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We all may dream of draping fabric on a chair, and with a few rips, pins, nips tucks and stitches, a perfect slipcover magically appears in just a wee bit of time. However, the reality is that this scenario has a good chance of ending in tears and an ill fitting cover. Sometimes, drafting a flat pattern for slipcovers is called for, and I call this scenario "making a muslin for a chair dress". After all, slipcovering and dressmaking are kissing cousins!  This week I had the opportunity to facilitate a hands on learning and sharing experience for my friends and members of the Triangle WCAA. Thank you to Sandra and Cathy for assisting as floating instructors!  Also special thanks to a great friend and mentor - and expert apparel flat pattern designer - Debra for encouraging me to teach this class and for loading all the coffee cups into my dishwasher a the end of the day.  Taking time out to wish Tammy a happy birthday! Cake was designed by Jamesa (special delivery by Bianca) and the icing on the cake matched Tammy's earrings perfectly. Photo credit to Janet.  Donations were accepted for Make-a-Wish! Feels good to pay it forward. Hopefully everyone will be inspired to make a chair dress real soon!
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So excited to receive my Pint Hound membership kit. Which includes a COTTON OF THE CAROLINAS t-shirt. There is nothing on the market like this brand. TS Designs is leading the industry in sustainability. Everything happens, from dirt to shirt, within 600 miles. Made in the Carolinas.
 Shout out to Bill's Sewing in Hildebran for loan of industrial walking foot and overlock sewing machines. These machines are so much quieter than my old reliables! Demonstrating the slipcover process at the Furniture Festival was so much fun.  Carolina Slipcover Girls came together at the Hickory Furniture Mart. I enjoyed spending time with Emily of Emily Jane Creations, and Kristi of Pink and Polka Dot. They have a passion for all things slipcovered.  Upholstery demonstrations took place outside of Southern Style Fine Interiors. This artisan in the far left corner of photo was covering club chairs in luxury leather that was the green "color of the year" we have been hearing so much about. The chairs were very vogue.  Musicians were there too. It would be so nice to work with live music in the background all the time. I think this would be a great concept for the manufacturing environment and a great way to create jobs for musicians.  Local Artisans showcased their talents in paint, wood, clay, and metals. Many drew inspiration from Nature. I was inspired by these works of art!
Getting ready for the Furniture Festival! I'll be participating with slipcoveristas Emily Pettit & Kristi Maxwell Sometimes life has a way of resetting our priority buttons for us, and I did not make it to the Art to Wear Design Showcase after all. But I am proud to have been able to sponsor this collaboration between talented students of the College of Design and College of Textiles. Check out the talent at ART TO WEAR ROCKS REYNOLDS. More photos at News & Observer. But for some things there is a next time, and when the time comes, I will be ready.     I am pleased to announce I will be co-hosting Slipcover Summit June 2012 at the Hickory Furniture Mart. The only event of its type in the country totally devoted to the art and profession of making slipcovers for furniture. Organized by Karen Erickson, this event moves around the country each year, and I am excited to be bringing it to NC for the first time.
http://www.slipcoversummit.com/  These are my sweet new shoes. I was the highest bidder at a live auction to benefit NC UM Camp and Retreat Ministries. Chelsea Masters hand painted the shoes and created them especially for the Sweet Dreams auction. Chelsea is studying art & design at NC State University and has been custom designing shoes for several years.
 Pencil Me In donated a Sailrite Ultrafeed LSZ-1 walking foot machine to the Camp Don Lee sail loft. Sail staff learn to repair sails in between cruises on the Neuse. Ultrafeed LSZ-1 is truly a dessert island kind of a workhorse machine. You would not want to sail around the world without one.
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