finally finished- the saga of 2 love seats

So about 2 years ago I agreed to recover a pair of love seats for someone I know.  I thought it would be easy. Boy, was I ever wrong!  These things were ancient.  They had been recovered last in the 70's (I'm guessing based on the fabric used).  I doubt that was the first time they were recovered.  I got the first one in the set and started to strip it down.  I think that is, by far, the worst part of recovering/reupholstering anything!  I eventually enlisted my husband's help. My hand were hurting and scratched and cut. Of course, as I'm taking this thing apart I am realizing that it is not made like any of the newer furniture I've worked with (not that I've worked on a lot of furniture).  It is more labor intensive.  The back piece was stapled across the straighter part of the top and hand sewn around the curved upper edges and sides.  I don't see hand sewing on modern furniture! Needless to say, I learned a whole lot working on the love seat.  Want to see what it looked like?

The fabric is a little dirty and faded, but in its day it was a glorious gem! (Oh, seventies, what were you thinking?)  By the way, the cushions are not foam.  No, they are springs wrapped in horse hair and dacron/batting stuff.  I've never seen that before!  They are heavy compared to most cushions.  They definitely hold their shape over the years, though.  This is a quality piece!

Once I got the first one half way finished, I realized that the wood trim looked pretty bad and should be refinished.  So I sent them back to their owners.  Wow, what a difference the new stain color made.  All those dings and dents in the wood were gone, and the cherry finish really went well with the red fabric we were using.  It took me a year, but I finished the first love seat.  Want to see what it looks like now?

Okay, so this is actually the second love seat.  I forgot to take a picture of the first one before it went home.  It only took me another year to finish the second one.  The cushions just need to be sat on a few times to fit perfectly.  Those springs were enjoying being let loose while I used the old cover as a pattern to make new ones.  The nap on this fabric makes for a rich velvet look with wonderful texture.  I am so pleased with how they turned out, even though I wanted to run and hide many times in the process!  I've learned so much and have a wonderful sense of accomplishment now.  I didn't think I would at a few points in the process.  I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out how best to get the fabric straight on the sides (outside sides).  It was tricky, and I finally figured it out- on the second one!  I am so glad that both love seats are home and appreciated by their owners.

I am also glad to have my living room back!

 It went from this:

To this:

Okay, so the laundry is still on the couch, but the rest is back to normal.

How I saved my pattern...

So remember in my last post how I told you I had cut my Renfrew pattern too small?  Well that pattern seems to be sold out everywhere right now, and I really, really want to try again for the right size.  So I dug through my trash (ewww, right?) and found all the pieces I had cut with the larger sizes.  They were wadded up inside the extra fabric bits, so it really wasn't all that gross to go through the trash.  I headed to the store and bought some fusible interfacing (the non-woven kind).  I fused the pattern pieces to the interfacing (like Tasia did) and then very carefully set the cut off sizes on the interfacing and fused them in place.  So now I have my full size pattern pieces!  Well, all except for the neck band for view B (the V-neck).  The pieces were so little and I don't think they made it into the same trash can.  No idea where they went.  I think I can fudge that piece though.  Now I just have to find some fabric so I can try again...

Needles- a basic tool.

Today I want to address the issue of sewing machine needles.  My mother didn't teach me a lot of the very basic things about sewing when I was learning to sew as a child/teen.  It wasn't until I was in my early 30s that I discovered stretch needles.  I also didn't know that you needed to change your needle regularly.  Here are some basic tips for sewing machine needles.

Choose the appropriate needle for your fabric.  Below are some pictures of different types of needles.  Pick the one that suits your needs appropriately.  You can go online to find descriptions of each needle to assess which one is best.  They may also tell you on the back of the card what purpose is best suited. (This is the brand that is available at my local store.  I am not compensated for this post.)

Change needles often.  Some say change it with every new project, but if you are making something small it probably isn't necessary.  Maybe every 8-10 hours of sewing time would be good.

Change you needle any time you hit a pin (or anything else).  It is really best to remove pins instead of stitching over them.  I try to remove them as I sew. 
If you are having trouble with your machine, try a new needle.  I think this is often the last thing people think to try.  Even the slightest bend (not noticeable to the naked eye) will mess the thread up.  If the point isn't sharp, it can tear your fabric or create runs.  Sewing machines are very precise instruments.  If you listen to your machine, you will hear it making a different noise when a needle is damaged.  The timing can be thrown of by hitting pins.  The timing is how the needle and bobbin casing move in sync with each other.  If they aren't just right, you will have problems.  Having your machine serviced regularly is important for this reason, as well as cleaning and oiling all the parts in there to keep it running smoothly.

Feel free to comment with any questions I may not have addressed!

The Fix-It Basket

I personally prefer to get as much use out of something as possible.  So when something rips or breaks, or a seam pops open, I want to fix it, instead of getting a new one. 

Now that I've got my sewing room (yea!!!) I have a system for taking care of these things in a timely manner.  It's called my Fix-It Basket, and I wanted to spotlight it for anyone who might be frustrated with their system or who would like to start "fixin' it."

Basically, this is all it is:

I have a basket sitting at the end of my sewing table.  Anyone who wants something fixed can put it in the basket, and let me know what they need done (unless it's self explanitory) and then as I have a few minutes here and there, I can grab something out and fix it.

As you can see, I have nothing in the basket today, but it seems that since I've started the Fix-It Basket, there's been at least one thing in it every day.

For any of you that are like me, the Fix-It Basket is a motivator.  It's almost like a check list (which I love, by the way).  As things get fixed they leave the basket, and I feel a sense of accomplishment, especially when the basket is empty.

So try it around your house.  Whether it's a ball that needs blowing up or a pair of shorts that the seam has ripped out of, or a princess crown that needs a little superglue, you and the Fix-It Basket will keep your house in good working order.

Happy Fixing!