I didn’t actually say it was a doll dress, I just said, “Any guesses on what my next project might be?” But it was fun to see your guesses… It’s a bit too big of a print for any doll dress and a bit too thick. You see, it’s a decorator fabric and wouldn’t work at all for any of MY dolls.
But it does work well as a new cover for my sewing chair, and my sewing chair is my “bed” in the daytime! :o) I sit in it and “do” my stuff!
My chair was a bit worn and needed an update to go along with my new room. It was gray alright, but a bit nubby and ordinary and I wanted EXTRAORDINARY. I spotted what I wanted at Joann’s the other day…it was on the clearance rack and only $9.00 a yard. It thought that would be plenty…and reasonable.
This is what my sewing chair looked like before…this is actually my computer chair, but it’s just like my sewing chair. I had already taken my chair apart before I decided to take any pictures…
Here’s a close up of my fabric again…it’s a tightly woven cotton print… and I loved the colors in my room…
I started with the back section of the chair… popping off the back plastic piece…and laying it on my fabric to determine how much I needed… I cut around it leaving 4″ or so… and making sure the “bird” was centered as much as possible (called “fussy cutting” by most quilters) and held in place with pins…
I had to have my hubby’s help as I wasn’t strong enough to pull the fabric and use the staple gun with only one hand. It was easy for him to do… I just pulled it at the top and stapled it, then the bottom, and lastly, the sides and then carefully eased in the gathers in between around the corners, checking it as I did every few staples.
I cut the fabric slightly on the bias so it had a little bit of give and it dipped in where it should and was nice and taut…
It went pretty quickly and I was loving it even before it was done.
This is what it looked like when it was done…
I was so proud, so I sent texts to Cindy and Deb and they were telling me how beautiful it was…
…but does anyone notice anything?
The chair back isn’t narrow at the bottom, it’s narrow at the top…I was POSITIVE I knew which way to lay my print… (evidently NOT!)
It would look like this if I didn’t change it…
I had put it on upside down… UGH and double UGH!!! Waaaaa!!! Waaaa!
I spent the next little bit picking out staples with a screwdriver and a pair of needle nose pliers…
My biggest concern was I had cut little holes in the fabric where the back snapped onto pegs in the plastic and now I wasn’t sure if those holes would go around the backside now that I had to make the narrow section fit over the wider part…
I moved the bird down just a little bit and somehow, miraculously, it worked… there was enough fabric, even with those little holes for the bolts cut out…
Now instead of looking like this…
…it looked like this…
I had to see how it would look the “right way!”
The seat cushion was much easier and not too much to think about.
I just centered the circular part of the fabric to make it look nice, pulled it to the backside and stapled it just like I had done the back rest.
I didn’t want all that fabric hanging down underneath my chair so I stitched it all together with embroidery floss to hold it in place… it wasn’t going to win me any blue ribbons, but it also wasn’t going to be seen…
I had enough of a scrap so I cut a piece in a rounded shape, serged the edge and fit it over the bottom section where all the floss was showing, and pinned it in place…
Then I whip stitched it to the seat fabric and marked for the holes in the center of the piece. I cut little holes where those bolts would go and fray checked the edges…
My hubby helped me get the bolts attached…
…and the back bolted on…it was a bit tricky. He said these chairs aren’t made to be taken apart and recovered. But between the two of us, we made it work!!
…and lookie!!! This is my new sewing chair…
I’m thrilled and think it’s a nice addition to my sewing room, just like my thread holder was… maybe a piece of ART! :o)
I looked up a few sewing chairs and they are quite expensive… like $299 expensive. I made mine for $9.00! YAY!
Well, I need to go scoot around on it again… it slides wonderfully on my new floor! I even cleaned out all the threads that had been caught in the wheels last night. :o)
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Well, you know, Jeanne, I Thought that the fabric looked too thick for a doll dress, but sometimes the monitor doesn’t do as good a job at depicting the realt thing, so I gave it the benefit of the doubt.
That piece is Fabulous as a new cover for your chair! I don’t think I would have tried it, frankly, as I’m kind of chicken when it comes to taking stuff apart and putting it back together. But your chair is lovely! And the little “oopsy” in the direction of the print on the chair back ended up not mattering much after all!! Well done! (and I agree, the colors are perfect for your “new” sewing room!)
