Progress...

Where have I been...you might be asking?

 I can't believe almost a month has gone by since I posted last!  I am having some guilt for not posting sooner and keeping you all updated on what is happening here.  As much as I have wanted to be on the computer... I just have not been able to.  The month of November seemed to have flown by and yet...we are still in re-modeling dust!  Re-modeling never seems to go just as you wanted.  Things that should be done quickly can sometimes be the most daunting and time consuming.  Even with all that said...I really do see we are making some progress! :) 

Along with all the re-modeling going on here...my computer's hardrive decided to quit on me!  It is only 2 years old! Grrr...frustration.  I am needing many of my before pictures that are only on my hardrive and yes, I have not been very diligent about backing up my computer as well.  A hard lesson that hopefully won't cost a lot to fix and crossing my fingers I will still be able to retrieve most of my important files...like my pictures!

 I now am having to share the kid's computer while we are trying to get it fixed...let me just say, it is hard to come between my children and their computer time.  I not only have to get very bossy and put on my angry eyes when they want to complain about it...I also have to find a moment when they are not down in the family room so I have silence to think!  So...I better make sure I get this post typed fast and published before one of them call me that name...you know what I am talking about...the most called name everywhere, usually has a little whine behind it...MOM! 

 Progress...that is definitely happening here!  I am loving it!  Every time we get done with one more detail...my stomach gets butterflies.  I love nothing more than having a vision in my head come out in real life and be even better than I have imagined!  Of course...one project leads to the next.  We still have yet to get the flooring down on the main level...because...well...I keep seeing another detail we can add. I know eventually it will all come together...hopefully the main floor will be done before...Christmas. 

Here is just some of the work we have done...

*Click to enlarge and see the detail.

We love our new fireplace and mantel! 

This was the "before"...it make's such a difference!

Now, it is the focal point in the room.

The popcorn ceiling is gone and we have

painted the walls a pale blue-gray. 

We still have to add the wainscotting.

Again, before...

I did the tile for the fireplace, while

Mr. Wonderful layed the tile in the powder room.

The grate used to be black and brass...

a little high temp. paint in chocolate

brown made all the difference!

The travertine with the variations

 in color turned out so pretty!

We first painted the mantel and wood surround

a creamy white, I then used a mocha glaze to antique it.

Here is where I don't have my pictures of the "before" to show you all.  There is a powder room on the main floor and it is just that...a very small space!  It had been painted a brown/rust color and seemed very dark. It had basic builder fixtures. We pulled out the wood floor to add tile...it already had some water damage.  There was a pedastal sink that was too low, it seemed more for a child than an adult.  I did want to put a taller pedastal back in, but everything we tried seemed to big for the space.  Finally found a beautiful vanity with darker wood, marble top and added "oil rubbed bronze" faucet.  It looks so good!  Still on the search for the perfect mirror and accessories to finish. 

Loving our new bathroom now...

Used the rest of the beadboard from my

 daughter's room...it look's great in here!

Found a beautiful ceramic tile at Lowe's

called "rialto white" made in Italy.

We layed the tile in a brick pattern.

The contrast of the pale blue walls, crisp
white trim and dark finishings look amazing!

Next big project to do...the kitchen! Lot's of ideas waiting to come to reality.  The work is not ending anytime soon...just hoping to at least be done with some of the main projects to have our floors in. If that isn't enough...I can't seem to stay away from adding more.  I found some great finds on Craigslist and eventually will get to those as well.

I only paid $50 for this antique carved sofa! 

Will be re-painted and upholstered...

Photo:Better Homes and Gardens

Here's my inspiration.

Another great deal for $55...

an antique dresser and mirror! 

Will be refinishing this and using it

as a vanity in our master bath.

Even bought this window pane for $5...

it is going to look great in it's new home!

Can't wait to show more...still lots more work ahead!  I had hoped to have posted before Thanksgiving and didn't get to...I just want you all to know how grateful I am for each and everyone of you who read my blog!  I have so much to be thankful for and feel very blessed for the Gospel, my Family, and great Friends!!  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!  I will post when I can...hang in there with me, it will get much better as more gets done.  Have a great week!

