 Here is one of a pair of small winged parsons chairs, and they will book end the fireplace in my client's home. Nice way to spend some of the chilly mornings we've been having. Loved the color way of greens and blues on the charcoal ground of the fabric, perfect for cozying up to a warm fire. Working in large scale floral is always fun, and I try to minimize the break in pattern to keep the flowers flowing. In this design, the back and sides of the chair were cut in one piece from one width of fabric, as were the inside arms, seat and front panel and corner pleats. Below are a few clips from the draping design process.
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This slipcover was for a Very Important Person: my MOTHER! Mama had been busy sprucing things up in her bedroom. She painted the walls lavender, purchased new bedding and made new curtains and pillows. The old attached back winged rocker just didn't go with her new nest. So we selected a lilac check and made up this pretty little lady. A Very Important Project for my VIP! 
Finally got around to slipcovering this armed parson chair in coordinating Jackie Von Tobel fabric quatrefoil and suzani in kiwi. These parsons chairs were made in Hickory, North Carolina, by Carrington Court Direct and are so sturdy and comfortable. They now live in NoDa, Charlotte's hipster historic arts & entertainment district. "Charlotte's got a lot" and now Charlotte's got custom slipcovers from Pencil Me In. Oh mercy me. My 6th grade English teacher would so redline the previous two sentences. Forgive me Mrs. Babcock! Well Hello! Kari Senter here, NC State student, Fashion and Textile Design major, lover of chocolate and all things foreign. Why am I writing this blog post, you may ask? This summer I’ve had the chance to shadow Linda, owner of Pencil Me In, in her workspace and learn from her and her process. This post is about the office chair slipcover I made. Considering I had never made a slipcover before, I was expecting anything but a smooth ride, however; thanks to the instructions in “The Complete Photo Guide to Slipcovers, Pillows & Bedding” (by Karen Erickson) and a phone call to Teresa Bennett, owner of Cozy Cottage Slipcovers and the very person who wrote those handy instructions, I was able to pull it off better than even I expected. Aside from the fact that this was my first ever slipcover, the challenge was to create a piece that fit with ambiance of the workplace. After lots of sketching and prototyping, I was able to make a slipcover from different textures and weights of white fabric, accentuated with contrasting cording and a panel of colorful patterned fabric by Jackie Von Tobel in the back. Here are some pictures of my take on the office chair slipcover, which features a skirt with a flounce, my own label, and some cording resembling princess seams. My main goals were to make something that measures up to the high standards in craft and quality that Pencil Me In upholds, along with achieving the aesthetic so characteristic of Pencil Me In. I hope you like it! 
 So much fun to have Carol in the workshop last week.
Hands on learning is still the best. Look forward to hosting an NC State textile student next week … lots to do to get ready and projects to finish!  Recently I was asked if I had any interesting projects going on and I really had to think about it. But here is one for that category. It's always rewarding to make someone's quality of life just a little bit better. That's pretty interesting to me.  Recently it was my pleasure to host a North Carolina State University student on a job shadow assignment. And I learned so much from the questions that Kari asked. Never stop asking the questions.
Most often, furniture is delivered to my shop in North Raleigh for custom fitting. For larger pieces, or if it is preferred that the furniture remain in place, I offer fitting on site services. Here's how that works: I come out and make a muslin pattern in the home, return to my shop to make the slipcover, and then make a second trip out to fit the cover to the frame. Is there a chance that the cover won't fit? Yep.
But that's why we call it a fitting! I was thrilled to get this blue and white cover right on the first try. A perfect candidate for fitting on site, the sofa was monster sized and must have weighed a ton. It was a challenging fit because there were no tuck ins in the back or underneath the cushion since it was a sleeper sofa. In slipcovering, we count on tucking in fabric to hold the slipcover in place. A system of ties used under the cushion to fasten the cover to the bed frame left the beautiful Italian velvet of the original furniture in tact for future use. I loved how this light and airy pattern lightened up this heavy piece of furniture. Now all that is missing from this picture are the felines that are sure to lounge with an attitude.  Modern times' quest for a paperless world gives me a new appreciation for the printed page. The faster paperless approaches, the more tightly I clench my fist to hold on to printed artifacts that may soon be unavailable. I am sure my love of the art and design of the printed page was ignited at my Dad's office (he was a county extension agent). There in "the office" I would pick over the racks of pamphlets (the 70's version of pinterest) where one could learn how to do just about anything from canning tomatoes to decorating the home to keeping bees. Spending time with my Mom digging through the attic recently unearthed this treasure: "Easier Steps to Slip Covering". Published in August of 1958 by the North Carolina Agricultural Extension Service, it was written by Catherine C. KIng, Specialist in House Furnishings. Really not too much has changed and the first sentence sums it up: "Slip covers which are smartly tailored and properly styled give a fresh and new appearance to your room." Finders Keepers.   This pair of chairs makes me want to curl up with an orange push-up or a bowl of lime sherbet. The cool plaid seersucker fabric was super to work with and screams Beachtime! |
