How to Sew a Man's Shirt Detail for a Pillow Sham Closure

OY!!!!

I've got everything inside out and backwards.....

I meant to show you guys how I sewed the pillow shams before I put them in Kris's master bedroom.....

BUT I GOT CARRIED AWAY WITH THE STUFF WE HAULED HOME!!!!!

Sooooo.....

let me retrench and show you how I sewed her shams.

I figured that they would be a one day project.

I was sooooo wrong.

They took three days, but my labor is free, so it was no skin off Kris's back.

Below is a shot of them in their new home.

We chose a Ralph Lauren fabric.

It's name is: Haystack Stripe, color: Camel.

I am going to show you in overwhelming detail how I sewed this.

The reason being.....

I am currently making a pair of slipcovers for my Niece Miriam's living room.

I am confused about how to sew the deck under the T cushion.

I bought a book on slipcovers to show me how to do it.....

AND IT SKIPS THE PART WHERE I AM CONFUSED!!!!!

It's a badly organized book to boot.

I am so frustrated.

At least the deck is under the cushion and won't show.

Fries my goat, I tell ya.....

So,

I am going to show you guys all the little steps, as I won't assume you know what I'm doing.

I really don't know what I'm doing.....

 I'm faking this as hard as I can.....

but maybe I can help ONE person out there in blog land.

OK,

lets proceed.

First, I had to figure out what size to make them.

Since I hadn't a clue, I looked on the internet to see how other folks had them sized.

I found a couple of different sizes floatin' around, but I figured, Kris would be happy with either one.

Sooooo.....

I cut the fabric for the fronts of the shams one inch larger for the width and length, to accommodate the seam allowance.

The back of the shams was going to have a button closure, so I had to make the back in two pieces.

I added some extra width to allow for the overlap where it would button closed.

For the top piece that would have the button holes, I first folded the fabric under.

Then folded it under again, and pinned it.

Then I seamed it around 1/4" from the inner folded edge, using the width of the pressure foot for my guide.

I can change the needle position to create different seam allowances.

For this, I set the needle in the center of the pressure foot.

This is how it looked on the back.

This is how it looks on the front.

I flipped it back over, and sewed a second seam with the same seam allowance from the edge.

This is how it looked on the front.

Then I sewed a third seam using the left side of the pressure foot for a guide, down the inside seam.

And .....  Voila!!!

a man's shirt detail.

Then I made the other side of the back, the part that would have the buttons sewn on it.

I folded the fabric under twice, and sewed one seam down the edge.

Then I figured out where I wanted the button holes.

I marked the center placement for each button hole with a pin.

This is my button foot.

It is a modern marvel.

Place the button in the slot on the foot.

This will set the size of the button hole, so it is perfect for the button you're using.

Then I moved the pins to the bottom of each button hole, so I would know where to start sewing.

Using the pins as a guide, I set the red line on the button pressure foot to line up with the pin, pulled the pin out and started sewing.....

The machine just knows what to do!!!!!

All you have to do is step on the power foot that makes the machine run!!!!!

Looky, Looky, Looky!!!!!

Then, set a pin at the top of the button hole to act as a stop for your ripper.

carefully poke the ripper through the fabric and rip up to the pin.

There you go!!!!!

You have your button holes set in what looks like a man's shirt!!!!!

It's a simple detail that packs a lot of punch.

I will show you the rest of the sham in my next post.

This was getting long.

I am one hell of a detail girl!!!!!

Yes in deedy do!!!!!

On that note,

Latah, Gatah

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Working With a Busy Patterned Wallpaper

Soooooo.....

HI YA!!!!!

Kris and I have big news!!!!

Yes in deedy we do!

As you know, 

we've been searching for a mirror for over her chest of drawers in her master bedroom.

Well, we (she) found one!!!!!

I had shown her two styles I felt would work in her bedroom, and the woman was like a detective and found the perfect one!

We thought we had found one at the auction we went to this past week, but it was actually a piece of #$% when we saw it in real life.

WELL!!!

We don't want no #$% in Kris's boudoir!!!!!

No we don't.

In deedy not!!!!!

Sooooo.....

Kris went back to trolling on eBay, and found a gem.

It's a Louis Philippe style.

Old Louis was the last King of France, and it was nice of him to create a style that we could use in Kris's bedroom.

The mirror was being sold by a dealer in Connecticut, and Kris was willing to drive down to pick it up.

She found it on Wednesday, and I was so pumped up about finally finding a nice mirror in a style that worked, that she agreed to go get it right away.

It's got really beautiful details.

This is a real gold leaf mirror.

You can see the red undercoat showing through the leaf.

It's beautiful where the leaf wears off and the red shows through.

There's no faking the real deal.

It had the old mirror in it, so when Kris looks at herself, she can think that the age spots on her person are just imperfections in the glass.

Sooooo.....

She drove down and back on Friday, and I hung it today.

This is how the room looked sans mirror.

The wallpaper is such a strong look that it can be overwhelming without having things on the wall to cut into the pattern.

Sooooo.....

when I got to Kris's house today, this is how far she had gotten to hanging the mirror.

