Winging it: A slipcover

A little project: Ticking fabric, pins and chalk

Tired of the old ikat burgundy cat scratched armchair and looking for something new. A quick search and instant inspiration from this post. Ticking fabric already on hand, bought for some other forgotten project. A trial run, a little bit of practice and experience before I invest and tackle the two footstools in the same ikat fabric that were put away in storage.  The goal: update the footstools for my daughters room.

But first some practice.  Fabric washed, shrunk and frayed. Draped over object. Pinned in all the obvious places. Pins are your best friend. Found many places and uses for pins. Chalk is your second best friend. Basting is helpful too. With a little patience, one can baste in a straight line (not me though).

So far this has been a two day project. Day one ended with not enough fabric (way back in the fall of 2012). A few months later with more fabric and 6 hours to myself, lots of progress. Wow, the things one can accomplish with a day to themselves. A run, a long dog walk and some creative time to fiddle with this project and the sewing machine.

I'm going for a frayed edge around the top and back. A refined edge around the arms. And a normal sewn edge tucked in the arms. The slit in front, I have decided to leave open, easier to pull the slip cover on. Will find some velcro and funky buttons to finish the closing.

Now sorry to disappoint, but this is as far as I got yesterday.   But with my new skills and experience (haha) I'll go ahead and purchase the velvet fabric for the cushion and get the fabric for the footstools.   More thread too (the real reason for not completing stage one!).

Deep freeze

This is what -5F (-20C) looks like in my town. Fireplace and woodstoves churning wood to heat, smoke exiting the chimney, into the cold air.

A cat or dog attempted to go outside when I opened the door to take a picture. They did a 180 back in.  My dog puts up his nose to this temperature and wont even lift his leg to pee outside.   Although we received a PSA announcement to dress kids accordingly, extra sweater, scarf around face, they didn't close down the schools.  I recall -20C was regular temperatures long ago and where I grew up.  A few hours south of the border and a few degrees warmer, we rarely get -5F.  At least the sun is shining.

Kitchen update: doohickeys, octupus, milkbags and the shrinking list

I clapped and grinned and even jumped in delight a few times.

Before this outburst of elation, I doubted myself, delegated the task to contractor, then waited and procrastinated. Time went by and I found myself in this new year with a shortened work month and time on my side. I researched and watched some videos. Gained some knowledge and sorted out a few tricky assembly items that I had also pushed aside. And with all my new confidence and determination I attempted these nuances and hip! hip! hurray for me!

Yes, I installed the pull out drawer - I know, a small feat for most, but big HUGE for me, that level of concentration, accuracy and not messing up, not my kind of thing. I tried to avoid this one cabinet as it required aligning and drilling your own holes. No pre-drilled holes for this IKEA cabinet. I didn't want to mess up, so thought it would be easiest for my contractor to handle it.  And even though the instructions came with a template, I wasn't convinced it was a task for me.

The other quandry was the rod and "doohickey" thing. The official name, unlike every other IKEA product name. Doohickey #1 is the bendy metal piece that is covered with a white nylon piece and appears at one end of the gallery rod.  Do not confuse this with doohickey #2, the gray plastic piece at the other end. Doohickey #1 piece normally fits into a plastic drawer front for the pull out bin. BUT for the drawer that attaches to the door front, one needs to swap out doohickey #1 for another doohickey, which is supplied, in another packet. Lets call this doohickey #3. (Disclaimer, doohickeys are not officially numbered, that I know of, but for purposes of the piece, I'm numbering them. Disclaimer 2, I read on IKEA fan page that "Doohickey" is the official name. Maybe they were joking?) You can see 4 doohickey #1's (gray and yellowy white piece, some bent) and 2 doohickeys #3 (white piece) above the template in the picture below.

