Sunday 7 September 2014

End of Summer

Hi!

If you look outside where you live, it's probably still hot and sunny... however I have a feeling the end of summer is nearly here for me. Just take a look at this weather forecast. Today it was 26°C, but the rest of the week is looking a little gloomy!

Does this look like summer to you?

With the weather change, I thought it would be good to have a little sale in my etsy store. Everything is currently 15% off with the coupon code Endofsummer2014. The sale is only on for 2 weeks, so take advantage of it! I'm planning on having a store update in October, stay tuned for that!



As for projects, my latest project was a sewing chair that I bought for $10 from a thrift store near my house. Here's the obligatory before-and-after shot, and if you'd like to read more about how I did this, read on!
Before (left) and After (right)
 
I found this chair in a back corner of the store, looking sad and in need of some love. I knew when I sat in it that this was the chair for me. The wood was in great shape, the lumbar back falls in the right spot on my back, chair height is idea, etc... The cushion seat needed an entire overhaul, but the wood was in great shape. 


I started by unscrewing everything, and I used a palm sander to sand off the old stain. ** If you are sanding any old furniture please wear a face mask**. Many old stains and paints contained lead, which should not be inhaled. 



When I finished sanding, I debated whether or not to keep the natural wood finish (I think this was maple but I could be mistaken)... In the end I went with a white stain. It is water-based and easy to clean up. I did two coats and sealed it up with some clear wax from Anne Sloan. 

Water-based stain



 I found some high density foam from a local fabric warehouse, and had the fabric in my stash. Usually upholstery fabric is some mix of natural and synthetic fibers but this is 100% cotton so it probably won't wear very well, and I'm ok with that because I can always change it. With the help of my husband, I was able to stretch and staple the new fabric in place. I love it, and I can't wait to start sewing!


Thanks for reading!