#: 42
Title: “Variations on a Theme” (Fabrics in the Home)
Exhibitor: Marge Jensen
Description: What kind of feeling do you want in your home? Do you
prefer a cottage look, modern, or traditional look? Remember, you have to live there so go for a style that makes you feel good at home. Let your home reflect you, your personality and your lifestyle. Sometimes, though, a change is needed. A change can be both to add some new excitement or for purely practical reasons…things are old and tired. Using fabrics in your home is a great way to change the mood, to refresh it for a new season or look, and to update without the investment of new furniture or structural changes. Something as simple as new pillows on couches and chairs can add a whole new dimension to a decorating scheme.
How To’s:
Style
Instructions: Throw Pillows
Style:
Look through magazines and books at the library. These are great resources for ideas and provide helpful knowledge on different styles. Find pictures of rooms that “speak to you.” Some rooms will draw you to them and some will have no appeal to you at all. Often, magazines and books will give you ideas of combinations that are out of the ordinary, that on paper would seem odd, but in reality are wonderful. Make copies of pictures that appeal to you and keep them in a file. You might want to have a file for different rooms of the house, keeping all kitchen ideas, bedrooms, family rooms, and so forth, together. Often, people will seek the advice of an interior decorator to help them with ideas that are unusual, or combinations they would not have discovered on their own. If an interior decorator is in your budget, great – go for it! My only advice is work with a decorator that will listen to your desires and hopes. Let the finished product reflect your style, needs, taste, and wants – not the style of the decorator.
Color:
To my way of thinking, color will be the single most important choice you make. The color choice will make a room stimulating or restful, (or boring!). Color can make your home light and cheerful or dark and dreary. It is well known among psychologists that color has a direct effect upon your outlook. It can affect your mood, your ability to relax, and even your appetite. An interesting example: Red is considered stimulating to your appetite and blue is considered an appetite suppressant. Certain colors are considered warm colors (reds, yellows), while other colors are considered cool colors (blues, greens). Do you want a cool comfortable room or a warm cozy room? These are all personal choices. None would be considered right or wrong, it is simply a matter of personal opinion and choice. Just keep in mind the feeling you want to create. Do gain some knowledge of what colors work well together. A color wheel may be helpful.
SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE: Paint your walls neutral colors. When purchasing large pieces of furniture, select basic styles in neutral or traditional colors, but purchase the best quality you can afford. This way, the piece of furniture won’t go out of style or wear out quickly. When re-doing a bathroom or kitchen, likewise, select neutral colors of tiles, countertops and cabinets.
Reasoning?
IF YOUR BASIC AND MOST EXPENSIVE PURCHASE ARE NEUTRAL AND “CLASSIC”, FABRICS CAN BE USED TO CHANGE A COLOR SCHEME OR UPDATE A ROOM WITH MINIMAL EXPENSE. It is amazing what can be done simply by changing drapes, pillows, or even towels and shower curtains. I have changed my oldest son’s room from a red, white and blue sports motif, to a brown and black safari look simply by changing his duvet cover and pillows.
Type
of Fabric:
When choosing fabrics for your home, have a good idea of what practical requirements you have. Is this a room that will get a lot of wear? If so, you will want a fabric that is durable and won’t show the dirt too quickly. Is this fabric for something that will be washed frequently? In this case, select a fabric that will wash well. Avoid fabrics with finishes that will wash out, or colors that will fade when washing. Are you using fabrics in a spot that will have a lot of sunlight? Look for fabrics that are affected least by sunlight. Not only will colors (especially prints) fade, but some fabrics (such as silk, linen and to some extent, cotton) will actually rot in the sun light. If you are aiming for a room that is very formal and contemporary, you may want to look for fabrics that have smooth shiny finishes. If you are trying to create a more casual, comfortable room, look for fabrics that reflect the style you are after; a suitable color for the feeling you want; durable or luxurious (sometimes fabric can be both – such as velvet) textured or smooth; shiny or dull finishes. When purchasing fabric, find a store where the sales help I knowledgeable, not only about their own stock, but about the fabrics themselves. A knowledgeable salesperson can be a great resource.
