quickly!  I bet I only ironed with a hot, dry iron for about 10 seconds and it was transferred!  

What I should have done:  I should have cut as close as possible to the graphic printout before ironing it on the linen.  It looks fine and I bet I'm the only one who could tell the difference, but the little bit of transfer paper I left around the design didn't completely disappear.  So, take the time to really cut it closely.

and

What I did:  I took the chair into the garage and went full blast with my palm sander.  I mean, full blast!

What I should have done:  Maybe start out with a piece of sandpaper in my hand and take it slow and easy.  It doesn't look too distressed in the photo, but in real life . . . it's pretty distressed.  You can always take more off . . .   So, I ended up retouching the REALLY distressed areas with a little paint.

But, it's done and I really do like it . . . but it's kind of like going to someone's house for dinner.  It always tastes better when someone else cooks.  Well, if I saw this chair in a store I'd REALLY love it, but I know where all the little glitches are . . .

-Nan

Sharing this at:
Brambleberry Cottage
Graphics Fairy
Creative Blogger's Party

Back to The Painted Lady on Damen

Once again, we drove to The Painted Lady on Damen, in

Chicago. We never know what we're going
 to see when we walk into this beautiful shop,
and Saturday was no exception.

The owner, Beth Harlow, has it filled to the

brim with beautiful bedding, dishes, wall decor,
unusual shabby-chic chandeliers, and refurbished
antiques.  As explained on an earlier post, I
happened upon her shop in the most recent edition
of Where Women Create, a magazine where the
 likes of Mary Emmerling have been featured.  Here are the paintings
we brought along with us!

Roses - 16" x 20"

Little Roses - 6" x 6" gallery wrapped canvas
SOLD!

Roses in a Chubby Bowl - 12" x 12" gallery wrapped canvas 

Spring Nest - 20" x 20"
(with a nest that can be a personalized with the
 number of eggs in your nest)

Antique Roses in a Chubby Bowl - 16" x 20"

So, if you're ever in Chicago looking for some 

romantic decor for your home, this would be the place!


I linked up wth Transformation Thursdays at Shabby Chic Cottage!

The Painted Lady on Damen

      We made a second trip to one of our new favorite shops on Friday -

The Painted Lady on Damen, in Chicago.

Such a pretty little shop that I first learned about while reading

the November/December issue of

"Where Women Create".

(This is a really inspirational "book" showing work spaces of some

very creative women.)

The Painted Lady on Damen is owned by Beth Harlow,
who shares my philosophy about old (and sometimes new) wood furniture -

just paint it white!

It's a beautiful little shop filled with unique accessories,

antique furniture, and gorgeous chandeliers.

This place just makes me want to go home and

MAKE STUFF!

Love these light fixtures and thinking about how I could make them . . . 

This beautiful chair was there a few weeks ago . . . but now it's gone.

So, that's more than enough inspiration for one weekend.

I now have about 3 more projects added to my list . . .