I have linked this post with Kimba@SoftPlacetoLand DIY day, stop by and see all the creative projects that are there!

Hugs and love friends,

Under Construction...

I am living in a construction zone...literally!  I thought I would give you all a short update on what we are up to...or more like what many projects are going on.  I believe we have at least 5 projects at this moment.  You know how it goes, we have to take the base boards off to get to the flooring...insert *bright* idea, lets put bigger base boards back on.  Carpet comes up...well we might as well re-do the surround on the fireplace and I really don't like the mantel.  Do you see where I am going with this...one thing leads to the next...

 

I am very happy with the progress we are making and can't wait until I can finally start the real fun~Designing!!  I bought a mini-chandelier a week ago and just for fun took it out of the box to put all the bling of the many tiny little crystals on...I called my husband in to see the silly grin on my face, he thought I was a little wierd...I really was happy. I then hung it above me in front of the kitchen window and envisoned my little light of happiness above me while I looked out my window...*sigh*, so I then had to put it back away in a safe spot because at this very moment our home is..

I am debating if we should even pass out trick-or-treat candy tomorrow due to all the top kitchen cabinets that are sitting in the front room...hmm, thinking Mr. Wonderful can take our Ninja and Muscle Spiderman out and about in the
neighborhood, I will just keep the porch light off with all the good candy we have...what?...you know I was thinking of the kids, I don't want to scare those little goblins and ghosts at my house.  It doesn't quite resemble a home at the moment. They might think it is an abandoned haunted house.

As I said, "making some progress".  We still have yet to have the movers bring all of our things, we are literally still living out of our suitcases and thank goodness for air mattresses.  This is what DIY remodeling is all about...right? :)

So here are a couple of photos to show you what we have been up too.  I wasn't able to help the first week we were here due to me being sick...I do have Mr. Wonderful in action, so thankful for him! 

 I finally have been able to get my hands dirty and let me just say...I need a really good manicure after all of this!  I decided to tackle the kitchen while he is busy on the wall and fireplace in the livingroom/great room.

 Started taking off the tile, much harder than I had expected.  I tried to preserve the tile maybe to recycle it...but it did not want to come off in once piece!  So then got the hammer out and let me just say, something satisfying about smashing tile...anyways it took a couple of days for me to complete but I was happy to have done it mostly on my own.  Real women can do the hard work...remember we are no sissy girls, get in there and put some muscle to it.  Oh, did I mention my arms were sore the next day?

O.k. I said I was keeping this short so on to the photos...

Mr. Wonderful prepping for the ceiling to be scraped.

Using our paint sprayer he was able to wet the popcorn ceiling down to soften before he scraped it.

This is a tool designed for just this...it is a little harder to use.  Towards the end he used another tool that had a razor edge,

it worked better on the scraping.

Love this man!  Not only is his mind amazing, (he is a Computer Scientist)...he is a hard worker when it comes to manual labor!  I am sure he never dreamed he would be doing all this 10 yrs. ago before we married. He really loves me. ♥ ♥ ♥

We will have to rent some scaffalding to finish the top of the ceiling.  We will re-texturize the ceilings when we are all done scraping.

Had to share the first snow we had since we have been here.  I love having a deck to entertain on for the summer and can't wait to add a lot of love and work into our yard this spring.

This is part of the Living room that connects into the eat in kitchen.  When this was first built they made a cut out for the t.v. area.  I wanted to put my Armoire in this room but was worried that it wouldn't fit.  We decided to close the hole just big enough for built in shelves for our componets for the t.v. and will put a door over it with glass. Above the fireplace we are doing an insert that sits just inside the wall to mount our flat screen.  I then am going to make some kind of doors, art not sure exactly what yet to fit over it. 

Taking off the base boards.

Took the drywall mantel off. 

Will be adding a wood mantel and decorative surround.

Taking out the tile.

More popcorn ceiling removed...

So much better without it!

