 My kindergarten teacher taught me to take my time and do work that I would be proud of. And to write my name on my stuff. Taking a cue from my kindergarten teacher, and from furniture traditions, I fully hand sign and date each slipcover. Here is a slipcover and cushion from one that was pinfitted on site. I loved working in this delicate blue and white print - perfect for January tea! She looked good on the rack, and luckily the fitting went well.
 I had a run on cushion projects this spring, and here is the one that stands out in my mind. This antique caned seat chair was brought to the shop along with a beautiful striped silk remnant. Since I work mostly with cotton and linen, it was fun to use this soft and silky embroidered material, and since the chair was for a guest bedroom desk, it is not likely to get worn out any time soon. It was requested that the dressing be prissy with gathered corners and bow ties. I loved this idea for this light and elegant piece of furniture. Fussy frills are the flat flange finish in seams and exaggerated corner ties which seem to be incorporated into the skirt.  With typical stretching and sagging and holes in the seat, this beautiful chair was in need of new caning when she came in. I do hope that she made it to the chair doc after having a custom cushion created. Ladies know how important bone structure is to fashion. The only way to restore the seat is to replace the canework. And I know just the chair doc to recommend. Robert "Doc" Banzhaf of Antique Chairs of Boone can repair almost ANY chair! Cane, Rush, Reed, Wicker, Sea Grass, Splints, and probably more. Historic Boone is a great weekend destination, but pick up and delivery services offered in the Raleigh, NC and surrounding areas too. www.ChairDocOfBoone.com 828-264-2353  Because this chair had a little history, I wanted to use a traditional fill for the cushion insert. I prefer to use 100% organic US grown cotton for a firm traditional fill. A cotton fill works well when you want more of a chair pad look , as opposed to the more loftier look of a down insert. The insert cover is made out of all cotton Warm & Natural, and has a zipper so that the loft can be easily adjusted over time. Not only is cotton comfortable, but it is socially responsible. While I handcraft my own inserts for the more traditional furniture pieces, custom orders are accepted from my source for bulk cotton, White Lotus Home Organic Bedding Company. www.whitelotus..net  The cushion insert cover shown was made of warm and natural and has a zipper in the back for filling with cotton.
 I had so much fun with this colorful project! Karen brought me a basket full of vintage table linens to be incorporated into her slipcover. I used a printed border tablecloth for a gathered skirt and paired it with GP&J Baker’s lifestyles beachcomber check in apple. An old drying cloth was stitched into a pillow. To the ribbon ties on the neckroll and the back, I added some cool birds hand crafted in clay by Gilda Aita. Maybe these birds are partridges for the pear print? 
 Jackie Von Tobel called for slipcover artisans from across the USA to design slipcovers for her booth at IWCE Vision ’11 in Las Vegas. So I whipped up these yummy cushions and pillows, which were fabricated from the newly launched Jackie Von Tobel Collection of print on demand fine cotton and linen fabrics. These fabrics are so soft and wash and wear beautifully. Check out Jackie’s offerings at www.jackievontobel.com .
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