Thursday, July 31, 2014

The Fabric Story

"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance ..." 1 Peter 1:14


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Speaking of high school (my last two posts), an acquaintance from one of mine shared a fabric website with us at Facebook which has prices lower than JoAnn Fabrics. Well, some prices are. Today I actually drove to JoAnn's to make comparisons and came away with some better deals, yet they did not have the selection that Fabric.com has. Alas.

Perhaps the huge JoAnn's a few cities away from me does, but though the younger and sillier Debra used to cruise that area all the time (searching for something she never did find in stores), she no longer feels the need to shop in such a hectic town.

So, like I said, I visited JoAnn's for fabric, something I'd not done in eons, but I've been giving myself a sort of 'college course' on decorating by way of rereading Kim's Daisy Cottage blog from the beginning and studying the photos, asking myself, "Why do you love what she did there?," taking notes and realizing that all of Kim's fabrics make my heart stand still (in a good way).

When I arrived home (and after some lunch and Dollar Tree cookies on the red couch), I ironed the fabric upstairs and placed some here:




Lately I've gone non-blue-is-ok-now up here because, remember how the wallpaper has yellow flowers and I painted the dresser to pick up on that?


(Notice the yellow polka dotted fabric I added to the pitcher today. Polka dots make me happy.)

Well, at a rummage sale I found a like-new bedspread with blue and yellow:


... then I cut off a strip and made two throw pillows, covering pillows found at the same sale, for the beds:



Of course, I used the stuff all we burned-out seamstresses adore: glue tape. I'd searched online for throw pillows and would have had to pay something like $40 (ack! If you're a non-burned-out seamstress you may want to consider selling homemade pillows). The two I made probably cost, oh, $3. Yes, seriously.

Then I recovered this chair seat with a lightweight, quasi-fabric that I got for a piddly $1.98 a yard (I used two pieces to reinforce it, not that anyone ever actually sits here). :


(I'll repaint the happy polka dot chair later.)

So now, lighting issues aside, the room is looking like this, minus the dresser to the right:



And I am happy with it.


Don't you just love following God and Grace? They know where and when all the best deals are and they give you creative ideas and the inspiration and strength to push past apathy and see them through. That is, as long as we don't get sidetracked and bullish, say, stampeding the backyard into a Hawaiian getaway when God and Grace were waving their hands, calling out, "No! We're here to help you makeover your bedroom now!"  :)

Oh, the wonder and benefits of doing things God's way, with His strength and in His specific timing!






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"When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies..."   ... Psalm 119:59

"The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore."   ...Psalm 121:8



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If you detest McDonalds you'll probably not like this, but if you're okay or indifferent (and enjoy all things retro), you might like it.


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5 comments:

Judy said...

VERY pretty!

Rosemary said...

You have such a knack for decorating on a budget. I always enjoy seeing the changes you make. By the way, your vintage telephone is awesome!

Pam said...

Love the look of the mixed print fabrics--I'd like to learn how to do that. Maybe I need to check out the those Daisy Cottage posts for inspiration.

Debra said...

Judy--thanks so much! You know I get ideas from you, too, right?

Rosemary--thank-you! I do enjoy shopping on a budget. :) Oh, and that phone is just a replica of a vintage phone, believe it or not. We bought it to use with our Magic Jack, but unfortunately it's not compatible with it so I just use it as a decoration. :)

Pam--oh yes! Do check out Kim's posts about her home as well as her house tours of her friends. The ideas come flying off the page! She has the eye of an artist, but there are lots of easy ideas for the rest of us. :)

Thanks, Everyone! ... Debra

Robin in New Jersey said...

I work at JoAnn's. :)

I love cutting all the fabric and seeing all the pretty prints and hearing what they are going to make.

Love all your rooms, Debra!