Framing added for the t.v. The surrounding drywall had to be sanded so when the new drywall is added it can adhere to the tape and mudding.

 

A peek at the travertine tile and glass accent tiles

that will be on the surround of the fireplace.

One of the wood accents that will be on the fireplace.

Here is part of the kitchen.  It is a little smaller than my old kitchen.  We are re-doing the flooring, change the island and cabinets will be painted.  I am doing beadboard for the backsplash and eventually will have stainless steel appliances.

The tile wasn't awful just not the look I wanted.  In our daughters room it had been a nursery.It has beadboard

around the whole room.  Luckily they didn't glue it to the

wall so I am recycling it and using it for the backsplash.

So happy that I can re-use this!

Because the drywall came out in pieces with the tile we had no choice but to cut out that area and will add new drywall here as well. I brought a piece of the beadboard down to give a little vision of how it will look in here...going to love it! 

So the deconstruction phase of a project is never the great part...it has to get bad before it get's better.  We are that much closer to having the shelving added in for the living room and should be able to start the drywall tomorrow.  I can't wait to eventually show you all the vision that is in my head for this home and seeing it come together is a great feeling!  Will post on progress as we get more done. 

I guess I can never do a very short post...

I am trying to get around and visit many of you.  Have tried not to spend too much time on the computer right now so work is getting done!  I think of you all often and am so grateful for all the love and support you give!  Thank you!  I hope your Halloween is filled with fun and saftey!

Hugs and love,

Lil' Bug is 5 Today!

Hard to believe that 5 years ago on this day I had just given birth to this sweet brown eyed boy!  This post is...all about my baby, Lil' Bug!!

When I found out I was expecting our last baby, making him number 5...I was so not prepared to be pregnant.  I at the time was going through some medical tests...pregnancy was the last thing on my mind.  Yes, I know how it happened...hearing the thoughts. lol.

So here is the story:

I had to do a test on my heart and they were using nuclear medicine for a scan.  A day before the test I had to have a pregnancy test done...wasn't even worried.  It came back negative.  I proceeded with the test and having hindsight remember how everywhere I looked it had a sign that said "if you think you could be pregnant...".  I was asked by the nurse before the medicine was injected..."the test was negative".  Finished the test and went home.

Being military if the Dr. office is closed we had to go into the ER for medical attention after the office closed on base where we lived.  I was having a lot of pain on my right side and at the time was taking an antibiotic for a sinus infection.  The nurse thought it might be my gallbladder and wanted me to get it checked out.  Not thrilled about having to go back to the Dr. much less the ER, I hesitantly went to get it looked at. 

I had a very nice older Dr. that called me "hon" treating me that evening...(let me just tell you, nothing perturbs me more than women that are younger than me calling me hon or sweetie)...o.k. back to my story, so he ordered blood work to see what was going on.  

The news he came back with was so unexpected that I literally laughed and cried.  He told me,  "Your blood work looks good and there is nothing I am too worried about...and, well your pregnant."  I said, "What?!  Are you sure?!  I can't be...I just did a Cardiolite Stress Test and they tested me a couple of days ago, it was negative"!  The Dr. then could see I was very upset about hearing this and tried to reassure me that everything would be o.k.  I asked him if the test could be wrong and he said with blood test it is almost 99% right but there was that 1% chance...

I then sat there stunned and called my husband crying.  I was so worried about being pregnant and what the medicine they  used could do.   I also had concern of how I was going to carry this baby having some of the medical problems that was going on.  Mr. Wonderful of course was happy, shocked and told me to stay calm.  We would talk more about it at home and everything would be alright.

A very pregnant me and Mister Inquisitive.

Within weeks to deliver. The Artist and Drama Queen.

(Still trying to get that baby weight off from 5 years ago...I guess I don't have an excuse anymore!) lol

That 99% chance ended up being accurate. With lots of prayer and learning how to give my worry to my Heavenly Father...our beautiful, 7 lb 12 0z. miracle baby boy was born by c-section on October 26th 2004.  His apgar score was a 9 and everything seemed to be fine with him.  We were grateful and blessed.  

