A Little Something Different......

So whilst enjoying this summers wonderful (ahem) british weather, i got the DIY bug and started hunting around the parents house to find things to craft/make/or refurbish in an attempt to keep me occupied..........

.....and I came across this old beauty. So with a quick check with the folks i headed off into my DIY adventure. 

(I’d just like to say that i am no professional and i have not had any training in this department, it is all self taught or from helping my dad.)   

(This chair has been in my family for god knows how long, but as you can see it was definitely in need of a spruce up!)

So to start off i needed to get prepared. 

I collected all of the things i was going to need to complete my project :

L to R: Paintbrush (i had two options, a stiffer brush for applying my primer and a softer bristled brush to gloss with), Large bristled brush (to brush off dust from sanding the chair), Sandpaper and Sanding block, Wipe down cloth (to get rid of any extra stubborn dust), Newspaper (to work over to make clear up easier), New upholstery fabric (to replace original seat cover), Triangular scraper (i didn’t actually use this in the end), White undercoat/primer (to paint a base coat on the wood as it was darker then the gloss paint), Cream gloss paint, Wadding (not pictured, used over original foam) and Staple gun (also not pictured).

So i removed the cushion piece to reveal just the 

chair frame, attached some sand paper to my sanding block and started to sand this baby right up. 

With any wood furniture that you are painting or refurbishing you will need to sand the piece first.  Sand off any varnish or paint to create a rough surface that will grab and hold the new paint/stain on better.

Then after all of the wooden surfaces are sanded down the next step is to prime, prime, prime! (I applied two coats of primer ,with the stiffer paint brush, to really block out the dark wood shade so i wouldn’t have to use as much gloss paint. That way the paint wouldn’t layer up and get too thick and it created a smoother finish.)

Make sure the first coat is completely dry before you apply the second to make sure the coats don’t get to gloopy and thick.

While waiting for the primer coats to completely dry i moved onto recovering the grungy ink stained seat cover.

First off i removed the fabric. 

Unfortunately i forgot to take photo’s of these next few stages but basically i just removed all the staples from the underneath base that was holding it in place. Luckily the seat foam is still in pretty good condition so i just added a little extra layer of wadding. 

I then placed the seat onto the new, clean fabric. I cut around the seat shape leaving an extra couple of inches all the way around to allow for the fabric to wrap under the seat and be stapled into position. 

So heres the before and after shot of the cushion cover. As you can see the fabric wasn’t that much different, but it just needed refreshing so the dirty, worn out brown was changed for a new golden woven fabric. 

Once the primer is dry I re-sanded the chair to once again create that rough grabbing surface we all love so much (: Picked up my soft bristled brush and glossed my little heart out. 

.....and here’s what the finished product looks like. Rather pretty right? 

I can definitely say that my hard work really paid off and i’m so happy with the finished look. 

I’m in love with how soft and feminine it now looks and it  is such an improvement from the dingy, worn out chair from my childhood. 

So to end this post i will give you the little before and after photos side by side so you can see just how much of a transformation process this has been.

Doesn’t it just look so much better? What do you think about this little chair transformation? Would you guys like to see other projects like this? 

Let me know by commenting below (:

Thanks for reading, and until next time good luck with all you refurbishing or crafting ideas (:

 Much Love

Louise

xox

Sorry All.......

So for the last couple weeks i haven’t posted anything, because i have been unwell :(

I’m now feeling a little better so posts will hopefully resume, but unfortunately i am not 100% and still suffering abit, so bare with me and i will try to post as much as possible and it will soon go back to normal (:

Much Love

Louise

xox

How To: Threading your Sewing Machine

So this may seem, like the simplest and easiest of tasks, but i have seen many people struggle or get this wrong so here’s a little how to guide on how to thread your sewing machine properly.

(As you will see in the pictures, my sewing machine, and most modern machines these days, have a little picture/arrow guide printed onto the casing to also give you a little helping hand.) 

You want to lift up your spool pin and place your chosen thread onto it. (You can add the spool cap, if you machine comes with one, to the end to keep the thread from falling off when in motion.

Pull some thread from the spool and place under the upper thread guide.

You want to then guide your thread through the pre-tension spring.

Next pull your thread down the right hand gap, this will thread the tension module, which are two metal disc placed inside the machine.

Then pull down and around the check spring holder.

Once you have pulled your thread up to the top, pass it through the eye, of the take-up lever, from right to left and then once again pull your thread downwards.

You want to pass the thread behind the flat, horizontal thread guide.

Pull about 10cm of thread through, ready to thread your needle.

Threading your Needle (Using Needle Threader)

Make sure your needle is at the highest point.

First pull the needle threader down until the hook lower through the eye of the needle. 