Hi Charlotte,
My hubby can take apart and put back together just a little anything, so I totally trusted him when he tugged and pulled and broke apart the back piece.
I’m glad you like it!
Blessings, Jeanne
Jeanne, for a split second, I wondered if the fabric was really for a doll dress or something else, since I wondered at the size of the print, but just went along with it being for a doll. Well, that is absolutely the most darling sewing chair ever! And such an exclusive one too, being the only one of it’s kind in the world! I love the subtle colors, of the print, that goes so well with the rest of the room. It’s not a screaming multicolor print, and is just enough to give it a classy look. Are you going to spray it with Scotchguard? I had a chair recovered recently and did that myself. It sure helps!
Oh, the blooper, when the bird ended upside down! I sure felt for you how you must have felt! But look at how wonderful it turned out!
And now, are you ready to sew again?
Your chair looks wonderful and both of you did a great job covering it! It’s a lovely chair sitting in your lovely sewing room!
Thank you Paula,
I really like it a lot!! It’s fun making everything as special as can be in my new room…
Blessings, Jeanne
Hi Linda
I hadn’t thought about Scotch guarding my chair, but think I will now… thanks!
Everything I do in my sewing room now gets me a little closer to sewing doll clothes!!!
Thanks so much
Blessings, Jeanne
You can add “upholsterer “ to your resume!
Your chair looks professionally done… congratulations! Perfect touch for your new room!
Pretty things inspire us… and your sewing chair is downright beautiful!
Hi Shara,
Well if “I” add upholster to my resume, I’ll have to add my hubby’s name along too…I couldn’t have done it without his strong hands!
Thanks so much for your kind compliments!
Blessings, Jeanne
Great job on the chair! Perfect color and print. Ties in with George’s hobby of raising chickens.
Hi Susette,
I don’t know what kind of bird that is supposed to be…maybe a pheasant? I’ll have to see what one looks like…
Thank you,
Blessings, Jeanne
I love what you have done to your sewing chair. Lovely fabric design and you took a dull and used looking chair and made it into a focal point in your room. I declare there isn’s much that you can’t do. Superb work ethic…. when you discovered the fabric on the chair back was not correct, you took it apart and redid it, but that is so you Jeanne….. I have seen you do this before when making doll clothing,.
Hi Laureen,
It is kind of focal point in my room now! I’m glad I picked this fabric!!!
Yes, mishaps happen on doll outfits just like on home decor stuff. I couldn’t have an upside down bird on my chair!!
Thanks so much.
Blessings, Jeanne
Your sewing chair looks good. Great job on getting the fabric stretched and everything looking neat. I especially like the piece you serged to neaten up the bottom. It’s so nice to see someone figure out how to get a few more years from something useful.
Hi Carolyn,
I’ll be really sad when this fabric wears out…I really like the way it turned out.
Thank you for your kind words.
Blessings, Jeanne
Well, it wasn’t drapes, but your chair. Love how it turned out. Not the upside down birdie so much, but it happens. I did the same thing when I recovered our front porch cushion some years ago. Thought it was right until all finished and when I put it on found that the back was actually wider than the front. Had no extra fabric to change it, so put it on anyway and there it sits still today. No one ever noticed except me. The monkey outdoor fabric faces correctly, so guess that makes the difference. In fact, it is time to recover that darn cushion again. Let’s hope I get it right this time. 🙂
Just had to look at your finished chair again. Wow, it goes so nicely with the rest of the room. Maybe a coat of Scotchguard like Linda mentioned, would be a good idea.
I need one more piece of scrapbook paper to finish the platform for the tent. Hopefully, I can get other person to stop by Joann’s after we go to Trader Joe’s this morning. Always something needed from that place. 🙂
Thank you. Joy,
Mistakes happen…sometimes they can be fixed…Sometimes they can’t…sometimes we just live with what we did… :o)
I’m anxious to see your finished tent…I can’t imagine what it’s going to look like…
Thanks Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne
Just when I thought you’re sewing room couldn’t get better! I love the chair. It really completes the room. Isn’t it irritating that no matter how hard we try to get things right there is often a surprise in store. I have that problem sometimes cutting out fabric when I think it’s an overall print, but when the item is finished it was more directional than I thought. Like the pair of pj pants I did for Skyy once with pirate ships. I didn’t think to cut the legs one at a time until I saw that the ships were going up one leg and down the other. It was really distracting so I had to redo them even though they were just pj pants.