An hour after he was born.  So precious!

Little did we know that by the next morning everything would change.

The nurse came in early the next morning to check the vitals on the baby and I.  The nurse had just taken his oxygen level and said it was very low.  She thought maybe the machine wasn't working and was going to get a new one.  I had just started nursing him and noticed that his lips looked blue.  I asked her, "is it just me or does he look a little blue?"  Being that I had surgery they still had me on some pain medicine so I thought maybe I wasn't seeing clear... She came to look a little closer and scooped him up from me and started patting him on his back.  I could see she was worried and I wasn't sure what to think.  She said she needed to take him to the nursery and observe him. 

Next thing I knew they are telling me that the Pediatrician will be coming to talk to me.  When I finally saw the Dr. he told me his concerns and that he was going to admit Lil' Bug into the NICU.  I still had not seen my husband at this point and just broke down crying.  I had no idea what was going on and the scary thing was either did the Drs.  

When I finally did see my husband we prayed and asked for our Bishop to come to the hospital so we could do a blessing for him.  I am so grateful to have a testimony of knowing we have a Heavenly Father to put our trust into and give us comfort.  I felt much better after the blessing and knew somehow everything would work out. 

All hooked up...

Being that I had a c-section I was able to stay in the hospital for 4 days and to be in the NICU as much as I could.  The hardest part was seeing him all connected to wires and tubes.  He looked so fragile and it broke my heart.  The day we had to leave the hospital and not have him go with us was the hardest thing I had to do. Every day we would go and spend as much time there as we could and call to see how his progress was.

My sister and husband loving on Lil' Bug.

 All they could figure out was he had apnea, but not sure why.  They did a brain scan, heart and everything else they could think of to see what could be causing it.  Finally one Dr. said he noticed a sour smell after they fed him and thought maybe he had acid reflux.  If so it was cutting off his airway so that it wouldn't aspirate into his lungs.  He wanted to do a test and raise his bassinet, put him on rice formula instead of nursing...just maybe this would make a difference.  Sure enough within a day he stopped having episodes of not breathing.  He finally was cleared to go home and be on a monitor.  We were excited and nervous at the same time. Happy to say, he never had another episode.

Finally...coming home!

 

First day home...so grateful!

Blessing day.

First Christmas, love this smile!

Mommy and Lil' Bug...first Easter!

His 2nd birthday.

He gives us so much joy and laughs!

Is he not so cute?!

I love this boy!  The only one to get my dimples. 

Pumpkin patch in Ohio.

We know we have been blessed with a special spirit and so grateful we get to be his parents! My intuition early on could see that there were certain things with this child that were different from my others.

He walked, talked and reached milestones later than the normal. He was very particular with things and had amazing attention to detail. He didn't like baths and would scream just trying to get it done. Later we realized he did not want water to touch his face and we have to wash his hair without water getting on his face still. I started seeing him lining things...it was different.  He could cry and it could last for an hour. 

As my husband and I came up one night to get the kids in bed this is what Lil' Bug had been doing.  I was so amazed at the lining that I took a picture.  Deep down I knew something didn't quite seem right about it.

We have suspected and will have him evaluated for high functioning Autism.  We are looking for a Dr. here to work closely with him and make sure we can help him in the best way possible. He is highly intelligent and we realize he might do some things different...and that is o.k. The most important thing is to make sure he has early intervention and learn how to best help him. 

Always a smiley boy! At the Zoo in NM.

He calls his sister "kiki" and they are very close.

Such a loving boy!

First day of pre-school.

Luckily where we lived they had a special pre-school program with the public schools that start kids at 3 for early intervention with disabilities.  It has helped him tremendously with his speech, communication and learning how to deal with his peers.  He has sensory issues so that is why he can't handle water being on him, had an obsession with feet...mainly women if they had hose on.  Wanted to keep his hands under their feet when they came to our house...we always take our shoes off. He only likes certain textures in food and can't have some mixed.  It has been a struggle at times for us and the kids to understand how to help him, but we all have come a long way. I definitely pick my battles...some can be long and melted down!  If something doesn't go the way he needed it too he says "Try, try again" and will back track his steps to do it over.