Pull the thread down and place under and up against the needle threader hook (which is sitting through the eye of the needle). Hold the thread horizontally to the left to keep the thread in place.

Pull the needle threader backwards, this will cause the hook to withdraw from the eye of the needle taking the thread with it therefor threading the needle. 

Pull the thread all the way though and place to the left.

 There you have it, your sewing machine is now all ready to go! 

Here is a little video to show you the process a little bit more clearly:

I hope this helps you guys and i shall talk to you all soon...

Much Love

Louise

XOX

Getting to Know your Sewing Machine

By the fact that you are reading this blog i am going to guess that you are as arty/crafty as i am and probably own, want to own or have access to a sewing machine, and this little post is going to explain everything you, beginners, will need to know about your machine.

(Just a little side note.... every sewing machine’s appearance is different, so yours  probably wont look identical to mine and the items might not be in the same places in the photo’s but the general principles will be the same on all models.)

So this is my sewing machine, its a Silver 1035 Electronic Sewing Machine:

Main Power Switch

To turn your machine on and off.

Foot Controller

This is positioned under your work desk/area and stepped on to start your machine going. The harder you press down the faster your machine will sew. 

Machine Needle

This needle can be changed depending on the work you are sewing.

Presser/Machine Foot

Like the needle this can be changed depending on your work you are sewing. The foot is used to keep the fabric straight and flat whilst you are working.

Presser/Machine Foot Lifter

This little lever lifts the foot up and down so you can place your fabric underneath it to start sewing, and take your fabric out once you have finished. 

Auto Needle Threader

This little extra takes the fiddliness out of threading your needle by using it’s little hook to pull the thread through the needle eye.

Handwheel

This little wheel does the same job as the foot pedal, but at a slow controlled speed. By turning the wheel you will raise and lower your sewing needle.

Thread Spool/Spool Cap

Where you place your reel of thread, and the cap keeps the thread from falling off the spool.

Bobbin Winder Spindle

This little spindle is where you place your empty bobbins to be wound with your current choice of thread.

Tension Dial

This dial can be turned to increase and decrease the tension of your stitching depending on the type of fabric that needs to be sewn.

Needle up/down Position Button

By pushing this button, your sewing machine needle can stop whilst in the material instead of in the up position, it is perfect if sewing corners.

Auto-Lock Button 

This button can be used to tie off your stitching. It sews 3 locking stitches at the start and end of your sewing.

Reverse Button

This button is used to back stitch which can be used instead of the auto-lock button.

Thread Cutter

By pulling your thread onto this little blade, it cuts the thread, so you don’t have to keep reaching for a pair of scissors every time you finish sewing. 

Bobbin Cover Plate

This clear plastic plate covers up the bobbin to stop dust and fabric getting caught.

Measuring Plate/Guide

This little plate has a handy little measuring guide on it, perfect when sewing seams. 

Accessory Box

This little built in storage box is handy to keep extra bobbins or different types of machine feet in.

Pattern Selection

These buttons change the way your needle sews. It ranges from the most basic straight stitch, zig-zag, button holes and also a full decorative stitch range.

Stitch Width Adjustment

This changes the width of your stitches. It works best when using a zig-zag stitch it can create small zig-zag to big zig-zags.

Stitch Length Adjustment

This adjusts the length of your stitching. By making your stitches longer it is perfect for machine tacking, and by making the stitches shorter it will strengthen corners on your sewing.

I hope this has helped you guys, and i’ll talk to you all soon....

Much Love

Louise

XOX

Advance Stitches.

So we’ve started off/learnt the basic stitches now lets move onto the more advanced/decorative techniques to give our sewing crafts a little extra oomph.....

Topstitching

This is a pretty much just an extra row of stitching, which can be used as a decorative row or a functional one. It can be used to hold seam allowances flat, keep facings in place and even to attach pockets. 

Stretch Stitch

This is just a variation of the zig-zag stitch. The stitch consists of overlapping angled stitches which provide the fabric with the needed stretch after the seam is sewn. This can be used on lycra or spandex fabrics.

Satin Stitch

This is again another variation of the zig-zag stitch. It is stitched very close together and can be used to add appliqués, make decorative stitching or to cover up raw edges. 

Blind-hem Stitch

This stitch is normally used when adding lining to curtains as the idea is to create invisible stitches that hold the material in place. It is usually sewn by hand but can also be done on a sewing machine.  

(By using this stitch with a sewing machine it will not be as precise and invisible as it is by hand but if the thread colour is a good match it should blend right in.) 

Decorative Stitching

This explains itself to be honest. Its stitching that is only used to decorate your sewing projects rather then to perform any other function or purpose.

Heirloom Stitching

This again is decorative stitching but it’s a term used to describe the more traditional decorative stitches often used on christening outfits and tableware.

Talk to you all soon,

Much Love

Louise

XOX