Drapery Install

I thought I would share what I did on my birthday. Here are pictures of some of the installation.

There was a little planning going on to figure a way to install the 241 inch long drapes beside the staircase where there was not enough room to put the ladder on the wall beside the window. We had to use a walk board, open the window, so we would not damage the window ledge. There was a ladder at the other end of the walk board with a very large C clamp to make sure it was secure when moving around. The second ladder for the other wall has extension legs that we had to use that worked perfect. Of course the cautious person I am I had Johnny attach a tie down strap to the center mullion of the window. The plan was if we fell we would take the window with us. Next issue was the grand piano, was it possible to install the Living Room drapes without moving the grand piano. With a 24 foot extension ladder, we could angle it to the wall and miss the piano by inches. We were set for the install all problems resolved.

Then after the main drapes were installed, I have to climb the ladder dress the drapes at the top and add the flag, they were embellished with 9 inch black bullion and another beaded trim on top, of course let's not forget the applique that was at the bottom of the flag. I do not like heights so you will notice I kept a hand on the ladder at all times.

The drapes with the flag really brought your eye up. The beautiful wrought iron at the top was just icing on the drape.

The Dining room curved bay was really a easy install, we had separate brackets for the iron work, we just had to walk it up the ladder and sit it in the brackets, and the drapes were ready to install and dress. After I dressed the drapes the designer put his touch on the design with a few embellishments.

The last room was the Master, and I only wish I could have taken a picture of this room completed. The headboard and bed were breath taking but still under construction so it was not photo worthy at the time. The drapes were a power blue with a 8 inch fur lead edge, with 3 rows of rhinestones 1.5 inches off the fur so it would not be lost in a pleat all hand sewn on of course. I really thought when making them how fancy they were and how they would stand out when installed. Little did I know that the bed would be the star of the room. When working with designers you really don't know what the final design concept is, I just love it when I can see the design come together when installing.

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Envision & Ingenuity Awards Competition

The Vision 11 Awards competition was exciting this year, it is the first year I have entered. I was so excited when they announced my name during the awards as a winner. While I was a second place winner, it was a honor to be able to accept the award. The competition was stiff this year so anyone that won an award came away with a huge smile and a real feel of a great accomplishment. When all the winners treatments were shared, all you could be is in awe. The designers and workrooms more than surpassed the past years in stepping up their creativity and quality. I entered the workroom side of the competition, the designer of my project was Phillip Suits of Landy Gardner Interiors, located in Nashville Tennessee. My client is also located in Nashville, she was thrilled to hear about the win.The velvet pelmets were all hand sewn, then a 1/4 cord was laid inside 1 inch from the edge following the shape of the the design. Just to add a little surprise for the client and a surprise for those that like to checkout the workmanship behind the scenes I did a fleur-de-lis out of the cord at the long point that only a few will see but a nice little touch. . We did workable drapes and Austrian shades to finish off the window. The clients room was beautiful, I was able to stop by just this last week and she has added a crystal chandelier that is breathtaking that finished off the room.

This was a hard treatment, but one I was very proud of once completed but most of all the client and designer loved the end product. Here is a close up view of the pelmet area.

I recently completed a job that had several top treatments and I wanted to share them with my readers.

Cornice Keeper with workable linen drapes.

Silk Treatment with workable drapes and austrian shade

Stationary drapes with workable roman

Slip Cover your Dining Room Chairs

Now that we are trapped inside. You are looking around all the Christmas decorations are gone, what to do to put some life back into you room.A simple slipcover just on the top section of your dining room chairs should do it. These chairs were very bulky looking but with a simple boxed slipcover with a D in the middle made the difference.

Seasonal Slipcovers

Do you have a worn out/dirty chair but really don't want to have it re-upholstered? I know everyone out there is saying yes I have one of those. You can have a very simple slipcover made, wait you can have several made that can be quickly pulled off and replaced with a new one. Wait, I did not say that this will be cheap but it is a great solution to that great sitting chair that you would love to change from time to time. I took a class with Angie at the SlipCover Summit and she taught us how to cut a pattern just for that quick fix. The first pattern was really funny, I had to pin fabric in places I had taken to much away, but the whole time I was thinking of a great idea. Making a simple slipcover that would fit a chair style everyone had.