Giving mommy some love and kisses!

Always happy!

Riding his bike in his pjs...he wanted to keep them on. 

Some of his favorite things...apples, trains, Spiderman, legos, he has an amazing kick and throw...all boy!  We are going bowling for his birthday, his request.  

Happy, Happy Birthday to you Lil' Bug!! I could go on and on about this sweet little one.  We are so grateful for him and the joy he brings to our family!  Enjoy seeing him grow and learn.  Of course this is my last baby so I am hanging on...at least he still likes to snuggle with me.  

Better get back to work on the Whimsy French Cottage, thanks for letting me share. 

Hugs and love friends!

One Door Closes...

Believe it or not...I am posting!  All I have to say is "Wow...that was the longest move of my life!"  Not really in distance, just in time.

We still had so much to finish and even did a partial DITY...(military term a.k.a~do-it-yourself) which only prolonged finishing that much more.  Two days before we left for Colorado, suddenly I was hit with body aches and fever.  Of course...you can't move without throwing being sick in there too, at least it always seems to go that way.  I took a good dose of Motrin and kept moving on not having time to lie down.  I couldn't help but think of many before us, (such as the pioneers) that no matter what came their way they had to keep pushing on...thank goodness we have the comforts of today, it would have been so much harder.

Goodbye NM house...it has been fun.

So back to the longest move of my life...when it rains it pours.  We finally left NM about mid-day last Tuesday.  Normally a 6 hour trip took us 9 hours to do.  The winds were blowing hard and strong that day and being that we were towing a u-haul full to the rim...it was a scary sight to see my van with family inside swaying side to side along with the tow.  We had no choice but to keep our speed about 50-55 mph in order to not have the u-haul and van go out of control.  With our hazards on the whole way, (yes that was me and my family...the annoying driver's going slow on Interstate 25 N ).  By the time we almost were to our destination, fog and mist came upon us which only added to the excitement we were already having.  Thank goodness with lots of  prayer, Dr. Pepper, cough drops, water, motrin and Drama Queen's iPod music we made it safe and...well...maybe sound!  
 

At least Lil' Bug was able to get some rest.

Strong winds in NM!

Enjoyed seeing the changing colors on the trees...

Goodbye NM...

Hello Colorado!!

My view all the way there...
hazards on our U-haul!

Still feeling sick once we were here, I finally could lay down and rest. Never being one to ever be in bed for very long...not even with 4 c-sections, I was in bed for 2 days straight! This illness had hit me hard.

 Finally I decided I needed to get looked at when my coughing was so hard and it hurt to breathe in. What I already knew deep down was confirmed at the Dr.s. I had the dreaded H1N1 and now had bronchitis. I could only keep doing what I had been to feel better and was given a Z-pac for the bronchitis.

Little by little I have started to feel better...still have a cough that is lingering. All the kids have now been sick too. I am keeping close eyes to see if we will have to take any of them in. The Artist has asthma and we have already pulled the nebulizer out several times.

The good news...my husband has only a cold but none of what we all have. He is the worker bee of our family right now! I really did marry Mr. Wonderful...not one complaint with all the work he has been doing. I have been frustrated that I haven't been able to do more...hopefully soon!!

So...there you have why I have been non-existent in the internet world!!

Still many more things I need to share...

I just want to thank all of you who reached out to me with kind words and love about losing our "Sammy Cat". I think we all were shocked and saddened that he was not with our family anymore. We are doing better and time really does help heal.

We do have some good news...a new addition has been added to our family!!

 I recieved a call from one of the secretary’s at my sons elementary school before we moved, asking if we might be interested in having a new kitten.  I of course said "no", I didn't think we needed to add a kitten to all that we had going on.  She gave me the number and said that we could think about it.  Drama Queen happend to be in the room at the time of the call...well let me just say my "no" didn't last long...

Felicity
 

As you can see...she is cute as a button!!  She has added some happiness back to our family.  Having a new kitty can't replace Sammy, but she definitely has given us some movement and noise we have missed.


