Posted
August 21, 2009 by
deb under
DIY 
Need a quick and easy piece of wall art? {And inexpensive too!} Here are the step by step instructions:
Materials needed:
Step by Step instructions:
- Put your wooden frame together. We used a drill to place triangle braces on the corners of the frame. If you are using canvas stretcher bars instead, they will interlock and the only tool you will need for this project is a heavy duty stapler.
- Lay the fabric face down with the frame on top {make sure you iron it first}. Position the fabric and make sure it’s straight before you start stapling. Allow for a couple inches of fabrics on each side of the frame. {My frame ended up being 32″x 36″}. Pull the fabric up and over your frame and start stapling.
- For the corners, I wrapped it like a present. Before I stapled it down, I made sure it looked okay from the front.
- Attach a picture hanger on the back, and it’s ready to hang.
The cost of this project is very minimal, and it’s a very easy wall decor project. Now I have something fun to look at when I’m ironing.
Tags: art, decor, DIY, fabric, staples, wall, wood
Posted
August 13, 2009 by
deb under
Interview We are thrilled to have the opportunity to interview Amy Butler here on Fresh Nest! We love her sense of style and love the way she carries herself and conducts business. I fell in love with her fabric designs the minute I laid eyes upon them and have kept an eye on her work ever since. I know I’m not the only one. And now for the Q & A with Amy Butler.
What is your favorite room in your home and why?
I love spending time at home; it is hard for me to pick just one place! I love my living room. My friends have nicknamed our house “The tree house” because we are up on a hill surrounded by trees. Our living room is full of windows so even when it is cold or rainy out I can still bring a bit of the outside in with me.
What tips do you have for our readers that like to DIY home design?
Have fun with your design! Don’t be afraid to try new things and experiment a little bit. Your home is your space to do whatever you want, design for yourself and what makes you happy and comfortable. My favorite DIY design project is new pillows – they are quick, easy and affordable. They can change the entire look and feel of a room in just an afternoon.
Do you find that you’ve always liked the same color palettes, or do they change over time? What’s your current favorite color palette?
My color palettes are always shifting. You can see the evolution through my different fabric collections; over the years there have been many changes. My new collection, LOVE, will be released this fall and it is different from anything I have done before. It is full of rich and vibrant colors inspired from my recent travels to Indonesia, England and India. I am so excited for its release; I would have to say that it is my favorite palette at the moment!
We love your fabrics and designs. Can you tell us more about where you get your inspiration from?
My inspiration comes from many different places but I pull most of my designs from nature. I love to garden and spend time outside so it is only natural that my designs reflect this passion! I also love to travel and spend time learning about plants and environments in different countries – over the last two years I have been to England, Australia, Bali, India and Mexico. I have explored gardens and wild plants in each of these countries, my designs look like an international travelogue filled with luscious florals and ancient, ethnic graphics.
We noticed that you have started a new bedding line available at Bed Bath & Beyond. (LOVE it!!!) Are you working on any other home products that we can look forward to?
Thanks! I am so excited about my organic bedding line, seeing it in the stores and online is a dream come true. I am already working on the future lines and I can’t wait to see how it continues to grow. I am releasing my new line of handcrafted rugs this summer too! They are all 100% New Zealand wool, hand made in India. I absolutely love how they have turned out! I had the opportunity to visit where my rugs are made and had the most amazing experience, meeting the people who are involved in the development and see the process take place before my eyes was truly remarkable.
What is the most important business pointer you can give our readers?
One of my most important business standards to live by is a strong focus on customer service. My customers always come first and I try to ensure satisfaction in every aspect of my business. Keeping customers happy and giving them an enjoyable experience when they visit will keep them coming back again and again.
Where is your favorite place to visit?
England, I love the gardens, the architecture and the entire lifestyle.
What is your favorite dessert?
I am a savory person so I’ll always take chips and dip over sweets!
This was so much fun, Amy! We loved doing this interview and absolutely love your new bedding line. And look at a preview of her amazing handcrafted rugs - they will be available for purchase very soon.
and 
images from Amy Butler and poppytalk
Tags: Amy Butler, bedding, fabric
Posted
July 2, 2009 by
erin under
Design Basics So remember last week when we talked about what type of testing they do on fabrics to see how durable they will be? Today we’ll talk about something else found on the fabric label: Cleaning codes.
Many times the furniture stores will tell you the wrong information on how to clean your upholstered pieces. Or try to sell you solvent cleaner, when your fabric can be cleaned with water as well. The best way to check is to ask them for the cleaning code. There are 4 different cleaning codes you’ll see on your upholstery and window treatment fabrics. Here’s a brief synopsis of them below:
|
W. ( water based cleaners)
|
S. (solvent or dry cleaning products)
|
W-S. (solvent and/or water based cleaners)
|
X. (vacuum or brush only)
|
| To prevent overall soiling, frequent vacuuming or light brushing to remove dust and grime is recommended. Spot clean using the foam only from a water-based cleaning agent such as a mild detergent or non-solvent upholstery shampoo. Apply foam with a soft rag or brush in a circular motion. Vacuum when dry. Always pretest a small area before proceeding. |
To prevent overall soiling, frequent vacuuming or light brushing to remove dust and grime is recommended. Spot clean using a mild water-free solvent or dry cleaning product. Clean only in a well ventilated room and avoid any product containing carbon tetrachloride which is highly toxic. Pretest small area before proceeding. |
To prevent overall soiling, frequent vacuuming or light brushing to remove dust and grime is recommended. Spot clean with a mild solvent , an upholstery shampoo or the foam from a mild detergent. When using a solvent or dry cleaning product, follow instructions carefully and clean only in a well ventilated room. With either method, pretest a small area before proceeding. |
Clean this fabric only by vacuuming or light brushing to prevent accumulation of dust and grime. Water based foam cleaners or solvent based cleaning agents of any kind may cause excessive shrinking, staining, or distortion of the surface pile and therefore should not be used. |
Source
The biggest thing to remember is to always test it on a small, inconspicuous spot on your sofa. A favorite place of mine is on the fabric between the seat cushions. The fabric is never seen but provides a flat surface for testing. Always leave the test space fabric for a day or two. One time I performed a test, and it looked like it worked, then the next day there was a ring around both my test spot and where I cleaned in a very conspicuous place. Yikes! So, after you test, wait a day to make sure this doesn’t happen to you!
