DIY Stool Covering

Some time ago, while shopping at a thrift store, I found a large, sturdy, looking stool.
I wanted to take it home. (I like stools; They remind me of times past.)
I will say it was well-loved. The cover was a grungy gold, velvety fabric.

It cost me three dollars. What a deal! Don't you think good finds are fun? I washed
the cover and it felt clean but still looked grungy. I didn't know exactly what I wanted
to cover it with and so it sat in our living room in it's place by the woodstove. It was
enjoyed by the family and even the cats found it to be pleasant spot to sit.

I am also VERY prone to procrastinating when I feel intimidated by a project. And as
I had never done anything like that before, it sat for a long time. It was enjoyed by the
family and even the cats found it to be a pleasant place to rest.

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A couple of years ago, I had been wanting a large piece of upholstery fabric to make
a curtain.I found a nice piece for 4 dollars. I decided not to use it for the intended project
but I held onto it because it was a very pretty and of a good quality.

The fabric matched our furniture and so I decided to tackle the project this last winter.
Below are a few pictures of the finished cover. I'm sorry the photo quality isn't very good
but you'll get the idea.

The first thing I had to do was take the old cover apart. Carefully cutting

the seams with the seam ripper, the old cover was taken apart and layed out on the

piece of fabric and used as the pattern for the new one.

The old pattern was very rough and obviously a fellow

DIYourselfer had sewn the first cover. The pieces were cut very crookedly

and sewn together without a straight or consistent seam allowance.

But I say GOOD FOR THEM and give the

 person credit for just jumping in and doing it without

a care of it being perfect!  Something which I am learning to do.

I am sometimes so intimidated by a possible flaw, that I fail to try at all!

 This is such an unhealthy philosophy.

In this picture, you can see how the tucks were taken in to match up with

the pattern. I had initially measured the distance between the tucks, but that didn't work

out because of the fabric's pattern. It was very easy to make

the adjustment.

When cutting the piece for the top, I realized at the last moment that I

needed to center the pattern so as to have a nice symmetrical finish. The

pattern on the piece made it very easy to lay it all out and cut.

I was very pleased with the completed project. I enjoyed the entire process

and was surprised at how easy it was. I don't consider myself a seamstress but just used

 common sense to figure it out.

If I can do something like this, so can you!

Keeper of the Home... A Relevant and Interesting Link~

A couple of weeks ago, I had shared about the treasure trove of blogs and websites
that I have found to be insightful, fun, inspiring as well as offering answers to questions.
Not that I am an expert on blogging or on what my friends are seeking answers to.

I would just like to recognize some of these wonderful places to visit and share some
of these with you.

Trove: A collection of valuable items discovered or found


Keeper of the Home is a wonderful site that offers information about homemaking,
health and nutrition. Organic gardening and recipes are a few other features that you
will find here. There are interesting articles about family, frugality and stewardship

"She looks well to how things go in her household, and the bread of idleness
 (gossip, discontent, and self-pity) she will not eat" -Proverbs 31:27 (AMP)

I hope you enjoy this site and find it as helpful and interesting as I have.

Lovely Flowers to Make

          Swing into spring with these fun, easy-to-make, inexpensive flowers! Are you looking for a VERY easy accent for your spring party decorations? I think you will enjoy this addition to your party decor. Each one takes about 5 minutes to make.They are simple and festive yet add a touch of elegance.

                                                                   
                                                           

                         There are a few different types of paper that can be used. Rolled Crepe paper and tissue paper come in gorgeous colors. They make beautiful flowers and they're easy to work with. You can even use facial tissue for lovely white flowers!

You'll need a pair of scissors and the paper of your choice. Pipe cleaners and green tulle are optional. First, decide what size flowers you want. Next, layer about 5 to 10 pieces of  the paper you've chosen. Then, cut the paper in squares and fold in a fan.

If you would like scalloped petals just trim the ends round.

Following  these steps, take your fan and fold it in half. If using a pipe cleaner, take as much of the end as needed to make it secure. The rest acts as the stem. If you don't have pipe cleaners on hand, floral wire will do or even a twist tie.

You then proceed by taking each layer of paper and pulling it to the middle where it is secured. Continue until every piece is pulled. There you have your

 flower!  It may need a little shaping.

Above is a photo of a flower that  we used for a tea party decoration. We added green tulle as leaves and then attached it to the pink tulle bow.

If you have  green tulle, you may want to add leaves. If  so, just cut a piece about twice the width of the flower. You can then tie it around the base of the flower.

It's as simple as that!

Enjoy making these as a craft or for party decorations. Be creative with mixing the colors and textures!