The kids came up with her name, it means happiness!  I think it is perfect for her.

Miss Playfull!

Thinking she is hiding from us...

We can't keep her off of the cable box!  She likes that it is warm.  Until we have all our furniture here she will keep napping on her warm little box.

Look's comfy...right?!

We are enjoying her...although Lilah detests her...maybe eventually they will be friends.

I have recently been featured on two different blogs that show amazing before and afters! 

The DIY Show Off featured me here!  I always feel honored and loved when another blog shows me off! This last Saturday Lindsey at Better After posted on a couple of my projects as well!  I am grateful to both of these amazing blogs.  If any of you are not familiar with them make sure to stop by and check them out!

Last but definitely not least...The Whimsy French Cottage has begun her renovation!!  Here is a peek at what we are working on first...

The main level...

The carpet and oak wood floor is up. The popcorn ceiling is scraped and I will show you how I will disguise this as a wall that doesn't stop your eye!  Just found and bought an amazing chandelier to hang where that existing one is.  Can't wait to show you all!!

Excited to see the vintage cherry flooring in place of this...

We are calling this the parlor/dining room.  It leads into the living room/great room.  There is an eat-in kitchen and firplace in that room as well.  The vintage cherry will flow into the whole main space.

Our new chapter...The Whimsy French Cottage.

As the title of my post say's..."When one door closes, another one open's".  Welcome friends to our new home and start at the Whimsy French Cottage...so much lies ahead!! Thank you to all who are following along.

Till next post, hugs to you!

Moving Day...

I feel as if I have been gone from blogland for a while now and miss all of my friends here!  A lot can change in less than a week.

For many that are new here, welcome friends!!  Looking forward to knowing all of you.  I am hoping to have a little bit of time to get around this next week and visit many.  Things have just been a little chaotic with us getting ready to move next week. 

As my title says, "Moving Day" the movers came and took all our things away...we are now with an empty house that echos.  We had our things moved sooner than us, because we needed to do a lot of painting and knew that would be easier with all of our stuff gone.  So now I sit on a metal chair (not comfy) and card table to type this post.  Once we are moved to Colorado, we still will be without our things for a little bit because we will be installing our wood floor...we will survive.

A midst a sea of boxes...

As I said,  a lot can change in a week. 

My family and I had to deal with a very hard loss last Saturday.  Our family pet, "Sammy Cat" was in a very tragic accident and lost his life. 

With all that is going on with our move it was overlooked that he wasn't in on Friday evening and somehow ended up underneath our neighbors car the next morning. Without all the difficult details...he was ran over. 

There is a lot of guilt on my part...how could I not know he wasn't in?  I check every night to make sure our cats are in as we lock up.  That evening seems like a blur and I know we all were very tired.  All of us had been in and out that evening, so we are not sure when he escaped past us without knowing.  Many times he will go just out on the front porch and roll around then run back inside.  He has always been a little skittish and didn't like to be out there without any of us.

 Sometimes you wish you could turn back time and do it over.  I always check.  Sammy and Lilah have always been inside cats.  Sammy was with our family for almost 10 years.  He was everybody's buddy and a great listener ( the kids all said how they talked to him in their rooms when they were sad, mad or needed to vent), unique personality (we called him a cat-dog because he fetched), and such a beautiful cat with amazing green eyes.  We loved him...

 Every time I sat at my computer to write my posts, or visit your blogs...Sammy was right there...in the other chair sleeping. I would stop pet him and tell Sammy I loved him.  As I type this I am overcome with emotion of my love for my cat and how much I miss his company.  It has been a very hard week with the reality that he is gone and is greatly missed from our family. 

In loving memory...Sammy Cat

So...it has been hard to want to come sit here.  But, I miss you all.  

Getting ready for this move there are a few very special things I never let the packers move, because it is irreplaceable.  Things that were given to me from my Grandma Bunny ( I loved having a Grandma named Bunny, the nickname she wanted to be called by her grandkids) like beautiful teacups and saucers. My Grandma passed away from colon cancer in 1992 and I cherish everything she ever gave to me that was hers...those were the best gifts.  

