A facelift for Papa’s Chair.

I recently inherited my grandfather’s chair. He died when I was an infant, but the chair was in our house throughout my childhood.

I remember many a night curled up in it or lounging over the arm of it watching Monkey Magic and Dr. Who.

I remember our small (but oh so terrifying) silky terrier would curl up under it and growl any time anyone went near.

I loved the idea of being close to the grandfather I had never known by sitting in it as he had.

I love the shape.

I love the fit.

I hate the upholstery. Especially where it was ravaged by my parent’s cat.

Before.

It sits in the corner of my bedroom and is still a haven for me. Especially when I am on the phone, trying to get a full sentence out before the kids find me and start talking at me!

Most of these phone conversations end with Papa’s chair holding all three of us (the kids always find me- blithely unaware that I have been trying to hide from them- and end up on my knee or the arm of the chair).

It was a labor of love, but I’m so pleased with the results. Not brave enough to have a proper go at re-upholstery, I settled on making a loose cover to go on top. Complete with velcro down the back for easy undressing and laundering! The fabric is Amy Butler’s Dream Poppies in Tangerine.

After.

As soon as I finished it, I clipped Elliot’s claws.

New season craftiness.

So much to share. I’ve been particularly crafty of late and doing my best to complete projects and not just start them and get distracted by making cups of tea, demands from the kiddies or distractions of little bits of fluff on my sleeve… oh sorry, now where was I?

I wish I was more organised and managed to ever take some before shots. If I had, this would be much more impressive.

These were little home made chairs that were sitting around my grandparents-in-law’s house. They were originally stained (a very pine-y yellow gloss) and had mustard yellow vinyl covers with these strange high backs. The new upholstery is a Moda Home fabric we sell in the shop, very durable heavy weave. I just love how they turned out (the kids are pretty happy too!)

As weak as it is- I do believe this constitutes an Ikea hack. Some Dulux spray paint in Volcano Orange and I’m very impressed with my glossy little kitchen accessory/ extra chair.

This one I did quite a white back, I just don’t think I ever got around to blogging it. I found the lamp base at Mill Markets in Geelong -oh how I love that place! The shade was a plain white one I bought for $2 (super bargain basement price) from Kmart which I recovered in some yummy Amy Butler Wildflowers fabric from the Daisy Chain range. It now graces the sideboard in my dining room.

It appears that I’m not the only one. The little guy has been painting to his heart’s content and is super keen to practise his newly acquired skill of turning one’s painting into a stamp (where you turn your painting face down and rub the back so that you get a mirror image). Only thing is, he doesn’t always have the paper lined up underneath.

Needless to say we did end up with some lovely reverse paintings directly transfered onto the table top.

Me and Amy Butler!

What an exciting weekend! We went to the quilting trade show on Saturday and have ordered all sorts of exciting new fabrics, patterns, books and notions for the fabric shop. This is me looking all professional (hahaha).

Lovely, lovely fabric.

And look who I met! I was so star struck, but Amy Butler is the lovliest, most generous person. We had a chat and she graciously signed some copies of Midwest Modern and Little Stitches for Little Ones for our shop.

Here’s some gorgeous new Japanese fabrics arriving early next year.

 That’s just the beginning, more next time.

Daisy Chain Instore Now!

I hate to go on and on about it, but Daisy Chain is in the shop. Now. It’s very exciting. You should toddle over and have a look.

Here’s a preview:

New new things! Amy Butler Daisy Chain

Check out these new fab-u-licious fabrics, arrived today, not even all unpacked yet!

I am so excited to have a really wonderful selection of the new Amy Butler fabric range “Daisy Chain”.

Straight out of the box. Straight into my shop. For your purchase!

That’s not all (of course). We have new Heather Ross “Mendocino” fabric, more Amy Butler “Midwest Modern” and a smattering of Joel Dewberry.

They’ll be up on the site throughout the weekend, but I was so excited to see them, I had to share the news straight away.

New fabrics coming soon!

Look at the latest lovelies we have ordered! The new Amy Butler Daisy Chain quilting fabrics, available in store shortly.

Amongst others, we have also ordered the delicious new range of quilting weight fabrics by Heather Bailey, Pop Garden.

That’s just on the shop front. On the home front, I have realised that the wee one’s bunny lovey is about to disintegrate. If this happens, it actually WILL be the end of the earth, so I have been knitting him a little bunny lovey sized bespoke jumper. Have just finished the last sleeve and am off to piece it together.

I think when bunny wakes up in the morning, there may be some time for a photo opp replete with jumper.

Home Creations

Here are the cushions I made with some of the new Amy Butler Midwest Modern fabric and the Anna Maria Garden Party fabric that’s available in store now. They’ve really bightened up the living room.

More delectable goodies!

More pressies today in the form of fabrics- yeeha! Wanna see?…

And some more?

Photographed some of my products today too, to see how they’d turn out for the store. Some more successful than others but there’s definitely a few I’ll find some use for.