I had a busy day yesterday so I didn’t read the blog until late and it was too late to comment so I have to do it now. I was surprised to see the dollhouse pictures already. Thanks so much for posting them. The problem with the photos was both the window which had no shade to pull down and the fact that the back of the dollhouse is plexiglass so it reflected a lot, including me taking the picture.
Dorothy your Lace is absolutely adorable. I want one!! I’ve got two dolls awaiting arrival sometime this year so I really can’t buy another right now, but Lace is contributing to my dolly fever. Never chastise yourself for not sewing clothes for your dolly children. I make most of my doll’s clothes but every so often, actually too often, I see an outfit made by someone else (Jeanne for instance) that I just can’t live without. Oops! I mean a dolly child can’t live without.
Joy, your tent sounds great. Can’t wait for a picture. As usual your Meadows are the picture of perfection. Really sweet outfits. As for the pool, there is one out there (generic) for the 18″ dolls. I have one. It is supposed to be round and when it arrives you are supposed to put it in the sink and fill it with warm-hot water to make it round. No matter how hard I tried it always came out square so I gave up and the dollies have a square pool. But, since you’re into pvc work, Pixie Faire has an adorable oval pool done with pvc. I have PUL I bought to make diaper covers for grandkids that the kids decided they weren’t big on so I have some left. I thought that would be cute for the pool liner. You can get that in solid colors or patterns. Cute for dolly raincoats too. And Pixie Faire has all kinds of pool toys for your dolly’s recreational pleasure. How are your dolls standing? Is there a secret to the Meadows I don’t know. Lolla is always sitting because I don’t know how to stand her.
Anne your mother’s dollhouse sounds like something I would love. I decided long ago that I would need to design and build my own dollhouse because there is nothing out there to build where I like it all. If I like the façade, I don’t like the number of rooms or usually lack thereof, etc.
Linda D. asked where Cedaredge was located. It’s in western Colorado. If you’re in Denver and want to go over there, take I-70 west – beautiful drive. Before Grand Junction there is a road (can’t remember the number) that takes you to the Grand Mesa. Another beautiful drive. You go over the mesa and down the other side and the first town you come to is Cedaredge. The view of the valley from there is amazing. The museum that contains the doll building is on the right heading south. It is an amazing museum. Because of the lakes on the Grand Mesa the early settlers of Cedaredge found they could tap into them and irrigate and they started growing amazing fruit crops of all sorts. The museum is a must-see if you’re ever in the area. It even has an old school room and very old pump organ and much, much more. No this is not a paid advertisement. I just love the place. It’s where we hope to eventually settle.
Laura, I haven’t checked your links yet but will this afternoon. Right now I must go out in the horrible heat and mow. We had rain this week and the grass has grown too much to ignore.
Hi Barbara,
I’m glad you like my new chair too. I’m just over the moon with how it turned out…
You’ll be hoping the year ends soon so you can order a new dolly…a small one like Lace! She is awfully adorable!!
I haven’t looked on Pixie Faire lately…I think I “need” to…
Thanks Barbara,
Blessings, Jeanne
Hi Barbara, my Brother-in-law used a book for the Doll house he built My daughter should have the book somewhere so if she ever finds it I will let you know what it is called and who publishes it. She is a bit busy at the moment, she is still having chemo for breast cancer and now her husband is in hospital with hemophagocytic-lymphohistiocytosis. Very rare in adults, usually affects young children but very serious.
Oh my goodness, Anne!
You are just surrounded by bad things happening to people. You have such a good attitude about it all though.
We’d love to know the name of the book if you find it… but no hurry… you are busy!
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh, Anne, I’m so sorry to hear about all the health concerns in your family. I will be keeping all of you in my prayers.