What really helped me and convinced me to give it a try was this youtube video I found. I could not tell from the paper pictorial instructions that I was too remove doohickey (5:50min in video) and replace with another doohickey that would attach to a screw (5:31min). (Good thing I had found that "random" package of doohickeys that had slipped under a drawer over a month ago.) The video also showed me how easy it was to use the template (4:30min) - the part about laying template down and creating little holes. Then remove template and drill into markings.

I was so pleased with myself, yet noone to share that triumph! And the drawer is very sturdy, much more so then I thought it might end up being. Lets admire it one more time!

See that octopus thing in the upper right corner of picture above. Got that at IKEA too. I reuse my plastic bags. Wash them and drape them over my faucet to dry. But they usually get in the way there.  When I spotted this Octopus drying rack I instantly knew it was just what I had always needed.  It isn't in its permanent spot, hanging off a window crank, but I wanted it in the kitchen. Maybe when I get the shelf up, it will hang off of that.  (Another option for plastic bag drying racks is a nice tree branch with lots of little branches. That is what my uncle uses.)

To note: I hail from Canada where our milk comes in bags. 3 one litre bags in a larger bag. My mom always reused the milk bags for sandwich bags. I hated it. They didn't keep the sandwiches fresh enough.  And although I have lots of reusable containers these zip lock bags are handy for storing/freezing food but I don't like to toss them after one use (thanks mom, love you). So wash them and hang 'em up to dry using my cool octopus.

All the things one can accomplish when they have all day to prep themselves and get on with it!  I wonder what else I may challenge myself with ... I do have the knobs for the doors, another task I delegated to contractor lest I measure wrong or break off the corner. Install the dishwasher? Maybe!

While my day job is on hold for the next month, I now have the time needed to mentally prep myself and get some things done.  Last week I reluctantly dragged the ladder and paint stuff up stairs. Kicked open the ladder, Half-assedly threw some covers on the sink and counter and started to prime. I took a pain reliever earlier, hoping to ease my shoulder pain and perhaps the pain of painting. Hate painting. I'm lazy(didnt cover all of the counter and got some paint splatters on the soapstone counter; I'm sloppy (was trying to cut around the outlets and both times ran the brush right over them OMG!!!) and shaky. (I should eat first. and maybe not drink 8 cups of coffee).

I swore through the entire ordeal. Splish splosh I hate painting. But wow, first coat/primer is on and wow, I can move on. (we are talking about this one corner wall that the sink resides in. Yep that's it, the big huge drag.) I hated it so much I gave up and didn't cut into the ceiling. HA. Whatever, bring on the White Dove coat of paint, next week perhaps. One week to mentally prep. A few minutes to prepare area, 30 minutes to paint.

That was me this morning, that pink dust pan happy face. Just how I felt. And that is the last of the cardboard boxes, stashed under my bed. Actually a lie, there are two toe kicks and two cover panels stashed under there.  I managed to prepare white bean chili for the crock, assemble pullout door front and figure out the doohickeys all in a three hour slot between taking and picking up the dog at the groomers. I love time management. I love productive time at home.

There are a few other details to finish off the kitchen (you can see Before&after here)
** the lighting - got it, just need it installed
** baseboards - got it, just need it installed
** dishwasher - need to order it
** that really screwed up top drawer in the 36" cabinet. I talked with an IKEA kitchen person in hopes of finding a solution, perhaps 1 36" top drawer to use instead of the two drawers & partition, but nope. No such item. Gotta sort that partition problem out with some L brackets. Definitely one for the contractor.
** one other top drawer that requires the removal of the oven. (Did I ever post about my three IKEA assembly problems I ran into???)
** pantry - need to build it
** paint the last wall - primer done!
** toe kick - ordered two more pieces. when it arrives, I'll call the contractor
** upper shelving. (that is why I finally painted. I have a GOAL. The goal is to get some kind of shelving put up above the sink, even if its temporary, so I can move my dishes on to the shelf and move their current storage thing into storage.)
** spice "rack" - install 60" long piece of exotic wood above stove.
** get chimney vent.