The girl knows to do nothin' without me.

I am very persnickety about the height that I have things hung.

I made Keith (her hubby) and Kris haul it up, so I could decide how high I wanted to place it on the wall.

This sucker is heavy.

I made them stand there for a leetle bit.

Then I got out the tap measure and some paper and pencil, and did some math and figured out where to put the hooks.

Since it was so large and heavy, I wanted to use two 50 lb hooks.

But first.....

we decided we better weigh it, to be on the safe side.

It was 37 lbs.

Hey, that's just what I weigh!!!!!

So, I placed the picture hooks around 7 inches apart and used a level to make sure the hooks were level too.

We got it right on the first try!!!!!

Before I go any further, let me just show you how Kris paid me for my design work.

She noticed how excited I got at the auction snacking on the baked Cheetos, so she got me a bag.

I don't allow this stuff in my house.....

(but she let me take it home.....I am very happy.....)

We decided that the world is divided into two types of people: 

Cheetos lovers and those who just don't get it.

Kris supplied wet wipes for our orange fingers, so we could snack yet continue with our decorating.

That orange stuff is lethal. 

Yet, delicious!!!!!

Don't be leavin' me no comments about how bad they are for me.

I know, I ain't stoopid.

Where was I?????

Oh, yeah, DECORATING!!!!!

I felt that there needed to be more stuff on the walls around the mirror.

And what makes more sense than hanging plates on the wall in a bedroom!!!!!

Kris and I sure do like us some plates on the wall.

I had been snooping around eBay, looking at Majolica.

I had marked some that I thought would look good.

Kris didn't agree.

Kris was right.

Kris wanted light colored plates,

and just happened to have exactly what we needed, stored in her china cabinet in her dining room.

Sooooo.....

she ran downstairs and brought those babies up, and I proceeded to cover the walls with them.

We had both square and round shapes, so I mixed the two together.

I started with a square one, we stood back to see how we liked it, 

and fell all over ourselves in delirious joy.

We were having such a good time.

It is so much fun, when you do a project and every thing comes out the way you want it.

We were enjoying the moment, because we don't usually get this lucky.

Sooooo.....

I hung the rest of the plates on the right side.

We loved the way the cream color of the plates picked up the tones of the chest of drawers 

(that yours truly painted).

Then I did the other side.

Although the plates don't have any painting on them, they are very decorative because they have interesting patterns molded into the surface.

When we finished the mirror wall I didn't want to stop.

Kris had four hand painted botanicals left over from the stairs that she wanted to use in her bedroom.

Remember these?????

We got them at auction too, and there were a lot of them.

I hung one on each side of the bed.

We still had 6 plates to play with, so I hung one over the print.

I moved to the other side, and hung the next framed floral.

At this point, we ran out of plate hangers.

OY!!!!!

So, Kris will get more tomorrow.

She ran down to the living room, and stole its lampshades so I could take pictures with them on the lamps.

We still need to have them made for this room.

Custom shades are one of Kris's big splurges.

She lurves them.

We still need to find another chair for the corner.

The 20 dollar one that was hauled home, we decided isn't tall enough.

Sooooo.....

I can't hang anything else on the wall over by the little display cabinet and chair, until we get a taller one.

Then it's MORE STUFF ON THE WALLS!!!!!

We have two more prints and 4 more plates, soooooooo we be all set!!!!!

Sooooooooo,

here's just a little fun before and after before I go.

On that note,

Latah, Gatah

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Auction Score!!!!

Sooooo.....

On Wednesday Kris and I went to an auction.

I told you about it.

We wanted a table I saw that I thought would be perfect for next to Kris's bed.

It's on her side, so she wanted something with drawers and storage for all her stuff.

We bid.....

We scored!!!!!

We got to the auction around an hour or so before the table came up for bidding.

We were scared we would get there too late, 

so we got there too early.

The good news was there were still some snacks!!!!!

You know,

those tiny bags of chips.

THEY HAD BAKED CHEETOS!!!!!!!

There was one bag left.

I felt like I was in 7th heaven.

I confided in one of the young women who works at the auction house how much I loved my little bag, and how I didn't let myself have these in my home.....

and she went and got me another!!!!!

I was livin' large.

Livin' the high life.

Livin' like a rock star!!!!!

Anyway.....back to the auction action.

Auctions can be really, really, really, really boring.

We entertained ourselves by emailing back and forth to each other,

even though we were sitting in adjacent chairs.

As you know...

I am easily entertained.

So, we sat there and sat there and sat there....etc. etc. etc.

And 

FINALLY the table came up for bid.

We were very nervous.

All it takes is one other person who really really really really wants it, 

to push the price up really really really really high.

The table was estimated to be between 2 and 3 hundred smackers.

I nudged Kris and told her to hold her bid.

If no one bids the auctioneer will sometimes keep lowering the opening bid till someone starts.

HOWEVER.....

someone had left a bed of 100 bucks, so that's where the bidding started.

Kris then bid 125.....

And we held our breathes.....

And we held our breathes.....

And we held our breathes.....

