One week ago, Ellen, author of NouveauStitch and my new online BFF, purchased this “before” chair at her local HomeGoods store with the intention of slipcovering it. As always, she knew exactly what she wanted and set right to work creating a slipcovered version of her inspiration chair. Well, things didn’t go as planned. Here’s where her passion and perseverence paid off.
Being able to pinch hit is a huge asset in furniture restyling. Once she ditched the slipcover plan, she nimbly regrouped and reupholstered this chair in about a day. Whaaaa? That, my friends, is talent. Who can do that?
When I saw how quickly she restyled her chair, I was intrigued with her skills. I just had to ask her a few questions in order to process her amazing talent.
Q: Have you ever upholstered?
A: I actually took a class in upholstery in …hmmmm… like 1975 maybe? I think I did a dining room chair or something ridiculously easy. I think I “passed.”
Q: What do you consider to be your strongest skill in home decor?
A: My strongest skill in home decor. Perseverance. I will make and remake something until it’s darn near perfect….to a fault.
Q: When did you start sewing?
A: I started sewing at around 10 years of age. My dad was an appliance repairman for Sears so we always had the newest model of every appliance or machine that came out. I guess that’s what a techie was in the 60’s. Since I had no one to teach me, I taught myself to sew. And I got really good once I figured out that I got the same budgeted amount for clothes as the rest of my siblings but could make it go three or four times as far by sewing for myself. By the time I was in high school I had it so bad I’d whip up a new skirt darn near every night.
Q: What kind of sewing machine do you use?
A: I have several machines. I love my Viking No. 1+ and have had it over twenty years. I also have a White serger that I’m dying to replace with an industrial serger. I have an industrial straight-stitch and an industrial blind-hemmer. Oh, and I also have a Janome embroidery machine.
I love to hear about others who learned to at a young age so they could maximize the wardrobe thing. Once you get the bug, there’s no turning back. My mom helped me sew very sharp, one of a kind skirts all the way through middle school. I will always be grateful she encouraged the practical skill of sewing, but also applauded when I stepped outside the lines and created my own patterns and designs.
Read Ellen’s full post over on Nouveau Stitch with more photos.
