Rocker Refresh

This gorgeous rocker belonged to my husband's grandmother. It was one of the jewels he was given after she passed. It was a bit weathered. 

I thought I had taken a picture of it before but I can't find it so I will do my best to describe and maybe you can imagine.

It was painted turquoise but at least 50% of the paint had chipped away.  It originally had a wooden weaved seat that was cracked and breaking away, so much so that sitting in it should only be done with caution.  When I pulled the seat away I found beds that mice had made.

Although I loved the rustic look, I decided it needed a face lift. I couldn't decide what to replace the seat with so I went to the queen of good ideas...my mother.  She had a couple suggestion but I fell in love with the denim idea.

Firstly, I sanded off the chipping paint and then sprayed on a couple coats of bright red outdoor paint.  I used the outdoor paint because the chair's new home will be my front porch. The bright red is definitely bold but I love it.

After the paint was fully dry, it was time for the seat.  This is the time consuming part. I needed denim strips about an inch wide...a lot of them.  Of course you can purchase denim at the fabric store but because I am so thrifty I opted to use old jeans. I live with a house full of hard working young men and therefore they go through lots of jeans. I have been saving them for a while thinking I would make a blanket or perhaps a rug, never considered a chair seat but so shall it be.  

I cut 3 inch strips as long as I could get. I needed almost 90 feet of stripping for my chair seat. That is a lot of denim strips but so very worth it.

I sewed each strip together end to end until I had 90 feet of 3" wide denim. I folded the very long strip in half lengthwise. So now the strip is about a 1 1/2 inches wide. Then tucked the outer edges in so the cut edges weren't exposed and sewed the seam down the length of the strip. 

Shew! After all that sewing I had to weave it into the seat.  I know what you are thinking, easy breezy. Not at all.  Actually it wasn't hard just time consuming.  I used staples to make sure the denim didn't pull away at the beginning and ending of the weave.

If you are interested in a tutorial for the pillow in this rocking chair you can see that here.

Shared At: Show and Tell

Americana Pillow

In honor of Veterans Day and the 2016 history making Election Day, I thought I would share my quick and easy Americana pillow tutorial. You will be amazed at just how simple this pillow cover is to put together.  I only used items I already had so it cost me nothing. But even if you have to purchase a couple supplies it is still very inexpensive.

Supplies Used:

• Pillow Form (I actually used a small decorative pillow that no longer worked in my decor)
• Fabric to cover the pillow: this needs to be a sturdy fabric, drop cloth material works great.
• Fabric Paint:  Red, White & Blue ( I chose barn red, English navy, and bright white)
• Thread that matches your fabric
• Chalk

Tools Used:

• Sewing Machine
• Scissors
• Sponge Paint Brush
• Star shaped sponge
• Measuring Tape

Instructions:

1.  Measure the size of your pillow form (mine was 12" X 18"). Add 1" to both width and length to allow for a 1/2" seam on all sides. Cut fabric to cover both front and back of pillow.  To avoid a seam on one side and because I was using remnant fabric, I cut my fabric to 13" X 37".  This allowed me to fold the fabric length wise.
2. Sew 3 sides.  With the "pretty sides" of your fabric touching sew 3 sides of the fabric with a 1/2" seam.  Leave one side open so you can turn the cover inside out and stuff with the pillow form.  You should have a pillow case at this point.
3. With the cover turned seams inside, insert a piece of cardboard.  This will keep the paint from bleeding to the back of the cover.
4. I use chalk to roughly sketch the image I wanted on my pillow. Chalk works great because a stiff brush can be used to remove after painting is complete or if you make a mistake with your design. For my image I wanted half the pillow to be blue with stars and the other half to have large red stripes. Get creative. There is no wrong design.
5. When you are happy with the chalked image, start applying the paint.  I was looking for an aged look so I didn't do full coverage with the paint.  I used a sponge paint brush and limited the amount of paint I put on. I started by painting the blue half. Then painted the red stripes.  When I was finished with the red stripes the blue was dry so I could add the stars.
6. Stamping the stars.  You can purchase a foam star stamp at any craft store, which makes adding the stars very easy. Unfortunately for me I didn't have one so I improvised and cut a template from plastic and sponged the stars. I think my results
   
   were similar to what I would have gotten with a stamp.
7. Let the cover dry completely before stuffing with the pillow form and completing the remaining seam.

