Sewing a vintage slipcover

Lately, I've been on a home fix up kick.  Just little things, like new pillows and touching up paint. (yes, those a doggie pee pads on the other side of the couch, those little brats are hard to train! They'd rather use a pad than go out their dog door.  And they think rugs are pads… so no rugs)

Sometimes cleaning up means more messing up.  I could go out to the studio to sew, but since I was making sofa cushions, it was more convenient to bring the sewing machine into the kitchen.

I'd been collecting old drapes and fabric for years and finally got around to redoing my couch cushions with them.  I'm not a big fan of sewing, but I can make a simple pillow case for my cushions and pillows, and get a whole new look for the room with some garage sale fabric and a straight stitch.

I don't really measure, I just lay out the fabric, put the pillow on it, cut around, then turn the fabric inside out, pin together and run it through the machine, hoping the bobbin lasts through the session.  I use whatever color of thread was last put on because I am a total loser at changing threads and bobbins. 

It's far from a pro job, but I'm usually okay with the results. The whole job took me a couple of hours and less than $60 in materials.  

Some of the fabric was too bright, even though it had to have been at least 50 years old, so I flipped it over and used the backside for a more faded look.  I also bought pieces that were far from perfect, and just cut around the holes or stains and used only the good parts.

The pink silk brocade on the seat cushion is from an entire roll of old fabric that I'd found at an antique mall for $9.  I doubt if I could buy a yard of cloth that nice for that kind of price at JoAnn's or any where else, brand new.   The roll was in good shape too. 

And funny, after I found this, I ran across a half roll of a slightly darker version of the same cloth at the Salvation Army ($5)!  So, I used it to coordinate with the lighter brocade and the different floral pattern curtains I'd been gathering. I used it on the backside of all the pillows.

It doesn't show much, but looks nice when you sit on the couch and it peeks out when the pillows are mussed around. Which, with two little girls and three dogs in the house, they usually are.

While I was at it, I moved the furniture around. Then a week later, I put it right back where it used to be.

I think the new pillows look better with the bark cloth drapes behind them than with the emphemera covered wall.

The dogs don't care, as long as I point a camera in their direction, they are happy. Especially if it involves being on a soft pillow.

 

Do you ever have little things around the house that bug you, but you try to ignore?  Since I hung these curtains (years ago), I'd been irritated that some of the clips were dark brass and some were painted cream.  I finally grabbed a brush, and stood on the buffet with a capful of paint and quickly made them all match. 

It only took a couple of minutes.  Now, why did it take years to do??