Bath progress

Back before Christmas I posted about our Master bath redo from Katrina screw-ups. It’s still a work in progress with 3 steps forward a couple backwards.

Shower seat in the old tile, grout all cracking and full of holes caused leaking. Before:

Old tile and grout torn off and new cement board installed.

Since we didn’t have any leftover origanal tiles and not wanting to have same issue, we decided to buy new marble to match the Breccia Oniciata on the tub surround and sink vanity. I love this marble, it even has veins of turquoise green running through it. Step up that glass surround will sit on:

New seat and step up:

Close of marble Breccia Oniciata:

The day before Christmas Eve, the glass company installed the glass surround and we were instructed not to use it for 48 hours. Not fun having all that mess, workers in and out constantly, and cleaning up the days before Christmas.

The tub had plenty of issues too. For one, it was floating, not on cement. See below:

The original installers left this gaping hole in the marble and never put the silicon around the tub. New contractor sprayed about 10 tubes of foam that hardens rock solid under the tub. Cute Brazilian guy cut out a piece of Breccia Oniciata leftover from shower marble fixes.

My other 2 bathrooms desperately needed new faucets, nozzles, etc. Bath 2 looked like this:

Now looks like this: (colors are all weird and not true)

and this:

Bath 3 before:

After:

But the bad thing is, it’s difficult to find these three faucet fixtures since the new plumbing codes. I searched forever to find them online in oil rubbed bronze. And the really, really bad thing is I ended up with this:

and this:

Yes, the plumber had to cut holes behind these 2 tubs otherwise we would have to tear out the shower/tubs and start all over again. Way too much money. I hope that tomorrow the sheetrock/painter guy can finish up. I’ve had it with the mess, the crap they drop, the in and out of my house tracking in dirt and leaves.

But I love my new bathrooms!

RED ROOM MAKEOVER, PART II

My little red room is slowly getting a total makeover. I actually started redoing this room last July, with paint. I decided a year ago that I needed to lighten everything in the house. I’m still working on it!

This room has always been an “EVERYTHING” room. I know, I know rooms should only have one purpose according to lots of HGTV shows. But in the real world, we have to MUTI-PURPOSE our rooms.

My last post showed some slipcover work, here’s a preview of other spots in this little room. I’ve taken a break from sewing to do some creative and fun projects…

My redone office space. Made the Memo Board from a mirror, hunted done some more of hubby’s cigar boxes to store stuff. So glad hubby keeps me supplied with these little boxes, despite his nasty habit!

Always wanted to make one, love how it turned out.

There are a few more pieces of furniture that intend to paint in this room. Other then the material for the slipcovers, my only other expense might be a rug to go over the 8 X 10 red Chobi rug. Wish I could PAINT IT!

Hopefully red room makeover, part III will be soon, I have to clean up by this Friday when hubby comes home. He would be in shock if he saw what a mess the rest of the house is!

CHANDELIER MAKEOVER

I'm hooked on this easy makeover... just finished it yesterday and every time I walk by it I smile!

This was a long over due project. Instead of buying a new one....

I ordered these for $50 from Cristalier

a little paint and a few hours of stringing and hanging

a whole new look!

Check out Julia' s Hooked on Fridays party!

WHITE LINEN RUFFLED SLIP COVER

I am no expert in sewing, for sure. Most of the time I learn from my dumb mistakes, sometimes not too happy with results. If you can sew, then you sure can do some fun things for your home. I even made window treatments for a number of years. It was a great way to make extra cash, stay at home, and work at my own leisure.

Preppy 101 asked for some pictures/instructions while making this slip. I wish I had taken pictures all along.

Here’s my feeble attempt to explain how I made this.

I used large wrapping paper (just some cheap stuff), laid it out, then traced outline of the chair back, no picture but I sure you can visualize that.

Cut material using paper pattern and sew together front and back pieces of chair. I constantly put back on chair to see how much adjustments to make.

You don’t want it to be too tight as would be difficult to take off and on.

This material is perfect for slipcovers and easier sewing. It is a tissue linen. A flax linen or heavier weight material would be very difficult to make ruffles with.

PICTURE 1

Again using craft/wrapping paper, cut pattern for seat, then cut material. Turn top piece inside out, slip over chair. then pin bottom seat to front of the top slip.

sew to front.

PICTURE 2

I didn’t take picture of next step, the skirt. Lots of options for a skirt. I wanted the multiple ruffles, but still needed a plain skirt attached to sew the ruffles on to.

Below you can see the bottom skirt already sewn on as I attaching ruffles.

PICTURE 3

Making the ruffles was time consuming. I wanted the ruffles to be full so I used 3 X the diameter around the chair

PICTURE 4

Sew the three strips together.

PICTURE 5

Hemmed one edge with a 1/4 inch hem. Then using a long stitch, MAKE SURE TO BACKSTITCH at start. Use a long baste stitch on machine, stitch thru entire length of material, but don’t backstitch at the end. Pull the top thread, keep pulling and pulling, easing the ruffles all the way down to opposite end.

PICTURE 6

Pin ruffle on bottom skirt making adjustments as you work around chair. I put the bottom ruffle on first, then worked up. See PICTURE 3

I put 4 layers of ruffles on.

Here she is finished, back in daughter’s room. Sooo not perfect, but I’m happy with my efforts.

Now I need to finished the slips for dinning room chairs. These will be different, not so fluffy!

Daughter’s room/Guest room makeover, Part II

Finished my bed skirt. It’s full, fluffy, and ethereal. When the Pine Cone Hill dotted Swiss bed skirt comes, I may not like it. If it is not as Gathered and Full as the one I made, it will look funny. I will wait and see. I'm working on the little slip for this ladder-back chair. 2 more ruffle layers to go….ruffles are so time consuming and messy!!! But isn’t she lovely?

Daughter’s/Guest room makeover, Part I

I’ve been working on this redo for a couple weeks, yes, I’m slow.

I fell in love with Pine Cone Hill’s Louisa white duvet cover below. It is full of pin tucks and ruffles.

I bought the duvet and a small pillow.

 

I wanted to mix and match, like so much of Pine Cone Hill’s lovely bedding does. I bought the white dotted Swiss bed skirt and pillow shams. It is voile which is so pretty.

 

 

The bed skirt is an 18” drop, I needed 2-3 more inches from floor to bottom mattress.

I found white voile at Wal-Mart, super cheap and am making a bed skirt using a white fitted sheet. You might be able to see the purple magic marker line I drew on the sheet. That’s my sewing line

I’ll have a 21” drop bed skirt, then I'll layer the Pine Cone Hill one over it.

 

Do I dare paint the bed? I’m really thinking I’d like to.

I’ve painted 2 other pieces of furniture in this room.

FEELING BETTER

I feel 10 years younger and ready to start where I left off in 8/2005. Thanks to Posh Daisy. They were super to work with and I recommend them highly. Hope you like the me I'm trying to get back to be....