Ideas
for Fabric Projects:
The following are ideas for very simple projects you can do at home. None requires more than straight-line stitching (that is my motto…if it only requires a straight line, then I am interested!), but some of these projects can change the entire feel of your room or house.
REMEMBER: Most home-furnishings fabrics are 54” wide
1. Throw pillows
2. Rod – Pocket Gathered Valances
3. Table Runner
4. Silk screen a design
5. Block printing a design
6. Chair seat cover
Throw
Pillows:
1. Select the size pillow you would like. For this example, I will make a 16” square pillow.
2. Cut two pieces of fabric, each 18”x 18”. You can get 3 pillows out of one yard of fabric that is 54” wide
3. Place the right sides of the fabric together.
4. Pin around the edge of the fabric, place the pins at right angles to the fabric edge. This way the machine will stitch right over the pins.
5. Sew around the edge of three sides, leaving a 1” border.
6. On the fourth side, starting from each corner, sew 3” towards the center. Over stitch at the corners to avoid unraveling.
7. Turn right side out. Push out corners with the handle end of a wooden spoon.
8. Stuff with polyester batting, or with a pillow insert.
9. Close the opening with invisible slipstitch by hand or by stitching on the outside, by machine, very close to the edge.
Rod-Pocket
Gathered Valances:
A standard length for a valance is 16”. However, make sure the length of your valance is proportionate to your window. You may want to make a valance longer for a large window or shorter for a smaller window. Always make a gathered valance at least 2 ½ times wider than the width of the window. For this example, I used a window 24” wide.
Table
Runner:
Silk
Screen:
This can be a tricky process, but makes wonderful, permanent prints. T-shirt makers use this every day!
For a basic silkscreen design use just one color to
print. With the color of your fabric,
you will have a 2-color print.
Simple is best! Look in your
local Yellow Pages under silkscreen.
Take your design to the silkscreen company and they will make the screen
for you. Costs may vary, but remember,
the screen is good for hundreds of prints.
You will be able to purchase the ink you need and the rubber “squeegee”
from the silkscreen maker. It would
be good to get a book from the library for this project to give you extra
details and help with the process.
Very briefly, here is what you will have to do:
1. Lay the screen face down on the item you want to screen, making sure the design is in the place you want it to be.
2. Squirt the ink in a line along one end of the screen, about 1 ½ inches from the frame.
3. Place the squeegee between the frame and the ink.
4. Then, in an even, singular motion, pull the squeegee across the screen., pulling the ink along with it.
5. Lift the screen off the fabric.
6. The front of the screen will have to be cleaned with paint thinner between each print so that excess ink does not get on your article.
7. Let the ink dry overnight.
This is kind of a messy process, but fun to do. Our ward has used this method to make pillowcases for each of our Young Women.
Block
Printing:
This is a very fun project. Purchase a “linoleum block” and cutting tools from an art store near you. You will want to make a very simple design, and you will need one block for each color. You will need ink and a roller for pressing the block evenly. That may also be purchased from the art store.
The example I have, and a good basic design, is an apple with green leaves.
1. Place your design on the block and trace the apple design onto the block.
2. Cut away all of the linoleum from the block EXCEPT for the design.
3. Do the same thing for each color on each separate block.
4. Using a paintbrush, spread ink or paint onto your design.
5. Place the block, face down, on your fabric where you want the design to be.
6. Using the purchased roller, roll along the back of the block to press the design onto the fabric evenly.
7. With one movement, lift the block carefully off the fabric.
8. Let the ink dry overnight.
Chair
Seat:
The fabric seat on a dining room or kitchen chair is often the target for messy eaters (especially of a young age!). If your chairs are the kind that can have the seat removed from the frame easily, then you make a quick change and give a whole new look to your eating area.
You will need fabric that is suitable to your need and a ¾” staple gun. Chairs that are an average size will require 2/3 yards of fabric to cover 2 seats.
1. Remove the seat from the chair.
2. Place the seat on your fabric and measure around the seat leaving a 4” margin all the way around.
3. Cut out the fabric.
4. Lay the seat, top side down, on the wrong side of the fabric.
5. Taking the staple gun, pull the fabric up over each corner of the chair and staple in place.
6. Pull the fabric up over the center of each side and staple in place
7. Continue to staple the rest of the fabric in place.
8. Staple at about 1” intervals.