Belly's

inspired by: water color

One day, after I read Nicole's various posts on art and painting with kids, and The Blue Hydrangea's posts about her art camp, I sat with my son and had fun with water colors for a couple hours. We loaded our brushes with water and made up stories where every color was a character or something that happened. I was stunned by the result, and it's actually still on my pinboard right now, weeks after the fact.

I'm more of a striking geometric prints person when it comes to home decor fabrics, but everyone who knows me in real life knows I'm obsessed with "water color" fabrics when it comes to apparel fabric. I constantly check Gorgeous Fabrics, Emma One Sock and Elliott Berman for them. This kind of fabric, often silk, ranges from ombre to tie-dye to burn-out, but is gorgeous all the same. And it seems like fashion designers agree with me...

What will I do with this inspiration? Maybe nothing, or maybe I'll try spoonflower (which allows you to print fabric with your own design) for once, or maybe something with Moo Cards, with which I've had a good experience.

Meanwhile, I just enjoy looking at this prettiness.

What do you find inspiring today?

a lesson in humility

Sometimes you've just got to accept that you can't be good at something, even if you try really hard.

I was sure it would be so with sewing. Actually, I was sure. When I first talked with my teacher on the phone I told her I'm only coming for one session, I kept telling her that untill I realized I've already been sewing for 6 months. Then I decided I'm actually not bad at this and signed up for the pattern-making class.

I thought it might happen with translation, but it hasn't and I've been making my living as a translator for four years now.

So yeah, I was pretty sure re-upholstering the love child of a loveseat and a chair would be easy breazy.

WRONG.

So, after six months, I finally give up on this one. Still, I'm an optimist and I bought this book. Maybe next time I'll start from the beginning. Sounds like a good idea, no? And it might be a first for me.

Have you tried your hand in re-upholstery? Do you have a project that gave you a lesson - the hard way?

(images: beautiful pincushion from namolio on etsy; forlorn chair on our old house's porch)

 

a bulletin board diy tutorial of sorts

So digital moodboards are great and all, but sometimes you just need a real bulletin board right above your desk (or in your closet, or kitchen, or anywhere really). If you feel that way, too, you can make one in a jiffy- it's so simple I'm almost ashamed to call it a tutorial.

(sorry in advance for the terrible photos, my camera is nowhere to be found)

What you'll need:

• Cork board

• Spray paint (and a spray gun if you wish to stay friends with your fingers)

• Wipe-on poly, or any varnish of your liking to finish off the paint

• Fabric (I had this Olana fabric in a color-way I don't particularly care for, but that somehow works great with my office decor)

• Glue that's suitable to fabric and cork (I used an all-purpose UHU, but any kind that works with fabric is fine)

• Some kind of trim (I bought this gorgeous giraffe print grosgrain ribbon on etsy)

• Sand sponge

• And of course, push pins.

Measure the board and cut your fabric according to the measurements (roughly, as you'll see later it doesn't have to be that precise) . Sand the board, spray paint your cork board in as many thin coats as needed (try not to spray all over your porch like someone I know), wait for it to dry and cure, then apply one coat of varnish/poly (DON'T spill varnish on your favorite dress, it's NOT an acute part of the process, no matter what the magazines write these days). Leave to dry. Put the fabric on top of the board, double check that the print (if there is one) is centered, and cut again accordingly if needed (don't worry if the fabric doesn't reach the corners- that way there will be less bulk when you glue the trim). Apply glue to the board, be careful not to put too much glue so it won't show through the fabric. Clip around the corners to reduce bulk. Before adding the trim try to see where the corners will be and plan mitered corners if you like (just fold the ribbon back at 90 degrees, than to the front again). I held the ribbon with push-pins first, to see how it will look. When you're satisfied with yourself (or your trim, that's okay too), glue the trim carefully- again try not to spill to much glue so it won't smear on the fabric. Hold down the trim with push pins until dry so everything stays in place. You're done! You are now allowed to dance around your office and hang your masterpiece for all to admire.

Ta Da!

OR-

You can just head over to Jenny's at Little Green Notebook for a sane DIY.