Spring is finally here!!

 

I am getting ready for my booths and a linen show.  I bought 36 vintage European towels. Here they are all washed and ironed. It was a pleasure to do these, they are handwoven and have an amazing texture.

 Striper was keeping me company,passed out cold as usual.

Will keep posting as I get organized.

 

New life for an old and tired footstool.

 

Years ago I took an evening upholstery course at Mohawk College in Stony Creek.

I enjoyed it so much that I took it about 7 times. I loved my teacher, John,who taught full time during the week at George Brown in Toronto.

I bought a compresser and pneumatic staple gun and I have never looked back. It is a very useful skill. Last week I was thrifting with my twin,Barb, and a stool came in as I was checking out. Of course I bought it and I am going to show the stages of re-upholstery.

This is the before picture. One of the most time consuming stages, is the striping off of the old fabric and everything else. If a piece is for resale,it has to have new material only and I have to be registered with the white material police.!!!

Always surprises. The plywood is rotten so it has to come off as well.

Wood underneath isn't too bad but I add a layer of

the fabric you use on top of springs to give more secure base. 

I painted it all with chalk paint. Will finish that at end.

Put 1/2 inch edge roll around the edge. It gives a softer edge for the fabric, not just the sharp.edge of the wood. Ready to add stuffing.

This is a lovely product, unrefined cotton that even has the seeds in it. You never compress this or even cut with scissors. You tear it with your hands.

On top of this I put a layer of compressed Dacron. It is polyester .

On top of this I put a slightly larger piece of 1" foam.

Finally ready for fabric. Try to drape it so the pattern is even. Not easy. I start with three staples on all sides, smoothing the fabric as I go so there is no slack. Then I check if it is even and I add 3 staples on each side of the existing staples all the way round. That way all sides should be even and equal.



It looks odd but it prevents the fabric being pulled all to one side.

The flat side of the corners should go on the broad side of the stool or chair.

I made piping and sewed it to the fabric that covers the bottom part of stool. All seams in upholstery are 1/2" .

The small cardboard is pushed up against the back of the sewn on piping and stapled on an angle. I used the piece of cardboard to make sure the piping was the same level all the way around. You are doing it wrong side out and upside down.

Photo won't let me rotate it!! This is how the stapling looks.

Cardboard stiffener is in place.

I put a half layer of Dacron to cover any staples or bumps.

Then I pulled the skirt down and stapled it close to the bottom. I want to finish the bottom edge with white pompom trim but I seem to have sold all mine. What was I thinking?

I sanded back the white legs a bit and applied wax and polished them.

I hot glue the pompom trim on to cover the staples

 and put a light dust cover on the bottom.

And that is a very brief synopsis of the many stages to re-doing a stool.

Before

 After!

 

 

Still Catching up on last year's posts!!

What on earth have I been doing??

I will post some pictures to catch up from the last

part of the year.

 

 

In the summer we have a lovely outdoor Sat, market. It is all local produce, so you get whatever is in season. I ride my bike or walk the 3 blocks to it.  Rose from Bartel's Organic farms makes bouquets from what is blooming in her garden. This is a typical gorgeous bouquet that she makes  at the market. I get there early as she usually has a number of orders before the market opens. I have breakfast there as well. Very nice way to start a weekend.

 

I make apricot jam every year.

 

 

 

I had to cut a tree down in this space and my garden has loved the new sunshine. The shrub rose was blooming into December.

Good lavender year. In the back of this garden is a wee spot totally hidden that Striper sleeps in.

Dogs get walked by and have no idea he is there.

 

Made a couple of pillows out of a damaged quilt. They are at my booth in Southworks.

 

 

Finally hung up my ribbon rack.

 

Hanging out some vintage fabric samples. Some are Scalamandre..very French. Very expensive fabric. May use on a footstool. I use my little clothesline all the time.

 

 

Barb and I went shopping in Hamilton. She is holding one of the two Italian umbrella stands I got. We had a fun afternoon.

 

 

 

Drove to the Maritime's by myself to meet my friends at a big flea market. Cut through the US and my first night I stayed in a fav hotel of mine. The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge Mass. I love all the antiques they have on display. They even have a cat welcomer, who slept outside my door.

 

 Next day I drove to King's Landing in New Brunswick. What a wonderful Place.

 

 

Summer students living and working there.

 



 

Met my friends and we were at a 900 vendor flea market the next day at 8 am. First in line!!

Apart from losing Don, we had a great day.

Drove to their home in Nova Scotia for a few more days of antiquing.

 

 

Her car after a Sat. am. garage sale route.

 

 

I redid a lovely stool of hers. The fabric should have been older than barkcloth but it was sweet when I finished. Boy I missed my pneumatic staple gun.

 

Drove home through Canada and only stopped one night along the St.Lawrence. I was in a sweet motel with this view. Drove 10 hours one day and 12 the next. Drank a lot of Coke!!

 

Back home,I got to work and did some projects of my own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A friend made a too small and short bed into the most wonderful settee. I had always loved the paint colours on it,but had no use for it as a bed. He used leftover rungs to make the correct height and it is sturdy and a fab addition to my house. I used the last of the aqua barkcloth I had and a pretty vintage pink for the backing, The pillows are feather so it looks a bit soft and rumpled like it should. I love it.

 

Well that is a quick synopsis of the rest of 2015.

I had my family for Christmas but had no time for pictures !

I will keep up this year as I have lots of plans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Where have I been?? What have I bought and done?

Wow,I haven't blogged for many months!!

It has been sometime since I last posted a blog, in March 2015.  I have to think what I have done since then. 

Winter has just started now and the holidays are over, so it is my time to get ready for my show and the busy summer months of 2016.

2015 

I made these little sleep pillows from a damaged quilt.

I made a Vogart piece into a pillow.

Here is Striper checking out the sun in early April.

Here are two gorgeous paisley shawls that I found. Both damaged but the patterns are amazing.

After a long search I found new chairs that suit my home. 

I love the birds.

I cut cutter tablecloths into squares for people to do crafts. Way too much work!!

I redid this little piano stool with vintage barkcloth. It is cast iron and very solid. So cute.

I made another Vogart piece into a pillow. Someone took all the time to do this and never finished it.

A couple of pictures at the Linen ladies show. May 2015

 I sold these beauties.

That catches me up till May. Will continue shortly.

I have put a lot of nice pins on Pinterest. Check out my boards under the pinner name, Bev Munkley.