And that might be it. Maybe Ill finish it just in time to sell the house (unless my job picks up)

Mantel madness

Finally started to clear out the Christmas decorations and had fun creating a new mantel.

Pulled out the old black frame, realigned the hemp rope and clipped on some new photos. Framed some original first drawings by my son in this fake antique metal frame.

Added a dash of colour on one side and some dried cattails and lavender on the other. And words to live by,  balanced on a small hook and centered over mantel.

A night in Zurich

I booked a layover in Zurich. Some people may avoid this, but besides the savings in the cost of flight, its a good way to explore a city that I may never get to other wise. The most promising find on this trip to Turkey was a 13 hour layover on the way home, at night.  Arrival time was scheduled at 7:30pm so I figured, a 10 minute train ride to center town, at the least, we could squeeze in a dinner and some atmosphere that Zurich has to offer. I was surprised at how dark it was our entire time  in the city, from 8:30pm to 7am. I think the sun started to rise @ 8:30 - 9am, on the train ride back to the airport for our 10am flight out.  Prof Sun was travelling with us on our return flight. This worked out well as he had been to Zurich before which made for a very efficient tour. 

Here's to our blurry night shots of our walk into the city, around and back.  Can you tell the morning shots from the nighttime photos?

It took us an hour getting off plane and into city central via the rail. We walked from the train station, down a shopping corridor and then headed left & right to walk along side a river. We crossed a cobble stone bridge towards the elevated Grossmünster church. Up the stairs and we entered the quiet cobblestone streets lined with pubs, restaurants and precious shops. All were closed, window shopping only.

We stayed at Hotel Otter, entrance via a pub. Lots of young people sipping wine and sharing stories. Chaz was mesmerized.  

We wandered down some streets and chose tarte flambée restaurant (Cafe Henrici) Bubbling atmosphere, shared tables. Incredibly nice, casual and helpful servers.  Swiss are happy people! We took the only seats at a large round table. I think the girls may have preferred if we were a group of handsome and witty male travelers...that's what I would hope for, sharing a table and all.

We were across the street from a candy store. The only store that was open and that my child had spotted and ran to after dinner. This must have been what kept him motivated, to remain awake throughout dinner.

We managed to wake up at 6:30 and get out the door by 7. Since it was still dark and foggy we skipped the walk to the "beach" where one can view the Alps in the distance. We hopped on our train just as it was leaving. Went to the second floor and stumbled through 2-3 more cars aiming to get to 2nd class seats, round trip tickets we had purchased the night before. When we hit the dining car, we decided to stop and sit for the remaining 5 minutes of the ride.

p.s. all the photos were taken in the morning.
p.p.s. Swiss people and the city ambiance are very relaxed and joyful.

Amsterdam layover.
Paris layover

Homemade fencing swords

We return home tomorrow.  Although hard to tell from the picture above, I have new inspiration and ideas to finish my kitchen. A fun idea for my bedroom upgrade.  And, just a whole lot of renewed spirit, so much that I am anxious to get home and back and back to fixing up the place. The picture above ... when I saw it I was happy to see my kids were happy and occupied and I didnt look irritated (its tough carrying around a 30 pounder, my injured shoulder is taking a beating) but some what tired and spacing out, so much I dont even remember the picture being taken. We were waiting for some carbs. A cool student hangout on campus @ Bosphorus University. The cat below, one of the lucky ones whom seems to have inside space, was beside us on the window sill. Up for a stretch and back down. I wanted to curl up with him.

I never adjusted to the 7 hour time change, often wide awake at 2am (here).  This morning was the first morning we were all up at 9am. We had been rising at 11, which is freaky for me, but subtract the time change, my regular waking hours. Up early this am, I was still tired and resting on the couch. My kids were up to something...and when I forced myself to fully alert I was presented with some swords,  masks and a fencing demonstration. 

 

 

 

Materials: * paper, scissors, tape * chopsticks * one toy container * pictures by the boy.

Snapshots - Istanbul