A few of my favorite things...

Many years ago I fell in love with some turquoise pottery and since have started to collect these beautiful pieces.  I have had a hard time finding more pieces to add to my collection.  Santa Anita Ware is the name on the pottery made in California. Would love to know if anyone has any information on this company or would know where I could find more?

These are almost in perfect shape...love them!

My Aunt and Uncle have traveled many amazing places and on one of their trips spent time in Turkey.  They brought me back a gift...this beautiful hand painted little bowl.

Hand made and painted in Kütahya, Turkey.

Gifts from Mr. Wonderful...

Waterford butterfly bowl and

a handmade weaved glass bowl.

This Marquis Waterford  bowl was given to me on our 4th anniversary.  I had been wanting this bowl for awhile.  I love the way each butterfly is different in shape, size and color.  So pretty!

Each delicate butterfly is so unique...

This is a Homer Laughlin bowl that was given to me at my baby shower when I was pregnant with "Drama Queen" and I will give it to her one day.  I love the little picture of the baby in the center.  It is over a hundred years old...

Sweet baby...

I am happy I was able to share some of my favorite things with you all and remember the memories that are cherished with them. 

I am glad you all enjoyed the post on Upholstery 101 and I am hoping to have another post up on the series next week.  I also will show my last Whimsy Spotlight for awhile.  I meant to have it up this week, but with all that I had going on it just wasn't going to happen.

I will leave you with an amazing find that I picked up at Goodwill last Friday.  I can't wait to re-upholster them and I am thinking I just might do some of the work on video...I am a little camera shy, so we will see. ;) 

I paid $2.99 each...what a deal! 

I have tried to find out any information I can about what these chairs are called exactly?  The closest thing I can find is the mix between a berege chair and a slipper chair.  It would be great to know the time period and what they are.  I have big plans for them and look forward to one more project!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Bless you all and hugs,

Upholstery 101...Yardage & Fabric

Thank you all for all your great comments on my post
"Funky Chair Re-upholstery".  I first have to say~ "I am not a professional upholster, but have learned on my own" with that said..."Do Attempt this at Home!" and repeat after me..."I can do this...I can do this!"

I am breaking this tutorial up into a couple of posts in order to make it easier to follow. I also will be doing some more extensive work on re-upholstery for myself with springs and inside workings of a piece as well. Hopefully eventually I can cover most of what you will need to know about re-upholstering furniture.

 Over the years when I wanted to know how to do something, I just tried it...mistakes and all.  Now, I am not going to lie and say that as I do a new project, I don't sometimes have doubts about the end result.  I do my research and find out as much as I can about the project to help me better understand what I am getting myself into... Again, the only way to really learn is trial and error.  As I have been doing my own upholstery, I am learning how to improve with each project.
 
With all of that said...let the tutorial begin!

 Depending on the piece, a very important part of upholstery... is sewing.  I know, I know...some of you didn't want to hear that. So...you might not sew, this too can be a great place to start on trial and error.  If your not quite ready for that step yet...make sure to know a great seamstress, be it your mom, grandmother, aunt, friend...you get the point.  The best way to tackle projects can be having someone else help you. 

 There can be an exception to this, some pieces or simple projects might only need stapling and some hot glue.  The best way to know is to undo the piece and see how it was done.

Via~Google

O.k...so let's start with measuring your project and deciding how much fabric will be needed.  A great rule to remember, more is better in sewing or upholstery.  Never order or buy just the exact amount...as I said "trial and error".  You don't want to end up not having enough or if for some reason you need to cut another piece. Leftover fabric can also be used to make pillows, which is a great way to tie the room together.

Start by finding the width, length and depth of your piece.  There are a couple of different ways to do this:

Measurements for the chair I did was done with the fabric on. You can even sketch a little picture of where your measurements were made.

