Ideas and suggestions for window treatments, slipcovers, nursery decor and bedding...and other thoughts and inspirations for your home and garden...

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

A Slipcover for the Lake House

This one-of-a-kind daybed started as most of my other slipcover projects...a phone call, an email with a photo or two, a few more phone calls....thank you to all my clients who understand that I don't have time to personally meet with each one of you to discuss your project...and I digress :)  I work for myself, by myself...with no other help....well, except for that of my super wonderful pick-up and delivery man husband and friend, Bobby!  But he does not sew...well, not yet, anyway.  Slipcovering projects are very time consuming...and I so try to keep my prices affordable so that I can continue to have work to do.  But, although I know that it means a lot to everyone to take "only a few minutes" to discuss your particular project...those few minutes always turn into at least an hour....and I do not necessarily charge for my consult time...so, I am actually loosing time from my sewing business when I am not sewing.  I guess that is confusing, at best...but it makes a whole lot of sense to me...I have, at any given time, about 10 projects in line....some small, some large...but to take an hour or so away for consults gets me "off task" just enough to slow my production.  It is not that I do not want to meet with anyone at all-I love people and I enjoy sharing my home and workspace-messy as it is :)   But I am already running a bit behind...and then I get a little nervous when people start calling and wondering about their items...so, again, I say-thank you for understanding my business-small and simple as it is!  I can always take a little time on the telephone and email for ideas, discussing your yardage requirements, fabrics, style, and any other important and not-so-important thoughts...some of my clients have even been so kind as to have forwarded photo ideas for me to consider in other projects...so, back to this wonderful daybed.
This client so understood my time dilemma...and gave me time to finish my other projects....and that allowed me time to concentrate on hers...and she also allowed me a little "artistic license"...although most of this project was my client's idea.  We agreed on a warm white prewashed linen for the daybed base...I was thinking  a tailored style...but I am so happy that we decided on the gathered skirt...a wonderful cottage-y, romantic look for this piece...Mary Lynn had previously bought the quilt that I used for the mattress cover...I made a box style cover...with zippers on both ends....to remove this enormous mattress for washing the slip...no cording on this mattress cover...the quilt is so very thick that I felt it was unnecessary...I think the look is spectacular-cozy and relaxed! 
The bolster pillows....our plan was to use left-over quilt pieces around the pillow with a ruffle of linen...but, there was no left-over quilt.  I am always getting requests for burlap pillows-so I thought about that fabric for the bolsters...only instead of natural burlap...we used white.  This added another wonderful texture to the mix!  The two Euro pillows seemed to call for my standard "Etsy" ruffled pillow style...the ones with the 1" ruffled edge around the perimeter...so there.  I made each pillow with a zippered closure...so that the slips are removable...the linen covers are washable...the burlap-maybe just spot clean.




I only wish I had been able to take this piece out onto the meadow for a real photo shoot - it would have been lovely out in the green grassy pasture...instead, a few shots from my messy workroom...and, I could not get the whole piece in a photograph!  I hope to have a few photos from the proper home of the daybed...if so, I will share...
Call me...or email anytime (cottageandcabin@gmail.com) to discuss your slipcover project....just remember that you must allow me to use your furniture piece for fitting purposes...I do not make "long distance" slipcovers with measurements only-I wish I could...but I will leave that to anyone else who might want to try :)
 We offer limited pick-up and delivery options...Thanks Mary Lynn for allowing me to work with you on your project!  It was so much fun!  Debbie

5 comments:

  1. Gorgeous, girl!! Been thinking I might need to call you soon.
    ;-)
    shaunna

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  2. It is so royal I feel. It is simply amazing for me. Love this blog.
    dean graziosi

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  3. {gasp}

    LOVE LOVE LOVE your daybed makeover!

    Can't be more thrilled that we have found each other in blogland...will email you regarding how I've done with long distance slipcovering.

    You have a new fan!

    trish

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  4. Beautiful. I think I need furniture like this in my new manila condominiums. :)

    ReplyDelete