Oh, the pressure!

I'm giving in to peer pressure.  Specifically, Becca-pressure.  Some of you may know the kind of pressure
I'm speaking of.  You may have your own Becca. 

Becca is my friend and co-decorating-conspirator.  Becca is always up for a new project.  Becca does not take no for an answer.

And when she gets an idea in her head, watch out!  You may not want to do her idea.  You may fight it, kicking and screaming.  But 9 times out of 10, you'll find yourself giving in. 

So, enter my new blog.  My friend has been telling me for months that we both need to start blogs so we can post pictures of all of our projects.  I'm not much of a journaler and my last blog attempt (to track the progress of my triathlon training) died after three months.  I've been saying no.  Really, I have!  But last week, two things happened:

First, she challenged me on her blog to start mine.  I can rarely say no to a dare.

Second, I saw this post by the Nester at Nesting Place and fell. in. love.  I've been wanting to do a slipcover for various pieces of furniture and the pictures got my blood pumping.  The little blue pillow just kills me, I love it so much.

I decided that this chair really needed a face lift (sorry for the blurry pictures, the shutter speed was incredibly slllloooowwww):

This chair belonged to my great Aunt whom I adored.  My mom had the chair after her and gave it to me when we bought our house.  It sits in our bedroom where my cat scratches at the beautiful legs in the middle of the night.  How heart breaking is this?  Can you see the detail that used to be there?

I've been mulling over the fate of this chair in the back of my head and, when I saw the Nester's pictures, it sprang right to the front.  I knew what my next project was going to be!

I went out that day (last Friday), bought my cotton duck and threw it in the washing machine...twice.  Unfortunately, Friday was also a work day, so I had to wait to do anything with it until that evening.  Finally, once the kids were in bed, I had the chair brought downstairs and got to work cutting and pinning.

I don't have pictures of that, but it's probably for the best.  They would involve me muttering and tearing my hair out.  Things did not go so well.  After two hours of pinning and tucking and unpinning and cutting, we realized the problem: I had picked the most difficult chair I could possibly find for my first time creating a slipcover.

The chair has a curved back that is wider on the top than the bottom and the seat has a much more pronounced curve than the back.  Which meant that every time I tried to pin the back to the bottom or the arms, the fabric would pull across the back in an unsightly way.  I brought my husband in for some consultation (which really means me muttering and him trying to stay clear of any flying debris) and we came up with an idea: I would treat it like a wingback chair and cut three panels for the back.

Unfortunately, by that time it was past midnight, so off to bed with us.  The next morning, I tried out my new idea and it worked beautifully!  I had the main part of the chair put together that day.  Of course, I had to copy the Nester's cute ruffle, which took a bit more work (and a whole lot of swearing at my sewing machine - but that's another story).  Today, I finished the slipcover (with a hearty, "It's good enough for who it's for!") and it's back in my bedroom!

Here now, is my beautiful new, handed-down-from-my-great-aunt-Helen chair:

Isn't she beautiful?  Of course, I don't have that blue pillow that makes my heart go pitter patter.  In fact, I don't have any suitable pillows.  It clearly needs something, though.  How about this?

Two beautiful things together.  Still, not quite right.  I reeeallly want that blue pillow.  Ahhh, there we go (gotta love technology!):

I've linked to Just a Girl's Show and Share Day