Things Are Coming Together!

With the sofa taking up it's footprint in the living room, it was now time to decide on the coffee table. I designed one and had it 3d printed, but I wasn't sure I was going to use it. I had to see the space first. I purposely left it without a top, so I could decide to use either plexi, or wood once I saw it in the space.

After reading a post on Pepper's blog, I found a Rustic Live Edge Spalted Maple bookmark on Etsy.  I just loved the beautiful pattern, plus it came with a little piece of wood that was meant to stick out from the book. A perfect little chopping board for the kitchen. If a thing has multi purposes, it sells me on it every time! I found several good candidates just by searching for 'wood bookmark' or 'wood slice'. When I saw the table with wooden top in the room, the decision was made! I had to cut it shorter and round the edges, but that was easy!

I got really excited when I found the inspiration photo! The rustic wood, tray, flowers, books. glass buoy float, and jacks! Surely I could source or make all of these!

I found a really cheap set of jacks on eBay, with free shipping! Score! I liked the metal finish, so I didn't even have to paint them!

For the glass buoy float, I was able to find clear glass one hole beads on eBay, as well. I wanted the glass float to be similar in color to the inspiration photo, so I painted a few of them with Gallery Glass.

I globbed a good amount on, and when they dried, the finish was perfect! Much like sea glass! In the photo two of them have dried a bit, and the third has just been painted.

Here are all three after drying. Sticking the toothpick in the hole to paint them worked great! I stuck them in the foam to dry.

I had a fisherman's net set left over from making my dad's fishing cabin lamp, so I decided to use the netting for the glass buoy. It was a little too vibrant, so I dabbed on watered down white latex paint to dull it a bit.

Once both the netting and buoy were dry, I attached the netting by using a toothpick to stuff the excess into the hole in the bead. A dab of clear drying glue was used to secure it.

To finish off the details, I made a jar full of sea shells and tiny starfish. They are on the metal tray (recycled from an old electric razor and painted chrome) with a candle and a bud vase. There's a basket on the shelf with pine cones, and a book covered in a bit of a pretty coral cardboard package.

I love the look, and it is really perfect for the small space! I'm so glad I took the time to space plan the project before I got started this time!

The interior door trim has been affixed to the wall, as well as the wall sculptures that I made and had printed from Shapeways. I found that getting the spacing perfect was just a matter of inserting wood spacers while everything dried.

It's getting exciting now that all of the little details are coming together! Next, I'll be working on the bedroom area. No sew bedding is going to be challenging, so send good wishes my way!

Make Christmas Magic...

Growing up, Christmastime at my grandparents house in Anaconda Montana was magical. Even though we lived in Seattle, we would always make the drive back, no matter what. Grandma would always have at least 5 different kinds of homemade cookies, the house was decorated everywhere with lights, and the tree was always one picked and chopped by my grandpa and uncles. It always smelled so good at grandma's! Seeing ornaments that my mom had made growing up was always a wonder to me. My mom was once a little girl? Weird!

My grandparents had 7 kids, some moved out to Seattle, some to California, some stayed in the little town. But nearly every year, each one would make it home for the holidays. There were aunts and uncles and spouses and old family friends, all crammed in a small house, fighting for a spot to sit on the old gas stove because it was so cold outside. Wall to wall people, and a feeling of belonging to something very special.

There were really only four of us little kids that grew up together. We were all about 2 years apart in age. Every year, my grandpa would have their neighbor, Ray, dress up as Santa. He would come about 7:00 pm every Christmas Eve, toy sack and all. He would ask if we'd really been good, and then personally deliver one toy that each of us got to open right then. We thought we were so special, because none of our friends got a personal visit from Santa!

Since my grandma passed in 1998, we, as a family, have just never been able to recapture that magic. The youngest ones in our family are now 16 and 14, and they were born after that special time. Everyone is so busy with work and sports and activities that trying to get everyone together gets really complicated. Our kids are grown, and have to split time with the other family members of their significant others. It is sad to know what could be, but just not be able to make it happen.

Some things that we take for granted don't last. And you never know when those times will change, and how long you may have with those you love. Today is the good old days. Revel in it, hold on to each other, make being together happen. Say I Love You, stay connected. It's really all that matters.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Attempting To Make A Modern Sofa...