First I cut the original pattern it was rough but it worked. I then took the pattern back to my workroom to hammer out a pattern I could reproduce. I cut the finial pattern from canvas so it would take abuse and reuse. Now I had to decide on the perfect fabric, I used a silk gold with red dots.



In the back of my mind I am thinking I want to paint this chair red and put it in my bedroom. Then I pulled the fabric and started making the cover. I wanted a tiny welt and decided to use 1/2 a zipper as welt cord around the seat bottom and the backs. I really did not want a fitted slip cover I wanted something fun. The chair is now red, not really loving the red, what to do next.

I am thinking now it needs a walnut wash over the chair to tone down the red and show the carving on the chair. All projects seem to take on a life of their own. Oh what a difference it made to put a stain on top of that red, don't you just love it.

11th Annual Slipcover Summit

Local Contact: Anna Davis of Anna's Custom Design

What do people do with their furniture, when it is worn, torn or just needing a face lift. Why not cover it with a slipcover! In today’s economy one simply can't afford to just throw furniture away. Is there really an "away"? So why not learn how to sew "your own slipcover".

June 23-25, 2010 the Slipcover Summit, the only event of its kind, will be held at Madison, Tennessee from 8am-5pm daily. It is the first time the Slipcover Summit has ever been in the Tennessee, as it travels regionally each year to various areas of the country. This year is the Tennessee next year possible PA, or WI.

Learn how to make Slipcovers from instructors who are actively involved slipcovering furniture for their own businesses. Class size is limited so each participant has the opportunity to experience hands on. In many workshops participants will make or take home samples.

Instructors are working professionals who have volunteered to teach what they have learned over the years. They have worked hard to put together packets of information and samples for a memorable learning experience. They are giving of their time and experience in the field they know best. Sharing knowledge they most likely have acquired the hard way, through actual experience.

To find out more go to http://www.slipcoversummit.com/, print a schedule of classes to be held, and register as class size is limited.

Click the link below to listen to various instructors teaching at the Slipcover Summit. http://community.icontact.com/p/homefashionsu/newsletters/homefashionsu/posts/slipcover-summit-2010

Donating your time.

I don't have the opportunity to donate my time often for a good cause so, when someone ask me to donate my time and I can, I love to help. As you know I am a sub-contractor for Minutes Matter the drawing program I use to create my window designs. We had a customer email us and ask if anyone would be interested in giving some time on a project she was working on. After reading her story, I knew I could help.

It was really simple they were doing a fund raiser for a sick child and part of the job was to create a rendering of the donated room in different colors so everyone could see what the room choices were and how it would look finished.

Carol sent me links of what she had in her mind along with the color suggestions, headboard design, and the fabric description. No I really did not have the actual fabric to pull from just jpegs of what she was thinking. I thought I would share with you the jpegs of her ideas and then the final renderings.




She needed the bed to have the feel of the bed on the left. They wanted the dust skirt to have the same feel as the purple skirt to the right.




They needed the fabric on the comforter to be white with a Greek Key Embroidery on the pillow shams, no I did not have a JPEG of the fabric just a description of what she needed. I was able to draw the Greek Key in my program and incorporate it into the design.





They needed a simple headboard with a diamond design fabric that would go with anything. I had the information now it was time to use the program to create the design.







Here is the room with a blue wall, loved it. Isn't it amazing what a difference the color of the wall makes in a room and using the same fabrics and colors on the bedding and the draperies remain the same in each sitting.

On the second story board Carol wanted a soft green, green is one of my favorite colors.




The Next colors Carol choice were a deep Terra Cotta and a Melon /Cantaloupe color, I just










loved those, what a difference the color made. Being able to see the difference without even opening up one can of paint, what a money saver.