Taking off all the fabric can be done to measure the piece you are re-doing so that you have a more acurate measurement. 
Note* if you do this make sure before starting the project of taking the fabric off take lots of pictures at different angles for reference! Also label each piece from back to front and sides.  Don't skip these steps!

Here are other ways for determining how much fabric you will need for your piece. Two different sites that show estimates on fabrics Fabric.Com and Fabric by the Yard  are great source of information on determining fabric yardage.  You can ask an associate in a fabric store (they should have a book that shows suggested yardage for furniture pieces) even call an upholstery shop and ask how much fabric might be needed for your specific piece.   

 You also need to account for welting (cording is the same thing), lining up patterns (depending on what you choose ex. a plaid with a repeat) pleats or skirts.

Now that you have your fabric yardage, lets talk about the best fabrics to use. 

 You of course can use upholstery fabric which is durable, heavier and usually has a stain guard applied.  These usually however can be more pricey. 

 I have found buying decorator fabric at my local fabric store is just as good.  Being the thrifty designer I am a great sale or coupon will buy a lot of fabric!  There are also many great on-line fabric stores, another great option.  If you buy a decorator fabric and are worried about having stain resistant, you can buy Scotch-guard to appy to your fabric. 

 Here are some important things to look for when picking your fabric:

Durability~Is this an everyday use, kids, animals?

Cleaning~Is it dry clean only or can you wipe it down with a damp cloth?

Color~Light or dark, will it show stains or hide them?

Style~Does it fit in with the look of your room, is it classic or  eventually look dated?

Comfort~Does it just look pretty or something that you would enjoy feeling?

These are just some of the things to think about before picking your fabric.

Do you want natural fibers such as cotton, linen and silk or great synthetic fabrics that are a blend of man made fibers with natural fibers?

Cotton

Linen

Silk

Another thing to note is that synthetic fabrics can be more durable, stain resistant, and retain color better.

Velvet is another good choice that is a weave and not a fiber that usually contains some natural fiber blended with it. 

Velvet

Microfiber and microsuede have become a popular choice as well.  It really comes down to the look you want, and elements of the fabric that are important to you.  

Synthetic Fibers

~photos via Google

Something else to keep in mind, make sure it is a medium weight and gives a little stretch in the fabric.  If your fabric is too heavy you won't be able to stretch it, it will be hard to work with and won't fit the way you need it to. 

Next post on"Upholstery 101 Tutorial Part 2" I will be talking about tools and materials needed for re-upholstering.  I hope this will help you find your fabric and get you ready to say "I can do this!" Please feel free to ask any questions...I will do my best to answer them. 

Here is a sneak peek of what I will be up to until I post again...

Cant' wait to show you...a big transformation!

Have a great weekend!

Hugs,

Papercuts by Melissa Winner!

I came to my blog this morning to post on the Giveaway winner and found a very upsetting thing happening here.  My Twitter updates looked as if they had been hijacked and the conversation taking place was something vulgar.  I am not sure how or when this happened?  I will say I am so sorry if any of you had come to visit and had to see it.  I decided to completely take it off so I wouldn't have to worry about it happening again.  Has this happened to any of you? 

On a happier note...I do have a winner!  Papercuts by Melissa are just incredibly beautiful!  I am going to be ordering my custom "Soul Girl" to hang in my Whimsy office in our new home.  It should be fun to see what it will look like when it is done. 

Victorian

  I just want to thank Melissa again for her amazing talent and letting me all share with you! If any of you missed my post on her, make sure to stop by and visit her Etsy shop Papercuts by Melissa there are so many intricate, beautiful designs to see and choose from.

The Winner is...

Number 19 you are SoBella Creations!!!  Congratulations on winning the $25 gift certificate to Melissas Etsy shop!  I hope you enjoy picking something out. 

As for this weeks Whimsy Spotlight I am sorry to say I won't have one up this week.  Next Wednesday will be the last one I will do for a while, I know you will love it!  Once I am settled and feel I can keep up with the amount of time that goes into each Whimsy Spotlight post, they will be back with more talented and amazing artists, designers and business owners. 

Back to work for me! Have a great week friends!!

Hugs