Operation Add Colour

I made 2 steps toward de-beige-ing the living area this week. I replaced our beige shears in the dining room with some very colourful curtains. I bought the fabric from our thrift store for $1 (guess they thought that colourful pattern would not be popular) and couldn't believe when I got it home and it was just enough to make curtains with.


I just made them as simply as possible: a rectangle with hemmed edges and those sharp pokey curtain rings inserted into the hem.


The hardest part was just deciding on fabric. Even once I had this fabric that I loved I had to decide if it was the one to be curtains. It's not like making a skirt because you can have lots of skirts but only one pair of dining room curtains. And when you sew and you can choose any material out there the possibilities are just overwhelming. But I finally managed to decide that this material was the one and got the curtains done.


Next was to cover up the brown cardboard lampshade with something a bit nicer. When I said colour I wasn't actually thinking fluorescent colour but I just love something about this fabric. And I figured it's so easy to change a lampshade I might as well go crazy. This was another thrift store find from my stash.

I just used spray adhesive all over the drum and gluegun to stick the edges on the inside.

Next step is the big one: recovering the dining room chairs. Try as I might I have given up on finding 3 1/2 yards of the perfect fabric in home decor weight at a thrift store so I'm going to have to spend a bit of money. I think I have decided on the fabric, just have to go for it now.

And here are some pictures of the cutie, in a pretty colourful sweatshirt too:

Colour

I am on a bit of a mission recently to add some colour to my living space. It is just a bit too beige. And I am inspired by the beautiful photos of the beautiful colourful living space on this blog, Attic 24.


I finished up this cushion this morning. It is not super colourful but a step in the right direction. We are talking baby steps here, I am just getting over a serious love affair with beige!
After making my first cushion, I am hooked. It's such an easy way to try out new things. And then a cushion can always get used, well put on display on my couch at least, usually thrown on the floor when we actually want to sit there. But they're a perfect way for me to try out patchwork. I have an idea for one more cushion too then I should be done, at least for a while.


Attic 24 has also inspired me to learn crochet but after giving it a try last night I think I have to put it on hold until I can get someone to help me figure out why my crochet looks like knitting!


I never would have guessed I'd be house proud but I totally am. I sometimes look round my home and think what a great decorator I am. I have more plans in the works for brightening up my living space but after an unsuccessful trip to the fabric store last night, they are on hold probably until we can make a trip to Ikea - they seem to have a good selection and very good prices. I have plans to recover our dining room chairs (has needed doing since we got them) and make curtains for the dining room (the current ones are too big and obscure half the window even when open) and recover a cardboard lampshade. The most colourful things in here right now are Henry's toys and I like how they brighten up the place. We got the giraffe stickers from Dollarama and I love them.