Thursday, January 7, 2010

Let the sewing begin!

I have a perfectly good explanation for not posting yesterday. You see, I took the Christmas tree down the night before, and well…it just drained me. I actually left the tree up much longer than usual, because I knew, once it came down the “MY LIVING ROOM NEEDS A MAKEOVER!!!!” mania would rear its ugly head. It happens every winter. I suddenly see every blemish, every little greasy kid hand print, every project that was not completed, and… I go a little crazy. My family knows to just step aside and let it run its course. They pray they make it to garden season unscathed by my fervor.

I spent yesterday rearranging, lugging furniture, cleaning and rearranging again. This is just the first phase. I have dreams of painting and buying new pieces of furniture, but the one dream that has haunted me for about three years is to fix up this little chair I found by the road. It’s been hauled in the house numerous times for inspiration. Then it lands back in the garage and gets shuffled around as cars move in for snow storms. My husband would like to put it back on the curb for some other dreamer, but I am determined.

So when my daughter asked Santa for a sewing machine I knew that I would finally be able to give this chair the makeover it deserves. Mind you, I haven’t used a sewing machine since my seventh grade home-economics class. Then, serendipitously, I won Cath Kidston’s “SEW” via Beach Vintage. If I ever needed inspiration to start sewing the Cath Kidston book surely gave me all I needed. It’s filled with eye-candy and great tips.

So the chair was dragged back in. My cat promptly made a cozy home for herself on it, and I…well, I just sat and stared at it, waiting for it tell me what fabric to use. When I declared to my husband and daughter that I would endeavor to make my very first slipcover, they seemed relieved. “Let the sewing begin” they cheered, knowing that this undertaking of mine will keep them safe from me for a little while.