The last step is to find the perfect home for it. AND I DID!  On my front porch in my gorgeous red rocking chair.  If you are interested in seeing how I restored this old rocker, check it out here.

Shared At: Coastal Charm

Friday Frets - Sandwich Buns 8 Count?

fret

  [fret] (noun): an irritated state of mind; annoyance; vexation.

Friday's Frets are my little rants about something that annoys me, most often without reason. We all have them, those little peeves that you may or may not notice.




Who decided that sandwich buns should come in a count of 8? Why 8?  Why not 10 or 5? Or better yet 2? 

When I was feeding a family of five, 8 worked out okay. Sometimes there were a couple left over but most times not...teenage boys!  But now that most days I'm only feeding myself and my husband,  8 is too many.

We typically eat two and the other six are left to age. I just want to be able to buy the amount I need.  

The bakery, I guess that is my best option.

5 Rules of Office Etiquette

1. MINIMIZE HALLWAY NOISE: The hallway in an office building is meant to be used only as a corridor between offices and common spaces.  

• You should never carry on conversations in the hallway but if you must be quick and speak quietly.
• Do not drag your feet.
• No unnecessary noises; such as whistling, singing, snapping or tapping

2. RESPECT THE OFFICE MACHINES: Most offices now have a common area for paper processing; printing, copying, mail, etc.

• Always leave this common area the way you found it. Don't assume it is the job of the cleaning crew to pick up all the small hole punch droppings you just left.
• If you must send a large print job, schedule a less active time of the day or at the very least warn others that you may be monopolizing a machine for an extended amount of time.

3. KNOW YOUR DECIBELS: Be aware of how loud you are and your surroundings.

• When using a speaker phone from your office, close the door.  If you work in a cubicle, the speaker phone is off limits.
• DO NOT yell from your office to another or over a cubicle wall.
• Does your laugh annoy your co-workers? Likely! Try to maintain any obscene laughter. And obscene language for that matter!
• Not everyone is enjoys the same genre of music...remember that.

4. BREAK AREA: The break area should be an area of comfort for all employees.

• The Refrigerator is a big area of pain for most office staff. The rules should be obvious. Don't eat other's food. Don't leave food for more than a day. Don't take up more than your share of the real estate.
• Coffee: If you take all the coffee, replace it. And don't leave an empty coffee pot on a hot burner.
• Clean up any mess you might make.

5. NO IMPROMPTU OFFICE MEETINGS: Meetings should be scheduled.

• Just showing up at someone's office door and expecting discussion is not acceptable.  You should always schedule a convenient time for discussion.
• Be respectful of a co-workers time and attention.  If you do schedule a meeting be precise. Come to the meeting with an agenda.  Listen attentively to all opinions.

The "Golden Rule" applies.  Do unto others as you would have them do to you.

Friday Frets - Feet Draggers

fret

  [fret] (noun): an irritated state of mind; annoyance; vexation.

Friday's Frets are my little rants about something that annoys me, most often without reason. We all have them, those little peeves that you may or may not notice.

It just drives me crazy, the sound of someone dragging their feet. I'm sure it goes totally unnoticed by the person.  

I'm sure there are some that it is only an occasional occurrence when they are truly fatigued and somehow exhuming their last bits of energy to walk.

But for most it is merely a habitual trait of laziness. 

I notice it most often in the office.  My office is off one of the main hallways in the building I work in.  So unfortunately for me I get the pleasure of hearing everyone's hallway voyages and the hallways are not carpeted.

Over the years I have learned the distinction of foot patterns by person.  And most everyone has a distinct walk. Most I don't mind...it is almost a game at this point...guessing before they come into site.  BUT there are those that insist on dragging their feet. On days when I am trying very hard to concentrate I just want to scream, "Pick up your feet, there is no need to make that much noise walking!".  

When my daughter was younger she had a habit of sliding her feet instead of making crisp steps. Every time I heard her feet slide I would point it out. Now she points it out as well.

Not only does the sound annoy but it also makes you look lazy.  Believe me there is nothing graceful about dragging your feet.

Please don't drag your feet when you walk...if for no other reason than perhaps there is someone like me near that is barely holding on to sanity.  Do you want to be responsible for my break?