And nobody else bid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of course there's the auction house premium (commission) that you have to add to the cost, but still!!!!!!!

What a great table for just a few dollars.

We were delirious with joy.

Still are.

So now let me show you a picture of the new table in Kris's master bedroom!!!!

This is the way it looked in the auction catalog.

It's so much prettier in real life.

Not so orange.

More refined.

It just needs a little veneer repair on the top right drawer.

If it were for me, I would just ignore that spot and dab some dark stain on it.

HOWEVER.....

Kris has more energy than I do, and she's going to have it repaired.

The auction description reads.....

Louis the XVI style (my favorite style) Parquetry-Inlaid Dressing Table 

with three wells, the central panel opening to reveal a mirror, with three faux drawers above three drawers, on square tapered legs.

Well, the description is a little wrong.

It's buyer beware with antiques.

There are only two working drawers because the space on the left has a storage well that goes all the way down.

Which is just perfect for Kris's magazines!!!!!

We moved the lampshade over to this side of the bed for the photo op!!!

I just love this little dressing table.

It has all sorts of cool storage.

I decided that the room needed another chair over by this new table.

Kris wasn't so sure, but I did what I always do, 

and I ignored her.

I pulled this little chair in from the upstairs hall, and I think it's perfect.

I used the same colors throughout most of the house, so I can move things from room to room and they still go with the color scheme.

This is another needlepoint gem from Betsy the wonder kid!!!!!

I wanted to design a saying, and I wanted something fun, 

but Kris loves her home, and wanted something sweet.

Just make a note.....

this was the last sweet thing I ever did.

I created the tweed effect by alternating the two colors.

First I needlepointed the red, skipping every other stitch,

and then I went back and filled in the empty spaces with the yellow.

So....

today,

Kris drove down to Connecticut to pick up a mirror she found on eBay.

We will hang it this weekend over the chest at the foot of the bed.

The rooms starting to look like a Betsy room!!!!!

We need to have two lampshades made,

The bedskirt made.

Find a rug.

Find an arm chair with a higher back for the corner.

Redo the chair.

Reupholster the footstool in front of the chair.

Hang artwork on the walls.

And of course.....

accessorize!!!!!

Believe it or not, 

the room's almost done,

sort of.....

On that note,

Latah, Gatah

 

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More Adventures With Betsy!!!! # 347

HoKay Kampers!!!!!

I hope you're sitting down, because I have some very exciting news!!!!!

I just signed up for an adult education class in.....

wait for it.......

stand up comedy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm trying to learn all the stuff I didn't have time for when

 I was slaving away for my clients.

I must admit.....

I am a big show off.

My first degree was in drama, 

before I went back for three more years of college in interior design.

JUST THINK.....

I could write a routine about decorating.

My goodness, 

my knees tremble when I think of all the practical applications of my new knowledge.

Sort of like a degree in philosophy!

Yesterday I went to the Boston Design Center to hear a talk by 

Traditional Home Magazine's senior decorating editor, Krissa Rossbund.

I sorta had to go, since she and I have become friends over the years.

(We both like to watch reality TV, and can talk for hours about the Real Housewives....ALL OF THEM!!!!!)

We are very highbrow.

During her talk, she spoke about wanting to publish rooms with more color and pattern and found objects.

She wanted to get away from rooms that look so "pat"

At the end of the talk, she made the mistake of asking if anyone had any questions.....

(the room was packed)

So, 

of course I waved my hand and said

 "I do, I do, I have a question!!!!! So, if I understand the point you were making.....MY LOOK HAS COME BACK INTO STYLE???????"

Yippee!!!!!

Afterwards, I dragged drove her back to my condo so that she could relax before her flight out of Boston.

She had never seen my new home before.

I hadn't bothered to send her pictures, because I thought there was too much crap stuff in it.

Well, she loved it, and whipped out her IPhone  and started taking lots of scouting shots.

So, let's see what they want to do with this place where I live.

Once we were done with the boring talk about my decorating, we got back to the good stuff, and I grilled her about her personal life.

But I'm not telling any tales out of school.

I am a good friend.

Boy the stories I could share!!!!!

Anyway.....

Today, my bidness partner, Kris, and I are heading out to an auction.

We are trying to snag a table for the left side of her bed.

Then I can show you pictures of it, and you can all comment on how much you love it!!!!!

There was a mirror we were interested in.....

I've been looking for one to hang over her chest of drawers at the foot of her bed.

You have to be careful in auctions.

It's always best to preview the items.

Kris drove out yesterday to look at what we were interested in, and this is what she found.....

If you look carefully in the catalog picture, you can see the broken part, but it was really easy to miss.

It's always best to check this stuff out in person, or in mirror, depending on what you're lookin' at.

The table we want for the left side of her bed is this one.....

It's going to need some TLC, but Kris knows a good guy who repairs veneer.

Soooooo.....

It will replace the chest that is to the left of her bed right now, as we speak, this very moment.

Hopefully, we will bring this table home today and move this old chest out.

And then I'll paint it.

And then we'll sell it.

And then we'll be rich!!!!!

On that note,

Latah, Gatah

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