stormy day

A stormy day  here in Louisiana, as it is a lot this time of year. But that just means I am spending my day doing things inside and not in the garden. I have to say I do love being homely doing things in my home, making muffins  for my husband to take to the radio in the morning. Then making a delicious take on French onion soup adding mushrooms to it, giving it a bit more bite to it. But with it still being so early in the day that means I'll be working on a corset for etsy, and some other things as well. A few crochet things to go up on the next few days, but a new blue and white corset in a waist size 29inchs will be up in the next day or two.

But back to the soup and here it is, its going to be a great dinner. I truly love making food

muffins, I made Cinnamon Strudel and Banana Nut

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Thoughts of years

As I sit here on this rainy day crocheting, it occurs to me that I've been at this particular art form for about 22 years. I remember learning how to crochet from my grandmother when I was eight years old. Going with her to her crochet group of other older women sitting around learning how to make perfect stitches the pain of when they've ripped something out because five rows back there was some sticks that wasn't right until my stitches were completely perfect and even every time. For them it was important that my stitches be perfect that I take pride in what I was doing. You see these were the kind of women that crocheted or knitted just about everything that their families wore the coasters in their home their dish towels so than being perfect was a reflection of them and their abilities and they wanted to pass that onto me. Oddly enough they really did I take great pride in that everything I make has Even perfect stitches they come out right did they fit perfectly well. It's interesting that after all this time when I don't know what to make when I'm unsure of something when I go back to is making the layette sets that I started with. It's interesting that as I make them I sit here I can close my eyes and think of these women talking about how useful this will be when I married how important this will be, and it is important after all I crocheted part of my wedding dress because I was another aspect of me. But truly it has become very important, as a start to make my coasters for my home curtains all of the skills that I learned from these women the little life lessons is by stitch to come back to me, and I find myself on a rainy day like today cherishing the hours I spent with the name with all of those women they all became like grandmothers to me they all helped shape me. It's interesting I think it's because of all the time with these women that i'm different than other women of my own age and generatio I value  doing things in my home for my family I'm excited about starting a garden growing my own food making things for my home for my husband maybe one day for children. I take as much pride and pleasure in it as I know these women did, and I see nothing wrong with it I don't see it as backward I see it is who I am and no need to be anything different.

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I cut off my hair

There's just something so liberating about picking up a pair of scissors and chopping off your hair. Realizing that it's only hair it doesn't truly define you you can change it to color it cut it put extensions in, or whatever the mood really strikes you. I've done this before and yes I do do it myself when I feel like I want to cut it I usually just pick up the scissors and start cutting away until it's something that I light. This should be interesting it's the first time that I've done this since I've been married my husband went to work today and I had hair a little bit past my shoulders and now I have this I know he won't mind after all he did meet me when my hair was this short.

Especially as an artist I feel that it's important for me to be true to myself, I feel some point for everyone to be true to themselves whatever that means for you

Painting

So with all of my sewing stuff Packed and ready to move, I have been crocheting for something to do. After all lord knows I can't have something going, but today I decided to take a break from sewing or crocheting when I looked over and saw that my husband's painting things are still not packed up so I thought I paint a little and this is what I came up with today just for something a little different it's always good to express your self in different mediums I think.

As always don't forget to visit my etsy shop you never know what could be there misschastains.etsy.com

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DIY chair recovering

What a past few months it has been, crazy and all in a great way. We bought a house , and it may seam like a crazy time but I quit my job. I know that for most people you may be thing why did I do that but you see, not only was the hours that I was doing playing a role in my heath not being great but it was also taking a big toll on my marriage. You may be asking your self why that is well I was working 40 plus hours a week and bringing home a lot of stress, which was putting a lot of stress on my very new marriage. To me the money wasn't worth hurting my marriage so I had to decide what to do and quitting was what was right for us. But the timing wasn't as great as it could have been because as I said we just bought a home.

That really means that I want to do as many DIY things as I can for the new home painting myself  planning my Garden making curtains but first was my chairs. My kitchen table is in great shape and for the most part as were the chairs, but they were a light blue that didn't go with any thing that we are doing in the house. There were a few things I could have done one would be to just live with it, two would be to buy a chair slip cover, but that would mean coving up the wood so that left me with option three re-covering the seat. So that's what I did and here are the step by steps on how to do this same kind of thing to your chairs.

What I started with my chair

what else you need the fabric that you what to use about 1/2 a yard for each chair of 60 inch wide, a screwdriver to take your seat off, staple gun, scissors, paper you may need tape if your paper isn't as wide and your seat plus 3 inches all around, a ruler, pins and a pencil

I picked up my fabric at a fabric store that's going out of business so I was able to get a good deal on it, however if you doing have a whole sale fabric store or one that's going out of business, then you'll want to get the Hobby Lobby app and or the JoAnn's app, so that you can get the coupons that they both offer . after all if your like me and you are covering 6 chairs that's  3 yards of fabric and that can add up and the idea of a DIY is to save money.

So now that you have everything that you need to get started here is how to do it

first take your seat off the chair this is the first time you will need that screwdriver. its also a great time to do a deep cleaning of your chair.

if your paper is not as lager as your seat with about 2-3 inches all around, this is when you'll want to tape your paper together as shown

now that your have aped your paper together, place your seat flat side down cushion side up on your paper use your pencil to trace around

when its down it should look something like this, after you have the first tracing down  that's when you will take your ruler and add an extra 2 -3 inches  how much will depend on how thick your seat cushions are I started with 2 inches when found that 3 inches was easier to work with. ones you have traces out your pattern, you'll want to wright on it what it is, how many you need to cut as in one per-seat, and your name along with a grain line. once you have done that your ready to cut out your paper pattern.

then place your pattern on your wrong side of your fabric and pin it.

next is to cut your fabric out it should look something like your seat now. It's now cover your seat.

you'll want to put your fabric right side down putting your cushion seat side down on the wrong side of the fabric. Now its time for your staple gun, you'll want to start by cantering your cushion on your fabric, pulling up one side of the fabric to the back side of the seat stapling it down as you pull it so that its flat, then do the other side starting in the center working your way out making sure that your fabric is smooth on the front side, then you'll want to start at center of the bottom of the seat working your way to the corners were you'll want to pull tight and tucking the corners flat as you

staple them down, then you'll do the same at the top. So that when its done it should look something like this on the back side.

Now its time to put it all back together!!

This whole project should take you part of an afternoon, to do depending on how many chairs you have to do. I did 6 chairs used about 2 1/2 yards of 60inch fabric, fully cleaned all the wood made the pattern and it took me about 3 hours.

Now its time for you to try it your self and enjoy! pick in mind that you don't have to cover all your chairs in the same fabric if you want to change it up a bit you may want to do a few chairs in one fabric and a few in other, or even each chair in a different fabric have fun with it you can always change it!!

Hope that this helps you in doing your own covers, make sure you come back and read for more DIY projects. If your wanted a blog on something specific that you don't see let me know and I'll do one.

don't for get to look at my etsy shop for unique things from bags to clothes at

misschastains.etsy.com

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