Are you finding these helpful at all? Again, if there’s any questions please leave them in the comments!
Tags: cleaning code, DIY, fabric
Posted
June 25, 2009 by
erin under
How to One of our readers Christy wrote us with the following dilemma:
“My couches are nasty but not nasty enough to get rid of–especially with my kids! I’d like to have some slipcovers that I can wash but I’m overwhelmed by what is available. I can handle something DIY but I want them to be snug and not look like, well, slipcovers. Am I asking for the impossible here? What do you think?”
Christy is right, there are lots of slipcovers out there that scream “I’m a slipcover!” The main reason they look like this is due to the fact that sofas come in many sizes, shapes, and styles and the slipcover manufacturer must make their slipcovers to fit as many sofas as possible. This tends to have features like bunched fabric, extra fabric, or skirts that are too long or too short. (Good thing apparel manufacturers don’t try to do the same thing!)
Christy, good news is, if you know your way around a sewing machine you can essentially make your own pattern with a little effort. I just finished helping one of my clients do the exact same thing. While I didn’t sew them myself I worked with my workroom to make sure they were fitted, and not more of the drape and tie type of slipcover. I watched her very carefully during the process so I could make my own later, and share with you how it’s done.
Things you’ll need to make the pattern:
1 bolt muslin fabric
Lots of pins
Pinking Shears
You’ll want to start off with the bolt of muslin. (Sometimes I’ll go straight to working on the pattern with the final fabric to be used, but since upholstery fabric can get expensive, and, depending on the design of your sofa you’ll need 10-15 yards of fabric we’ll use inexpensive muslin to create the pattern and then cut out the final pieces with your fabric.)
If your cushions are removable, go ahead and remove them so you have the basic shape of your sofa. Lay a large piece of fabric down on the sofa seat. (It’s called the deck without the cushions there.) Cut out the exact shape leaving 1/2″ extra fabric around all the edges. Continue to cut the pieces out by draping the fabric, trimming, and then pin together. You’re essentially putting the pattern together right there on your sofa. If you’re having trouble figuring out where to cut the pieces and make seams, just look at how your current sofa is upholstered, and anywhere there’s a seam, you know that you will also need a seam there.
After you’ve got the sofa pattern completed, make separate templates using your cushions. If the seat cushions are all the same size, just do one template and use it for all of them. Do the same for the back cushions.
When you’ve got your pattern made you’re practically there! Be sure to prewash the upholstery fabric you’re using first. We wouldn’t want to sew the entire slipcover, and then have it shrink on us!!
Remove all the pins from your pieced pattern (be sure you number or label them to keep then straight!) and lay them out on your final fabric. Cut the pieces out and sew together. Remember to match patterns if your upholstery fabric has a pattern to it. If you’re using a suede or other fabric with nap, keep that in mind as you cut out the pieces too. (For good instructions on the order in which to sew everything see here.)
Sew your cushion covers and place on your sofa! You just made a custom fitted slipcover!!
Be sure you keep your muslin pieces so you can sew different slipcovers later!
Tags: DIY, fabric, furniture, How to, make, sew, slipcover, sofa
Posted
June 24, 2009 by
erin under
Design Basics Here on Fresh Nest Design we love giving you the tools to be your own designer because that’s what we’re all about! Part of that is making sure you know what goes into choosing durable fabrics so that you can make your own informed decisions! I won’t talk much about choosing color schemes this time. (Probably in the near future though!) If you look at a fabric label you’ll see much more information than just the name of the pattern and the color. But how do you decode everything else that’s on there?
This label has lots of important information on there and we’ll try to sort through it all in the next few weeks so you can ALL be experts! What do they mean when they reference double rubs? Well hopefully I can help a little! And if you have any questions please feel free to ask them in the comments and I’ll answer then for you! If there’s enough questions about different things I’ll do a separate post.
The double rubs refer to a test where a special machine is utilized and a pad is rubbed back and forth over the surface of the fabric multiple times. This is done until a hole is worn through the fabric.
If it takes 25,000 rubs to make a hole than the fabric is labeled that it is durable to 25,000 double rubs. Some fabrics are rated for 100,000 to 200,000 double rubs! When compared to that amount, it seems like a 25,000 double rub fabric is not so durable, but in fact, 25,000 is perfectly fine for most residential applications.
Most of the ones rated higher than say, about 50,000, are for commercial use. When I design emergency rooms and I’m looking at the fabric labels to see what is safe to use on the chairs there, 50,000 is plenty for that application. (And emergency room fabrics get TONS of abuse and are used 24/7!)
If you’re ordering a sofa and getting custom fabric from a furniture store this information might not be in plain sight. You may have to ask the sales associate to do a little more work and find out the information for you! But it will help that you can make a more informed decision about the fabric you’re choosing! I hope this has been helpful and remember, if there’s any questions be sure to ask them in the comments!
Tags: fabric, How to, learn