Having been hijacked by the new puppy (training is constant the first few weeks) and all of the holiday workload, I managed to squeeze in a few hours to make the sofa for Alki Point. It was my attempt at constructing using only a photo, and while not perfect, it is a great starting point for future improvements. 

Both MitchyMooMiniatures and 1inchminis have wonderful furniture tutorials, so I recommend visiting their web sites and reading everything before you settle on one method over the other. My method here is probably not explained as thoroughly, but here is a .pdf with cut list and and patterns, in case you'd like to give this one a try:

Make A 1:12 Scale Modern Style Sofa

My starting point was this sofa. I found it after searching the interwebs for 'apartment sized modern sofas'. I searched for the measurements, then did my best to convert them, based on guessing a lot of the time, to 1:12 scale.



The materials I used are as follows:

• 3/16" foam core
• mat board
• quilt batting
• cotton fabric
• The Ultimate glue

I even turned my cutting mat over to the "pristine" side for this project! 

I started by cutting the bottom, back and sides from foam core.

Then I glued them together.

Next, I got out the mat board I ordered from Amazon. This was my first time using this stuff. Maybe it was user error, but I found it quickly dulled my Xacto blades, and was a bit much for the job. My 85# cardstock was easier to work with IMO, but I recommend you try it for yourself.

Next, I measured the sofa base and cut a piece of mat board to fit.

Then, using a glue stick (based on Kris' recommendation), I affixed a piece of the fabric, leaving about a quarter inch around to attach to the sofa base.

Then, you guessed it! I attached it to the base using The Ultimate glue.

You've probably noticed by now that I am making two. One for me and one for Who? Post comment here to enter.

Bottoms up!

Here is where, apparently, I stopped to smoke a little crack or something, because I FORGOT TO TAKE A PHOTO OF THE NEXT STEP! Here is where most people would just redo the thing and take new photos once they realize that they were an idiot, but not me. Nope. I want you all to know how I often lose my mind. VERY FREQUENTLY! 

What I did was, I cut a piece of mat board that was the height of the sofa arms and back, and the length needed to wrap all three of them together. I then glued my fabric so that the bottom had a nice crisp edge.

I left the fabric loose at the top, so that after I had glued the piece to the sofa, I could use the excess fabric to cover the remaining arm and back mat board.  

Does it make more sense with the photos?

Next I made the banding for the arms. Here is where I will tell you NOT to do what I did. 

A) Do not cut the mat board the same width as the sofa arm. It looks better when it is just slightly smaller in width than spilling over the edges.

And B) Go all of the way to the bottom of the sofa with it. I thought it would look better if I stopped at the top of the sofa base, but now regret it.

Moving on! Next, I cut the foam core for the bottom cushion and the two back cushions. I wrapped them in the quilt batting 

Then covered them in fabric.

Make neat little ends, like wrapping a present. Yes, those are my chubby little fingers. If you put a tap in my rear end, Ben & Jerry's would flow out. Please don't. It might hurt!

Next, I used a pilot hole punch from a lighting kit to poke a hole through the fabric and into the foam core. This is for the dimple buttons. I am using silver colored brads. Kris shows you a better way to make fabric ones with paper but I can't seem to find the link now on her site! Dip the brad ends into glue, then push in and let dry.

Now for the legs...

I wanted to use some of that stainless tubing (you know the stuff that broke my metal blade before hubs said he had a tool for the job?). I used said tool, it took forever to cut through, it was so hard to get the tubing to line up to the blade/measurement marks and tighten down without moving that all 4 monumentally difficult pieces were not the same size and it %*$$#& me off so much that I gave up.

Aluminum tape did not produce the desired effect, either, so I went with good old paint. Burnt umber to match the wood flooring.

In the list of things I will do differently next time, add drilling holes for toothpick dowels to the list. I just went with gluing wood to fabric, and I know I will live to regret it.

Also, not pictured but in the trash can are about 7 attempts at bolsters and throw pillows. Some attempted with fabric glue, and one hand sewn that looked like it was my first day in 8th grade home ec. I am blaming the fabric. Pillows still need to be made, but it's best to wait until my patience tank is filled up again. After Christmas.

I am working on the pattern sheets and updating all of the adjusted measurements. I hope to have them posted by the end of the year - which is next week! Yikes!