My Meadow kids stand pretty well or can lean slightly on an object. I don’t use stands. There are a couple of tricks if yours don’t like to stand. I believe someone even did a video on it. You can do a search on the Meadow Fan page, Facebook, and probably find it. You want to be sure that the leg joints are facing front with the notches forward and that on the back, you have the body in the slot for standing, not sitting. I’ve seen the Pixie Fair pool, but I like the American Girl one too. For now we have the Barbie pool. 🙂
Sounds like Cedaredge is lovely. My father in law was born in Salida, CO. Another neat place.
Oh, I love Salida. That used to be our layover point when we would go to Colorado with the kids. Otherwise we would be going over the pass at night and, as well as not seeing the beautiful scenery, it is really scary to go over at night. Your father-in-law probably knows about Leadville. Talk about a neat and historical place. My mother and father-in-law used to spend the summer in Buena Vista just north of Salida and when we visited with them we would take a trip to Leadville each year. It just got better and better every time we went.
A chair! From the close up picture, I would never have come up with any non dolly projects. It fits in perfectly with the rest of you room. ♥️
I have 2 pairs of curtains to hem for Son’s new house. I’m having trouble motivating myself to get them done. We visited him last Saturday and had lunch with him in his house. It’s a very nice little home. Perfect for a single guy.
Hi Julia,
Maybe you could break down the curtain hemming into small steps… it will go faster than you think. But I know what you mean by not being motivated… I have whole kitchen with unpainted cabinets…Cindy’s take it one drawer at a time…
Hope you get it done…
Blessings, Jeanne
Well…that was quite the accomplishment! As your hubby said those chairs are not made to take apart but it looks sturdy and solid when it was all back together. What did you staple the fabric to? Were there pieces of wood inside? I’m tempted to look closer at my chair and see if it comes apart because it has a nasty stain that needs to go away.🤪
Can’t imagine that sinking feeling when you discovered it was upside down…and the relief when it still worked. Whew!
Big ole pat on the back for that refurb…it is awesome!
hi Kathie
The back molded piece of the chair is plastic…I don’t think there is any wood in it. I just tried to keep my staples in the same general area where the gray fabric was pulled and stapled to.
Thanks so much Kathie
Blessings, Jeanne
I really didn’t pay attention to the thickness of the fabric and thought you had just taken a very close up of the bird. I never got a chance to get back on and post, but I thought later that since you hadn’t said something about who would be wearing this that it might be a runner for your buffet.
Your new sewing chairs looks marvelous. I’m guessing you have a very similar computer chair to mine. Hmm, I wonder if I should attempt to take mine apart and recover it as well. I’m feeling inspired.
I’m glad that even though you accidentally got the bird upside down you were able to correct it. Your whole room looks so professional and coordinated now.
hi Laura
I guess I could have slip covered the chair if we couldn’t get it apart. I could have just made an elastic slipcover to fit over the top section… and then one for the seat of the chair…
Thanks for your kind words. Laura
Blessings, Jeanne
That looks great.. I just bought a Koala chair, what a difference for my back.
But yours is so beautiful, maybe I’ll try that for my computer chair..
Thank you,
HI Judi Kaye,
I’ve seen those Koala chairs before… nice!
Thanks for the compliment!
Blessings, Jeanne
What a wonderful job you and George have done on the whole room, not just the chair. I always said if I ever considered marrying again (not likely lol) I wouldn’t marry for money I would settle for a gardener but I might change that and look for a ‘George’ lol
Hi Anne,
I’ll have to make my hubby’s head swell and tell him what you said! Thank you so much!
Blessings, Jeanne
Dear Jeanne, you really did fool us (laugh). I think the chair covering looks lovely.
I wanted to add to the dollhouse conversation that I saw several presentations at the Virtual Doll Convention this week by Susan Dossetter who owns quite a few antique dollhouses. She calls them dolls’ houses. I am not sure why. She has written articles for UFDC on the subject.
Hi Dorothy,
Thanks for your compliment on my new sewing chair…now it just needs that new sewing table to scoot up to!
I’m glad you had a great time at the doll convention… It sounds like so much fun!
Blessings, Jeanne
Hi Dorothy
Doll’s houses is a very English phrase. I have always called them that. Dollhouses is the American term.