Redo of House Front Part 3

Cushions for front porch rockers

     As Part of the redo of the front of the house I decided to make new cushions for our rockers.  Several years ago I bought new foam forms covered with Dacron.  When I finally went to start the project this past January I found that the glue had given way.

Oh dear, the glue gave way

     I took a needle and thread and whipstitched the edges of the Dacron together.  I decided to also make a muslin cover to make it easier to remove the cushion covers for washing.

All better

New muslin covers

     Not the most elegant looking muslin cover but since it was going to be covered anyway, why spend lots of time making it pretty.

Comfy new cushion

     I used a raspberry colored Sunbrella fabric for the cushions with a striped grey background Sunbrella fabric for the cording.  I cut it on the bias so the stripes angle around.  I added a zipper on the back of the cushion that extends into the sides to make it easier to remove the covers.

Pretty grey striped fabric for the cording

     The front door matches this raspberry color.  The grey stripe originally matched the house color when it was grey.  It still looks okay with the blue house.  That is what happens when it is several years (think 6 years) between the purchase of the fabric and the execution of the project.  

     Next week I will show you the transformation of the rockers and table with some spray paint.

Redo of House Front Part 2

     As part of the redo of the front of the house, we (meaning my husband) refinished this swing.  We bought it several years ago from a vendor at the Wisconsin State Fair.  It was supposed to come with a cover but they never shipped it and after many phone calls we just gave up.

     As a result, the finish on the wood split and it was starting to discolor.  Our painter, Scott Franzen, sold my husband all the materials he would need to refinish it.  My husband untied the ropes and took the frame apart.  Then he spent many days sanding it down to get a smoother surface.

     He rigged up a system in the garage so he could then stain and then varnish the pieces.  This took a while since there was a long drying time between coats.  We washed the cushion and he then reassembled the swing.  It looks like new now.

     I bought a couple of pillows from Target to made it even more comfy.  It bought them instead of making them since they went so well with the rug we got from Target also.  It makes a great place to read or take a quick snooze.

     I bought some fabric to make a cover for the swing to protect it from the elements during the winter.  I just need to figure out how I am going to do it.

Redo of House Front Part 1

Large bush overhanging the front walk

     I am going to do a series on the redo of the front of our house.  A few years ago we replaced the porch decking with Trex.  They also did some repairs including leveling the lower portion and pouring new footings.  Last summer we had the house repainted and changed the color.  We went from a dark grey to this deep, almost navy blue and a bright pink door.

Bushes gone, looking better already

     This summer we decided the bushes were overpowering the house and decided to remove them.  Even though we were having someone come every spring to trim them out, they were overhanging the front walk.  There was one on the left side of the bay window and two on the right.  The biggest problem was that all the utility lines run in front of the house, you can see the markings in the photo.

New planting bed in place

     We hired Victor Soto to remove the bushes and build a new planting bed.  I had already removed a bunch of plants from next to the sidewalk and we had removed the flagstones that were our attempt at a planting bed.  They did a great job removing the huge bushes and built an awesome planting bed.  They replanted the tiny bushes I had put in during the spring, New Jersey Tea, native plants that will stay small.

Grass in place and planting bed filled in

   I did plant a bunch of tulip and daffodil bulbs in the planting bed.  Over the winter we will spend some time researching what we want to do for landings on either side of the bay.  I want to be sure they don't grow too much and once again overwhelm the house.

New Outdoor Cushions

Can you help me to recover these?

     A client sent me this photo and asked if I could help her make new covers for the cushions on her outdoor chairs.  I said of course I could teach her how to do it.  We set up a time and then started on the project.  We took apart one of the old covers as she was going to reuse the foam/filler that was inside.

Old chair

     The first lesson, we made patterns for the pieces and worked on getting some of them cut.  We played with pattern placement so we could get a matching set.  She opted to use the print on the sides of the top piece but the solid as the boxing on the seat part because we would be able to railroad the fabric and have less matching to worry about.

Starting to come together

     She also was planning on skipping the covered cord because she didn't feel like it was something she could do on this project as a beginner.  Our second lesson we finished the cutting that needed to be done and started sewing the tabs for the hook and loop closures that would hold the cushions in place.

Hand sewing the cushions together

     After a week or two, the client called and said she really didn't have the time to do the project and would I finish it up.  I said sure, and that is when we decided the covered cord would once again be part of the cushions.  I was hoping to sew hook and loop to the parts where the cushions met but I could not get it under my machine, I wound up having to hand sew the pieces together, ouch.

New fabric and paint job, wow so different

Back of the chair

     I like how the fabric she chose picked up the scroll work design of the chair frame.  The client was delighted with the final product and was happy to say she had a hand in some of it.

Summer dining in comfort and style

     Doesn't this look like a delightful place to enjoy a meal?  Let me help you with your outdoor project, Creations by Celeste.